[Detailed Guide] If you want to sell your Car Design

How can one sell their car design?

So you’ve created a car design and want to sell it? Let’s discuss how possible it is for an independent person to sell a car design to a car company.

Technically, it is impossible to sell designs to traditional big automobile companies. They have a house team for these matters. But you can approach small run auto markets and aftermarket suppliers to sell your designs. Most car companies don’t purchase from independent people.

But don’t lose hope because, in recent decades, companies like Ford and General Motors have opened websites to take ideas from the general public.

Let’s take a look at how to prepare for submitting your car design.

How to submit car design to the company

If you’ve professionally designed a car, then you’ll know that designing a car is no joke. And getting that design approved is even more work. Approaching needs detailed design work and several other sketches.

Research idea: You should always research the company’s niche and what type of cars they have already made. Likewise, you can create innovative ideas. A company always appreciates a person who has done their research. Researching shows that you are passionate about your idea and makes them consider your design.

Test Idea: Knowing the market your car design is targeted at helps better the design. This makes the design practical and conveys a sense of sincerity. It shows that you know what you’re performing. Conduct focus groups and market your idea to friends and family and interested people. Get feedback from relevant people. For example: if you are designing that includes AI, get feedback from the tech community. See what can be improved and what is practically doable.

Submission Procedure: After you’ve done detailed sketches and have researched your market, it is time for researching for patented designs. Ford encourages people to patent their designs. Researching patented designs will help you create unique designs and you’ll know what is already made. You need to read the company’s terms and conditions before submitting anything.

Presentation: So now you have your designs, how do you present them in a manner so that it is accepted? Create an attractive and concise presentation that includes 3d version of your design. That will help you get considered. Also, make a sales sheet explaining problems and solutions to them. Always include your introductory letter and contact information as you want them to contact you in case your design is approved.

In short, your design has to be unique and one of a kind and you have to apply for patent. Do your research and prepare your file. Your file should include: Sketches of your design, your academic details and a recommendation letter, and your intentions with the company- whether you want to work or just submit ideas. And send it to the relevant department of the car company such as R&D department.

Also Read: From Off-Roaders to Patriots: Custom Jeep Decals for Every Passion

How much does it cost to make a car design?

Your obvious next question will be, how much does it actually cost to make a car?

Manufacturing a new model takes few years. There are a lot of factors at play here.

Research: Making a new model includes researching about new technologies. After thorough research and engineering, a prototype is made.
Testing prototype: After a prototype is made, it is out to test. In this stage, a lot of defects are detected which are then addressed.

In these years they have to keep in mind, the cost of maintaining facilities and pay salaries of staff.

Manufacturing a car can cost hundreds of millions of dollars. It includes the cost of raw materials, labor and maintenance costs. Most car manufacturers refuse to reveal the actual cost of manufacturing and therefore there is no fixed data available. But cars are of different categories and cost different to make. For example, a Toyota would cost less to make than a Ferrari.

Here is a basic breakdown of cost of car manufacturing:

Raw materials and price of auto parts: 57% total price
Researching, development, and engineering: 16% total cost.
Average advertising charge per unit: $1091
Dealership and markups per unit: $1497
Sales tax: $4984.

How much do car designers make?

As of December 27, 2021, the average annual salary for an American car designer is $82,843, but the salary range is usually $74,920 to $94,575. Salary ranges can vary greatly depending on many important factors, including education, certification, additional skills, and the number of years spent in the profession.

Final Thoughts

Therefore, selling your car design to companies requires a clear awareness of the process. There isn’t a full-proof way to sell any design to a company, but as stated earlier, you can submit your work to companies like Ford and General Motors. One should keep in mind that they receive hundreds of designs every day so it is better not to expect any personalized feedback. Instead, make sure your design is unique and that is bound to get their attention.