An analog pickup truck is a true paradox in 2025. It defies the logic that “primitive” could mean “more expensive,” yet that’s the reality of the automotive market. The Ineos Grenadier is the perfect example: designed around old-school technology, it paradoxically costs more than a high-end electric vehicle packed with technology. Here’s how we got here.
The Economics Behind the Phenomenon
The genesis of the Grenadier and its price can be explained by a combination of economic and regulatory factors. Beyond the story of the British billionaire wanting to resurrect the old Land Rover Defender, our analysis delves into the economics of multi-vehicle households and the disappearance of specialized vehicles.
The Role of Regulations
On a superficial level, emissions and safety standards appear to be the main forces making it impossible to sell a vehicle like the old Defender or the Toyota Land Cruiser 70 Series on a large scale in the United States. Almost everything on the market today is, or at least resembles, a softer and more versatile version of its predecessors.
The Evolution of Purchasing Power and Behaviors
While vehicle prices have generally followed inflation, the purchasing power of many Americans has not kept up. Where a family man could afford a Corvette on a whim in the 90s, impulsive purchases are rare today. Now, a single vehicle must do everything—even affluent buyers often prefer a high-end BMW X5 M rather than an entry-level X5 and a sporty M2 on the side.
The Disappearance of “Mission-Specific” Vehicles
Result: the market for purely mission-focused and affordable cars is shrinking rapidly. The Mazda Miata is almost the last surviving example in the American market. Highly specialized vehicles can still exist, but as the Grenadier demonstrates, when they are only produced in small volumes, they simply cannot be cheap.
This situation forms a complex web that defines the current automotive market, where analog simplicity has become the pinnacle of luxury.