What materials do car engineers use to design a new model? metal? fibreglass?

It turns out, Jaguar build their life-size models out of clay and foam when they’re testing out different style lines and proportions during the design process. The clay is carved, re-sculpted and then finally wrapped in eco-friendly vinyl to create a realistic finished look. Malleable materials are cheaper and easier to amend during the design process than steel or aluminium. But they may look strange to us, so used to seeing only the finished product.

This object was spotted in the new V&A outpost by my chum Marge Ainsley, a freelance evaluator, facilitator and trainer working across the heritage sector, with a focus on audiences. Do give her a shout if you’d like a word about marketing or comms too. Tell her Steve says hi.