balthazar

RE: Studebaker- I hear you haypops, but the fact of the matter is, sales-wise Stude was in 12th place selling only a little over half of Cadillac's volume in '62. If GM hadn't brought out the intermediate A-bodies in '61, I have no doubt Stude's fine Lark line, revamped for '62, would've carried the corporation farther into the future, along with the other compelling lines. Stude & Rambler were the economical alternatives, but GM jumped into the segment, and with Stude's limited resources in playing on the same dollar level, the future die was cast. I wish it had worked out otherwise....

Her past skeeves me out, but nothing physically about her does.

WTF- no picture????

I dunno... "Jag" has this reputation, but upon cursory examination, the rep falls down hard in the details! Mark X Pros: Exterior has fluid, almost athletic lines, and it almost has a semi chopped look ala the 300: slab-sided fuselage, proportionally smaller greenhouse height, and this I like. Cons: Again- the details- they're NOT 'luxury'. Exposed rubber backlight gasket? 'Poverty caps' with painted steelies? Exposed glovebox door hinges? Interior is blue/grey but the steering wheel is black?? Shift quadrant on the column? Pedals could've come out of a VW of the era. And what's with the key in the middle of the dash? How is it luxurious to see a worn, jingly bunch of random keys scraping the dashboard as a driver or passenger? Should I continue?.... These features are on par with --say-- Ford of the early '50s, not a luxury car of the '60s. Look: I know it's the '60s and it's british and that means we're supposed to overlook all these things (and more), but the fact of the matter is, compared to domestic luxury marques of the same period, Jaguar was far behind class leading in everything except reputation... which was based on what again? BTW- do we know for a fact how much of that wood is real and how much is fake? I like the lines of the car fine, and I could live with & enjoy the interior, as long as I didn't have to pretend it was a luxury car. But: >>"Then, it was a brand that was the best of the best in terms of luxury."<< Perhaps on the British stage, but then again, no. On the international stage, no way in hell. Now, the Mark IX: did Jag & Rolls/Bentley share the same designers & coachbuilders, because damn the resemblance is amazing. Really looks the 'luxury' part, tho; old world classy.

Personally, I bash toyota apologists for hiding behind the "7/8ths full-size" excuse. I bash toyota for being uncompetitive in the segment. But it's hard to call it 'bashing' when it's more factual than anything else.

>>"...F430"<< I'd rather have an F-450.

>>"...daily newspapers, which in the 1960s had a far greater readership share of their local populations than they do today."<< ouch. You never hear those numbers, do you??

I tried; apparently 'serial killer' is not an allowable occupation.

'cause almost no one cares about AMGs?

Perhaps Pontiac is taking "Ultimate Driving Machine" back; it's where BMW got it from in the first place.

Tell that to porsche; their SUV is keeping their head above water.

I am fascinated by the report that a 'great deal of corrosion' was found inside the pipeline. Isn't the pipeline commonly filled with..... oil? I'm sure there's more to it, as there ususally is, but these things always seem so 'duh!' at first report.

The problem as I see it with the above: those burdened by outmoded thinking such as 'european cars are higher quality' are more likely to perceptionally crucify a Chrysler with a strong 'we're American' stance, and those still thinking that way may still outnumber those who are more grounded in actuality. IMO a global corporation should probably slowly gravitate beyond worn nationality-based perceptions and pull the best from all areas to describe their product. In fact, a de-emphasis on nationality-centric advertising/marketing and a focus on engineering & features/details should provide a more reality-based basis for comparison.... and providing real benefits are there, increased sales would follow.

That's what I admire about you, blu; your unbridled optimism.

x 1,000.

I can relate. When I was a kid --maybe 8-- I was playing at the backyard sandbox. I remember taking the tin lid off a tin oval pan with a sand 'meatloaf' inside, resplendant with it's sprig of weed garnish, stepping backwards and proclaiming "Ta-Da!" when I tripped over a root and sat down on an iron stake that anchored the swingset. No stitches, but a lot of blood and a jagged circular scar I wear to this day. Only shows when I'm in my speedo.

Whoa- very expensive on that 2nd site! Looked at stuff for '59 Buick: EX: the sill plates I paid $85/pair a few years ago elsewhere (repro, 95% correct) are listed at the site for $220!

Hmm, Spring Accent 2-tone job AND a 4-dr Vista; nice combo. 364 means LeSabre; I would have to have a 401. I would want it to be pretty damned complete for $3700, and no rot repair neccessary. Worth a look but looks slightly optimistic via the pic. I think this one has made numerous eBay appearances; I've definately seen this pic before....

One might... but the DN has been specifically & pointedly anti-Detroit for decades. You can pick up the editorial glee between the lines if you read carefully. To me, it smacks of a desperate (but unconvincing) move to 'prove' objectivity.

Well, the '40 woody pic's copy says 'Public Relations, Oldsmobile Division'. They are very likely reprints of originals. Back when I got the factory paperwork for my '64 GP (from an aftermarket company handling the '61-circa 81 Pontiac archives), they included a new 8x10 glossy of the factory pic of my car. Cool collection!

"anything", huh?

No one is asking the media to outright lie, just balance the coverage & the editorial slant evenly. We're nowhere even close to that now.

Chevy and Pontiac shared no sheetmetal except most rooflines. Chevy did NOT have the Pontiac 'Coke bottle' fuselage. Sister divisions' competing models in the '60s really were far more different in appearance than modern sister division cars. It's not warm fuzzy emotion but cold hard steel that attests to this.

>>"...oppose taking in the ship, citing local opposition to the Iraq war and the military's stance on gays, among other things."<< WTF is going on out there in CA??? Thank God I've got an entire nation between me and whatever rots people's minds over there.

>>"I would love to make a modern interpretation of this house with some practical interior dimensions and call it my home."<< Most modern homes have far more wasted space, tho they do have a big one-up on closet space.