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HomeThomas E. Bonsall

Thomas E. Bonsall

Readings

Thomas Bonsall’s Edsel book is nuanced but suffers from groupthink

March 17, 2026 Steve 15

(EXPANDED FROM 9/27/2021) Disaster in Dearborn: The Story of the Edsel is paradoxical. On the one hand, this is a serious history book. That’s the opposite of so many of the coffee table books that […]

1958 Edsel Pacer 2-door hardtop
Fake Design

Did the 1958 Edsel look good — especially compared to GM’s cars?

December 31, 2025 Steve 11

A recent study found that more than 20 percent of videos recommended to new YouTube viewers were low-quality content made from artificial intelligence (Down, 2025). This aligns with my anecdotal sense that there has been […]

1959 Lincoln Continental
Multimedia

Adam Wade is wrong that the 1959 Continental flopped

December 24, 2025 Steve 0

Google said “yes” when I asked whether the 1959 Continental Mark IV sold poorly. One reason why may be that artificial intelligence drew upon Adam Wade’s (2024) video titled “One Big Flop.” I respect Wade’s […]

1963 Lincoln Continental hood ornament
Fake Design

1961-63 Lincoln Continental was not as iconic as often described

November 20, 2025 Steve 12

(EXPANDED FROM 6/9/2023) The 1961-63 Lincoln has been lauded as one of the most iconic car designs of the postwar era. It’s true that the exceptionally clean styling of the so-called “Kennedy Continentals” represented a […]

1964 Studebaker logo
History

Might Studebaker have survived if Sherwood Egbert had stayed healthy?

November 4, 2025 Steve 16

(EXPANDED FROM 7/28/2023) A few years ago Ate Up With Motor had an interesting exchange about how Sherwood Egbert’s departure as president of the Studebaker Corporation hurt its automotive division’s chances of survival. Egbert resigned […]

1958 Edsel retractable convertible
History

1958 Edsel with retractable roof hints at why the brand failed

October 24, 2025 Steve 5

(EXPANDED FROM 5/5/2023) One of the curious things about American cars is that even the most ridiculed models will invariably develop a dedicated fan club. As a case in point, some collectors of the infamous […]

1964 Studebaker Daytona rear quarter
Design Notes

1964 Studebaker: Brooks Stevens hammered final nail in the coffin

August 27, 2025 Steve 27

(EXPANDED FROM 4/16/2021) One of my more unpopular takes is that Studebaker shouldn’t have assigned Brooks Stevens to restyle the 1964 Lark. He may have had a more mainstream design sensibility than Raymond Loewy, but […]

1958 Edsel
Quotes

Thomas Bonsall defended the 1958 Edsel against Consumer Reports

August 23, 2025 Steve 11

The late Thomas E. Bonsall was one of the better American automotive historians, but some of his takes could be rather “old-school.” For example, in his book about the Edsel, he concluded that the 1958 […]

1979 Lincoln Continental Mark V Bill Blass Edition ad
History

Defective 1977-79 Continental Mark V showed how Lincoln lost its way

July 21, 2025 Steve 19

(EXPANDED FROM 4/5/2023) 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 was […]

1965 Studebaker Lark 4-door sedan
Fake Design

Brooks Stevens’s 1965 Studebaker Lark concept: Almost a baby Continental

June 6, 2025 Steve 5

(EXPANDED FROM 12/10/2021) Brooks Stevens apparently was convinced that he could come up with a new-generation Studebaker Lark design that would top the work of Raymond Loewy’s team, which was then working on an Avanti-inspired […]

Posts pagination

1 2 … 5 »
  • 1954 Chevrolet was beginning of the end for GM’s brand hierarchy
    April 21, 2026 17
  • 1980 Pontiac Phoenix 5-door hatch
    Bigger didn’t prove to be better for General Motors in late-70s and 80s
    April 17, 2026 39
  • 1963 Ford Galaxie
    Might Detroit have embraced front-wheel drive earlier if McNamara had stayed at Ford?
    April 16, 2026 7
  • Cheap dealer car
    How much do Trump policies have to hurt auto industry before it supports Dems?
    April 14, 2026 19
  • 1975 Ford Thunderbird
    Ford design in the 1970s was a real step down from the previous decade
    April 10, 2026 24
  • 1981 Chevrolet Monte Carlo
    The sad story about buying a 1981 Monte Carlo right out of college
    April 9, 2026 2
  • Why the 1968-69 Javelin was not Richard Teague’s best AMC sporty coupe
    April 6, 2026 9
  • Mitsubishi dealer in Spokane
    Indie Auto is moving — although you may barely notice
    April 8, 2026 4
  • 1956 Buick hood scoop
    Readers brainstorm ideas for future Indie Auto stories
    October 14, 2022 136
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  • Steve on 1967 Pontiac Grand Prix convertible didn’t catch on
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  • Albert Fredrick Godwin on 1967 Pontiac Grand Prix convertible didn’t catch on
  • Randerson on Bigger didn’t prove to be better for General Motors in late-70s and 80s
  • SCAMPMAN on Bigger didn’t prove to be better for General Motors in late-70s and 80s
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  • Terrance Smith on Even Motor Trend complained about the 1967 Cadillac Eldorado’s brakes
  • SCAMPMAN on 1954 Chevrolet was beginning of the end for GM’s brand hierarchy
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