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Year: 2023
Design Notes
1965 Newport made Chrysler a contender in premium-priced, big-car field
The 1965 Newport is an important car for Chrysler because it propelled the brand to record-breaking sales. That, in turn, made Chrysler a force to be reckoned with in the premium-priced, big-car field for the […]
Design Notes
2019 Acura RDX inspired by Wavy Gravy
(EXPANDED FROM 11/1/2018) When I came upon a 2019 Acura RDX, I was reminded of Wavy Gravy. That’s the name of a Woodstock-era citizen activist who still uses silly performance art to generate visibility for […]
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Photo Essay
1962 Ford: Harbinger of stylish trucks rots in the woods
(UPDATED FROM 2/18/2022) Five miles up an unpaved road in the Olympic Mountains is a harbinger of today’s stylish trucks. Slowing decaying in the rainforest is a 1962 F-Series pickup. Rather than trying to cart […]
Quotes
Maryann Keller: GM’s postwar dominance lulled it into a false sense of security
“During the 1960s and 1970s GM was lulled into a false sense of security by its dominance of the market. There was certainly a bottom-line mentality, but this mentality dictated that additional costs be passed […]
History
Who were the five worst leaders of postwar U.S. automakers?
(UPDATED FROM 5/7/2021) Warren Buffett has argued that the Number 1 problem a company can face is choosing the wrong chief executive officer. Buffett, who is CEO of Berkshire Hathaway, has said that over the […]
Drive-By Musings
Was the 1972 Fiat 130 coupe influenced by mid-1960s Ramblers?
Curbside Classic has just reposted one of my favorite articles — a magazine-length piece by Don Andreina (2023) about the 1972-77 Fiat 130 coupe. Although the car never made it to U.S. shores, the author […]
Literature
1980 Ford Fairmont emphasized cheap practicality to compete with GM’s X-cars
The Ford Fairmont had sold well in its first two years of production but in 1980 was confronted by formidable new competition — Chevrolet’s Citation. If this were still the good old days we would […]
Links
How far should AMC have gone to save the Hudson, Nash and Rambler brands?
Stephen Pellegrino has sparked a debate about the value of automotive brands by arguing that Hudson, Nash and Rambler were worth saving. His punchline is that “brand names mean something, and the intangibles they represent […]