A body Rat rod

Hadn't heard the term (I know, out of touch). Had to look it up. Doesn't seem so cool after reading this :(

Is "Murdered Out" Getting "Played Out''?
People have been referring to cars as "murdered out" so much lately that I can't even remember what people used to call an all black car. Its not like Rob Dyrdek was the first person to ever have an all black car, but with the help of a little television network called MTV, he was able to ignite arguably the largest trend in automotive customizing history. According to one of Dyrdek's friends, "murdered out came from us seeing a completely blacked out [Ferrari 360] Modena." Dyrdek quipped, "that thing is so black it looks like a ninja is just gonna pop out and start murdering people." And just like that, what was once just an all black car became "murdered out." I wonder though; is the whole "murdered out" fad going down the path of neon under glow, spinners, and the hundreds of other now defunct automotive fads that preceded it? Is "murdered out" played out?

As much as I like the all blacked out look, I miss the days when everyone with a black car didn't immediately tint their taillights and spray paint their wheels. Where's the creativity in that? From Honda Civics to Dodge Chargers to Ferrari F430s, this fad has spread across every inch of the car industry. I think I realized that the murdered out look had jumped the shark though when I saw an all matte black, Toyota Prius in Boulder, CO a couple of months ago! I think we should all agree that once the Prius owners embrace a trend, the rest of us need to get off the merry-go-round. I mean, lets look at the term's originator, professional skateboarder and reality TV star, Rob Dyrdek. Even he has moved on-to the polar opposite side of the spectrum. He's wrapping his vehicles in matte white vinyl film. Has the murdered out look evolved into matte finishes in general? As far as I know, Dyrdek hasn't come up with a catchy term for this look yet though. It still seems more under the radar.

Long story short, I think the custom automotive industry is currently lacking the creativity of the hotrod era. A time when someone did something cool and innovative, they didn't all just copy it- they saw his hand and raised him!