TORRANCE, Calif. -
Scion unveiled the winners of its “Scion Battle of the Builds” contest where teams composed of active members of the military competed to craft the best custom-designed Scion xB.
Taking the top spot as the grand prize winner of $14,000 was “The Salty Dogs,” a team that hails from Naval Station Mayport in Florida. This group of six U.S. Navy personnel picked “The Squid” as the concept for their design.
The Salty Dogs team is receiving an invite to the 2010 Specialty Equipment Market Association show in Las Vegas. While there, the team will display its winning vehicle at Scion’s booth.
The members will be given their $14,000 check on Nov. 3.
The first prize winner was Sapper, from Fort Leonard Wood in Missouri. Five members of the U.S Army are on the team, whose concept was “R&R 2011.” The team wins $12,000.
Meanwhile, the second prize winner was the “Kai Hei Tai” team out of the Marine Corps Air Ground Combat Center in 29 Palms, Calif.
These five Marines utilized “xB Assault” as their concept.
"We are fortunate enough to travel around the country and see all different types of cars,” says Nathan Leon of Global Judging Automotive, which judged the entries. Global Judging Automotive used 13 criteria in its evaluations. Among the things they judged for were paint, build quality, bodywork, interior and audio/visual entertainment.
“We have seen it all, but none of those competitions have been as rewarding or as unique as the Scion Battle of the Builds,” Leon continued. “Each of the vehicles presented had incredible inspiration, making it very difficult to pick a winner.”
He later added: “Congratulations to The Salty Dogs for taking home the win. We were blown away by the overall look and craftsmanship of their Scion xB. It is truly a one-of-a-kind vehicle with a great story behind it.”
Steve Hatanaka, Scion auto shows and events manager, noted: “All three teams did an awesome job transforming their xBs from cool concepts to complete head-turning rides. On behalf of Scion I want to congratulate The Salty Dogs on their amazing build. I look forward to seeing this vehicle at SEMA and around the country in the coming year.”
Scion has teamed up with Morale, Welfare and Recreation of the Army, Navy, Air Force and Marine Corps commercial units and base Auto Skills Center in reaching out to the troops.
For those interested in checking out the development of these custom xB models, visit www.battleofthebuilds.com/blog or www.facebook.com/scion.