MCLEAN, VA-The International Manufacturing Technology Show (IMTS) 2012 show management and Local Motors have announced that the winner of the first-ever IMTS 2012 Rally Fighter Graphic CarSkin Competition is Heather True, marketing assistant/graphic designer at BIG Kaiser Precision Tooling Inc.

True’s IMTS Rally Car design was chosen from 32 entries.

“We are delighted to see the excitement and response to the competition,” says Peter Eelman, IMTS vice president, exhibitions and communications. “All 32 entries were winners in our eyes, and we’re excited to see Heather’s entry rise to the top. She really captured the essence of the manufacturing technology industry and the show in her design.”

The competition is being held in anticipation of the building of an automobile on the show floor at IMTS 2012, which takes place Sept. 10-15 at Chicago’s McCormick Place and features the most advanced manufacturing technology in the world.

As the designer of the winning skin, True will receive $1,050 along with highlighted status on The Forge and exclusive Local Motors winner’s gear.



"It's thrilling to see this type of connection and collaborative development happen at near warp speed,” said John B. Rogers, Jr., president, cofounder and CEO of Local Motors. “The implications are enormous and will change not only the way we pursue design, but also engineering development and manufacturing at large. Congratulations to Heather for earning her first podium finish, and welcome to the community!"

To highlight the current and future impact of collaborative manufacturing, True’s skin design will be applied to one of two IMTS Rally Fighters, which will be showcased at IMTS. The Rally Fighter featuring this winning design will be built at the Local Motors micro-factory in Chandler, AZ, this month and will travel to various events on its way to IMTS in September. The other will be built live by the Local Motors team on the actual IMTS show floor as part of the Emerging Technology Center (ETC).

Another CarSkin competition in early summer will determine the skin for the IMTS Rally Fighter being built on the show floor in the ETC.

The Rally Fighter is the world’s first open source production vehicle, designed and developed by a collaboration between a global community and Local Motors, a new American car company, atwww.local-motors.com . This interactive manufacturing experience allows customers to actually build their own Rally Fighter with professional supervision.

To learn more about IMTS 2012, visithttp://www.IMTS.com .