Skoda recreates Stonehenge out of old cars

Thu, 21 Jun 2012

The UK has a burgeoning car market filled with all sorts of cars we don't get here. So to get buyers' attention, automakers need to make a real splash. To that end, Skoda has erected a fresh take on one of the island nation's oldest landmarks... only in a more automotive form.

Dubbed Citihenge, the installation is inspired by the ancient Stonehenge in Wiltshire, recreated out of old cars. It was built over the course of three months under the direction of renowned installation artist Tommy Gun, and put in place in less than 12 hours. Using eighteen scrap cars weighing a total of 36 metric tons, each of the henges measures five meters tall by five meters wide and is made to withstand force-12 hurricane winds. Still, it can be entirely recycled.

The installation was erected on the south bank of the Thames next to London's famous Tower Bridge just in time for the summer solstice, and marks the arrival of the Skoda Citigo (the Czech version of the Volkswagen Up!) in the British market.

ŠKODA PRESENTS CITIHENGE STONEHENGE REPLICA MADE ENTIRELY FROM SCRAP CARS INSTALLED ON LONDON'S SOUTHBANK

- Ambitious Stonehenge replica launches ŠKODA's new Citigo model
- Installation provides an urban meeting point to mark Summer Solstice

Milton Keynes, 19 June 2012 - Car giant ŠKODA has installed a unique replica of Wiltshire's iconic Stonehenge - made entirely from recycled car parts - on London's Southbank.

The sculpture, which has been unveiled in time for the evening of the Summer Solstice (20th June), has been specially positioned to sit on little known ley lines and is set to become one of the key talking points in the capital this summer...

With the new car as its centrepiece, the audacious piece of automotive art dubbed 'Citihenge' by the makers, was specially commissioned to celebrate the launch of the ŠKODA Citigo. The giant build will be in position on the Southbank on 19 and 20 June.

Citihenge, led by sculptor Tommy Gun, took a design team three months to create. The ambitious piece of art, built using 18 scrap cars, stands at over five metres tall. Each henge is five metres wide and the commanding structure weighs a remarkable 36 tonnes.

Gun, a self-taught artist who specialises in big sculptures often made from machine parts, has exhibited at Chelsea Flower Show and The Grand Designs Show, Olympia, and was commissioned to produce a sculpture for the Tour de France. The installation is the latest in a series of cultural creative projects undertaken by ŠKODA, which has included giant cakes, a car in a cage and collaborations with musicians Anastacia and DJ Tiësto.

The beacon of economical motoring will remain at Potters Fields for two days before touring the UK, with a move to the Goodwood Festival of Speed and its celebration of car culture, in West Sussex from 28th June – 1st July.

Pietro Panarisi, ŠKODA spokesperson says: "The Citigo embodies the future of driving and is the smartest option for forward-thinking city drivers. While traditional cars struggle to perform well under the strain of city driving, the Citigo is designed to excel in the urban environment. Citihenge symbolises the beginning of a new era of motoring and we hope drivers across the country will recognise this important turning point."

Tommy Gun, sculptor says: "The Citihenge project has been the most amazing challenge. Stonehenge is a huge, iconic structure and the Citihenge replica is too. It is made entirely from old car parts, which taps into my own childhood growing up on a farm where I used to love building and creating things with pieces of discarded machinery."

Citigo re-defines what's possible with a city car - small exterior dimensions yet exceptional interior space offering ample space for four adults. Great manoeuvrability, exceptional comfort and safety with high levels of equipment, Citigo has been designed to deal with almost anything life can throw at it.

Citihenge facts:

The structure is engineered to withstand force 12 hurricane winds.
36 tonnes of steel used in the structure (including the cars).
The entire structure weighs 30 tonnes.
The accumulative mileage of the cars used in the structure is 1.9 million.
The structure was erected on site in London in less than 12 hours.
The Citihenge structure is 100% recyclable.

By Noah Joseph