[ryandrake]

I'm reminded of an article[1] a while back about trucks getting bigger where a commenter pointed out they are also getting "meaner" looking. I'd argue that maybe aggressive, belligerent, menacing truck styling is popular because [some] Americans themselves are getting more aggressive, belligerent and menacing. Vehicles have traditionally been used by people as personality extensions, so this "My truck should be like a big fist" attitude shouldn't be surprising.

1: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=32425028

[xyst]

Look at the “Market researching” section:

> “SUV buyers want to be able to take on street gangs with their vehicles and run them down”

This was in 2002 …

https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5ebd0080238e863d04911...

[ryandrake]

Fascinating. An interesting part of that document:

> The point of these explicit associations with violence was not to reflect a growing brutalisation of society, but to identify people the market researchers describe as “especially self-centred”.

Which would contradict my guess: They're actually going after self-centered buyers, not necessarily angry, belligerent ones.