ARTCENTER DESIGN INVITATIONAL

Long known as the ArtCenter Car Classic, the annual event now goes by the name Design Invitational. And notwithstanding the name, you don’t need a special invitation to attend. ArtCenter’s 2025 Design Invitational is open to the public with purchase of a Legacy in Motion day pass.

 The 2025 edition will be held on Sunday, September 28 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. in the Sculpture Garden of the College’s picturesque Hillside Campus in Pasadena, as part of the ArtCenter’s Alumni Reunion Weekend festivities.

The event offers car enthusiasts and design lovers a rare opportunity to explore groundbreaking concepts, iconic designs, trendsetters, new models and timeless classics spanning eight decades. The event will feature special presentations highlighting select vehicles, offering visitors in-depth insights into each model’s history and design. Last, but not least, the event also offers visitors an opportunity to enjoy and explore the College’s beautiful campus.

“Over the past 77 years, the impact of ArtCenter’s Transportation Design program on vehicle design has been unprecedented. Our faculty and alumni have shaped the cars we drive, the motorcycles we ride and the planes we fly,” said ArtCenter President Karen Hofmann. “This year’s Design Invitational, held during the College’s alumni reunion weekend, is our way of honoring their contributions and celebrating their remarkable influence across industries.”

Featured Designs

2025 Design Invitational highlights include the first public, side-by-side showcase of Oilstainlab’s HF-11 and Half-11 supercars, designed by alumni and ArtCenter faculty members Nikita and Iliya Bridan; a selection of historic Corvettes, such as alumni Larry Shinoda and Peter Brock’s iconic 1963 Corvette Sting Ray; classic models, such as the 1963 Buick Riviera and 1966 Oldsmobile Toronado designed by alumnus David North; Lucid’s Gravity X Concept (Gravity Cross), an SUV redefining what a trail-ready adventure vehicle could be, designed by alumni Derek Jenkins, Jenny Ha, Jon Wen and others from the Lucid team; and the Slate Truck, the radically customizable and affordable electric pickup truck designed by alumna Tisha Johnson and her team at Slate.

The invitational will also feature a 1956 Maserati A6G Zagato and a 1964 Alfa Romeo Giulia Sprint Speciale, winners of 2024 ArtCenter Design Excellence Awards at the Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance and The Quail, A Motorsports Gathering, respectively. The awards are presented each year by the College during Monterey Car Week, an annual celebration in which ArtCenter has participated for 23 years.

A list of vehicles scheduled to appear will be available prior to the event on the ArtCenter Design Invitational event page, though the final lineup is subject to change.

About ArtCenter College of Design

Founded in 1930 and located in Pasadena, California, ArtCenter College of Design is a global leader in art and design education. ArtCenter offers undergraduate and graduate degrees in a wide variety of industrial design disciplines as well as visual and applied arts. Renowned for both its ties to industry and its social impact initiatives, ArtCenter is the first design school to receive the United Nations’ Non-Governmental Organization (NGO) status. Throughout the College’s long and storied history, ArtCenter alumni have had a profound impact on popular culture, the way we live, and important issues in our society.