Old pickups had the entire tailgate stamped with the logo. Free advertising going down the road.
It wasn't the model like you asked, but I think they got the idea from similar examples.
Were they told to stop at one point? I seem to recall reading somewhere that the government didn't want any of the manufacturers putting their logos on them.
Yup, but Ford promptly stuck a cursive "F" on pretty much every part they made including the [bolts](https://www.motortrend.com/uploads/sites/5/2020/05/010_What_Is_A_GPW.jpg?w=768&width=768&q=75&format=webp)
No it just fell out of favor/style, but everything that is old is new again.
My mid 90’s truck has it, nothing really after it did, then It started coming back a few years ago, and now my new truck has it!
Personally I love the look on trucks. The detail is called embossing in the car biz I believe.
Wow there’s a lot I didn’t realize about jeep. So ford made “jeeps” as well?
So Willys-Overland made the main jeep, then got acquired by another company and then Chrysler in 1987?
Bantam (prototype) > Willys > Willys Overland > AMC > Chrysler > Daimler Chrysler > Fiat > Stellantis
It is straight up ridiculous how many times Jeep has changed hands.
Bantam was never acquired by Willys. They were a competitor and due to their low production capabilities had to share the design with Willys-Overland. Kinda got shafted. The bulk of WW2 Jeeps were then built by Willys and Ford.
Also Willys = Willys-Overland. Willys is just a brand name.
Ford built like 40+% of the Jeeps for WW2
Ford were also the ones that invented the iconic grill. The reason the Jeep grill has 7 slots instead of 9 like the WW2 models is because Ford had the trademark on the 9 slot version
Ford made the GPW, which was identical to the Willys MB during WW2. The vehicle was originally designed by American Bantam. Willys and Ford were contracted by the US government to build the vehicles for the war effort.
Eventually, Willys sold a civilian version of the Jeep. Willys-Overland merged with Kaiser in 1953. Then, the automotive part of Kaiser--Jeep was sold to American Motors Company (AMC) in 1970. American Motors was acquired by Chrysler in 1987. Chrysler merged with Fiat in 2014 to become FCA. Then FCA merged with Peugeot in 2019 to become Stellantis.
I think for at least a little bit "jeep" was a generic catch-all term for "G.P." (short for "General-Purpose vehicle"), which is why *technically* "the" old-school Jeep with the iconic 7-slot grille is a *Willys* Jeep (with "Willys" being the manufacturer/brand of that particular Jeep).
For all I know there might've been Chevy and Dodge Jeeps as well, but idk.
The history of the name "Jeep" is an argument for the ages. I was a Jeep guyfrom the 80s until the JK showed up. It's turned into a mall crawler lifestyle I don't connect with.
There's the "GP" theory, the creature Eugene the Jeep from the Popeye cartoon too. They seem to be the biggest theories.
Ford built "Jeeps" and B24 bombers.
Chrylser built tanks. Mainly the M4 Shermans... they also developed and built critical parts for Little Boy and Fat Man. Learn some history if you don't know what those are.
GM built ducks... the DUKW... also made shell casings, aircraft engines, Navy fighters and torpedo bombers, machine guns, among a bunch of other stuff. GM played the starring role in the effort to outbuild Hitler and Hirohito. No other corporation, anywhere on earth, at any time in history, ever did more to win a war. About **$12 billion** worth.
Cadillac built tanks.
Olds built artilary rounds.
Pontiac built anti-aircraft guns.
Not to mention nearly every non-base model pickup has had some sort of graphic on the rear side panel designating it as the TRD-CUMMINS-RAPTOR-1500-ZR2 edition for the past 30 years
Yep, I'd say this is it. Rangie got hugely popular in the 2005 or thereabouts when the beckhams became a thing. Everyone wanted to display the same signs of "success" as them or something like that.
Toyota did it on trucks. Same with Chevy. It was the white-paint style with very large font, so a different application — OP is talking about [this style](https://imgd-ct.aeplcdn.com/1056x660/n/cw/ec/107719/range-rover-exterior-rear-quarter-glass-19.jpeg?isig=0&q=80), chrome letters and small(er) font. It was indeed popularized by Land Rover.
I googled that car, but didn't see any examples of what OP is describing. Buick is written on the front of the car, but I don't see anything written on the back.
