Talented Alex has designs on your next new car

A MERSEYSIDE dad has spoken of his pride this week after his son landed a dream job designing a Chinese car companys latest models.

Jeff OBrien, from Thornton, told Life On Cars that after impressing car industry executives with his design flair his son Alex has now jetted off to Shanghai to help design vehicles for Qoros, a joint Israeli-Chinese firm which will be launching its first cars in the UK next year.

Mr OBrien said yesterday: "Alexs designing and sketching skills are out of this world, and after completing the car design course at the University of Coventry he impressed a lot of design executives for different companies, who all saw what hed come up with and wanted to take a look. One of them was a manager at Qoros, who spoke to Alex and was absolutely delighted with him.

"Alex wanted to work with Qoros because its a new company, and theyre really keen to use some of his design skills in their models."

The model which former Manor High School pupil Alex created to conclude his design course, a sports car design aimed at supercar builders Bugatti (pictured above), attracted attention from car industry executives at an exhibition, used to showcase the UKs latest car design talent, held in Coventry last year. Father and son worked together on the car, with Jeff, a retired Craft, Design and Technology tutor, helping to fashion the wheels for the model of Alexs sports car design.

Although work commitments in Shanghai meant Alex was unavailable to speak to Life On Cars, a Qoros spokesperson said of its new range of cars: "Qoros is a fresh, new brand without legacy. It is driven by a passionate international team of expert designers, engineers and marketers who are united in their desire to develop sophisticated and highly individual products.

"The company is dedicated to meeting an ever-increasing demand for cars that are highly differentiated from other products within a crowded automotive marketplace. In addition to design that is both elegant and functional, Qoros products will be distinguished by a strong focus on state-of-the-art technology, with high levels of user-friendly in-car connectivity and vehicle safety standards which compare to the best in Europe."

The first Qoros car to be sold in the UK, an as-yet-unnamed four door saloon, will make its European debut at the Geneva Motorshow next March.

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What to Say and What Not to Say to Your Mechanic When Bringing Your Car for a Repair

Are you prone to automotive rip-offs? The fact is, auto repair shops and mechanics who have the habit of ripping their customers off choose their victims. They don’t actually prey on every customer that comes in. They only prey on people who show that they’re easy to deceive. And, they sometimes get their clue from the things that the customer says.

So, what are the things that you should say and should not say to your mechanic if you want to avoid an automotive rip-off?

What to tell your mechanic: A description of the symptoms you are experiencing in your vehicle.

If you’re having a problem in your drive, you should tell your mechanic in detail exactly what you are experiencing. Describe any noise that is evident, any vibration originating from somewhere in your car, etc. This will help the mechanic in the diagnosis.

What not to tell your mechanic: Your own assumption about what the problem might be.

Auto repair shops and mechanics on the lookout for a customer that they can rip off can use your assumption to tell you of a problem that does not actually exist and charge you for a repair that they don’t actually do. So, keep your assumptions to yourself and let the mechanic do his work.

What to tell your mechanic: A description of previous repairs done on the vehicle and past problems encountered, if any.

Information about any repair done or problem encountered in the past months will give your mechanic the whole picture and may just make the diagnosis faster and easier.

What not to tell your mechanic: That you’re not familiar with the part that is problematic.

This can raise the red flag among mechanics looking for a chance to trick their customers. They know that a clueless customer is easier to deceive, so telling them that you don’t have knowledge about your vehicle will greatly increase your likelihood to be ripped off.

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