By Roger P. Healy

Most Americans know the story of Henry Ford and his 1908 Model T that made the car a household staple. Ford had plenty of competitors, but price and availability put asses in Ford seats faster than his contenders could keep up.

Photo by Roger Healy

Our cars, trucks, and SUVs take us all kinds of places: vacations and vespers; fairgrounds and doctor visits; parties and funerals; graduations and grocery stores. 

They provide us comfort with 6-way adjustable seats and air conditioning. They keep us safe with air bags and anti-lock brakes. They let us drive fast in sport mode and climb rocks in four-by-four.

Behavioral psychologist Joseph Sirgy, Ph.D., told Men’s Health, “When you’re shopping for a vehicle, you’re looking for a ride that fits your “self-concept”: who you think you are, who you want to be, and how you’d like others to see you.”

The Redhawk Post spoke to several drivers to find out what their wheels had to say.

Ryan Trombley is a 32-year-old physical therapist who typically commutes in a Chevy Impala. Ask him about it and he probably won’t have much to say. 

Ask Ryan about his other car, a 2012 Dodge Charger SRT-8 Super Bee in Pitch Black, with Super Tech chip, Mopar cold-air intake, and Corsa Xtreme exhaust. 

“I was a car guy since the day I was born. I just feel it in my blood,” Ryan said. 

Ryan said he’s been driving muscle cars since age 16, mostly Ford Mustangs, but fell in love with Dodge Chargers in his early twenties. “Some guys will have an allegiance to one car manufacturer. I just appreciate American muscle.”

Ryan and his car, affectionately named Black Betty after Ram Jam’s 1977 hit song, could have come together like the plot of a 90s rom-com.

Photo by Roger Healy

“I was visiting my parents on a Sunday and I told my dad, ‘You know what I need? I just need like a little old man who bought it a car brand -new from the dealership, garage-kept it, took it to the car shows, had a lot of fun in it, but is ready to sell,” Ryan said.

“And I kid you not, ,” he continued, “I must’ve talked it into existence because 48- hours later I’m on Facebook marketplace and this car popped up,” he continued. “. It was a guy in his 70s. He’d had his fun and was ready to sell. I was ready to buy.”

Ryan said he gets overprotective of his car, but tries not to let it stop him. “Life’s short, and you can’t take it with you when you die. Get out and drive!”

60-year-old English professor Joshua Bellin’s 2020 Chevy Bolt electric vehicle says something different.

“My wife and I have tried to be environmentally conscious in a variety of ways,” he said. “We charge it on solar power in our garage. It’s kind of a nice little closed loop.”

Joshua, age 60, said that while there were many reasons for him to buy his bright red Bolt, style was not one of them. 

“When it comes to cars, and most things in my life, I don’t really care about what it looks like,” Joshua said. “I didn’t need a sports car. I didn’t need a car that was flashy or had a luxury price tag.”

His motivations, he said, were purely practical and environmental. 

“I had thought about getting an electric car for a while,” said Joshua. “The price was right, the timing was right, and we’d had recommendations from people we trusted.”

The compact five-door Bolt packs 200 horsepower and plenty of instantly-delivered torque from its 150 kilowatt motor. The compact five-door Bolt packs 200 horsepower and plenty of instantly-delivered torque from its 150- kilowatt motor. A Car and Driver review called it, “A versatile electric vehicle that most people can afford.”

Joshua said that the car, which he aptly nicknamed Zeus at his daughter’s behest, has so far served its purpose well. He also said that the U.S. transportation infrastructure has some catching up to do.

“It’s better than it was,” he said. “If we are shifting to an alternative vehicle economy, charging stations will have to be popping up. ,” he said. “That’s the hope, of course.”

More importantly than making a statement, Joshua’s car takes action on what he believes is important.

La Roche University senior Jake Speicher, age 26, drives a white 2013 Dodge Avenger that he bought from an army buddy in Georgia in 2020. Jake said that, initially, he just needed a way to get back to Pittsburgh after leaving the U.S. Army.

“I totaled my car a couple of months prior,” Jake said. “My, and my buddy was going to junk it. his wife’s Avenger,” he said. “I said I’d buy it for $1,500, and it’s lasted me.”

