Alex Taylor III on why GM’s product cycles lengthened in the 1970s

“GM’s product development cycles in the 1960s, which had been among the shortest, were becoming among the longest in the industry, according to GM’s own in-house history. More content dictated by federal regulations was part of the problem. But (William) Mitchell’s team was creating complex designs that were difficult to engineer and often even harder to manufacture. More and more unique models were being added to the mix, which stretched engineering resources. And the decision-making process, which still followed the original Sloan committee structure, had grown increasingly complex.”

— Alex Taylor III, Sixty to Zero (2011, p. 43)

RE:SOURCES

• Taylor, Alex III; 2011. Sixty to Zero: An Inside Look at the Collapse of General Motors — And the Detroit Auto Industry. Yale University Press.

ADVERTISING & BROCHURES:

• oldcarbrochures.org: Oldsmobile Toronado (1978)