Humankind had been trying to design and build a self-propelled vehicle virtually from the dawn of civilization. We finally got it right a little over 100 years ago! The American Society of Mechanical Engineers named the automobile the single greatest achievement of the 20th century, and automotive engineers have been improving on it ever since.

Automotive design engineers apply engineering, scientific, and technical principles to the development of vehicles and their systems and parts. Some automotive engineers are there every step of the way, from inspiration to production. Others may focus strictly on the design phase and the part or component that is their specialty. There are three main categories of automotive engineering - research, design, and testing; but even those whose job title identifies them as designers may make contributions in the other areas, as well.

Perhaps this career can be best defined as a type of mechanical engineering with a splash of industrial design. Automotive design engineers are both conceptual and practical, as befits an occupation incorporating the words design and engineer. That is, they are comfortable working with ideas and notions, without being given concrete assignments or specific goals or ends that they must achieve. They think outside the box and push the boundaries of conventional automotive design and function. But in order to bring these concept cars to physical fruition, they must think and work in a manner that is logical, methodical, and realistic.

You may have noticed that most car manufacturers introduce new models every year. In fact, they begin bringing out a given year's models in September of the previous year. (Consequently, August is a good time toget a deal on the current year's models, as dealers must empty their lots to make room for the new ones.) This is a necessity in the competitive auto industry. New vehicles attract consumer interest and attention for their novelty alone, and also because they are reviewed in consumer magazines and they are heavily advertised. However, developing a whole new vehicle from scratch can be a lengthy, expensive, complicated, and risky proposition. It takes about a year to develop a design for a completely new car and get it approved, and another 6 to 48 months are required to build and test it.

That means the development team has to look as far as five years into the future and forecast the state of the economy; predict consumers' wants and needs in terms of safety, style, environmental concerns; and envision competitors' products and strategies. In addition, a new vehicle can cost from hundreds of millions to billions of dollars, particularly if it will require new manufacturing or assembly facilities. As a result, automakers build cars from the ground up less often, and introduce new versions or refinements of existing models more often.

These newer adaptations may boast additional features, correct problems, or update the car's appearance. For instance, the Honda Accord was redesigned to offer antilock brakes as a standard feature on all models and to comply with California's Super Ultra Low Emission Vehicle standards, which means its emissions are 90% cleaner than average. In another example, DaimlerChrysler introduced a turbo-charged version of its popular PT Cruiser. Either way, developing a new car or even just a new version of one involves numerous procedures, systems, parts, and technicians. And automotive design engineers are the critical members of the team.

This report will reveal the work that automotive engineers do, as well as what's great about this job and what's not so great. You'll find out the kind of academic background you'll need and what you can do right now to begin preparing. You'll also hear first-hand about this profession from some professional automotive engineers, and one designer who works with them.

There's a lot of tinkering that needs to be done before the rubber meets the road. If this toots your horn, read on!