Chrysler Invites High School Students to Design Their Dream Future Vehicle

The Chrysler brand is turning 100 this year and Stellantis is using its annual Drive for Design contest to highlight the brand. High school students are being invited to design what they envision as their “Dream Chrysler Vehicle”. The brand is best known right now for its 2025 Chrysler Pacifica minivan. One exciting part of the contest is that the winner will get to be a summer intern in the Ram Truck design studio. Ram is known for its 2025 Ram 1500 RHO pickup.

Stellantis is inviting high school students to help change the future by designing what they see as their dream car. The rules don’t specify if it should be a gas-powered or an electric vehicle. The 13th annual Drive for Design contest gives students an opportunity to express their creativity and pursue a future in automotive design at the same time.

Contest for Future Designers, Created by a Designer

Mark Trostle, senior vice president, Ram Truck and Mopar design, is the person who champions the Drive for Design contest. He won a similar competition as a high schooler in 1987. Since bringing back the contest in 2012, it has highlighted the path to a career in automotive design. The competition illustrates the many creative opportunities available within the automotive industry. Drive for Design is open to all high school students nationwide.

“To this day, I love to draw cars and trucks, so without a doubt I was genuinely inspired by the opportunity early in my career to create my own version of a cool futuristic car,” Trostle said. “Every year, we’re excited and proud to be able to enlist the promising young talent and to enlighten their parents about automotive design and the many opportunities this type of career path can offer.”

Exciting Time in Ram Design

Ram has made some interesting moves recently in deciding to delay its Ram 1500 REV EV and pull ahead production of its Ram 1500 Ramcharger hybrid vehicle. Ram is exploring alternatives to the typical EV truck so it might be a fascinating time for a student to be an intern and see the inner workings of a major automaker during a major period of change in the industry.  

Prizes Encourage Future Creativity

The grand-prize-winning designer will receive a summer internship in Ram Truck design studio and invitation to be student judge at the prestigious EyesOn Design car show. The other prizes in the contest are designed to encourage future creativity in the design field.

In addition to the summer design internship in the Ram Truck design studio, the grand-prize winner will also receive:

• An Apple iPad Pro and Apple Pencil
• A featured post on Stellantis North America social media channels

Prizes for the second- and third-place finishers include:

• Apple iPad Pro and Apple Pencil
• Virtual networking opportunity with the Stellantis Design Team
• Featured post on Stellantis North America social media channels
• Invitation to serve as a student judge at the prestigious EyesOn Design car show at Ford House in Grosse Pointe, Michigan
• Scholarship to College for Creative Studies three-week Precollege Summer Experience "Transportation Design" program in Detroit, Michigan: July 13 - August 2, 2025

 All student-created entries must be submitted by midnight EDT on Friday, April 25, 2025. One grand-prize winner and two additional finalists will be selected from all valid entries. For detailed contest rules, and information on how to submit sketches visit StellantisDriveForDesign.com. The site also has free resources for students of all ages who might be interested in design. Contest updates will be posted every week on social media with the hashtag #DriveForDesign. Several of the previous contest winners have ended up working in automotive design.

Chrysler Photo

Mary Conway is a professional automotive journalist and has decades of experience specializing in automotive news analysis. She covered the Detroit Three for more than twenty years for the ABC affiliate, in Detroit. Her affection for the Motor City comes naturally. Her father ran a gas station while Mary was growing up, in Wisconsin.

Follow Mary Conway at @MaryConwayMedia and send her car news tips for future stories.