Quotes
Somewhere on the Internet a top-design list is wrong
“Any failure to mention the 1953 Cadillac Eldorado convertible is reprehensible.” — Stephen Smith, The Daily Drive
1950s
Drive-By Musings
The perils of a four-way
Curbside Classic recently posted an unusually detailed discussion in a comment thread about why a merger did not occur between Hudson, Nash, Packard and Studebaker (Shafer, 2015). While the speculation is interesting, I’d question the underlying assumption […]
History
When GM was king and 10 million was blue sky
Keith Crain’s prevously-mentioned Automotive News column illustrates how dramatically expectations have changed about industry volume. In 2014 sales hit 16.5 million units. That was only good for ninth place in the record books. Crain (2014) noted that […]
Readings
Jeep: The History of America’s Greatest Vehicle
In a vague sense this book is an update of The Story of Jeep (Foster, 1998). However, like Patrick R. Foster’s other recent books, Jeep: America’s Greatest Vehicle, is much more graphically oriented. While not quite as large […]
Current Events
Should VW’s design chief fear civilization’s end?
(UPDATED 12/15/2022) Volkswagen Group’s global design chief Walter de Silva is worried that optimizing aerodynamics in order to meet tightening emissions standards could hurt aesthetics and branding. In an Automotive News question-and-answer piece, he complained […]
Readings
Saab Cars: The Complete Story
Information is hard to find for minor imported brands such as Saab. Thus, any book on this automaker is helpful. Saab Cars is an oversized hard-cover book with a nice balance between text and large, full-color […]
Readings
Over 100 Years: The American Auto
This is another oversized coffee table book by Consumer Guide that emphasizes color photos and brief analysis. The editorial tone can at times be quite critical of the American automakers, as the quote below about […]
Readings
Kaiser-Frazer: 1947-1955 Photo Archive
As the title suggests, this is essentially a picture book. The photographs are large but all black and white. The captions offer a mix of product information and a brief analysis about why Kaiser-Frazer failed. Kaiser-Frazer: […]
Readings
Studebaker: The Complete History
This a visually appealing and well-balanced Studebaker history for those who don’t already have one on their shelf. For those who do, the main appeal of Studebaker: The Complete History may be its generous supply of large […]
Readings
Standard Catalog of Jaguar, 1946-2005
This 224-page paperback book by John Gunnell is useful if you need specific product information or annual sales data, organized by year. Nestled amidst the full-color photos and data are short bursts of analysis. Standard […]