Stellantis has announced the winners of this year’s Drive for Design contest, which challenged participants to design an electrified Jeep vehicle of the future within a 10-week timeframe. Entries from across the country were compiled, reviewed and judged by members of the Stellantis North America design team.
“What’s exciting about this competition now is that we’re seeing previous students enter, but with notable improvements from the previous years,” said Mark Trostle, Head of Ram Truck and Mopar Exterior Design for Stellantis. “Students are digging deep and focusing their attention not only on the details, but the thought process of automotive design. It’s encouraging and exciting to see young artists take this competition seriously.”
Trostle knows firsthand what it’s like to be given an opportunity to excel in this field, he said. In 2013, he introduced Drive for Design, which is based on a contest he won as a high school student. He credits that experience as something that led him to his current profession, heading the design efforts for some of the most desired vehicles on the road.
The three student winners of the 2021 Drive for Design competition are:
- First place – Vincent Piaskowski, 12th grade, Michigan
- Second place – Rocco Morales, 10th grade, Michigan
- Third place – Alex Wang, 12th grade, California
First place winner Vincent Piaskowski is a returning contestant. He placed second in 2020 and finished third in the 2019 competition.
“Since the contest began, we’ve been able to help young artists establish a career path in automotive design,” said Trostle. “We’ve employed previous contestants as summer interns and today one of our former winners is working in the Ram Truck interior design studio. It’s rewarding to our team to be able make an impact on someone’s career.”
This year’s prizes include one-on-one mentoring time with leading designers at the Stellantis Design Studios, a scholarship to attend College for Creative Studies’ virtual summer design program and more.
