The 1994 Dodge RAM
It used to be that a person’s clothes or how they wore their hair was how they showed their style to the world. Today it can just as easily be the truck they drive and how it looks that is used to reflect someone’s personality.
All the motor manufacturers have taken note of their consumers’ desire for more styling in their pickup trucks, and now they are designing trucks that are more lavish than ever before.
Thinking Outside the Box with the RAM
Many point to 1994 as the moment the pickup truck world changed forever. Prior to this the pickup was a rectangular box on wheels, but Dodge dared to think outside the box (literally!) with the 1994 RAM.
Featuring the now iconic high hood and massive grille, the Ram was more akin to the styling of an 18-wheel semi and overnight the ‘lightweight’ truck was given a heavyweight image. It’s an image that has grown ever since.
With pickups accounting for the highest vehicle sales in the U.S. the motor companies began to throw resources at the humble pickup previously reserved only for their high performance and top-end automobiles. To put this in context, the man responsible today for styling GMC’s pickup trucks is the same fellow who styled the Corvette. Ford, Chevrolet and Toyota are also putting similar amounts of effort into the appearance of their new pickup models.
As pioneered by the RAM back in 1994, big and bold is still the benchmark when it comes to truck styling, and the new breed of pickups feature massive chromed grilles, aggressive lines and a ton of trim options.
Personalizing Your Pickup
People take the styling of their vehicles so seriously that they spend over $250
billion annually on aftermarket accessories in the U.S. alone, and trucks play a very significant part in that figure. For example, when was the last time you saw a post-2010 pickup without alloy wheels? A truck is every bit as
customizable as a car, and owners are all too keen to add a touch of bling to their pickup. Even the ‘standard’ truck models rolling out of Detroit feature premium rims and many other styling accents these days, and if the Ford Atlas concept truck is anything to go by this trend is set to continue.
The Ford Atlas concept vehicle shows off its bold styling
Ford unveiled its Atlas at the Detroit Auto Show and although it’s a concept vehicle many say the Atlas will be the basis of the new F-150 (expected in 2015). While unmistakably a Ford pickup, the Atlas is bigger, bolder and brasher than any stock pickup to have come from Detroit before. If proof were needed that trucks now rival cars for styling and customization, this is it.
The New York Times recently had an interesting article by Phil Patton in which he spoke with several key people from RAM, Chevrolet and Ford. Each acknowledged that pickups were becoming bigger and more aggressive in their styling, so expect to see trucks in the future featuring much more styling detail, either fresh off the lot and thanks to aftermarket customization.
By John Bone
Posted on August 26th, 2013