I realize that the Tesla Cybertruck is a polarizing vehicle for a variety of reasons; I myself may have contributed to some of this polarizingnessitude, and I think we as an organization have accepted the futility of any sort of objectivity when it comes to this particular vehicle. That said, I think there may be one trait of the Cybertruck that everyone can agree on: the front of it is so blank and featureless that it could become an ideal canvas for changing the overall look and feel of the car in some simple yet dramatic ways.
How? Through the magic of stickers!
Well, maybe this is decals, or a partial wrap, or something similar. What I’m getting at is the Cybertruck’s boldly featureless front end is both a strange, unfeeling cypher, but also a potential place to really have some fun. And it’s not just me who thinks so; this little video clip was making the rounds recently:
I realize the caption on there states that whoever post or shot that claims to hate it, but I think they’re wrong, deeply, embarrassingly wrong! That Chevy K10 truck face completely changes the look and feel of the Cybertruck, and where there was once an uncomfortably empty expanse of unfeeling stainless, now we have a face, something to relate to, to anthropomorphize, and allow us to indulge in some healthy pareidolia! If you have a Cybertruck and feel like it’s missing some character that you associate with other cars and trucks, I think this may be a godsend.
Our own The Bishop made a quick edit to a frame of that video, replacing the Chevy face with a Ford F-150 Bricknose face:
It kind of works in a strange way, right? I think so. This got me thinking about what other fun and iconic car/truck face-decals might work well on the Cybertruck. I think they’d just need to be pretty rectangular and wide, proportionally, but I think there are a lot of great options. I mean, look at all this open real estate:
So what would work well here? I think the first obvious one would be that other stainless-steel, crisp-edged wedge of a car, the DeLorean DMC-12!
That works pretty well! It actually kind of feels like what a DeLorean truck could have been! But what if you want something more classic and rugged? Something low-tech, to contrast the high-tech tone of the Cybertruck? How about this?
An International Scout! This makes the Cybertruck feel a little more approachable, I think. Still feels simple and capable, though, and I like how that mesh grille works there. But maybe we should try something that relies less on a grille? Something unexpected? Something French! Like, say, a Renault 8 Gordini!
The Selective Yellow French headlights really sell this one I think, and, as a rear-engined car, there’s no grille to deal with. Just lights and that little Renault diamond. I almost think this look would be worth doing for real, with actual yellow foglamps installed.
How about another obscure-in-America European car?
A British Ford Cortina! This gives the brutalist Cybertruck a lot more style, I think, and a certain connoisseur’s sophistication. Now, if you want to go in the opposite direction, and embrace a more shitboxy sort of feeling, what about a Chevette?
I wonder what the market is for Cybertruck owners who want their trucks to look like Chevettes. I bet it’s fairly exclusive. This one should have more mass-market appeal:
A classic early Ford Mustang! It’s strange how well that mid-’60s Mustang face adapts to these huge low-polygonal slabs of body. That works better than it should.
Maybe instead of strictly nostalgic, you want friendly; how about a gen-1 Volkswagen Golf/Rabbit?
There’s a simple affability about the early Rabbits, with their big round headlight eyes and simple horizontal grille. I always liked the look of them; they felt at ease and comfortable with themselves, traits that I think certainly can’t hurt the Cybertruck.
There are so many more options! Tons of good cars with wide faces that have character and charm the Cybertruck could benefit from. Fiat Pandas? Ford Galaxies? Jensen Interceptors? I say if you feel an urge, grab that blank Cybertruck face from this post and throw something together and put it in the comments!
Can we post images in comments yet? Crap. Well, still, maybe just tell me about it, then.
In 50 years will there be owners at car shows displaying their Cybertruck with a crying robot doll leaning on the front bumper?
These are brilliant, Jason! People should absolutely be doing these. It’ll also keep bugs from staining the fronts of their “trucks”!
All I can say is that ANYTHING looks better than stock.
The OG Aston Martin Lagonda, for sure:
https://www.gallery-aaldering.com/aston-martin-lagonda-1986/
A Humvee or Hummer H1 face would look cool. Or a school bus?
Or maybe an Autobianchi. Like the Bianchina:
https://www.hagerty.co.uk/articles/automotive-history/cars-that-time-forgot-autobianchi-bianchina/
Or an A112:
https://www.car.info/en-se/autobianchi/a112/a112-8038721/images/user
I demand nothing less than a faux Rolls Royce kit like JC Whitney offered for VV Beetles. Oh and I want the damm fake Continental kit they offered for my tailgate, too! I WILL settle for nothing less gosh dammit.. While we are at it, I want some fuzzy dice and blinky the cat!
All those faces look weirdly walleyed. How about “nightmare clown” instead?
I nearly squealed over the Cortina face. Got a ’68 just like that waiting for me to finally work on it someday.
You know, Jason, just when I think you couldn’t possibly be any dumber, you go and do something like this… and totally redeem yourself!
I feel cyber truck owners would more likely go this way. The light up LED Evil Eyes.
https://blazexel.com/products/truck-eyes-led
You can tell it’s quality by the “Merry Christmrs” sign.
Good Lucky! is perfectly cromulent Engrish.
Grumman LLV
Family Truckster
I mean I can’t be the only one thinking it…
https://imgur.com/a/rnIHjIz
I appreciate the diesel badge on the Ford one.
and the bits of rust
Tucker 48!
What actually matches the shape the best is a 2003 – 2025 Chevrolet Express front end. Same kick up and kick back grill shape. Honorable mention: Early Pontiac 6000 STE with the 3 lights on each side would go with the CT quirky vibe as well.
Would there be legal issues with having what looks like lights that don’t light up?
Not sure what the generation previous to the brick nose is called in Ford-speak (bullnose?), but I think that would look great, the angled sides of the CT fascia would lend itself pretty well to that look as the corners on that gen of Ford angle slightly in.
These are fantastic! I think the International gets the win.
The CyberInternational could easily be some wacky 1950s concept truck.
This is silly and I love it
My vote is for the DeLorean.
surely the front end of a 91 Volvo 240 would be a perfect fit!
I’ve seen only one local Cybertruck owner make any effort so spice up their front end. they chose a gaping shark’s mouth motif clealy inspired by the P-40 Warhawks of the Flying Tigers.
They managed to make their truck and themselves look even more obnoxious than a typical CT does. But I have to give some props for the creativity and actually doing something with all that flat bare metal.
Don’t they buy CTs to compensate for their small front ends?
How about a Lyft moustache? Or some properly cartoonish features like something out of Cars?
Mercedes-Benz G-Wagon grill, particularly one of the early German military ones. Alternately – VW Thing.
Remember when some vans had a picture of a small sports car painted on the side to make it look like it was parked next to it? What could we do with the Cybertruck’s slab sides?