15-Year Old from Washington Wins Toyota Dream Car Art Contest!

High school junior and award-winning musician Ava Yeh wins the Grand Prize for the Toyota Dream Car Art Contest, check out her amazing work!

Now, in the world of automotive development, there’s quite a few unknowns. Will the next generation be primarily electric, hydrogen, will crossovers or sedans dominate the market, and so on. That said, we’re pretty sure that airships made from plants and musical instruments aren’t on the list for Toyota’s development team. However, clearly one high school student from Mercer Island, Washington didn’t receive that memo. In fact, she penned exactly that for the ‘Toyota Dream Car Art Contest’, a nationwide art competition for youths aged 4-15 years. And not only did she take first prize, but she even won the Grand Prize in the 12-15 year age bracket, selected from 78 representative nations. Her name is Ava Yeh, and her phenomenal artwork titled “Toyota Dream Orchestra Car” speaks for itself.

The vehicle she designed soars over a vast cityscape, which in Yeh’s words, “Plays music to soothe people and improve their mental and physical health.” Yeh, who trained as a pianist before transitioning to the harp, “Provides a wonderful example to our students on how music creates community within a school,” according to her high school principal Walter Kelly. She wears her award-winning musicianship on her sleeve in this incredible piece, incorporating a variety of instruments and natural scenery in a truly stellar piece. Not to mention that she’s only 15 years old, a truly impressive feat for someone so young. And she wasn’t the only young American to take home an award, either.

The US Finalists

First up, we have someone even younger, 11-year-old Doyeon Lee of Mill Creek, Washington, with his piece titled “Sweet Car.” In his words, “My ‘Sweet Car’ is designed to bring friendliness and happiness to people. When people eat sweets, they get energetic and grumpy moods go away.” The Toyota-branded desserts proudly parade through the colorful landscape. And true to his word, every figure in the artwork bears a wide, blissful smile. Appropriately, sweets permeate the scenery as well, from the candy cane street lights to the teacup dwellings. In his category, Lee takes home a well-deserved Silver Medal for his delightful piece.

And if that wasn’t enough, we have one final piece, drawn by (astoundingly) a five-year-old girl. Here we have “Giraffe Car Delivers Happiness” by Zongxuan Helena Zou, an amazingly talented girl from Ridgewood, New Jersey. “My grandma lives on 11th floor [sic]. She is too old to go downstairs and shop,” says Zou, “My giraffe car’s legs and neck can go up and down and reach her window to deliver food and gifts.” Like the other entries, her artwork inspires happiness and a sense of community. Which according to Zou, comes from people having to “Stay home because of virus [sic]. My giraffe car can help them and bring happiness to their families.” Her artwork earned a well-deserved Gold Medal in her age category.

The 12th annual Toyota Dream Car Art Contest will accept new entries from the US beginning this fall. The deadline ranges from October 1, 2022 to January 31, 2023. Entries must be authored by youths age 4-15 and submissions are accepted by mail or online. You can check out the website here for more information!

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M.C. Cuccio

I've been an automotive aficionado since I had baby teeth. My path was set when I first leaned on my grandfather's classic Porsche as I learned how to walk. One of my first memories was my mother sitting me behind the wheel of her Pontiac and talking me through the instrumentation and controls. Even though I was a mere three or four years old, I was instantly sold, and filled notebooks with technical drawings, sketches, and collections of manuals of all sorts of cars. I've actively tracked developments in automotive and motorsport technology for well over 20 years, and pride myself on being intimately familiar with the functions and history of a wide range of vehicles.

My primary goal as a writer and enthusiast is to equally learn and share what I've learned in a constructive and interesting way. I maintain connections with people from around the world and can read technical manuals in Italian, Japanese, and Spanish, granting me access to a wide array of resources. My primary focuses are deep-dives into historical topics, motorsport discussion, and learning about the complex mechanical elements of such vehicles. As such, my research is never perfect; as anyone into cars will attest, the more you learn about cars, the more you realize how little you actually know. Therefore, I always welcome fresh knowledge and corrections to help me better my work in the future.