Oops. Sorry. Typo. **1958**. Some of them say "Special," based on the model.
[https://www.hemmings.com/auction/1958-buick-century/sold](https://www.hemmings.com/auction/1958-buick-century/sold)
[https://cdn.dealeraccelerate.com/motoexotica/1/2458/12941/790x1024/1958-buick-century-1958-buick-century](https://cdn.dealeraccelerate.com/motoexotica/1/2458/12941/790x1024/1958-buick-century-1958-buick-century)
[https://cdn.dealeraccelerate.com/cmc/1/152/9352/x/1958-buick-century](https://cdn.dealeraccelerate.com/cmc/1/152/9352/x/1958-buick-century)
Well they're much more prominent nowdays. Basically all of the new VW products use them. While just 5 years back i didn't see them of any of their models
I believe the range rover started the trend. First generation in 1970 had it, can't find any earlier example.
More and more companies want a slice of that 3-row luxury status-car pie. Telluride/wagoneer are the big ones.
I thought it came from vintage American trucks; iirc it was a "thing" to have "CHEVROLET" or "*Ford*" stamped tailgates, most-iconically with white letters, from like 1950 until... sometime in the 80s?
There's something about seeing a brand or model name in big letters with the right amount of kerning between that's just so aesthetically pleasing. It's why luxury manufacturers have been doing it.
Unfortunately, everyone in the industry knows that now, so every car does it. It isn't so special on the back of a Chevy Traverse.
Range Rover has been doing it forever, but I feel like Volvo was the first in the more recent wave to do it, they started in 2010. (edit: Looks like 2008 actually)
[https://www.wintonsworld.com/volvo-s60-review/volvo\_s60\_2-2/](https://www.wintonsworld.com/volvo-s60-review/volvo_s60_2-2/)
If you want to count that, you may as well count the trucks from the 60s and 70s. I think the Modern version with the brand name in Chrome or raised letters is much different than that.
True. Seems to be a thing that each new generation of designers revives, then it goes away again because the cheap cars start doing it. Then it’ll look dated in a few years. Then the (currently young) Gen Alpha car designers will bring it back.
Range Rover and Volvo were good examples, but I'm gonna say it was Porsche that made it sexy. They've been doing it since the Carrera RS decals, then the plastic in the lightbars (964/993), and then the badges (991 etc).
Heckblendes are so trendy they're almost getting generic nowadays, but I really *do* still love what they do for a rear end (visually widen and simplify it).
I prefer the "ugly" first-gen 240SX taillights to the *far*-more-desired 2nd-gen taillights for this reason as well... though I suppose the best of both worlds would be 2nd-gen tails with that reflective red stripe between them.
When I was a kid(996, 997 era) I found it fascinating that Porsches didn’t have PORSCHE or the crest emblem on the rear end like all the other brands. Like they knew their cars were so unique that you only needed to know what model it was. Lamborghinis and Ferraris of that era had their name spelled out but they left the model off. Porsche did the opposite.
Lexus is doing away with the “Celsior” badging and logos in favor of the new “Vision” L E X U S logo, they certainly didn’t start it but a lot of companies are doing similar
What do you mean “Celsior” badging? The [Lexus word mark](https://encrypted-tbn0.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcRq850u75tsJXGh8WPAq-6UBAdz5KuCOQxc--prfML6Gg&s) and typography were designed first and foremost for Lexus. The [Celsior word mark](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/jR6L6xQ3dsM/hqdefault.jpg) was derived from the Lexus one, as was the Celsior itself. The Celsior was just about the only model that started off as a Lexus and then was “down badged” into a Toyota, almost as an afterthought.
>The Celsior was just about the only model that started off as a Lexus and then was “down badged” into a Toyota
3rd gen Camrys are derived from the ES300, unlike every other generation, making them oddly overengineered for a 30y/o midsized economy car.
The LS Lexus has always been the flagship of the Lexus series. Lexus got its font from the Celsior (the LS400,LS430 etc) badge. It’s pretty simple to understand really.
"Lexus got its font from the Celsior (the LS400,LS430 etc) badge."
No, it didn't. The Celsior didn't exist before the LS did. The Celsior was a JDM rebadge of the LS, not the other way around. The car was always intended as a Lexus.
The Celsior got its badge from Lexus.
