Isle of Wight refinishing apprentice Abi Bird has been named winner of the 2026 SATA Spray Gun Design Competition.
The competition was launched in collaboration with School of Thought to inspire young talent to use digital configuration tools to design the future of workshop hardware.
It specifically targeted automotive students, refinishing apprentices and newcomers from college campuses and commercial bodyshops spanning all regions of the UK.
She was presented with her award at the state-of-the-art Mipa Paints Training Facility in Havant, Hampshire.
Dave Reece, School of Thought Automotive co-founder, said: “We are incredibly proud to present Abi with this magnificent, one-of-a-kind SATA spraygun. Her design perfectly captured the innovation, style, and technical precision that defines the modern refinishing industry.
“School of Thought Automotive was founded to show the next generation that automotive repair is a vibrant, tech-driven, and highly rewarding career path. Collaborations like this with SATA UK allow us to shine a bright spotlight on the phenomenal creative talent emerging at the grassroots level of our industry.”
Derrick Rudd, CEO, Mipa Paints, added: “As a business dedicated to technical excellence and professional development, we fully support this fantastic initiative. We recognise that grassroots support is absolutely vital to securing the future pipeline of our industry. Seeing the passion and high calibre of work from apprentices like Abi reinforces why we invest so heavily in training infrastructure. It is an honour to celebrate her achievement alongside our industry partners.”
