FR-1 Concept headed for Vegas

America's Specialty Equipment Market Association (SEMA) runs a show in Las Vegas every year, promoting aftermarket parts and accessories. It's a huge show with car manufacturers and importers getting involved also, promoting their own range of go-fast parts or cosmetic upgrades.

This year there'll be an entry from Australia as well -- the Auto Horizon Foundation's FR-1 concept. The FR-1 looks like a Dodge Prowler, but has a mid/rear-mounted 270kW Holden V8 providing the motive power through a transaxle to the rear wheels.

"Holden have been fantastic, Holden have given us so much time and support," says Foundation CEO Brian Tanti.

"A lot of their designers and engineers have given up their time freely, to be involved. They've done a great job and they've done it with a fair amount of passion. They're keen to support the program and support us."

But here's the thing: the FR-1 is not a production car and nor will it ever go into production. So why send it across the Pacific to SEMA?

"People at SEMA tell me that some of the major suppliers at SEMA spend up to 20,000 hours building a showcar for the event every year -- and they act as a hook, to get people into the industry; to get people onto their stand and have a look at their products that they're offering. This is our opportunity to do the same," explains Tanti.

"We've got various companies involved [in the FR-1 project], that have created radiators for us, that have machined parts, that are component suppliers... Of the 90 separate supporters that we've got, close to 40 of them are automotive, and it's an opportunity for them to showcase their product around the world."

The Foundation is part of a spreading network of charities, government departments, training institutions (the Kangan Institute in Melbourne's Docklands precinct for one), car companies such as Holden and the research community. Its role within that network is actually twofold. Tanti and the Foundation are committed to encouraging young people to seek worthwhile employment in the local automotive sector and the Foundation also promotes members of the local industry at home and abroad.

Through the work of the federal government and the state of Victoria, original equipment and aftermarket parts suppliers are being encouraged to export, rather than rely on the increasingly slim pickings in Australia. Auto Horizon aims to support that ideal and is an active proponent of parts manufacturers in Australia.

"The [Victorian] state government, for some time -- through programs like Team Automotive Australia and the Victorian Technical Presentation Program -- has wanted to promote the component suppliers," explains Tanti, speaking to the Carsales Network during a media event at which the Victorian Minister for Industry and Trade, Jacinta Allan, announced further funding of $375,000 from the state government.

"They recognise that as China and India come on line and local manufacturing may shrink, you've got all of these satellite companies supporting the manufacturers, so their plan is to directly promote these companies to other markets around the world -- and [SEMA] is an opportunity to do it.

"We've already hosted two trade missions here, from Jiangsu province [in China]... and we had an ASEAN trade group come through recently from Austrade, so that's already happening in this studio, but there have been hints from Austrade to take this to Frankfurt and a variety of trade shows around the world.

"It's also an opportunity to present Australia as a centre of IP development -- and that's an area that we can be quite strong in. Encouraging these kids to look at advanced design as a career option could also support that."

On that point, the FR-1 (pictured as an artist's impression), is not only a means of promoting parts suppliers, it's an educational tool of sorts -- albeit one that could use more funding.

"If we had the money, we could do a much better job of this. We could do this on-line. We've had educators write the framework -- around how this car could fit into designer technology streams in education."

Funding is an on-going problem for the Foundation, but both the top tiers of government have responded well -- and appropriately, it seems -- to the results produced. Tanti's not resting on his laurels, however.

"We have another car we'd like to build, and we put together a funding submission that's before government now and if that is successful -- of course with the election being called now, that decision and consultation will be delayed -- we'll be able to launch this thing at the Sydney Motor Show [AIMS]."

This concept car is planned to be an all-electric 4WD vehicle that Tanti says makes Lindsay Fox's Enzo Ferrari look tame when the two are parked together. Asked whether Auto Horizon would ever allow either of the concepts to go into production should a manufacturer come forward with a load of cash, Tanti had this to say: "It was never part of our original agenda, [but] it could well be that someone might like it and want to do it. If that's the case, we would certainly look at it, as an organisation. We plan to be self-funding, we plan to run the foundation as a not-for-profit entity... but we do want to be self-sustaining..."

Importantly though, the FR-1's principal purpose is drum up interest in quality parts and/or IP from Australia. There's a precedent in place for that also.

"When you look at organisations like FAPM [the Federation of Automotive Products Manufacturers]," says Tanti, "look at the work they did with the AXcess car... $4 million product, but economic impact was measured [at] well over a hundred million dollars, in terms of benefit to component suppliers locally.

"So the previous model does work and we think it's an opportunity to do it again on an on-going basis -- and partnered with industry while partnered with education."

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