This topic can be posed in a lot of ways. Is change for the better or is change for the worse? Should Dodge keep the classic look or look to the future or possibly a retro look. I mean this can go on and on.

However, after reading the question posed everyday when I open the forum it got me thinking about it. So while I'm driving around I'm looking at Dodge cross-hair grilles and some are not. Then today while eating at a fast food joint and looking outside it struck me.

I saw two Jeep vehicles parked next to each other with both facing towards me. One was the Liberty and the other was the Compass. Neither was the original muscle Jeep but it was almost comical the way the coin slot grill looked the same on both. So were they paying tribute to the original muscle Jeep, wanna-be look-a-likes, or brand identity? I have to admit that it looks good on the Liberty but ugly on the Compass (which to me looks like a re-badged Caliber). So if you want a muscle Jeep then buy a muscle Jeep, if you a gas miser eco-Jeep buy a Liberty, and if you want a Compass go get yourself checked cause something wrong with you. Ha Ha...

Everyone on this forum probably wants their ride to look different than the next guy. I myself like to look to future change as much as retro-look but brand identity be damned. Brand identity is another way of saying they all look the same. It reminds me of Mustangs and Camaros looking the same for so long. You can't tell them apart and quite frankly the 2nd-4th Gen Ram could stand a change also not that they are ugly but hey let's see something new for our money.

A new Dodge vehicle that has no crosshair grill and looks beautiful is the new Challenger. Now the Challenger is a retro-look that works but not if it's done for the next 10 years. It would lose its identity and identity is what makes it special. I know that I can identify each year of Dodge Charger from the glorious years of 1967-1974 just by looking at them. That is what I'm talking about. Great cars evolve and by doing so become collectible.


As far as keeping the cross-hair grille. I don't particularly care for it. As long as they don't go to an egg-crate grille. I really liked the hide-a-way lights in the solid black grilles from the late 60's and early 70's like the Chargers had. They varied by solid and split and both were great looking front ends. As far as truck front ends, I really like the late and mid 70's grilles for some reason especially when they were painted and not chromed. Not to mention the recessed hoods that should have been taller to put engine badges like those found on 70 & 71 GTX's / Roadrunners.

Lastly, no one complained when the 2nd Gen Ram first came out. I remember a lot of Hurrahs and way-2-gos. It looked awesome at the time and extremely different from where it came from and from all other makes as well.

Keep evolving Dodge!

 

I agree!

 

Keep It.

When you look down the road you know a Dodge is coming at you long before you can figure out the difference between Ford, Chevy or those imports.

It has that , in your face look.

 

kinda like what BMW has with their little box that is on every car.

 

as a disclaimer, I would not pass up a great design just cause they could not work the cross hairs in to the design or adding it to it would make it look ugly

AKA the Challenger

 

Agreed.

 

true statment

 

When they dropped the Dodge name from the trucks, I didn't think about it one way or the other. After thinking more about it, I got p*ssed. The Dodge brothers made the original trucks for Chrysler and the Dodge brand name means trucks. There is too much history being thrown away by the new management. Dropping the cross-hair grill is another piece of our brands history being thrown away by, frankly, foreigners who have no sense of, or care for our history.

 

The cross-hair grille is only recent history for Dodge trucks. This grill design didn't start until 1986. Before that the 70-73 Dodge trucks' grilles could semi-sorta be called cross-hair grilles. Dodge trucks have been around since 1921. They have been longer without that grille than with them. Just going back to 1986 these grilles have been around for 25 years. That's a long run. I think it's time to move on and come up with a new look for the 21st century if for no other reason. I think it's time for another bold facelift like when the 2nd Generations popped on the scene and everyone oohed and aahed over them. I think the designers owe us that. I think... I think... oh hell, I think I've said enough.

 

Keep it. Very Identifiable with the "Dodge" Name and Not too many brands are like that anymore.