“Guts. Glory. Ram.”: Neo-Fascism in American Car Culture
Document Type
Presentation
Date of Original Version
3-27-2026
Abstract
The Chrysler Group debuted the “Guts. Glory. Ram.” ad campaign in the summer of 2011, comprised of four different TV commercials. The most notorious commercial, officially entitled “Code of the West,” features the identifiable narration of Sam Elliot and recounts the images and values of the American Old West, showing those who break the alleged “code” getting the justice they deserve. According to The Auto Channel, this ad exemplifies how the pickup truck is an integral piece of American identity, using the image of the “Old West” to evoke feelings of an idealized American past in its viewers. When examined as a cultural text, it becomes clear that this commercial is both a product and proponent of contemporary American neo-fascist ideologies, appealing to consumer culture, white nationalism, and male identity. In this paper, I use the cultural studies techniques put forth by Toby Miller in A Companion to Cultural Studies to articulate how a television commercial can be read as a culturally significant text. Using Robert Paxton’s 14 core concepts of fascism, I determine that the commercial aligns with the fascist tendencies of appealing to the past, xenophobia, and emphasis on traditional masculinity. Additionally, I argue that this commercial was a result of specific historical-cultural events, including (but not limited to) 9/11 and Cash for Clunkers.
Recommended Citation
Hines, Tia, "“Guts. Glory. Ram.”: Neo-Fascism in American Car Culture" (2026). Oral Presentations. Paper 16.
https://digitalcommons.uri.edu/gradcon2026-presentations/16