After years of uncertain strategy, Stellantis is finally making a bold move: bringing back one of its most passionate car guys—Tim Kuniskis—to take over its North American operations and revive the once-legendary SRT performance division. For muscle car fans and brand loyalists, this is more than a leadership shuffle—it’s a signal that Stellantis might be ready to reclaim its soul.
Kuniskis is no stranger to the American car scene. In fact, he's something of a cult hero. Born in Rochester, New York, he started his automotive career as a dealership mechanic. He worked his way up through sales, service, marketing, fleet ops, and eventually, brand management. What sets him apart isn’t just experience—it’s that he genuinely loves cars. People in the industry often say he understands what American drivers want better than any executive in the room.
When Kuniskis retired from Stellantis in June 2024, he left behind a strong legacy at Ram. Under his leadership, the pickup truck brand became more than just a workhorse—it became a statement piece. But barely six months later, with Stellantis CEO Carlos Tavares stepping down, Kuniskis was back at the helm of Ram. And he didn’t waste time making noise: the Hemi V8 was reintroduced as an option in the 2026 Ram 1500, and the brand announced a return to NASCAR’s Truck Series.
At that point, industry watchers knew this was more than a simple return. It was a setup for something bigger.
That “something bigger” arrived in July, when new Stellantis CEO Antonio Filosa promoted Kuniskis to lead all American brands, as well as North American retail and marketing strategy. Perhaps most exciting of all for enthusiasts: Kuniskis will also oversee the resurrection of SRT—Street and Racing Technology—the high-performance sub-brand behind modern legends like the Challenger Hellcat and the Grand Cherokee Trackhawk.
Filosa called Kuniskis “a master at building brands that speak to the heart and soul of the customer.” He added, “Tim brings energy, strategy, and competitive fire. He gets what the American buyer wants—and he knows how to deliver it.”
For many, SRT’s return is a dream come true. In the electric age, where cars are starting to feel more like home appliances, the comeback of raw, unapologetic performance feels downright rebellious. Ask 47-year-old Brian Delaney, a lifelong Mopar fan from suburban Detroit. “I still drive my 2016 Charger SRT every week,” he says. “That roar—it’s like a shot of adrenaline. Everything's going electric and quiet. I want something that fights back.”
That’s exactly the type of emotional connection Kuniskis is banking on. His career has always been about building products that people feel. During his time at Dodge, he doubled down on American muscle and pushed the brand to record sales with no-nonsense machines full of attitude. Even when he was briefly assigned to run Alfa Romeo and Maserati—two brands that felt less like a fit—he fought to inject performance and passion, championing cars like the Maserati MC20.
Still, Kuniskis admits those stints weren’t exactly his style. “I’m not a Euro-car guy,” he once said. “I’m about trucks, muscle, and horsepower. That’s where I belong.”
Now, he’s in charge of the brands he understands best: Chrysler, Dodge, Jeep, and Ram. And with SRT back in the picture, the muscle is officially back on the menu.
The timing couldn’t be more critical. Filosa, who was previously head of North American operations before taking over as global CEO, needs someone to keep things steady—and exciting—in Stellantis’s most competitive market. With Kuniskis leading product, brand, and performance, the company is signaling a shift away from bureaucratic planning and toward what made Chrysler-era brands great in the first place: fun, fast, unforgettable cars.
It’s not just about numbers—it’s about identity. In America, a car is more than just transport. It’s freedom, nostalgia, and personality on wheels. For some, it’s the memory of taking your first road trip in college, or helping your dad fix up an old Dodge in the garage on weekends. SRT, Ram, Jeep—these aren’t just names. They’re emotions. And Kuniskis is here to bring those emotions back into the driver’s seat.
“I love cars. And I get people who love cars,” Kuniskis once said. “I’m not interested in being CEO. I don’t like the politics. I just want to make badass vehicles and have fun doing it.”
That kind of honesty is rare in corporate boardrooms—but it might be exactly what Stellantis needs right now. In a world shifting toward quiet, software-defined cars, maybe it takes a mechanic-turned-exec with gasoline in his veins to remind everyone why we fell in love with driving in the first place.