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Design excesses
Design Notes
1950 bucktoothed Buick: The definitive design statement from General Motors
(EXPANDED FROM 8/23/2021) Over more than a century General Motors has produced a broad range of cars and trucks. However, if I had to pick one single vehicle that best summed up GM’s design approach, […]
Design Notes
BMW’s 7 Series ‘Bangle butt’ helped legitimize weird styling
(EXPANDED FROM 3/5/2021) In the comments we’ve recently talked about Chris Bangle, so I thought I would expand a story I had written a few years ago about one of the most controversial designs that […]
Satire
Why is the Toyota Sienna minivan’s styling out of this world?
AUTOMOTIVE VIEWS NEWSWIRE — It’s no accident that the Toyota Sienna minivan stands out from the crowd when it comes to styling. Disturbed by declining sales, the automaker decided to give it the “sci-fi” look. […]
Design Notes
Was Richard Teague’s best sporty coupe the 1973-77 AMC Hornet hatchback?
During his tenure as head AMC’s design, Richard Teague had the opportunity to develop quite a few sporty coupes, from the original Marlin to the Spirit hatchback. Out of all those efforts, I would propose […]
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Fake Design
Was the 1940-41 Lincoln Continental the all-time most influential U.S. halo car?
(EXPANDED FROM 2/14/2023) Since this is Presidents’ Day, let’s take another look at what I have suggested is the most influential halo car of all time built in the United States — the original Lincoln […]
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Car and Driver playfully roasts a 1964 Ford Thunderbird convertible
Car and Driver’s road test of a 1964 Ford Thunderbird reminded me of what I enjoyed about the magazine in its heyday. Although it threw in a few bits of fawning praise, that struck me […]
Design Notes
1956 Ford Country Sedan wagon: The once and future Explorer
(EXPANDED FROM 1/25/2022) Nineteen-fifty-six was a pivotal year for Ford station wagons. This was essentially the last time that the brand would offer an old-fashioned, utilitarian wagon for more than three decades. When the Ford […]
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All-new 1972 Ford Torino didn’t rank well against older intermediates
The 1972 Ford Torino was a particularly big deal. The automaker had bestowed upon its mid-sized offerings the first all-new platform since they were introduced in 1962. Ford ditched unit-body construction and increased exterior dimensions […]