Design Notes
How Toyota ruined the Scion xB
When the Scion xB was redesigned for the 2008 model year, it was upsized from a subcompact to a compact. That added a foot in length, almost three inches in width and more than 600 […]
Subcompact cars
Readings
Hiott’s VW book captures essence of old Beetle better than new one
Andrea Hiott has written an engaging and nuanced automotive history that transcends the usual “car guy” narratives. Thinking Small: The Long, Strange Trip of the Volkswagen Beetle offers a wealth of background about the political, economic […]
Design Notes
BMW’s i3 tried entirely too hard to be cute
It’s too bad that BMW will not develop a successor to its i3. The electric hatchback showed promise as a city car that is relatively lightweight, roomy and fun to drive. Done right, the i3 […]
Readings
Revealing photos of AMC Javelins that didn’t make it
The most poignant part of Javelin Photo Archive is a set of proposals for a lovely Gremlin-based hatchback intended for introduction in 1973 or 1974. The designs look like they could have sold quite well. […]
Gallery
Current Events
What died when the VW Beetle ended production?
Paul A. Eistenstein’s (2019) story about the end of production for the Volkswagen Beetle makes an odd editorial decision. He treats the Beetle as a unified product line that stretches all the way back to […]
Quotes
Loewy offered weird idea for small Studebaker
“Raymond Loewy, who along with his industrial design firm, had been involved with Studebaker since the 1930s, was enlisted to help with designing the new small Studebaker. In the oral history interview Churchill confirmed that […]
Quotes
Why not a spiritual heir to the Datsun 510?
“Oh how I wish that an automaker of today would give this formula a try, once again: Decent performance, decent handling, impeccable materials and build quality in a light, no nonsense, affordable package. Problem is, […]
Drive-By Musings
TTAC writer compares Nissan Juke to your ex
Sometimes harried automotive writers have to scratch the outer reaches of their creativity to come up with an engaging story angle. As a case in point, consider Matt Posky’s (2018) take on Nissan’s production of […]
Design Notes
Citroen 2CV driver asks for a little patience
A while back we batted around the question of what would a modern simple car look like? The Volkswagen Beetle was used as a point of comparison, but I suppose a Citroen 2CV could have also […]