Famous rivals BMW and Mercedes-Benz have both scored wins across different categories in a series of German design awards.

The principal competition is the German Design Award, headed by a 30-strong jury from the German Design Council that comprises design experts from a range of areas. The aim of the competition is to identify, publicise and reward innovative international design trends.

The Design Council enjoys broad resonance for its German Design Award which ranks as an important yardstick for design trends and added brand value in Germany. The business and design worlds commend the initiative as an enhancement to publicising the German design scene and corroborate the Design Council’s approach by their active involvement. More than 1,500 submissions were presented to the international panel of experts in Frankfurt on 16 and 17 August 2012.

The actual award ceremony will be held on 15 February 2013 during the Ambiente international consumer goods fair in Frankfurt.

BMW

BMW Group Design received awards for the BMW 6 Series Convertible, the BMW 1 Series and the Husqvarna Nuda 900 R (Husqvarna Motorcycles being a subsidiary of BMW). This year’s German Design Award ranked the BMW 6 Series Convertible among the winners in the “Transportation and Public Space” category.

In the past, BMW Group Design has repeatedly earned recognition from the Design Council for its products. In 2012 – the debut of the German Design Award – the jury conferred the accolade on the BMW 5 Series Touring.

This year’s German Design Award marks the second time that these three models have won a prize for their design qualities. In 2012 the BMW 1 Series secured a first place in the iF Product Design Award; in the red dot award 2012, the Husqvarna Nuda 900 R earned the ultimate seal of quality – the “best of the best” – for its minimalist design; and the BMW 6 Series Convertible had already won over the judges of the international Good Design Award 2011.

Mercedes

The new Mercedes-Benz Actros has won not one but two design awards: the German Design Award 2013 in the “Transportation and Public Space” category and the “Focus in Gold 2012” award from the Design Center Stuttgart. Following the “red dot” design award from the Design Zentrum Nordrhein-Westfalen the new Actros has now received three important awards for its design.

Mercedes-Benz commercial vehicle design director Kai Sieber said: “We are incredibly proud of how perfectly form follows function in the new Actros. That’s why we naturally are very pleased about this special recognition in the form of these coveted international design awards”.

Late last week the new Actros was honoured by the Design Center Stuttgart with the “Focus in Gold 2012” award in the “Vehicles” category. A wide variety of products in 17 categories contended for the International Design Award Baden-Württemberg. At the award ceremony in Ludwigsburg on 12 October the “Focus in Gold 2012” award was presented to Mercedes-Benz commercial vehicle designers Kai Sieber and Bertrand Janssen.

The Design Center Stuttgart has been organising the design product of the year competition since 1962. Sponsored by the German state Baden-Württemberg, the institution is the oldest of its kind and the only state-run design centre in Germany.

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