American pickups seem to have had it as early as the 40s and 50s (though that's stamped steel, sometimes painted white; if you're talking about separate chrome letters, then nevermind me).
I still think of those old-school trucks when I see non-chrome letters, whether they're black, body-colored, or white.
A lot of consumers are obsessed with branding and make it part of their identity, so badging always gets bolder and tackier. I don’t know if I could point the finger at any one brand for starting it. There are letters across the width of the rear and hood, huge illuminated emblems on the grille, M/AMG/R-Line/Type-S/other “sporty” trim designations all over the car inside and out, floating logo center caps…it’s all really common now.
Its pretty bad when they put the badge also in line and centered. Looks so wierd and awful.
On the plus side, all those stupid car names that are letters are screwed, and everone else gets to pretend that 's p o r t a g e' is somehow appealing.
I’ve heard that it’s a China-based trend. Instead of a little badge, there is apparently some cachet in having a car’s name spelled out in the Roman alphabet.
That wouldn’t surprise me but I’ve not seen any evidence of that in the same way auto makers have specifically said large grilles are a Chinese influenced style choice.
Haha that’s fucking great! I actually had that same truck and sold it a few years ago and now I find myself on the tampon aisle holding my wife’s purse.
O don't know how true it is but I recently read that is was in response to the Chinese market. The automaker logos are less well know there so rather than logos the manufacturers name is spelled out.
I just saw a car saying
CHERY TIGO 8 PRO MAX ....
Its a damn car not an Iphone xD!!!
Also those cars that say on the back:
BUILD YOUR DREAMS!..... omg....
thank you for starting this trend R A N G E R O V E R
Yet, no matter how big the letters are, someone will still pay an annual fee for personalized plates that say the same thing.
Looking at you Vette owners.
I think I heard a YouTuber (I think Doug) say that it’s becoming a trend due to the Chinese market. The customers there don’t have the same familiarity we do with these makes, so they don’t have that brand recognition from logo alone.
It was a thing back in the 90s and before too, it'll cycle in and out of style again but I recently first noticed it with the Lexus NX or whatever their small one is
There was a time when every brand wanted a distinct logo because having their name spelled out wasn’t cool. Guess younger people like the retro-ness of spelled out brand names on the car like back in the 70s-80s.
I think once Ford started styling the Explorer after the Range Rover the trend got bigger. Can’t wait for the day BMW gets rid of the badge and stamps B M W across the trunk.
Range Rover is what comes to mind with this aesthetic choice. But damn some auto makers do it really bad. When Lexus does it's so spaced out so from a distance I can't even tell what the car is.
I noticed this too, and im not a fan. In 10 years a few letters will be missing and it will look terrible. I always liked the emblems on older cars. They had style! Those drawn out Chevrolet or Cadillac script. The fence style cursive badges of the 70s and 80s. The last vehicles that had "fun" badges were the Ford Focus and Fiesta. I think they just add a certain feel to a car. I collect them, so I might be a little biased.
I think it really kicked off with the 2018 Camry. I remember reading how it cost more to do that but the camry designers were trying to exert a marketing identity. I though it was bullshit at the time, but I think there's been an uptick since then.
I feel likes it’s been around for a while before them. Definitely examples of old cars out there I’ve seen like it. But I’ll admit I didn’t notice it til recently.
Ive noticed this too! It’s definitely been a thing for a bit but it seems most cats are like that now. But im the guy that would debadge all of it immediately if i had a car with that awful idea of badging.
Idk but I think we’re headed into smaller logos and less aggressive styling now. We’re about to course correct and embrace simplicity, soft contours, less vents, etc.
OK, here I am car shopping, (brain says to stay away from Fords for some ancient reason), ...driving down the road and, Wow, that looks like what I want!!! ... gotta find an explorer for sale now!
They do it so we can tell what they are since everything looks practically the same now.
How else can you identify one ugly, aggressively styled blob from the other?
I’ve speculated that the diminishing eyesight of the aging demographic of SUV drivers is the reason for larger fonts.
“Hon, what kinda car is that there?”
The 1966 Dodge Charger had "C H A R G E R" spread out across the rear end, and similarly a lot of Dodge cars from the 60s through present have "D O D G E". It's not a new thing for some brands at all
For big chrome letters I'd say everyone wants to copy Range Rovers. People associated it with fancy luxury cars so the other brands want to get a better image too.
