Random Shots
2000s
Design Notes
Honda CR-V: Making it less simple
Honda’s CR-V started out as a wonderfully practical small crossover utility vehicle. However, with each successive generation it has gotten bigger and more “stylish.” Consider the difference between the third-generation (2007-11) and second-generation (2002-6) CR-Vs […]
Readings
American Icon: Alan Mulally and the Fight to Save Ford Motor Company
Bryce Hoffman, a Detroit News auto industry reporter, offers a sympathetic perspective about how Ford navigated through the Great Recession. Hoffman was given a great deal of access to company leaders and internal documents. In return, […]
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
The Complete Book of Mustang: Every Model Since 1964 1/2
This is an oversized soft-cover book that covers the Ford Mustang’s history through the 2011 model year. The Complete Book places an emphasis on large, mostly color pictures accompanied by product specifications. However, author Mike Mueller […]
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
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 […]
Readings
Encyclopedia of American Cars
This oversized, almost 900-page hard-back book provides more narrative about products and industry background from 1930 through 2006 but has less complete data than the Standard Catalog of American Cars series. In addition, unlike the 1993 […]
Readings
Standard Catalog of Volkswagen, 1946-2004
The focus of this book series is product information, organized by year. U.S. sales figures are provided, but often aren’t broken out by model. Standard Catalog of Volkswagen, 1946-2004 John Gunnell; 2004 KP Books, Iola, WI “The […]
Readings
High and Mighty: SUVs — The World’s Most Dangerous Vehicles and How They Got that Way
Although written by a former Detroit bureau chief of The New York Times, this book uses high-octane rhetoric to challenge the value of sport utility vehicles when they were just beginning to reach the peak of […]