Chrysler’s Hope For The Future May Be Sitting In Art Class Right Now

Chrysler hasn’t exactly been the star of the Stellantis lineup lately. With just two vehicles—the aging Pacifica and the Voyager, it’s easy to see why the brand’s been struggling. In fact, U.S. sales dropped 7% last year, down to just 124,683 vehicles. Compare that to nearly 309,000 sold back in 2014, and the decline is hard to ignore.

With things looking stagnant, Chrysler is trying something a little different to stir up some excitement, and they’re turning to the next generation for help. The brand is tapping into young talent through this year’s "Drive for Design" contest, encouraging high school students to imagine what the Chrysler of the future could look like.

The contest is open to U.S. students in grades 10 through 12, and the challenge is simple: design your dream Chrysler vehicle. It could be a futuristic interior, an exterior design—whatever brings a fresh take to the table. Entries must be submitted by April 25 via StellantisDriveForDesign.com.

There’s a solid prize package, too. The first-place winner scores a summer internship at the Ram design studio, plus an iPad Pro and Apple Pencil. They’ll also get to be a student judge at the prestigious EyesOn Design car show in Grosse Pointe, Michigan.

Second and third place finishers don’t get the internship, but they still walk away with an iPad Pro, Pencil, a scholarship to the College for Creative Studies’ Transportation Design program in Detroit, and a virtual networking session with Stellantis designers.

It’s a smart move. Not only does it give young creatives a real shot at breaking into automotive design, but it also helps Chrysler reconnect with fresh ideas. After all, some past winners of this very contest have gone on to land full-time gigs with Stellantis. So who knows? The next big Chrysler concept might come from a high school sketchpad.