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HomeDesign excesses

Design excesses

Quotes
Quotes

Vance Packard: The quality of cars declined in 1950s

January 22, 2021 Steve 1

“In late 1958, Printers’ Ink conceded that ‘there is a widespread feeling that ‘they don’t make cars the way they used to’ — either mechanically or from the point of view of interior decor.’ And […]

Drive-by musings
Drive-By Musings

The good and bad of William Mitchell’s 1977 Pontiac Phantom

December 18, 2020 Steve 5

Dean’s Garage has a great discussion about William Mitchell’s swan song, the 1977 Pontiac Phantom (Smith, 2020). I must admit feeling rather ambivalent about this concept car. Although it strikes me as one of the […]

Quotes
Quotes

Vance Packard: Blurring of auto status in late-50s helped imports

December 4, 2020 Steve 0

“The makers of lower-priced lines, under pressure to find new buyers, had introduced longer, fatter, more expensive, more powerful, and more luxuriously designed models that competed directly with their traditional superiors in status such as […]

BMW i3
Design Notes

BMW’s i3 tried entirely too hard to be cute

November 27, 2020 Steve 0

It’s too bad that BMW will not develop a successor to its i3. The electric hatchback showed promise as a city car that is relatively lightweight, roomy and fun to drive. Done right, the i3 […]

Parody ads about the auto industry and media
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Automotive Views: Judge sends BMW back to drawing board

November 13, 2020 Steve 0
2019 Honda Clarity airdam
Auto Paedia

Airdams: The greatest automotive innovation since the tail fin

October 30, 2020 Steve 1

The airdam, and its twin brother the air curtain, are the tail fins of our time. They have become such a key part of today’s vehicles that even family cars have raced to offer the […]

Parody ads about the auto industry and media
Our Sponsors

Automotive Views: You won’t believe the hot new Mustang model

October 23, 2020 Steve 0
1969 Pontiac GTO
Design Notes

Retired designers ponder a once and future Pontiac GTO

October 23, 2020 Steve 1

For 2020 the League of Retired Designers solicited artwork for a contemporary Pontiac GTO. Dean’s Garage recently posted the submissions — and they are well worth viewing (go here). When introducing the submissions, David Mcintosh […]

Infiniti QX60 with the dog leg pillar
Current Events

Infiniti’s dog leg is gone — all hail the floating roof!

October 23, 2020 Steve 0

Infiniti’s new design direction has a “good news and bad news” quality. The good news is that the dog-leg rear pillar is being retired. Automotive News reporter Hans Greimel (2020) recently wrote that the reason […]

Parody ads about the auto industry and media
Our Sponsors

Automotive Views: First look at Honda’s new multi-purpose grille

October 16, 2020 Steve 0

Posts pagination

« 1 … 18 19 20 »
  • 1967 Oldsmobile Cutlass Supreme
    Was the 1966 Olds Cutlass Supreme the first mid-sized brougham model?
    March 5, 2026 21
  • 1976 Plymouth Volare 2-door coupe
    Splashy new cars often were the biggest disasters during the postwar period
    March 3, 2026 1
  • Reader questions Chrysler’s future as it passes 100th anniversary
    March 2, 2026 12
  • 1968 Chevrolet C10 pickup
    Was the 1967-68 Chevrolet C10 the ‘first modern pickup’?
    February 27, 2026 7
  • 1941 Studebaker Commander 2-door coupe
    1941 Studebaker Commander: Ending its big cars on a high note
    February 26, 2026 11
  • 1961 De Soto
    Video histories of DeSoto and American Motors aren’t as good as books
    February 24, 2026 3
  • 1956 Studebaker Golden Hawk front with hood open
    Four lingering questions about Aaron Severson’s take on the 1956 Studebaker Golden Hawk
    February 20, 2026 6
  • Thank yous, power outages and format changes
    October 31, 2025 0
  • 1956 Buick hood scoop
    Readers brainstorm ideas for future Indie Auto stories
    October 14, 2022 134
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