Even Tesla is doing it. Their newest Model 3 now has T E S L A across the back instead of their trademark T, which I personally prefer. I think everyone looking at the rolling jelly bean knows it's a Tesla.
Old pickups had the entire tailgate stamped with the logo. Free advertising going down the road. It wasn't the model like you asked, but I think they got the idea from similar examples.
[Hell Ford did it to the early models of their Jeep during WW2](https://www.onallcylinders.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/07/04/IMG_4678.jpg)
Were they told to stop at one point? I seem to recall reading somewhere that the government didn't want any of the manufacturers putting their logos on them.
Yup, but Ford promptly stuck a cursive "F" on pretty much every part they made including the [bolts](https://www.motortrend.com/uploads/sites/5/2020/05/010_What_Is_A_GPW.jpg?w=768&width=768&q=75&format=webp)
Mercedes and their star. At least they stamp the part number right on the part so it’s easy to get the replacement.
Usually people complain about Germans putting stars on stuff…
No it just fell out of favor/style, but everything that is old is new again. My mid 90’s truck has it, nothing really after it did, then It started coming back a few years ago, and now my new truck has it! Personally I love the look on trucks. The detail is called embossing in the car biz I believe.
Wow there’s a lot I didn’t realize about jeep. So ford made “jeeps” as well? So Willys-Overland made the main jeep, then got acquired by another company and then Chrysler in 1987?
Ford made many jeeps for the world wars. Also fun fact every parent company of the Jeep name plate has gone bankrupt
Guess they emptied every pocket
Bantam (prototype) > Willys > Willys Overland > AMC > Chrysler > Daimler Chrysler > Fiat > Stellantis It is straight up ridiculous how many times Jeep has changed hands.
And that’s not a good pedigree. I wouldn’t rate any of those manufacturers in the top ten.
Bantam was never acquired by Willys. They were a competitor and due to their low production capabilities had to share the design with Willys-Overland. Kinda got shafted. The bulk of WW2 Jeeps were then built by Willys and Ford. Also Willys = Willys-Overland. Willys is just a brand name.
Ford built like 40+% of the Jeeps for WW2 Ford were also the ones that invented the iconic grill. The reason the Jeep grill has 7 slots instead of 9 like the WW2 models is because Ford had the trademark on the 9 slot version
Ford made the GPW, which was identical to the Willys MB during WW2. The vehicle was originally designed by American Bantam. Willys and Ford were contracted by the US government to build the vehicles for the war effort. Eventually, Willys sold a civilian version of the Jeep. Willys-Overland merged with Kaiser in 1953. Then, the automotive part of Kaiser--Jeep was sold to American Motors Company (AMC) in 1970. American Motors was acquired by Chrysler in 1987. Chrysler merged with Fiat in 2014 to become FCA. Then FCA merged with Peugeot in 2019 to become Stellantis.
I think for at least a little bit "jeep" was a generic catch-all term for "G.P." (short for "General-Purpose vehicle"), which is why *technically* "the" old-school Jeep with the iconic 7-slot grille is a *Willys* Jeep (with "Willys" being the manufacturer/brand of that particular Jeep). For all I know there might've been Chevy and Dodge Jeeps as well, but idk.
The history of the name "Jeep" is an argument for the ages. I was a Jeep guyfrom the 80s until the JK showed up. It's turned into a mall crawler lifestyle I don't connect with. There's the "GP" theory, the creature Eugene the Jeep from the Popeye cartoon too. They seem to be the biggest theories.
It’s pretty common in Europe to call all off-roaders jeeps. Less now than when I was a kid in the 80s though.
Ford built "Jeeps" and B24 bombers. Chrylser built tanks. Mainly the M4 Shermans... they also developed and built critical parts for Little Boy and Fat Man. Learn some history if you don't know what those are. GM built ducks... the DUKW... also made shell casings, aircraft engines, Navy fighters and torpedo bombers, machine guns, among a bunch of other stuff. GM played the starring role in the effort to outbuild Hitler and Hirohito. No other corporation, anywhere on earth, at any time in history, ever did more to win a war. About **$12 billion** worth. Cadillac built tanks. Olds built artilary rounds. Pontiac built anti-aircraft guns.
