Bird Chatter
Dealer networks
Fake Design
1951 Studebaker: Pointing in the wrong direction
When viewed from 1951, Studebaker was the independent automaker most likely to succeed. The South Bend, Indiana-based automaker generated unusually high sales by inventing the family-sized compact. This allowed Studebaker to invest in both a V8 engine and an automatic transmission well before […]
Media Analysis
Automotive News backtracks on shift to electric vehicles
The editorial board of Automotive News sounds schizoid. Earlier this year an unsigned editorial argued that the “debate over the wisdom of converting the world’s automotive fleet from fossil fuels to electrical propulsion is now […]
Quotes
Early dealers fueled car craze with extravagant buildings
“Instead of investing in mechanics or inventory, early dealers constructed lavish marble palaces on expensive parcels of land. They clustered on highly visible downtown thoroughfares, often called ‘Automobile Row’. . . . Early dealers could […]