Stellantis asks high school students to imagine the electric Jeep of the future

Auburn Hills, Michigan – Without a nudge from an art teacher, a visit to an art school, or just plain luck, some of the world’s top automotive designers may never have made their mark in automotive design history.

Mark Trostle, head of Ram Truck and Mopar Design at Stellantis, wants to change that. Nine years ago, he revived a contest he won as a high school student that helped drive him to where he is today, leading the design efforts for some of the most desired vehicles on the road.

The 2021 Drive for Design contest challenges U.S. high school students in grades 10-to-12 to sketch an electrified Jeep vehicle of the future. And, just like in the professional world, there is a level of urgency – entries are due by May 14, 2021.

Three students will be named winners from all valid entries received.

“Since the contest began nine years ago, we’ve been able to connect and help many young artists establish a career path in automotive design,” Trostle said. “We’ve had previous contestants as summer interns, and recently we hired a former winner who is now working in one of the design studios. Regardless of where these students ultimately land, it’s rewarding to our team to be able make an impact on someone’s career.”

Students and parents can follow the Stellantis North America social media channels to learn about careers in automotive design. Weekly updates will be posted every Thursday using the hashtag #DriveForDesign.

Three sketches will be selected and the winning artists will receive a virtual day of design with leading designers at the Stellantis Design Studios, Wacom and Apple products, and a scholarship to attend a four-week summer program at the College for Creative Studies (CCS) in Detroit, one of the world’s premier colleges for Transportation Design and alma mater for both Trostle and Stellantis Design Chief Ralph Gilles.

The CCS summer program curriculum includes the fundamentals of gestural sketching, drawing automotive concepts in perspective, and how to translate designs into 3D models.