T-Birds go up to 11: in defense of the 11th-generation Ford Thunderbird?

2002-2005 Ford Thunderbird. Photo by IFCARE (Wikimedia Commons).

By Bill Hayward

Although I do remember running across a short news story or two when the new, retro-styled 2002 Ford Thunderbird was about to debut, I have to say that these cars were essentially not on my radar at the time—even less so ever since, until very recently. 

Part of the reason for that, of course, is that at the time I was at a much more of a practical-minded lifestage when it came to vehicle needs. Transportation options like minivans and SUVs were top-of-mind, not two-seater roadsters. It was just this year that I started thinking again about the 11th-generation Ford Thunderbird and getting curious about what I might have missed by not paying attention when it was still in production.

Will the next Dodge Charger be a badge-engineered Alfa Romeo Giulia? Let’s assess the pros and cons

FROM LEFT: Dodge Charger SRT and Alfa Romeo Giulia.
Photos: FCA US Media Website. 

The untimely loss of Sergio Marchionne is of course tragic—for his family, for FCA, and for the automotive industry.

Yet the true extent of his legacy in transforming the automaker he led may still lie ahead for us to see.

While listening to the most recent episode of the Motorweek podcast yesterday, I heard the panelists discussing a set of related automotive rumors that I had somehow missed: rumors about the design future of the Dodge Charger.

Fiat Chrysler Announces Student Design Contest Winners

First Place design by Eduard Cret.

Second Place Design by Emily Bryson.

Third Place Design by Jinho So.

Fiat Chrysler Automobiles (FCA) named three high school students last Friday as winners of the 2018 Drive For Design contest, a competition sponsored by the automaker's U.S. Product Design Office.

Kelley Blue Book Picks Mazda for Performance, Styling Awards

Photo: Mazda media website.

Mazda announced Monday that they have added two new awards to their trophy shelf this week, this time winning accolades in the performance and design categories.

Kelley Blue Book selected Mazda for two 2018 Brand Image Awards: “Best Performance Brand” and “Best Car Styling Brand.” This is Mazda’s second year in a row as the winner of “Best Car Styling Brand” award, while the marque is a first-time winner in the “Best Performance Brand category.

I Just Figured Out Why I'm Not Crazy About the Last Two Camaro Generations

Sixth-generation Camaro. Photo: GM media website.

Don't get me wrong. The current generation Chevrolet Camaro is a nice car. It's a fast car and more than meets all of the requirements to carry the mantle of the grand tradition of pony cars that it comes from.

First-generation Camaro: Photo: GM media website.

If someone offered me a new Camaro for free, I would gleefully accept it. And I would keep it and drive it for many happy miles and years, rather than sell it.

 And yet, since the fifth-generation Camaro first came out for the 2010 model year, and continuing into the the current generation that launched in 2016, something has always just bothered me. And now, after taking a really good look at a fifth-generation Camaro yesterday, I think I more clearly understand why.

To frame up my explanation, allow me to indulge in a cliche and quote "Webster's," because there are two terms that explain my impression of the last two Camaro generations. Both of those terms have definitions in the Merriam-Webster online dictionary that vividly illustrate what I am talking about:

• Caricature—"exaggeration by means of often ludicrous distortion of parts or characteristics" [emphasis mine]
• Postmodern—"of, relating to, or being any of various movements in reaction to modernism that are typically characterized by... ironic self-reference and absurdity..." [emphasis mine]

Yes, as you might have guessed, my take is that the fifth and sixth-generation are postmodern caricatures of the classic first-generation that launched in 1967.

"Hey, Baby, Nice Rear"—On That 2016 Buick Regal, That Is!

A 2016  Buick Regal with a nice rear, photographed in traffic earlier this week.

Yes, we're Buick fans around here—fans especially of much of what came from the marque from the 50s and earlier through the mid 20-oughts.

Fiat Chrysler Automobiles Seeks High School Students with a "Drive for Design"

If you know any high schoolers with artistic talent and a passion for cars, the Drive for Design competition, organized by Fiat Chrysler Automobiles (FCA), could be a door-opening opportunity.

The FCA US Product Design Office is looking for aspiring young artists with a passion for automotive design to participate in the 2018 Drive for Design contest.

Returning for the sixth consecutive year, the Drive for Design contest challenges all U.S. high school students in grades 10-12 to design a Jeep® Wrangler for the year 2030. The FCA design team also is continuing its partnership with EyesOn Design and Lawrence Technological University for this year’s contest.

“The Drive for Design contest is a unique competition designed to help expose young artists to the various career opportunities in automotive design,” said Mark Trostle, Head of Performance, Passenger Car and Utility Vehicle Design, FCA – North America. “This year, we are offering aspiring designers a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to meet and work side-by-side with designers of some of the hottest vehicles on the road today.”

Today’s Automotive Design Aesthetics: All-Time High, or All-Time Low?

Left: 1954 Chrysler Ghia Thomas Special. Photo by "Mr. Choppers"
(posted to Wikipedia).  Right: 2018 Ford Fusion (Photo: Ford media website).

Are you excited by the car designs you’re seeing today?

Or are the lineups, by and large, getting tiresome—because everything seems more and more alike?

The sad truth is that, today, with some notable exceptions, many models within a given category—sedans, crossovers, SUVs, even sports coupes—are tending to look dishearteningly similar.

To those of us who appreciate the breathtaking looks from the heyday of car design (which, for us, was roughly from the 1950s through perhaps the mid-1970s), the current generation of look-alike fastback sedans, for example, is sad to behold.

Jaguar, WT#???

Current Lineup Bewilders with Strong Performance, Head-Scratching Styling             


Clockwise from Top Left (all from 2017 model year): Jaguar XE,
Ford Fusion, Jaguar F-Type, and Ford Mustang. Notice the styling
similarities? Collage was assembled from photos from the Jaguar
and Ford media sites.

I have to admit some bias here, because I grew up around Jaguars from the 50s and 60s. My older brother owned several. The ones I remember best were an XK-140 coupe and a 340 sedan. No, I wasn't from a wealthy family. I'm the son of a teacher, and our standard of living was barely middle class.