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Fake Design
1964 Imperial could have been a better Lincoln Continental
(EXPANDED FROM 10/2/2020) Indie Auto has previously mentioned that the 1961-63 Lincoln Continental represented a partial and short-lived deviation from Detroit groupthink. Let’s flesh out that argument with a fake 1964 Imperial. Yes, folks, lowly Chrysler could have outdone the Continental. […]
Current Events
Lexus should ditch its ‘retronyms’ and hire a poet
(UPDATED FROM 1/8/2021) Did you know that the alphabetical names for Lexus products actually stand for something? As a case in point, the IS means “Intelligent Sports,” the CT is short for “Creative Touring,” RX […]
Fake Design
1963-64 Studebaker Avanti: A classic failure
(EXPANDED FROM 1/1/2020) The Studebaker Avanti is arguably one of the most important American automotive designs of the 1960s. It has quite rightly been described by historian Patrick Foster as “one of the most beautiful automobiles […]
Design Notes
1958 Mercury Turnpike Cruiser is a monument to Ford’s failed ambitions
The Edsel and Lincoln were the Ford Motor Company’s most visible failures of the late-50s, but the Mercury was also an embarrassment. The ill-fated Turnpike Cruiser epitomized both the promise and futility of Ford’s ambitious […]
Quotes
GM set its prices for a 25-percent return on investment in 1950s
“But if its return on investment averaged 25 percent for 1950 through 1955, well above the corporation’s target and the highest return in American industry, why couldn’t General Motors reduce the prices on its cars, […]
Letters to the Editor
Chrysler and AMC lost the plot with 1970s personal luxury coupes
George Denzinger took the time to write a lengthy and thoughtful response to our story, “1971-74 Dodge Charger: Making the most of a questionable idea,” so I am elevating it to the front page as […]
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Quotes
John Najjar on how the 1958 Lincoln and Continental were designed
“Our mission with Ben Mills [division general manager] and Will Scott [division plant planner] was to develop a 1958 Lincoln. Then, in that era, bigger is better, longer is better, wider is better, shock the […]
Multimedia
Satire of a 1960 VW ad essentially mimics marketing for U.S. compacts
(UPDATED 3/20/2023) Back in 1963, advertising executive Fred Manley presented a slide show parody about how to improve Volkswagen’s legendary “Think small” ad. The “best practices” he presented look hilariously misguided when applied to this […]