Stellantis is expanding the Drive for Design contest with a new addition created to reach an age group that the program had previously left out. Alongside the traditional competition for US high school students from 10th through 12th grade, this year introduces the Drive for Design Junior category, open to children from kindergarten through 8th grade, with the same design and presentation guidelines used for the main contest and one winner selected for each age group.
Stellantis expands Drive for Design with a new junior contest
The 2026 theme, “Design the Future of Fast”, asks participants to imagine a next-generation SRT vehicle under one of the group’s brands among Chrysler, Dodge, Jeep, and Ram, at a time when the performance division is going through a deep transformation with the arrival of electrified platforms and Hurricane engines that are redefining the very meaning of sportiness within Stellantis.
Mark Trostle, vice president of exterior design for Ram Truck, Mopar, and SRT, is coordinating the program, and his personal story connects directly with the history of the contest. Trostle won one of the earliest editions as a high school student, then built an entire career in automotive design before going on to lead the SRT team, a role he now holds again after the return of the historic division.
According to Trostle, designing an SRT vehicle means expressing a fearless mindset and creating ideas that look fast even when standing still, and this edition offers a chance to see how students of all ages reinterpret the concepts of speed and power for the next generation.
The traditional Drive for Design contest will award one overall winner and two additional finalists, while participants must submit their projects by 12:00 p.m. EDT on Thursday, April 23, 2026. Stellantis North America will share updates on the contest through its Facebook and Instagram channels under the hashtag #DriveForDesign.
