The German Body & Paint competition at Automechanika Frankfurt is hosting body and paintwork professionals who hope to impress the expert panel with their work and earn a spot in the grand finale of the international Automechanika Body & Paint World Championships.
Entrants are called upon to create a car bonnet with a design inspired by their country. The creations are judged according to their technical perfection and creativity. The German Automechanika Body & Paint competition is sponsored by AkzoNobel, Axalta, BASF, Carbon, and SATA.
Axalta’s three refinish brands – Standox, Spies Hecker and Cromax – are being represented at the competition.
“The Body & Paint competition – not only the finals, but also the competitions in which the finalists are selected – is of interest to all international companies in our sector,” said Yasmin Armbruster, Director of Marketing Service at Standox Germany in Wuppertal, who also works with Axalta’s other refinish brands. “The fact that the grand finale is being held at Automechanika in Frankfurt is yet another reason for us to lend our support to this event.
“Body and paint workshops are facing numerous challenging developments today, not only in the workshop area but also on the administrative side. Examples include new materials and technologies, changing market structures, digitalisation and much else besides. Their core activity – top-quality craftsmanship – can sometimes be overshadowed by these developments, yet it is this craftsmanship that is the heart of what they do. That’s why it’s great that the body and paint contest is focused on creativity in paintwork. I look forward to the presentation of all the designs entered from around the world.”
Jari Pfander, Head of Marketing & Communications at spray painting specialist SATA, said the competition is also an opportunity to showcase the company’s products.
“We at SATA are driven by our desire to equip paintwork specialists around the globe with the best tools for pursuing their trade,” he said. “That is why we are especially delighted to see our products being used in the body and paint competition at Automechanika Frankfurt, making us part of this captivating international competition.”
Tina Allhoff, Director of Marketing Management Germany at BASF Coatings, said the competition allows painters to shine.
“We produce and supply top-quality products, but it is always a real highlight to see what a paintwork technician can achieve when they put these products to work,” said Allhoff. “When it comes to everyday repairs, a paintwork specialist can really show their skill by making it impossible to tell the difference between the new finish and the original paintwork.
“Many laypeople think this is a matter of course and don’t appreciate the difficulty as a result, but it takes experience and skill to make it happen. There is rarely any time for creativity because the desired result is usually predetermined. This makes it all the more impressive to see what can be done when professional paintwork specialists work with excellent paint products. True artistry really shines through. It quickly becomes evident just how much emotion can be expressed through paint, and how objects, in this case a car hood, can be ‘brought to life’.”
Automechanika Frankfurt said it is looking forward to joining with its partners and sponsors at the awards ceremonies on 14 September (German finals) and 16 September (international finals). The awards will be presented by the person who conceived the idea for the contest, Wolfgang Auer, Editor-in-Chief of the trade journal fml, along with Michael Rehm, Editor-in-Chief of Lackiererblatt. There will also be a people’s choice award chosen by trade fair visitors in person and online.
Three finalists – the winners in Birmingham, Johannesburg, and Shanghai – were previously chosen at their respective Automechanika shows.