Los Altos High Team Wins ‘Dream Vehicle’ Design Contest

A team from Los Altos High School in Hacienda Heights took first place Wednesday in the “Build Your Dream Vehicle” contest with a futuristic car they designed called the Decorum.

The students had said they planned to use the $3,000 in prize money to help pay for their school’s entry in the World Solar Challenge in Australia.

But it wasn’t a solar-powered car that won the contest sponsored by Chrysler Corp. It was a hybrid gas turbine/electric engine.

“The interesting thing about the Decorum is that Los Altos High School incorporated some solid, down-to-earth thinking that reflects environmental and energy concerns, not just exotic and impractical designs,” said A.C. Liebler, vice president of marketing and communications for Chrysler.

Simi Valley High School came in second and Hoover High School in Glendale finished third.