Stellantis, the multinational automotive manufacturer, is once again inviting high school students in grades 10-12 to unleash their creativity and take part in the 11th annual Drive for Design contest. This year’s challenge is to sketch their vision for a Ram EV pickup truck, with entries due by April 21, 2023.
The Grand Prize winner will get the chance to work as an intern in the Ram Truck Exterior Design Studio during the summer, as well as receiving a Wacom MobileStudio Pro 16 tablet worth over $2,400. Additionally, the winning sketch will be shared across Stellantis’ social media platforms. Two finalists will also be selected, each receiving an Apple iPad Pro, a Virtual Day of Design portfolio review by members of the Stellantis Design Team, and a scholarship to the four-week VisCom 1 summer program at the College for Design Studies.
But that’s not all! Local winners will also be invited to join as a Student Judge at the EyesOn Design car show at Ford House in Grosse Pointe, Michigan on June 18th.
Mark Trostle, the vice president of Ram Truck and Mopar Design, is leading the competition this year. Interestingly, Trostle was a winner in one of the program’s early iterations when he was still a high school student in 1987. He describes participating in the contest as a key factor in his decision to pursue a career in automotive design.
“Participating in this contest gave me the confidence to pursue the path to a career in automotive design,” he said. “Now, I want to help students find the connection between their creativity and the automotive industry. It is incredible to see our past winners come up through the design school ranks. I even get to see some of them as interns or coworkers in our design studio.”
Judging will be based on four specific criteria: craftsmanship, design quality, illustration, and originality, each accounting for 25% of the total score. This contest offers an exciting opportunity for young, aspiring designers to flex their creative muscles and get a head start on a promising career in automotive design.
