• Drive for Design Contest challenges high school students to sketch a Ram truck of the future

• Drive for Design contest is open to U.S. high school students in grades 10-12; three winners selected

• Prizes include an exclusive, behind-the-scenes tour and mentoring time with leading designers at the FCA Design studios; scholarship to attend College for Creative Studies Summer Experience Transportation Design program, and serving as a Junior Judge at the prestigious EyesOn Design Car Show

• Entries due by May 1, 2020, via www.FCAdriveForDesign.com  

• Writer and artist Josh Welton joins as a special guest judge

• Head of FCA Design Ralph Gilles and Head of Ram Truck and Mopar Exterior Design Mark Trostle, take your questions in an “Ask Me Anything” Facebook Live event on Wed., Feb. 26 at 6 p.m. Eastern

• Follow Drive for Design via social media: Drive for Design Facebook page and FCA North America Facebook page, Twitter and Instagram using #DriveForDesign

February 20, 2020, Auburn Hills, Mich. - 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 on history.

Mark Trostle, Head of Ram Truck Design at FCA, wants to change that. Eight 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 2020 Drive for Design contest challenges U.S. high school students in grades 10-12 to sketch a Ram truck of the future. And, just like in the professional world, there is a level of urgency – entries are due by May 1, 2020. Three students will be named winners from all valid entries received.

“The landscape of automotive design has changed and today’s automotive designers not only sketch cars, they create some of the most advanced user experience systems, work with 3D technology, research color trends and create interior spaces that are multifunctional and beautiful,” said Trostle. “As the field of automotive design grows, it’s vital that we increase awareness and educate students and parents about the career opportunities available.”

The Drive for Design competition kicked off during the EyesOn Design commemorative poster unveiling held at the Detroit Institute of Ophthalmology in Grosse Pointe Park, Mich.

Artist Josh Welton Joins Judging Panel
Coming back for a second year as a guest judge is Josh Welton, writer, artist and owner of Brown Dog Welding LLC fabrication and art studio in Detroit. Welton is an accomplished welder, fabricator, teacher, artist, writer, social media influencer, podcast host, entrepreneur and automotive enthusiast. He writes for a variety of outlets and shares his artistic creations on social media. Welton will help review submitted sketches and select this year’s winners.

Facebook LIVE “Ask Me Anything” on Wednesday, February 26
To kick off this year’s competition, Trostle and Head of FCA Design Ralph Gilles will participate in an “Ask Me Anything” Facebook LIVE broadcast on Wednesday, February 26 at 6 p.m. Eastern, hosted by Welton. Viewers can submit questions now for the live event via the Drive for Design Facebook page (Facebook.com/DriveForDesign), the FCA North America Facebook page (Facebook.com/FiatChrysler.NorthAmerica), the FCA North America Twitter (@FiatChrysler_NA) and FCA North America Instagram (@FiatChrysler_NA) channels using #DriveForDesign.

Drive for Design Contest Details
Three winners receive an exclusive, behind-the-scenes tour of the FCA Product Design studios in Auburn Hills, Michigan, and the opportunity to spend one-on-one time with leading automotive designers.

The winners also receive a scholarship to attend the Precollege Summer Experience Transportation Design program at College for Creative Studies, a leading art and design college in Detroit, from which both Trostle and Gilles graduated. The summer program curriculum includes the fundamentals of gestural sketching, drawing automotive concepts in perspective and how to translate designs into 3D models.

The FCA Product Design Office is again partnering with EyesOn Design, which focuses on the automotive community and students coming together to commemorate, reflect and appreciate the craftsmanship and beauty of classic and modern vehicle design. Drive for Design winners will receive their awards on Sunday, June 14 at EyesOn Design’s “Vision Honored” Black Tie and Silent Auction and will serve as Junior Judges at the prestigious EyesOn Design Car Show, held every Father’s Day weekend at the historic Edsel and Eleanor Ford House in Grosse Pointe Shores, Michigan.

For detailed contest rules and information on how to submit sketches, visit www.FCAdrivefordesign.com.

Drive for Design Social Media
Students and parents can follow the FCA North America social channels for regular posts to educate and inform followers about careers in automotive design. Weekly updates will be posted every Wednesday on the Drive for Design Facebook page (Facebook.com/DriveForDesign), the FCA North America Facebook page (Facebook.com/FiatChrysler.NorthAmerica), the FCA North America Twitter (@FiatChrysler_NA) and FCA North America Instagram (@FiatChrysler_NA) channels using the hashtag #DriveForDesign.

About Drive for Design
Launched in 2013, the FCA Product Design Office created its Drive for Design contest as an innovative way to educate young artists about careers in automotive design. Starting locally in Detroit, Drive for Design has grown to become a national contest that awards talented students with prizes and unique opportunities to further develop their design skills.

About CCS
The College for Creative Studies (CCS) is a nonprofit, private college authorized by the Michigan Education Department to grant bachelor’s and master’s degrees. CCS, located in midtown Detroit, strives to provide students with the tools needed for successful careers in the dynamic and growing creative industries.
Founded in 1906 as the Detroit Society of Arts and Crafts, CCS plays a key role in Detroit’s cultural and educational communities. A private, fully accredited college, CCS enrolls more than 1,400 students, pursuing Master of Fine Arts degrees in color and materials design, interaction design, integrated design and transportation design and Bachelor of Fine Arts degrees in advertising design, art education, crafts, entertainment arts, fashion accessories design, fine arts, graphic design, illustration, interior design, photography, product design and transportation design.

About EyesOn Design
A benefit for the Detroit Institute of Ophthalmology (DIO), a not-for-profit corporation, EyesOn Design is a major source of revenue for the DIO’s research, education and support group programs for the visually impaired. The DIO is a division of the Department of Ophthalmology of the Henry Ford Health System.
 
FCA
Fiat Chrysler Automobiles (FCA) is a global automaker that designs, engineers, manufactures and sells vehicles in a portfolio of exciting brands, including Abarth, Alfa Romeo, Chrysler, Dodge, Fiat, Fiat Professional, Jeep®, Lancia, Ram and Maserati. It also sells parts and services under the Mopar name and operates in the components and production systems sectors under the Comau and Teksid brands. FCA employs nearly 200,000 people around the globe. For more details regarding FCA (NYSE: FCAU/ MTA: FCA), please visit www.fcagroup.com.