A New Zealand-designed car has been admired by two world leaders in Hamburg.
Auckland-based designer Alain Brideson is delighted his work on the Etos concept car was admired by US President Barack Obama and German Chancellor Angela Merkel.
Swiss company Rinspeed gave the world leaders a tour of the car at the Hanover Fair in Hamburg on Monday. The car's exterior and dashboard components were designed and modelled by Mr Brideson.
The exterior and dashboard of the car was designed by Alain Brideson (Supplied)
Rinspeed sent Mr Brideson an email on Tuesday with photos of President Obama and Chancellor Merkel looking at the car.
"It was a very nice surprise to wake up to," he says.
"I couldn't believe it actually. I design from this little corner of the planet in New Zealand so it's amazing to think two of the world's most powerful people have had a look at my work."
The Etos is a futuristic concept car which was unveiled earlier in the year at the Las Vegas Consumer Electronics Show. It's a hybrid car and self-driving with a retractable steering wheel, and features a personal assistant autonomous drone, Mr Brideson says.
The car is self-driving (Supplied)
Mr Brideson says he's been drawing and designing from the moment "he was old enough to handle a pencil". He says he honed his craft in Europe and has gone on to design everything from aircraft interiors to an iPhone attachment to help optometrists.
"Like a lot of young boys, I was obsessed with cars. I just never grew out of it and now alongside designing products, I have that dream job of designing cars."
"The Etos is packed with the latest technology and innovations that we will likely see in the cars of the future," he says.
Auckland-based designer Alain Brideson (Supplied)
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