Rolls-Royce Motor Cars has revealed the shortlist of its Young Designer Competition, which has attracted more than 5,000 entries from children aged 16 years and under in more than 80 countries around the world.

The competition aimed to “stimulate design talent, inspire greatness and provide a welcome distraction for children living under Covid-19 self-isolation and social-distancing restrictions”.

Contestants were asked to design their dream Rolls-Royce of the future, incorporating “bespoke features and capabilities they could conjure from their imagination”.

Launched in early April, the competition proved so popular that the original mid-May deadline for submissions was extended by two weeks.

Gavin Hartley, head of Bespoke Design at Rolls-Royce Motor Cars, who will be selecting the winners together with members of his team, said: “We’ve been absolutely overwhelmed by the international response to our Young Designer Competition.

“Moreover, it is not just the number of entries that has impressed us; the quality of the children’s designs is staggering, showing incredible imagination, creativity and flair.

“We wanted to give children the chance to let their imagination flow freely; they have responded magnificently — and given us an extremely difficult task in selecting our shortlist and winner.”

The shortlisted entries can be viewed at the Web site (www.rolls-royceyoungdesignercompetition.com).