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HomeDesign excesses

Design excesses

Data Dive

Did the odd styling of the 1969 Chrysler two-door hardtop hurt its sales?

June 7, 2024 Steve 6

Curbside Classic commentator nlpnt (2024) recently argued that the fuselage Chrysler’s best-looking body style was the wagon. Conversely, I would add that the two-door hardtop was the least aesthetically pleasing body style. Of course, these […]

Letters to the Editor

Ninety-year-old reader would buy another two-seater Thunderbird

May 29, 2024 Steve 0

EG stopped by to respond to our article, “Car and Driver playfully roasts a 1964 Ford Thunderbird convertible.” I have owned nine Thunderbirds. The best one was the two seater. They should have fired the […]

Parody ads about the auto industry and media
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Trending Books: The tragic story of the Corvette

May 16, 2024 Steve 0
1950 Buick Super
Design Notes

1950 bucktoothed Buick: The definitive design statement from General Motors

March 14, 2024 Steve 9

(EXPANDED FROM 8/23/2021) Over more than a century General Motors has produced a broad range of cars and trucks. However, if I had to pick one single vehicle that best summed up GM’s design approach, […]

2001 BMW 745
Design Notes

BMW’s 7 Series ‘Bangle butt’ helped legitimize weird styling

March 6, 2024 Steve 9

(EXPANDED FROM 3/5/2021) In the comments we’ve recently talked about Chris Bangle, so I thought I would expand a story I had written a few years ago about one of the most controversial designs that […]

2022 Toyota Sienna taillight
Satire

Why is the Toyota Sienna minivan’s styling out of this world?

March 4, 2024 Steve 8

AUTOMOTIVE VIEWS NEWSWIRE — It’s no accident that the Toyota Sienna minivan stands out from the crowd when it comes to styling. Disturbed by declining sales, the automaker decided to give it the “sci-fi” look. […]

Design Notes

Was Richard Teague’s best sporty coupe the 1973-77 AMC Hornet hatchback?

February 28, 2024 Steve 14

During his tenure as head AMC’s design, Richard Teague had the opportunity to develop quite a few sporty coupes, from the original Marlin to the Spirit hatchback. Out of all those efforts, I would propose […]

Parody ads about the auto industry and media
Our Sponsors

AMC head inducted into Automotive Hall of Fame for brilliant strategery

February 19, 2024 Steve 2
1941 Lincoln Continental front quarter
Fake Design

Was the 1940-41 Lincoln Continental the all-time most influential U.S. halo car?

February 19, 2024 Steve 17

(EXPANDED FROM 2/14/2023) Since this is Presidents’ Day, let’s take another look at what I have suggested is the most influential halo car of all time built in the United States — the original Lincoln […]

1964 Ford Thunderbird
Links

Car and Driver playfully roasts a 1964 Ford Thunderbird convertible

February 13, 2024 Steve 4

Car and Driver’s road test of a 1964 Ford Thunderbird reminded me of what I enjoyed about the magazine in its heyday. Although it threw in a few bits of fawning praise, that struck me […]

Posts pagination

« 1 … 8 9 10 … 20 »
  • Why did American Motors fire Wells Rich and Greene in 1972?
    March 6, 2026 6
  • 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 13
  • 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
  • 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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