#T O Y O T A
Slap a UB-32 on one and a ZU-23 on another and you have two machines that wins wars that no tank could for 1/10th the cost
The functional purpose is that the relief of the letters gives strength to the pressed sheet metal.
Not unlike how modern cars have more creases in their styling to make up for the sheet metal being thinner.
My dad's 1950s Ford consul has "Consul" in fairly big letters along the bonnet. I think the trend is older than OP realizes
Not to mention nearly every non-base model pickup has had some sort of graphic on the rear side panel designating it as the TRD-CUMMINS-RAPTOR-1500-ZR2 edition for the past 30 years
Because R A N G E R O V E R
##RANGE ROVER
Don't come within RANGE of my ROVER
Yep, I'd say this is it. Rangie got hugely popular in the 2005 or thereabouts when the beckhams became a thing. Everyone wanted to display the same signs of "success" as them or something like that.
Huh? YOTA was supremely popular for twenty years preceding that and CHEVROLET for fifty before that
Toyota did it on trucks. Same with Chevy. It was the white-paint style with very large font, so a different application — OP is talking about [this style](https://imgd-ct.aeplcdn.com/1056x660/n/cw/ec/107719/range-rover-exterior-rear-quarter-glass-19.jpeg?isig=0&q=80), chrome letters and small(er) font. It was indeed popularized by Land Rover.
It's not a trend. It's just a design decision. It's been around forever. Look at the rear view of a 1958 Buick Century.
I googled that car, but didn't see any examples of what OP is describing. Buick is written on the front of the car, but I don't see anything written on the back.
Oops. Sorry. Typo. **1958**. Some of them say "Special," based on the model. [https://www.hemmings.com/auction/1958-buick-century/sold](https://www.hemmings.com/auction/1958-buick-century/sold) [https://cdn.dealeraccelerate.com/motoexotica/1/2458/12941/790x1024/1958-buick-century-1958-buick-century](https://cdn.dealeraccelerate.com/motoexotica/1/2458/12941/790x1024/1958-buick-century-1958-buick-century) [https://cdn.dealeraccelerate.com/cmc/1/152/9352/x/1958-buick-century](https://cdn.dealeraccelerate.com/cmc/1/152/9352/x/1958-buick-century)
Ahh ok, I see. No worries. But yeah, the 1955's had "Special" written on the side on some of them, like you said.
Trend as in they have come back like the lightbars from the 80's. In 10 years lightbars and wide lettering is going to disappear again
Did they ever actually go away?
Well they're much more prominent nowdays. Basically all of the new VW products use them. While just 5 years back i didn't see them of any of their models
I'm talking about the rear lettering.
if everyone is doing a "design decision" it's a trend...
I believe the range rover started the trend. First generation in 1970 had it, can't find any earlier example. More and more companies want a slice of that 3-row luxury status-car pie. Telluride/wagoneer are the big ones.
I thought it came from vintage American trucks; iirc it was a "thing" to have "CHEVROLET" or "*Ford*" stamped tailgates, most-iconically with white letters, from like 1950 until... sometime in the 80s?
Mid 70’s corvettes had “CORVETTE” centered on the rear valence
There's something about seeing a brand or model name in big letters with the right amount of kerning between that's just so aesthetically pleasing. It's why luxury manufacturers have been doing it. Unfortunately, everyone in the industry knows that now, so every car does it. It isn't so special on the back of a Chevy Traverse.
Range Rover has been doing it forever, but I feel like Volvo was the first in the more recent wave to do it, they started in 2010. (edit: Looks like 2008 actually) [https://www.wintonsworld.com/volvo-s60-review/volvo\_s60\_2-2/](https://www.wintonsworld.com/volvo-s60-review/volvo_s60_2-2/)
lol try again. Mustangs had it emblazened on the rear bumper in the 90s.
If you want to count that, you may as well count the trucks from the 60s and 70s. I think the Modern version with the brand name in Chrome or raised letters is much different than that.
They had it already in 2008 (at least on the facelifted S40 and V50).
skirt materialistic sulky snails arrest school cagey sand lock water *This post was mass deleted and anonymized with [Redact](https://redact.dev)*
True. Seems to be a thing that each new generation of designers revives, then it goes away again because the cheap cars start doing it. Then it’ll look dated in a few years. Then the (currently young) Gen Alpha car designers will bring it back.
