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HomeJohn Gunnell

John Gunnell

1963 Studebaker Lark Wagonaire
History

Could Studebaker have come out of the 1970s as successful as Jeep?

October 31, 2024 Steve 18

(EXPANDED FROM 4/23/2021) A few years ago our story on Brooks Stevens’s redesign of the 1964 Studebaker generated enough debate that I decided to further flesh out an alternative scenario. To wit, Studebaker would have […]

Tumwater cemetery grave marker
Media Analysis

Is the auto history reference book a relic of the past?

November 20, 2023 Steve 11

When I was updating a review of a Standard Catalog I came across two depressing pieces of information. First, that prolific author John Gunnell died in late August (Borgart, 2023). Second, that the company which […]

Editor's Note

Should a nonprofit auto history group create a credible data bank?

April 12, 2023 Steve 6

(EXPANDED FROM 4/16/2021) One of the challenges of working with automotive sales and production data is that the most easily-available sources don’t always appear to be accurate. Thus, it felt validating to come across a […]

1959 Lincoln Continental
Auto Paedia

‘Lower! Longer! Wider!’ fixation of US automakers left opening for imports

September 22, 2021 Steve 13

(EXPANDED 10/24/2022) “Lower, longer, wider” was the domestic automakers’ dominant design approach until they were forced to downsize their fleet in the late-1970s due to federal fuel-economy standards. Since that time automakers have at least […]

Readings

Standard Catalog about muscle cars screwed up its photos

August 7, 2020 Steve 0

The Standard Catalog folks offer a nice-looking book about muscle cars. Alas, the reference guide’s credibility is hurt by incorrect photos. The format for the Standard Catalog of American Muscle Cars: 1960-1972 has a lot […]

Readings

Standard Catalog of Jaguar, 1946-2005

April 27, 2013 Steve 0

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

Standard Catalog of Volkswagen, 1946-2004

April 24, 2013 Steve 0

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

Standard Catalog of American Cars, 1946-1975

April 22, 2013 Steve 0

I probably use this 1,000-page reference guide more frequently than any other book in my automotive library. This is the second in a three-part series on American cars (see 1805-1942 and 1976-1999). As with most other Standard […]

Readings

Standard Catalog of American Light-Duty Trucks, 1896-1986

April 13, 2013 Steve 0

This 800-page paperback reference book covers pickups (both truck and car based), vans and sport utility vehicles. Like most Standard catalogs, the format is unpretentious — non-glossy paper, small black-and-white photos, and a sea of text in small type. […]

  • 1964 Studebaker Challenger
    Brooks Stevens’s rejection of brand continuity was bad for small automakers
    June 14, 2025 0
  • EVs need a George Romney to champion them in the next few years
    June 13, 2025 16
  • Citroen SM
    Citroen SM: A surprisingly conventional next step
    June 12, 2025 5
  • 1936-37 Cord 810/812 tried to do too much at once
    June 11, 2025 10
  • 1963 Studebaker Daytona convertible
    Classic film shows human side of Studebaker’s end
    June 10, 2025 15
  • Once upon a time, car wheels were 36-to-42 inches in diameter
    June 9, 2025 5
  • Ram customized pickup
    What would you think if it was 1965 and you could magically see this truck?
    June 8, 2025 1
  • Brooks Stevens’s 1965 Studebaker Lark concept: Almost a baby Continental
    June 6, 2025 5
  • 1949 Packard Super Eight
    Packard kept a bigger foothold in the luxury-car field than commonly assumed
    June 5, 2025 9
  • Exner bio offers mostly positive take on controversial car designer
    Peter Grist views car designer Virgil Exner through rose-tinted glasses
    June 3, 2025 9
  • 1970 Mercury Cyclone
    1970 Mercury Montego had a last-of-the-wine quality
    June 2, 2025 2
  • A query, a thank you and an update on miscellaneous stuff
    April 4, 2025 0
  • 1956 Buick hood scoop
    Readers brainstorm ideas for future Indie Auto stories
    October 14, 2022 124
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