Drinks giant Bacardi was so impressed by model Formula 1 cars designed by Saltus Grammar School pupils studying design and manufacturing, the firm yesterday invited them to see the real thing.

Bacardi, whose Italian Martini arm sponsors the Williams Martini racing team, while Bacardi was the official local supplier and hospitality provider for the America’s Cup Artemis racing team, brought in a racing car to display at the Swedish team’s pavilion in the AC event village.

A spokeswoman for Bacardi said the car was moved to outside Bacardi’s headquarters in Pembroke’s Pitts Bay Road on Tuesday in preparation for a farewell party last night for the Swedish Artemis crew.

She explained: “We saw the article about the students in The Royal Gazette, so we reached out to them. They were all around it. There were 12 of them and two teachers.

“It was such a great story — it was wonderful and the teachers showed us images of all the different cars and they were very impressive.”

Bacardi invited the school after The Royal Gazette earlier this week highlighted the achievements of the pupils, who designed and built the styrofoam carbon dioxide-powered models as part of a course aimed at boosting interest in careers in engineering and design.

The spokeswoman said: “We also invited the public to see the car yesterday.”

The Bacardi spokeswoman said the Williams Martini car, painted in Martini’s traditional racing colours of dark blue, light blue and red on a white background, would today begin its journey back to the racing team’s headquarters in Oxfordshire, England.