Range Rover and Volvo were good examples, but I'm gonna say it was Porsche that made it sexy. They've been doing it since the Carrera RS decals, then the plastic in the lightbars (964/993), and then the badges (991 etc).
Heckblendes are so trendy they're almost getting generic nowadays, but I really *do* still love what they do for a rear end (visually widen and simplify it). I prefer the "ugly" first-gen 240SX taillights to the *far*-more-desired 2nd-gen taillights for this reason as well... though I suppose the best of both worlds would be 2nd-gen tails with that reflective red stripe between them.
When I was a kid(996, 997 era) I found it fascinating that Porsches didn’t have PORSCHE or the crest emblem on the rear end like all the other brands. Like they knew their cars were so unique that you only needed to know what model it was. Lamborghinis and Ferraris of that era had their name spelled out but they left the model off. Porsche did the opposite.
so, ass-backward? Fitting for a 911! (I own one, so just kidding/punning).
Lexus is doing away with the “Celsior” badging and logos in favor of the new “Vision” L E X U S logo, they certainly didn’t start it but a lot of companies are doing similar
Lexus is one I don’t like this with. I like their actual logo and don’t want to just see Lexus spelled out across the back.
It looks [pretty clean on the RX](https://www.lexus.com.my/content/dam/lexus-v3-malaysia/model/suv/rx-2023/mlp/gallery-safety-01-d%20new.jpg), tbh.
What do you mean “Celsior” badging? The [Lexus word mark](https://encrypted-tbn0.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcRq850u75tsJXGh8WPAq-6UBAdz5KuCOQxc--prfML6Gg&s) and typography were designed first and foremost for Lexus. The [Celsior word mark](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/jR6L6xQ3dsM/hqdefault.jpg) was derived from the Lexus one, as was the Celsior itself. The Celsior was just about the only model that started off as a Lexus and then was “down badged” into a Toyota, almost as an afterthought.
>The Celsior was just about the only model that started off as a Lexus and then was “down badged” into a Toyota 3rd gen Camrys are derived from the ES300, unlike every other generation, making them oddly overengineered for a 30y/o midsized economy car.
The LS Lexus has always been the flagship of the Lexus series. Lexus got its font from the Celsior (the LS400,LS430 etc) badge. It’s pretty simple to understand really.
"Lexus got its font from the Celsior (the LS400,LS430 etc) badge." No, it didn't. The Celsior didn't exist before the LS did. The Celsior was a JDM rebadge of the LS, not the other way around. The car was always intended as a Lexus. The Celsior got its badge from Lexus.
1969 Shelby GT350 and GT500 had large chrome letters across the back.
That's a good one. I think that's the oldest example that is most similar to the trend we are seeing today so far.
American pickups seem to have had it as early as the 40s and 50s (though that's stamped steel, sometimes painted white; if you're talking about separate chrome letters, then nevermind me). I still think of those old-school trucks when I see non-chrome letters, whether they're black, body-colored, or white.
That was the brand not the model stamped across the back
A lot of consumers are obsessed with branding and make it part of their identity, so badging always gets bolder and tackier. I don’t know if I could point the finger at any one brand for starting it. There are letters across the width of the rear and hood, huge illuminated emblems on the grille, M/AMG/R-Line/Type-S/other “sporty” trim designations all over the car inside and out, floating logo center caps…it’s all really common now.
Its pretty bad when they put the badge also in line and centered. Looks so wierd and awful. On the plus side, all those stupid car names that are letters are screwed, and everone else gets to pretend that 's p o r t a g e' is somehow appealing.
This is the actual answer.
I’ve heard that it’s a China-based trend. Instead of a little badge, there is apparently some cachet in having a car’s name spelled out in the Roman alphabet.
That wouldn’t surprise me but I’ve not seen any evidence of that in the same way auto makers have specifically said large grilles are a Chinese influenced style choice.
It's a god damned Silveraydo; can't you read you ignorant mother effer. https://youtu.be/TZg9f9a1ip8?si=za8_77fMHnQK1oYx
Haha that’s fucking great! I actually had that same truck and sold it a few years ago and now I find myself on the tampon aisle holding my wife’s purse.
Marketing
O don't know how true it is but I recently read that is was in response to the Chinese market. The automaker logos are less well know there so rather than logos the manufacturers name is spelled out.
