Fiat Chrysler Automobiles, known as FCA, recently held a design competition to sketch the Ram truck of the future. It is a competition that has run every year since 2013. The most recent ten-week competition just wrapped up. FCA’s design team, with a little input from guest judge Josh Welton, reviewed the submitted designs. Three winning submissions were announced this morning. The winning designs were created by high school students.

The purpose of the competition

According to the press release this morning, the object of the design competition was to educate people that automotive design grants opportunities to exercise design talent in the automotive field and be on the leading edge of technology. Mark Trostle, The head of Ram Truck and Mopar Exterior Design for FCA- North America is a former winner of a design competition in high school and was a judge this year. So, he knows first hand how design competitions can help inspire and mold a high schooler’s future. He had this to say about the competition,

“All of the entries were impressive, the work was very focused with a notable attention to detail, as well as their thought process – these are characteristics we look for when we go to hire designers to work for FCA. Automotive design is a growing field and often overlooked by parents and students, our goal is to inspire and change that perspective. There are many career paths available within automotive design where young designers will have the opportunity to create some of the most exciting and technologically advanced products on the road today, as well as create what’s possible for the future.”

The winners

The 2020 Drive for Design competition winners are:

• First place – Job Skandera, 12th grade, Santa Clara, California
• Second place – Vincent Piaskowski, 11th grade, Birmingham, Michigan
• Third place – Alex David Kirschmann, 11th grade, Auburn Hills, Michigan

For their achievement, the winners will receive,

• First place – Wacom MobileStudio Pro 16
• Second and third places – Apple iPad Pro and Apple Pencil
• Virtual networking and design sketching demonstrations with FCA designers will be planned for all winners

Former Winners

Most of the previous winners of Drive for Design have gone on to attend major design schools. A few have had internships at FCA during Summer breaks from school. So, the competition is certainly fulfilling its mission to inspire students. In fact, FCA recently hired a former winner.

The three sketches are pretty advanced. They are not your typical pencil on paper. Instead, it looks like these students already have some knowledge of computer software as the sketches show the vehicles from multiple angles and maintain their proportions. Big fender bulges are a common theme. The Magma has a monster truck feel. The Electric Ram has a Hot Wheels Deora flavor. The Series A has a moon reconnaissance vehicle type of feel. Take a look at them and see what you think of the winning high school student designs. Congratulations to the winners.