Matt Humphries' dream came true when, at the age of just 21, he stood at the Geneva Motor Show alongside the sportscar that he had designed.

The world occasionally sees a car designer raise his head above the others and produce something that stamps their mark in the annals of design technology.

As a manufacturer, the trick is to spot these people early and grab them, before someone else does. A prime example of this talent spotting happened recently and is going to pay handsome dividends for both parties concerned.

When a youthful Matt Humphries of Great Witley climbed aboard the roller coaster of his future career some three years ago, he could never have realised what

an exciting ride he would have. From the start, his intentions were clear: car design, and his first step in that direction was to enrol on a three-year vehicle design course at Coventry University.

It is a journey that dozens of young hopefuls have made, but one that, sadly for many, never seems to lead anywhere. However, Matt pressed optimistically onward.

In March 2004, he wrote the letter that would change his life. Not for him the hope of finding a junior position with some mass manufacturer; he had much higher aspirations.

The scene shifted to the office of Charles Morgan, the corporate strategy director of the Morgan Motor Company in Malvern. His desk gets littered with letters from hopefuls such as Matt, but most of them never get beyond that first approach.

However, something in youngster's letter caught his attention, and Mr Morgan could see he and Matt were clearly on the same wavelength. After one interview he was hired.

The fabulous Morgan Aero Eight made its first appearance to massive acclaim in 2000. True, some diehard Morgan purists found its revolutionary appearance hard to accept, but the majority of them knew the car showed that the Morgan Motor Company had clearly defined ideas for the future.

Much as he loved the Aero Eight, Matt felt it left room for further development and suggested to Charles Morgan how it could be used as the basis for a stunning, high performance coupe.

The potential for this was spotted and within six months, Matt had produced a quarter-scale clay model of his design. The skills of the traditional craftsmen at the Morgan factory were then put into action and the project moved swiftly ahead under a cloak of secrecy.

In March 2005 Matt reached the second peak in his short career when he found himself standing alongside the Morgan Aero Max with Charles Morgan at the Geneva Motor Show.

It was only then that the enormity of what he had achieved began to sink in. Still only 21 years old, he had earned the acclaim that many car designers search for all their lives.

Charles Morgan pushed his protg firmly into the limelight at Geneva and steered the excited motoring press in his direction.

As the crowds drooled over his creation, Matt had to deal with questions such as: "How old are you?" One journalist even described him as looking like "a schoolboy in his first suit".

Matt gained his degree at Coventry University earlier this summer, but this must rate second to what he had already accomplished thanks to Charles Morgan's patronage.

In October he will return to Morgan to continue a project that he has already started and will be heavily involved in, the development of the eco-friendly LIFEcar.