Spyre is responsible for all the creative work produced for a unique, two-stroke motorcycle race series called GP Originals. When the opportunity arose to create bespoke trophies we were keen to create something special.
Bespoke trophies for events and motorsport
The first task was to think carefully about the materials. We wanted each piece to have an engineered feel, certainly using metal. The winners should be proud to have their awards on display in their homes as a mark of their achievement and for ornamental value. We wanted the fixings to be an integral part of the design and considered lock wired bolts, Dzus fasteners and everything in between.
Rewarding creative ideas
The brief comprised a suite of trophies for 1st, 2nd and 3rd across three classes for 250cc, 350cc and Masters – totalling nine custom-designed awards. They needed to be in a matching style but incrementally sized to reflect the position of the finisher.
In addition, there would be a one-off award which would be presented as a perpetual trophy year-on-year. For this unique award, we needed to come up with a memorable name and concept that would evoke real meaning.
Designing a memorable trophy
Colin North was a Marketing Manager at Teng Tools. His huge enthusiasm for motorsport provided the perfect platform for the tool company’s extensive sponsorship programme. GP Originals really captured Colin’s attention and he quickly built up a great rapport with Michelle from the Series. At an indoor arena event in 2019, Colin sadly lost his life and the team at GP Originals were keen to create this trophy in his memory.
‘Polaris’ is the name of the North Star – a special star. Its reliable position is used to guide us and it is famed for its bright shining light. The award is presented to a rider, team member or supporter that proves themselves to be a shining star in the race paddock. We designed this bespoke trophy to reference a star-shaped Torx bit to make the connection with Teng’s product range. The front and back plates are clear anodised, sandwiched between a beautiful, oiled wooden centre. As you look through the star the inside face of the backplate is mirror polished to create a shining contrast to the rest of the trophy.
Concept visuals created in 3D
We began the design process by scamping up initial thoughts on paper until we arrived at the final ideas. We created basic 3D visuals to present to the decision-makers in the team and to provide a clear brief to PDQ Precision who were standing by, ready to make the finished bespoke trophies.
Hand finished, precision-made awards
Finally, we were ready to manufacture the bespoke trophies. PDQ Precision received DWG files for all the shapes and artwork content. We sourced natural cotton gift bags in green, blue and red to coordinate with the designated championship colours. PDQ Precision engineered the wood using their CNC milling machine before being hand-finished by a carpenter.
As the trophies were precision-made on professional machines the profiles of the aluminium plates matched up perfectly with the wooden centres. Finally, the artwork for each different name and class were laser etched onto the front surfaces by Bike Sport Developments and delivered to Spyre to be hand assembled and packed in their gift bags.
Presenting the bespoke trophies
The trophies were displayed at the awards evening on the main table to be viewed by competitors, teams, supporters and sponsors. Gary North, Colin’s brother, agreed to present the evening’s awards with a selection of Teng Tools prizes including the inaugural Polaris trophy.
