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HomeBusiness strategies

Business strategies

1967 Dodge Coronet 500
Letters to the Editor

Lynn Townsend failed to solve Chrysler’s warfare between divisions

November 23, 2021 Steve 4

Reader James E. Duvall offered a thoughtful take on our 1966-67 Chrysler B-Body story that deserves more prominence as a stand-alone letter. While I believe the Elwood Engel’s styling department was on-track and that Lynn […]

Design Notes

Did the generic 2018-21 Expedition trick Chevy buyers into Ford showrooms?

November 17, 2021 Steve 3

(EXPANDED FROM 1/1/2019) The 1962 Ford Galaxie was the long-reigning champion of the Generic Ford of the Century Award. This was a remarkable feat when you consider the stiff competition. However, year after year the […]

1990 Dodge Caravan
Letters to the Editor

Reader argues that Lee Iacocca ‘worked a miracle’ at Chrysler

November 8, 2021 Steve 0

Below is a reader’s response to my critique of Lee Iacocca’s tenure at Chrysler (go here and here). Anybody can be a Monday morning quarterback. Yes to a degree I agree HOWEVER the minivan was […]

Saab 99
History

Saab 99/900: The box that crushed a carmaker

October 29, 2021 Steve 25

(UPDATED FROM 6/26/2020) The Saab 99/900 proved to be the box that crushed the tiny Swedish carmaker. I grant you that this platform was hardly an immediate failure. Even so, the design of the 99 […]

1965 Ford Mustang
History

How Lee Iacocca contributed to the decline of Ford and Chrysler, Part 2

October 20, 2021 Steve 11

(EXPANDED FROM 10/20/2021) My essay about Lee Iacocca elicited some interesting pushback, so I would like to offer some follow-up thoughts. Some commentators have pushed back against my criticisms of Iacocca by pointing to things […]

1974 AMC Matador and Richard Teague
Satire

The untold story of how Dick Teague designed the 1974 AMC Matador coupe

October 4, 2021 Steve 3

Dick Teague nervously checked his fly and centered his tie as he heard the entourage of AMC executives march down the hallway toward his design studio. He’d made many presentations over two decades but had […]

1967 Ford Mustang and 1969 AMC Javelin
Quotes

Bill Porter: Why as a Pontiac designer he competed most against Chevy

September 15, 2021 Steve 0

“(The AMC Javelin and AMX) were very handsome cars.  They look great on the road. They were fine, and they still look today. They’ve held up very well.  But I was in Pontiac at that […]

1959 and 1955 Studebaker rooflines
Fake Design

1959 Studebaker: Throwing the baby out with the bath water

September 10, 2021 Steve 14

(EXPANDED FROM 5/22/2015) The 1959 Studebaker Lark’s design was initially so successful that it was described by historian Robert Ebert as a “miracle” (2013, p. 55). Studebaker-Packard Corporation, which was on the verge of liquidating […]

2020 Toyota 4Runner
Quotes

Peter DeLorenzo: Automakers have gone overboard on ‘all-terrain’ vehicles

September 9, 2021 Steve 0

“As I’ve said repeatedly since founding this website, the automobile business is first and foremost a fashion business. It is consumed by trends, fads and what’s perceived as ‘hot’ at the moment. And before we’re […]

1965 AMC Ambassador sketch
Multimedia

Joe Ligo is overly kind in Nash/AMC Ambassador film

September 9, 2021 Steve 3

(UPDATED FROM 7/3/2020) Joe Ligo’s (2020) film about the Nash/AMC Ambassador is well-researched but overly kind in discussing the car’s dying decade. The “History of the Nash/AMC Ambassador” walks viewers through the unusually long life […]

Posts pagination

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  • 1965 Studebaker Cruiser proposal
    Car Life speculates about why Studebaker shut down its South Bend plant
    July 17, 2026 8
  • 1956 Lincoln
    The 1956 Lincoln’s styling proved to be a one-year wonder
    July 17, 2026 18
  • 1975 Mercedes-Benz 450 SL
    1975 Mercedes-Benz 450 SL lacked the taut brilliance of its predecessor
    July 14, 2026 6
  • 1988 Oldsmobile Toronado
    Did GM go too far in downsizing the 1986 Riviera, Toronado and Eldorado?
    July 10, 2026 16
  • J. 'Kelly' Flory Jr.
    J. ‘Kelly’ Flory Jr.’s American Cars series is pricey but valuable
    July 10, 2026 4
  • 1968 Pontiac Firebird green convertible
    1967-72 Pontiac Firebird shows limits of ad illustrations
    July 7, 2026 10
  • Miscellaneous ramblings about being on the road
    June 25, 2026 5
  • Internet problems reminded me of U.S. automakers in the 1970s
    May 2, 2026 1
  • 1956 Buick hood scoop
    Readers brainstorm ideas for future Indie Auto stories
    October 14, 2022 141
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