Historiography: The Original Franco-American Affair
If divine foreign intervention did not come in time for an American automaker, the company in question would have probably ceased to exist by 1982.
Tag: AMC
Historiography: The Assembly Lines Across The Upper Midwest
There are now generations of Americans who have forgotten that there was a mighty production facility in their community. Though some of them have not seen the wrecking ball, others either resemble a lay of wasteland or have been built to unrecognizable specifications.
My Favorites From The Perspective Of A Licensed 16-Year-Old
It wasn't easy. I failed the first time – on my birthday. I took it hard, but I went back in the saddle and tired again. In April, I passed my driving test and was given my license. It came in the mail weeks later.
Historiography: The "Ugly" Subcompacts of the 1970s
That is a 50-year old question that has scratched the heads of those of us who lament and laugh of these cars. In particular, how do we map the advent of a new class of American car to today’s automobiles?
V&R Stories: The One About The Jeep Wagoneer
It was 1982. My father had not been present in our household for ten years at that point. My mother already suffered her second stroke and is no longer able to work or be active. Half of her body was numb and her speech aphasic. My brother was working to keep our household alive and is a freshman at UCLA.
My Favorite Vehicles of 1969
TweetThe year 1969 was the "calm after the storm." Or, was it? Richard M. Nixon was sworn in as the President of the United States. We finally had a lunar landing, thanks to Neil Armstrong and "Buzz" Aldrin, with Michael Collins waiting up in space. It was "The Age of Aquarius," according to Marilyn McCoo, …
My Favorite Orphan Vehicles – 2018 Version
Tweet All Photos by Randy Stern Not to brag or anything, but some of us have lived long enough to remember certain vehicles in our lives that have been long forgotten by everyone else. Many vehicles have seen their last days, but their most loyal owners…and some desperate consumers…have kept the flames alive past their …
Historiography: The American Compact Car
Tweet Ford Falcon – All Photos by Randy Stern By the Fall of 1959, the North American automotive industry came to their senses. The rise of Volkswagen ushered in a period where the domestic automotive industry had to respond to a swath of smaller imported automobiles penetrating sales. Not to mention the loss of several …
Historiography: The Last of The Independents
Tweet The idea of a merger was to bring two entities together, find synergies between the two and eventually create a single path towards success. This is a concept that business students study through cases in their coursework. When it comes to practice, the textbook lesson would get lost in translation. Yet, somehow, the merged …
Mopars at The Park
If you want to know where "car community" is celebrated – go to a car show or meet somewhere.