Jake said that the car was in bad shape when he got it. “I had to put maybe $2,000 into it. I have a buddy who hooked me up. He told me to buy the parts and he put it together for me.”

Roughly six-6 percent of U.S. citizens serve in the military. The U.S. Army makes up about 35 percent of the military, but only about 15 percent of them serve in the infantry.

Jake is one of the approximately 0.315 percent of U.S. citizens that has served in the U.S. Army Infantry. He said he keeps his cord on display to remind him of that.

“It’s pretty important to me. I joined the infantry and it’s something that’s going to stay with me forever,” Jake said. “I get to see it every day when I drive. It pushes me to get to places that I don’t really wat to go, but I have to get it done.”

Jake’s car represents an important phase of his life. And a phase that he will proudly display for the rest of his life.

While some folks consider their cars a means to an end, others choose to represent themselves more directly. While some folks consider their cars a means to an end, others choose to represent themselves a bit more directly. No one does that better than Jeep owners.

Rubber ducks, the “Jeep wave,” aftermarket parts, and lots of color options like Hydro Blue and High-Velocity green have created a tight-knit, heavily customized culture.

Porter Katona- 1998 Jeep Wrangler

Porter Katona said that he strongly believes in expressing himself through his vehicle. The 23-year-old college grad’s two-door 1998 Jeep Wrangler soft-top, painted Bright Jade Satin Glow, with Jeep Golden Eagle hood decals, certainly makes a statement.

Porter said he bought his Jeep in Ohio in 2023 and has no regrets. “Driving an essentially glorified golf cart isn’t the most practical, but it’s a lot of fun.” 

The flashy 28-year-old Wrangler is, if nothing else, fun to drive, Porter says. He said he so on back roads it’s such a blast to drive and just rip around.” 

“Nowadays it’s so many of the same, almost generic, cars,” Porter said. “It’s black, white, gray, a lot of red and blue. I don’t want to be another generic car.”

Porter said that he believes people should express themselves more, and cars are a great way to do it. “Regardless of the opinion, you get people to look and they notice you. They may think it’s cool, they may think it’s stupid. I think it’s interesting that you can get your vehicle to have that effect on people.”

He also said that he has a deep appreciation for Jeep culture’s similarity to the motorcycle community with things like the “jeep wave,” kind of a peace sign identical to the “biker wave.” 

Porter said, “I view the wave as, ‘Hey, good luck on your travels. I hope nothing bad happens to you.’ I don’t know who that person is, but being able to have that interaction is kind of nice.”

40-year-old domestic engineer Jenn Healy is at the opposite end of the Jeep spectrum with her blacked-out 2025 Jeep Compass. 

“I think it’s simple and practical, but also fancy,” she said. “And that’s kind of like me. I’m a girly-girl. I like sparkles, I like glitter, but I’m not over the top.”

She continued, “There is a part of me that likes the bells and whistles, the fanciness. I think it’s kind of a perfect combination of me as a person.”

Jenn is still undecided on what to name will her Jeep. “I like Aurelia, but I don’t know why. I just like the name,” she said. “But I’m also thinking of Stella.” 

“Stella is just like a sassy, firecracker, don’t-mess-with-me kind of name,” Jenn said. “And it’s a sassy Jeep with its little turbocharger. And that’s unexpected.”

“That’s one thing I like,” Jenn said, “to surprise people.”

Jenn said that she loves opening her sunroof and blasting live versions of “Jane Says” by Jane’s Addiction and Guns n’ Roses hit “Knockin’ on Heaven’s Door.”

Most of all, she said that she likes that it’s her own. The wife and mother said, “We all share a house, a lot of the same things, everything’s kind of ours.” But she said her Jeep is hers alone.

“It’s mine and. And something that I take pride in,” she said. “Something that I can accessorize or customize. I’m proud of it and I take care of it.”

Photo by Roger Healy

No matter the reason, every driver’s vehicle makes a statement about who they are. Be it horsepower, social responsibility, motivation, self-expression, or sass, every car has something to say, and every driver a story to tell.

Happy travels, Redhawks.