Open Source Car

I am just waiting for the day somebody comes up with an Open Source washing machine. Its, however, exciting to see how OS as a paradigm is helping to innovate processes, which have been created for the industrial age. The Guardian just reported on an Open Source Car:

They write:

OScar is taking shape using a single principle as its guiding light: it’s an open source car. The open source idea is borrowed from the software industry that makes its code freely available under licence; the Firefox web browser and the Linux operating system being the most famous examples.

In the hard, metallic world of car design this means that instead of protecting OScar designs by use of restrictive patents, as is the norm, the design is effectively open to anyone willing to contribute. And that does mean anyone. Like a much more complicated version of Wikipedia, OScar is being argued over by volunteer car designers, 60% of whom are moonlighting from within the car industry.