Italy's Lear Corp. has won this year's Swedish Steel Prize for its new back seat design based on high strength steel. The Turin company's design is laterally rigid, strong and three-quarters the weight of previous equivalent solutions. Four times world speedway champion Tony Rickardsson presented SEK100 000 to Lear, along with the Swedish Steel Prize statuette. The Swedish Steel Prize is an international engineering industry accolade instituted by SSAB Tunnplat AB, aimed at stimulating innovative approaches to industrial design which include the use of high strength steel. Lear Corporation's new back seat for the Alfa Romeo 147 is a good example of how the designers can meet exacting demands for low weight and a strong and safe design - as well as cost effectiveness - through the appropriate use of the material. The design's lower weight reduces fuel consumption, making the car more eco-friendly.
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