Ad Nauseam
Stellantis
Current Events
2022 Jeep Wagoneer: Turning generic into a big grand deal
The marketing wizards are trying to present the 2022 Wagoneer as a big grand deal; a triumphant return of a legendary nameplate. The only problem is that the forthcoming new Jeep is as generic as […]
Quotes
K. T. Keller predicted the end of late-50s styling excesses
“The present trend in cars has about another year or two to go. Then we’ll be back to design for function, and there’ll be more stress on utility. It takes more than styling to make […]
Design Notes
Should AMC have given the 1974 Matador coupe a luxury spin-off?
Patrick Foster (2020) recently argued that AMC should have offered a luxury spin-off of the sporty 1974 Matador coupe. He also suggested that such a car should have been named the Ambassador. “With tunneled headlamps […]
Bird Chatter
History
George Romney made eight big mistakes at AMC
George Romney may have been one of the U.S. auto industry’s best post-war leaders, but he made eight big mistakes while leading AMC from 1954-62. Some of his bad moves were costly enough to almost […]
Editor's Note
What’s new for June
The original pony cars have an exalted status among car buffs, but they also show how Detroit became increasingly out of touch with a changing marketplace. Our front page for June highlights two stories on […]
Data Dive
Lee Iacocca got lucky with the 1964-66 Ford Mustang
(UPDATED 11/18/2022) The original Ford Mustang was the automotive equivalent of The Beatles rock band. The American auto industry had never seen anything like it — a small sporty car that proved so popular that […]
Data Dive
Was the ‘Ford blitz’ to blame for the collapse of independent automakers?
(EXPANDED 10/28/2022) A few years ago Richard M. Langworth argued that Ford’s aggressive attempt to overtake Chevrolet in 1954 received more blame “than it deserved” in undercutting the viability of independent automakers (2019, p. 16). […]
Photo Essay
Mid-1930s-to-70s design evolution shown at LeMay event
As usual, this year’s LeMay annual car show offered an eclectic mix of cars and trucks. In addition to the nonprofit organization’s private collection, owners displayed their own vehicles. And if you timed it right, […]