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1980s
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 […]
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 […]
History
Six mistakes that killed the AMC Pacer — and American Motors
(EXPANDED FROM 9/9/2022) The 1975-80 AMC Pacer may have been a memorable car, but it was also a key factor in American Motors’ demise as an independent automaker. What’s particularly tragic is that the Pacer’s […]
History
An AMC four-cylinder engine was Roy D. Chapin Jr.’s last big mistake
Curbside Classic recently posted a 1977 Road & Track test of an AMC Gremlin with a new four-cylinder engine. This got me thinking about how American Motors’ purchase of a power plant from Volkswagen was […]
Ad Nauseam
DeBest ad for the 1981 Pontiac Trans Am that was never printed
Pete DeBest thought he had it made. He followed his dad into the car business by landing a gig at Pontiac’s ad agency as a copy writer. Things went great at first. For example, one […]
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Media Analysis
Automotive News treats Gerald C. Meyers’ tenure at AMC with kid gloves
Automotive News’ obituary of Gerald C. Meyer treated his tenure at American Motors with kid gloves. Meyers died on June 19 at the age of 94. Presenting a largely upbeat narrative would make sense if […]
Letters to the Editor
General Motors lost styling leadership in early-80s in ‘a morass of boxiness’
At the risk of disrupting an active comment thread, I would like to elevate to the front page a response by Peter Wilding to our story, “U.S. cars often suffered from weak styling continuity and […]
Random Shots
An automotive time machine with an open door
Since I began visiting Lake Quinault in the mid-1980s, I have noticed this 1953 Chevrolet sitting in a garage. The garage’s door has always been open and the Chevy has not appeared to have been […]