History
Four reasons why the AMC Gremlin was a bad idea
(UPDATED FROM 4/20/2022) The AMC Gremlin may be one of the most memorable cars of the 1970s, but it was a bad idea for four often-forgotten reasons. I grant you that what I am about […]
Design
Quotes
So what exactly is a ‘muscle car,’ anyway?
“For this writer, the Pontiac GTO not only defines the genre (it was a mid-size or intermediate body), but also the beginning and end of the Muscle Car Era; 1964-1974. Some might argue that the […]
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Current Events
Could the 2022 Toyota Tundra’s excesses doom it like the 1958 Buick?
I should give Toyota credit for one thing — the 2022 Tundra does stand out in a crowd. Even in a parking lot filled with other large trucks and sport-utility vehicles, the newly redesigned Toyota […]
Media Analysis
1959 Studebaker: Was it really design theft?
(EXPANDED FROM 4/2/2017) Richard M. Langworth has authored more auto histories than just about anyone. Yet he was strikingly humble when beginning to discuss the controversial topic of who was responsible for the 1947 Studebaker’s styling. “I am […]
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Design Notes
1966-70 Studebaker: Putting lipstick on a pig?
(EXPANDED FROM 8/28/2020) Studebaker’s prospects for survival as an automobile manufacturer arguably ended when it shut down its South Bend plant in December, 1963. The biggest reason why is that the corporation’s board of directors […]
Quotes
Is Teutonic car design obsolete?
“Maybe. Then again . . . maybe not. Perhaps this is all just temporary. Consider what happened to American car design in the wake of the 1958 recession. Suddenly, all the jet-aged, tail-finned, twin-turbined, dynaflowed […]
Design Notes
How would a facelifted Hudson have fared in 1955?
(EXPANDED FROM 1/2/2021) Hudson as been a popular topic with readers this week so I have expanded a story that takes a different angle: What might have happened if Hudson had managed to remain an […]
Letters to the Editor
Hudson would have been the best option for a Packard tie up
Paul West has offered a sophisticated counterpoint to the conclusions in my article, “Would Hudson have been Packard’s best merger partner?” I am thus elevating his comment to the front page. Nice article, Steve. I […]