Stellantis has announced the winners of the 14th edition of Drive for Design, the program dedicated to discovering young automotive design talent in U.S. schools. For 2026, the contest also introduced the new Junior category for younger students. This year’s theme focused on the future of high-performance vehicles under the SRT banner, asking participants to imagine a next-generation model capable of expressing speed, power and personality through one of the group’s core brands, Chrysler, Dodge, Jeep or Ram.
Stellantis names young winners of 2026 Drive for Design contest
In the main category, reserved for students from 10th to 12th grade, first prize went to Felix Bucaro, a senior from Wisconsin, whose project offered a futuristic interpretation of the SRT performance spirit. Owen Bronson from Michigan took second place for the third consecutive year, confirming remarkable consistency in the contest, while third place went to Javier Espino, also from Michigan, an 11th-grade student. The new Junior categories saw Jaxon Brobst from Ohio win in the 7th-to-9th-grade group, Richie LeBlanc from Michigan in the 4th-to-6th-grade group, and Catherine Codouni, also from Michigan, in the kindergarten-to-3rd-grade group.
The winner of the main category will receive a summer internship at the Ram and SRT Design Studio, gaining direct experience inside one of the group’s most important design departments. The second- and third-place finishers will have access to virtual sessions with Stellantis designers and will receive a scholarship for the pre-college transportation design program at the College for Creative Studies in Detroit. All three finalists will also attend the EyesOn Design Car Show on June 21, 2026, at the Ford House in Grosse Pointe, Michigan, as student judges. Junior winners will receive classroom visits from Stellantis designers, professional art materials and tickets to the same event.
The link with SRT represents the most significant element of this edition. Mark Trostle, vice president of exterior design for Ram Truck, Mopar and SRT, said the level of the submitted projects exceeded expectations, showing how strongly the high-performance theme stimulated the creativity of participants. The initiative confirms Stellantis’ commitment to maintaining an active connection between schools and the automotive design industry, at a time when the group is returning to heavier investment in its internal performance division.
