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Design excesses
History
1970 Plymouth Barracuda should have been like an Australian Valiant Charger
(EXPANDED FROM 6/3/2022) The 1970 Plymouth Barracuda and its sibling the Dodge Challenger proved to be a costly mistake that epitomized Detroit’s slowness in responding to changing times. Indeed, the Chrysler Corporation’s early-1970s pony cars […]
Design Notes
Is the Hyundai Ioniq 5’s design admirably unique looking or just-plain strange?
I have been going back and forth on the above question. The 2022-23 Hyundai Ioniq 5’s design strikes me as one of the more unique approaches to an electric vehicle. However, it also has an […]
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Fake Design
1961-70 Jaguar Mk X: When Hudson step-down met Wienermobile
(EXPANDED FROM 11/5/2021) The Jaguar Mark X may have a commanding presence, but it also looks like the lovechild of a Hudson step-down and the Oscar Mayer Wienermobile. Intriguing but somehow . . . not […]
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 […]
Quotes
Robert Cumberford: Car grilles suffer from ‘wretched excess’
“Grilles serve as a car’s face, so it is important to use them as marks of identity, and they should be big enough to be recognizable. But there’s a limit that necessarily comes into the […]
Design Notes
The 10 worst single-year redesigns of postwar American cars
Let’s rank the 10 worst redesigns of postwar American cars that, with one partial exception, were only in production for a single year. By “postwar” I mean between 1949-79. My rankings are obviously subjective, but […]
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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 […]