All Up In Your Grille

Ugly automobiles and vehicles inhabit an interesting field in our society and culture. While we all like to make fun and laugh at some of the flavorless and bland vehicles on the market, a few select handful stand at the forefront of terribly ugly vehicles: the Fiat Multipla, the Ford Edsel … and now the Ram Laramie?

The Edsel is one of the most famous examples of the impact an ugly grille can have on the success of an automobile. Named in memory of Henry Ford’s son, Edsel, who had passed away several years before its release, the Edsel was a risky new design, marketing strategy, and deployment of a car that was intended to make Ford more competitive in the domestic market. Unfortunately, by all accounts, everything from the release to the marketing campaign strategy was a complete failure. In the annals of American automotive parlance, the term “Edsel” represents the failure, more than the car model itself.

According to USA Today, the new Ram Laramie might be a new heir to the title. On February 12th of 2015, Ram announced the new Laramie Limited, featuring new lines, and a very noticeable new grille and tailgate.

That is the most horrible grille IN the history of trucks," writes The R on the Allpar.com web site. "Please kill it. ... You take a beautiful truck and murder it with that nose."

Another commenter, Colcrafts, says "UUuugly! Are we sure it's a Ram? It has Edsel written all over it."

Auto reviewers taking their first look were more guarded. Mark Williams at PickupTrucks.com called them "outer flaring nostril ports." He opines that perhaps Ram was trying to find a way to set itself apart from its Dodge roots, stylistically.

Only time will tell if the Laramie Limited’s new grille will catch on with the fan base, or if it is destined to be mocked and reviled.