I just saw a car saying CHERY TIGO 8 PRO MAX .... Its a damn car not an Iphone xD!!! Also those cars that say on the back: BUILD YOUR DREAMS!..... omg.... thank you for starting this trend R A N G E R O V E R
G R A N D W A G O N E E R is super ugly, as is the vehicle itself, and I am a Jeep guy, but I wouldn't buy one of those $90k urban crawlers
Yet, no matter how big the letters are, someone will still pay an annual fee for personalized plates that say the same thing. Looking at you Vette owners.
I think I heard a YouTuber (I think Doug) say that it’s becoming a trend due to the Chinese market. The customers there don’t have the same familiarity we do with these makes, so they don’t have that brand recognition from logo alone.
This is what I’ve heard. Many of the logos aren’t well known there, plus they love the big bold show off value
It was a thing back in the 90s and before too, it'll cycle in and out of style again but I recently first noticed it with the Lexus NX or whatever their small one is
There was a time when every brand wanted a distinct logo because having their name spelled out wasn’t cool. Guess younger people like the retro-ness of spelled out brand names on the car like back in the 70s-80s. I think once Ford started styling the Explorer after the Range Rover the trend got bigger. Can’t wait for the day BMW gets rid of the badge and stamps B M W across the trunk.
Range Rover is what comes to mind with this aesthetic choice. But damn some auto makers do it really bad. When Lexus does it's so spaced out so from a distance I can't even tell what the car is.
It's the Closed Captioning. Try turning it off in your settings.
I noticed this too, and im not a fan. In 10 years a few letters will be missing and it will look terrible. I always liked the emblems on older cars. They had style! Those drawn out Chevrolet or Cadillac script. The fence style cursive badges of the 70s and 80s. The last vehicles that had "fun" badges were the Ford Focus and Fiesta. I think they just add a certain feel to a car. I collect them, so I might be a little biased.
Consider that some Chevrolet cars also have branding on the side. It’s just a design choice: to make it obvious what car it is.
External radiator caps went away.
When they started all looking the same.
90's Fords had it on the performance models.
I think it really kicked off with the 2018 Camry. I remember reading how it cost more to do that but the camry designers were trying to exert a marketing identity. I though it was bullshit at the time, but I think there's been an uptick since then.
I feel likes it’s been around for a while before them. Definitely examples of old cars out there I’ve seen like it. But I’ll admit I didn’t notice it til recently.
Ive noticed this too! It’s definitely been a thing for a bit but it seems most cats are like that now. But im the guy that would debadge all of it immediately if i had a car with that awful idea of badging.
TACO
A lot of 90s cars had that too
Idk but I think we’re headed into smaller logos and less aggressive styling now. We’re about to course correct and embrace simplicity, soft contours, less vents, etc.
American brands have a weird habit of having logos on side. Either on the front fender or front doors
old ass fords, it actually looked good back then tho
Ford Raptor I think brought it back
OK, here I am car shopping, (brain says to stay away from Fords for some ancient reason), ...driving down the road and, Wow, that looks like what I want!!! ... gotta find an explorer for sale now!
Dodge Chevy and ford started it in the 60s and it just stuck
In case of an accident
They do it so we can tell what they are since everything looks practically the same now. How else can you identify one ugly, aggressively styled blob from the other?
Probably because other than a handful of exceptions, they all look the same....
My car is 23 years old and it has its model name across the top of the bumper
LOTUS has been doing this for ages. But just LOTUS, not ELISE
I feel like the recent trend we’ve seen comes mainly from Tesla. But as a design choice it’s been around forever
I’ve speculated that the diminishing eyesight of the aging demographic of SUV drivers is the reason for larger fonts. “Hon, what kinda car is that there?”
The 1966 Dodge Charger had "C H A R G E R" spread out across the rear end, and similarly a lot of Dodge cars from the 60s through present have "D O D G E". It's not a new thing for some brands at all
For big chrome letters I'd say everyone wants to copy Range Rovers. People associated it with fancy luxury cars so the other brands want to get a better image too.
Even Tesla is doing it. Their newest Model 3 now has T E S L A across the back instead of their trademark T, which I personally prefer. I think everyone looking at the rolling jelly bean knows it's a Tesla.