Can Tim Kuniskis Supercharge a Dodge, Chrysler, Jeep, and Ram Sales Resurgence?
Tim Kuniskis steps into a pivotal leadership role at Stellantis North America, aiming to revitalize its iconic brands.
Fourteen months ago, Dodge CEO Tim Kuniskis surprised the muscle car community with his sudden retirement announcement. As the visionary behind iconic releases like the 2023 Dodge Challenger SRT Demon 170 and the Brotherhood of Muscle campaign, his departure marked a turning point for fans of the gas-fueled muscle car movement. At the time, Stellantis, Dodge's parent company, seemed set on an inevitable shift to an EV-only future. However, much can change in a year.
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Just before the 2024 holiday season, Kuniskis made a surprising return to lead Ram following a major leadership shakeup at Stellantis. Today, MotorTrend revealed that Kuniskis isn’t staying only at Ram. He’s now stepping into a larger executive role, head of American brands and North America marketing and retail strategy, as part of a revised strategy introduced by Stellantis' new CEO, Antonio Filosa. Filosa, who succeeded Carlos Tavares last year, was appointed to the role last month.
Related: Can Car Guy Kuniskis Bring Much-Needed Credo to Stellantis?
Kuniskis’ presence was quickly felt at Ram, most notable his dramatic announcement about the Hemi returning as an option in the 1500 truck line. He didn’t just stop there. To celebrate the engine’s return to service, Ram is entering the NASCAR Craftsman Truck series in 2026 with brand-new race trucks. What does this mean for the new Dodge Charger lineup? It is anyone’s guess, but HOT ROD is already dreaming up the next SRT Demon 170, and I don’t think we are the only fans doing so.
We’d like to congratulate Tim on his new position, and we can’t wait to see him at the upcoming MotorTrend Presents Roadkill Nights Powered by Dodge next month.
I’ve been fortunate enough to blur the line between career and hobby/passions for over 25 years, and it has been a rather unusual pathway to my current role as the Network Director of HOT ROD. Naturally, cars have been a large part of my life since I was a young kid—complete with car posters on the wall and a chest full of toy cars. As time marched by it was R/C cars and trucks until finally, into the big leagues when I turned 16. By that time my life was heavily influenced by magazines like HOT ROD and Car Craft, and it was the 5.0 Mustang that piqued my interest thanks to a heavy dose of the local car scene that I experienced through my two older brothers. I was fortunate enough to grow up as the Fox Body Mustang scene began to flourish, however at no time did I ever imagine a media career in the automotive-enthusiast aftermarket. Life after college was spent behind the desk as a stock analyst, but every other waking moment was occupied by Mustang drag racing. It was a friendship that changed my life from the rat race to the drag race, I was given a chance to contribute to a fledging new title for a quickly growing racing organization, one that focused on my true passions—Mustangs and street-legal drag racing. The opportunity eventually turned into a full-time gig in the early 2000s, despite no formal journalism degree or photography courses. By 2003, I was offered the dream job of joining the staff of Muscle Mustangs & Fast Fords, which was the bible for the late-model Mustang movement that was taking over the world. One thing led to another, and I ended up back at the drag racing sanctioning body in which I had started my career as the content and marketing director, a role I occupied for a decade. In 2022, I was offered a chance to step into the network director role for the largest automotive-enthusiast aftermarket brand, the revered and legendary HOT ROD.
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