Mercedes-Benz
Mercedes-Benz W123: Back when form really did follow function
(EXPANDED FROM 10/9/2020) When I think of Mercedes-Benz, the car that comes most quickly to mind is the W123. Introduced in 1976, this was the automaker’s entry-level offering up through 1982, when the smaller W201 […]
Defective 1977-79 Continental Mark V showed how Lincoln lost its way
(EXPANDED FROM 8/2/2021) Some buyers of the 1977-79 Lincoln Mark V waited up to eight weeks to receive exclusive designer-series models . . . that turned out to have defective paint. At least that’s Jack […]
1959 Studebaker: Was it really design theft?
(EXPANDED FROM 4/2/2017) Richard M. Langworth has authored more auto histories than just about anyone. Yet he was strikingly humble when beginning to discuss the controversial topic of who was responsible for the 1947 Studebaker’s styling. “I am […]
Consultants led General Motors astray by calling for less brand autonomy
DECG50 has weighed in with an additional round of thoughtful analysis about product proliferation at General Motors in response to these (go here and here) posts. Steve, thanks for furthering the discussion and for the […]
How the greenhouse on US cars has evolved from the late-40s to present
(UPDATED FROM 3/1/2020) Greenhouses have not typically changed as frequently as other parts of the American automobile’s external styling, but they go a long way toward summing up the dominant design approach of a given […]
Ads comparing Ford Granada to a Mercedes were ‘brilliant’
“The Granada/Mercedes campaign was a stroke of absolute brilliance. Why do you think we remember it 40 some years later after nearly every Granada has been made into a Huawei refrigerator? Ok, so Consumer Reports […]
Leo Levine was an aggressive p.r. guy for Mercedes
“Levine prolifically wined and dined the trade press, but he also took what he considered any disrespect for the brand personally. (And if he didn’t take it personally, he certainly acted as if he did.) […]
1981-82 DeLorean illustrates Detroit’s failure to understand the rise of imports
(UPDATED 9/23/2022) The easiest way to sum up the spectacular failure of the DeLorean Motor Company is to say that its founder was exceptionally unlucky. I am hard pressed to think of a worse time […]
Infiniti’s dog leg is gone — all hail the floating roof!
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 […]