Drive is based in an old converted bakery in Ripley, Surrey
“We’re a small automotive design consultancy with clients ranging from large OEM’s to niche vehicle manufacturers.
Despite its discreet appearance from the front, our building houses a large, airy studio space. We occasionally think about moving to bigger premises, but we know we’d struggle to find somewhere with as much character, light and privacy. Even after 15 years, some of the locals don’t know we are here!
The rest of the office is segmented into smaller rooms, with the usual array of design equipment, including a 3D printer, render farm and a lot of car-related objects we’ve collected over the years.”
The main studio space…You’re never far from anything car-related in the office
What are your weapons of choice?
For our designers it would still have to be pen and paper. Easily the most powerful tool in our armoury.
Daily tools. Pens, paper and Photoshop…Come lunchtime, the aerobee is always out
What technology/product couldn’t you live without in your workspace?
We couldn’t do without our 3D modelling software (Autodesk Alias). Sketching is the most fun part of car design but it gets technical very quickly.
What is missing from your toolset?
We’d love to have a full-size clay modelling plate in-house. It is still a very valuable part of the design process.
We are incredibly lucky to have so much natural light
Is there anything that would make your design process run smoother?
With so many departments, personnel and suppliers that are involved in creating and producing a car, I’m always surprised how smooth most projects actually run.
Mark Pritchard, director of Drive in Surrey
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