Student gets ‘Drive of his Life’ for Placement Achievement

Final Year BSc(Hons) Motorsport Technology student, Matthew Brill enjoyed the ‘drive of his life’ recently courtesy of his placement company.

Matthew undertook his year-long placement with Staffordshire University partners Slidesports Race Engineering, who currently undertake a wide variety of consultancy motorsport engineering projects alongside their racing commitments in the UK and internationally.

Matthew with the Pallex Slidesports Porsche Cayman GT4 in Hungary recently. Photo: M Jenkins

Matthew with the Pallex Slidesports Porsche Cayman GT4 in Hungary recently. Photo: M Jenkins

His excellent progress and commitment to the placement didn’t go unnoticed with Slidesports providing him with an end of placement experience to remember – tuition and solo laps in a race prepared Volkswagen Scirocco.

Team Principal Mark Jenkins said,

“Matthew came to us in September 2015 and he’s made himself an invaluable member of the team, he’s worked extremely hard all season and that’s why we arranged this experience for him. I’d be happy to do that again for any placement student that showed the same calibre Matthew did.”

Slidesports have worked in partnership with Staffordshire University for nearly a decade to provide ‘live’ work based learning experience to students on the Foundation Degree and BSc(Hons) Motorsport Technology awards.

Matthew following his solo laps in a race prepared Volkswagen Scirocco. Photo: M Jenkins

Matthew following his solo laps in a race prepared Volkswagen Scirocco. Photo: M Jenkins

During Matthew’s placement year he has worked on an extensive range of cars including the Pallex Slidesports Porsche Cayman GT4, the Team BRIT Volkswagen Golf GTi and rally cars.

Matthew had very little mechanical experience prior to his placement, and feels he;

“gained an amazing amount of experience during the placement, allowing the classroom knowledge I’d gained to be put into practice.”

For more information on Staffordshire University Motorsport courses, click here, or contact enquiries@staffs.ac.uk or to contact Slidesports Race Engineering, info@slidesports.co.uk

Happy Birthday Ma’am – A 90th Birthday study of The Queen’s Car History

Today is Her Majesty’s 90th Birthday and while the news is filled with different stories about her life and her family – here in Automotive we’ve decided to celebrate The Queen’s Birthday in a more appropriate way for us – with a look back at some of her cars.

The Queen learned to drive as Princess Elizabeth during World War Two – she was serving in the Women’s Auxiliary Territorial Service. She also fixed military vehicles during this time.

Princess Elizabeth driving an Ambulance in World War II - Getty Images

Princess Elizabeth driving an Ambulance in World War II – Getty Images

While she is often chauffeured around in the course of her Royal duties, The Queen is known to enjoy driving and has owned many vehicles over the years, including the expected Daimler, Rolls Royce and Bentley vehicles.

Apparently the Queen's latest addition - the Bentley Bentayga

Apparently the Queen’s latest addition – the Bentley Bentayga

It’s believed that The Queen doesn’t hold a driving licence and she is the only person in the UK allowed to drive without a licence. That hasn’t stopped her from getting behind the wheel and her cars have included Jaguar X Type Estates (once cutting over the grass to get past a family walking in the road on the estate), Land Rovers and Range Rovers a plenty and the aforementioned ‘state vehicles’.

It’s not all Rolls Royce and Bentley though – below is The Queen in her Vauxhall Cresta Estate – and she’s been known to drive the later Omega and Insignia models too

The Queen in her Vauxhall Cresta Estate, circa 1980.

The Queen in her Vauxhall Cresta Estate, circa 1980.

However, of far more interest to myself as a confirmed Rover fan are the two Rover P5Bs owned by The Queen and now at the British Motor Museum at Gaydon. A lovely example of the type.

The Queen in her Rover P5B

The Queen in her Rover P5B

The Queen's Rover P5B

The Queen’s Rover P5B more recently.

So, Happy Birthday Ma’am and may you enjoy many more years of motoring.

Graduation 2015

Last week, on the gloriously sunny afternoon of Tuesday 7th July 2015, the Faculty of Computing, Engineering and Sciences held their Engineering and Sciences Graduation Ceremony – the highlight of the year, a chance to celebrate the hard work of our Automotive and Motorsport students.

It’s not just a special day for the students and staff though, this is a key chance for family, who have been supporting their graduate during the last few years to really see their family member shine.

BSc(Hons) Motorsport Technology graduate Jenny Broom attended with her parents and sisters, her parents talking about the joy in seeing their daughter pursue her dreams.

Students Chris, Jenny and James at Graduation 2015.

Students Chris, Jenny and James at Graduation.

James Bruce, another BSc(Hons) Motorsport Technology graduate has been working at McLaren since finishing his course, so it was great for him to catch up with his former classmates for the day.

Automotive Technology graduates, Frazer, Tim, Jack and Owen. Photo taken by Amelia May Lancaster.

Automotive Technology graduates, Frazer, Tim, Jack and Owen. Photo taken by Amelia May Lancaster.

It’s not just about our Motorsport graduates though, shown above are some of our BSc(Hons) Automotive Technology graduates, Frazer Killops, Tim Lancaster, Jack Ellis and Owen Morgan. The picture is taken by Tim’s wife Amelia, who is also graduating from her own course this year.

As well as the excellent work put in by our graduates, graduation is also the time to celebrate prize winners, BSc(Hons) Motorsport Technology graduate, Christopher Harpham was awarded the IMechE Institution Project Prize for his final project looking at ‘The Aerodynamic Effects of Oversteer on Performance Vehicles’, He was presented with a certificate from the Dean of the Faculty, Hastings McKenzie and Motorsport Award Leader, Debi Roberts.

Chris Harpham receiving his award from Professor Hastings McKenzie and Debi Roberts.

Chris Harpham receiving his award from Professor Hastings McKenzie and Debi Roberts.

Award Leader for the Automotive and Motorsport courses, Debi Roberts, said “Graduation is a very special time for the graduates and their families, but it’s also a lovely, as a lecturer and tutor, to see the end result – the change in those students that comes after three or four years of hard work on their part. To celebrate with them and say ‘look, you achieved all that’ and then keeping in touch to see where their career takes them.”