These Cars Scream 'America' Whenever You See Them

“The Ford Crown Vic: while I live in New Zealand they are utterly linked to America for me.

“As far as I can tell they weren’t sold outside the US, but the sheer international ubiquity of American movies and TV shows set in the US means that the entire world is exposed to this specific model, thanks to cop cars and taxi cabs. Character has to get to the airport fast? They took a Crown Vic cab to get there. Police procedural, or a quirky car chase makes the news? Crown Vics for days!”

One of the first American cars anyone outside the U.S. comes into contact with, thanks to its starring role in most cop films. Or that moment when someone jumps in a New York taxi and shouts “follow that car!”

Suggested by: kbabz

“As a German, to me, the vehicles I used to think of as screaming murrica were lovely cars like muscle cars, ‘vettes, Jeeps, Ford GTs. Nowadays, when I think of the current #magamerica, its essence on wheels is the Chevy Silverado. Fugly as fuck, disgusting, idiotic, ignorant, unnecessary, outdated and the world would just be a better place without it.”

We must accept that America is no longer known for its muscle. These days, when you hear America you think pickup.

Suggested by: felixthegrumpycat

“This is so American that it doesn’t matter that it was built under license in France.”

In the late 1940s, the French military began constructing its own Jeep trucks to use in combat, these were called the Hotchkiss License MBs and were officially licensed by Willys.

Suggested by: @N701Gv (Twitter)

“For me, it’s the ‘64 1/2 Mustang, especially the hardtop.

“It’s a distinctively American shape, with a small-block V8 under the hood, seating for a family of four and a few optional extras to make it look a little more luxurious, or a little more sporty, depending on your taste. Rally-Pac!

“It was massively popular - the fastest-selling car of all time at one point - and its popularity laid the groundwork for the muscle-car era of the late 60's. The price point made it accessible to a huge swath of the American buying public.

“Finally, it captured the boundless middle-class American optimism of the 50's and early 60's that would eventually fall into disillusionment and malaise in the ‘70s thanks to Vietnam, Watergate, the fuel crisis, wage stagnation, violence and so on. The early Mustang is an artifact of that moment and the national mindset of the time - maybe the last great thing that period produced.”

It’s a hard agree on this one from me. There’s a reason I have about five Craigslist listings for ‘64 Mustangs for sale at any one time. I bloody love them.

Suggested by: stoke

“Dodge Viper. What’s more American than a car actively trying to kill you when you push it while simultaneously being considered a fun daily driver?”

I’m sure nobody here would argue that the Dodge Viper really does scream at you whenever one drives past.

Suggested by: engineerthefuture

“The AP2 S2000.

“They had to dumb down the car in almost every way because American automotive journalists didn’t know how to drive so it got bad press.

“Duller and less direct steering, subdued suspension, more understeer, lower redline.”

Do I sense a dash of bitterness in this suggestion?

Suggested by: @HowlinFantods (Twitter)

“I live in Munich, home of BMW. I wanted to say the BMW X7 is the most American car I see in real life, but I doubt I can distinguish it from the X5. So GLS it is. Cars very clearly designed with the US in mind. Homely soccer mom vans at 5/4th the size of their already manatee-shaped smaller siblings (X5/GLE).

“The GLS is very rare here though, and I presume (see above) the X7 is as well.”

This is what happens when a German carmaker comes for your hard-earned American cash.

Suggested by: duurtlang

“Legally, you have to salute this if you see it on the road.”

This same rule applies whenever you see an original Mini in the UK.

Suggested by: matisyahuserius

“‘57 Chevy.

“Nothing says Americana like a ‘57 Chevy. It represents everything that our nostalgia fogged minds think the US used to be.”

Weirdly, it’s reached the point now that if I see one of these I’ll expect it to be in Cuba. Still, what a lovely looking car the Chevrolet Bel Air is?

Suggested by: smalleyxb122

“I have a Challenger which, if you believe the commercials, is as American as it gets.

“Ironically the engine is built in Mexico and final assembly is in Canada, while the company that owns it all is Italian. And Chinese parts of course.”

It’s loud, it’s powerful and it’s inefficient. That’s America down to a T.

Suggested by: Jake Mitchell (Facebook)

“The early sixth-gen Chevy Monte Carlo. It kills me, but it’s us. Awful.”

I’ll let you all make up your own minds about what this poster means.

Suggested by: sissyfoot

“Honestly, the correct answer is the Model T.

“America didn’t invent the car, just like we didn’t invent human rights, democracy, or freedom.

“We did make sure a lot of people got access to those things though.”

The most American response suggesting the most American car to the most American question.

Suggested by: v10omous

“CTS-V, it’s the Americans’ take on luxury performance, it’s large, loud and can really only go in a straight line well.”

American car makers should make more stuff like this and less stuff like the Ram TRX. The world would be all the better for it.

Suggested by: Paul Kuzma (Facebook)

“The C3 Corvette in Indy pace car guise. There was one exactly like this (minus the lettering) that would occasionally show up in the European town where I grew up, and you would literally hear the Star-Spangled Banner playing in your head (memorized from watching all those gold medal ceremonies at the 1984 LA Olympic games) as it drove down the road. And the few times it parked, it was quite an event for passers-by as there was nothing else looking or sounding like it.”

Arguably the most American suggestion so far. This Corvette led racers at the Indy 500 in 1978.

Suggested by: gto62

“These chromed out square trucks like these peterbilts running up and down the interstate.”

Sure, trucks like these might be driven in other countries. But anything that isn’t cab-over-engine is automatically an “American truck” in my mind.

Suggested by: redneckrob

“The Jeep Wrangler covers a huge gamut of all parts of Americana, good and bad. Bright red with the doors and top off, you have a joyous picture of happy social life, kids on a beach trip, as American as JuicyFruit.

“A snorkel or a winch creates a perception of the rugged adventurer. Oversized tires, shiny black paint, stupid lights and a screaming eagle tire cover that was made in China second only to the lifted brodozers for identifying as a douchy self absorbed insecure loser.

“They’re great for the Cool Mom or Dad with a mild crisis. Iconic, almost all American except for company ownership of course, unreliable, simple, cool, symbolic, the Wrangler covers just about everything.”

Well, they’re not wrong.

Suggested by: Joe Sledge (Facebook)

“The official vehicle of “I live in a small town and only buy from the local Chevy dealership because Jesus hates foreigners.”

“Usually sitting behind one of these in the McDonald’s drive thru, with a Jesus fish and Myrtle Beach stickers on the back gate, while the white box-color-hair Karen screams the workers that her tea isn’t sweet enough.

“Her husband drives a red Silverado of the same year, “Trump/Pence” sticker on the chrome bumper, with Pence’s name crossed out because f*ck that traitor.”

Ah, the generic SUV. Indistinguishable among the throngs of other cars on the road, vehicles like the Chevrolet Equinox are synonymous with the American highways.

Suggested by: dbeach84

“What other country could (or would) produce the 1959 Cadillac, then paint it pink no less.

“The Boss even had a song about it.”

Bright, loud, flamboyant and in a Springsteen song. it doesn’t come more American than this.

Suggested by: earthbound-misfit-i