In your article about the 1969 Grand Prix, you have a couple of errors - one is my title at that time, but not that important (I founded Pontiac's Product Planning Department in 1966) and another is the wheelbase of the 1969 Grand Prix I proposed - the proposal called for 118" wheelbase(2" longer than the "A" body sedan)and that is what the 1969 Grand Prix had.

Ben Harrison

Mr. Harrison,

Thanks so much for the corrections -- it's great to hear from the folks actually involved with these cars. I've amended the article accordingly.

Your writing is very elegant, very vivid and lively, I really like you, wish you continued to write better articles, I will often try to concern, oh!

Thanks a lot

Hi,

I love this site. I have been trying to read through an article without opening up more links for a month now and I just keep adding more stuff to read. I feel like I will have the whole site read by the time I am done.

I have one request, and since I cannot find a contact us link, or authors don't seem to have emails listed, This hopefully is a good enough place to do it.

Can you please add POE and FOB to your definitions page? I have yet to figure out what they mean, and between google, and context, I can always figure stuff out. But these terms are too generic for google. Thank you!

Nick

That's a reasonable question. "POE" means "Port of Entry," while "FOB" means "Freight on Board." Both refer to manufacturer's suggested retail prices for new cars. For many years, new car prices in the U.S. varied considerably depending on region, reflecting the costs of transporting the car from its point of manufacture to its destination. An imported European car, for instance, might have an MSRP of $2,195 POE New York, which meant that was the price if you picked it up at the terminal in New York where it arrived in the U.S. If you were in California or Seattle, the actual retail price would be somewhat higher, because of the need to ship it by truck or rail to the local area. The extra cost would vary based on where you were, so some manufacturers would publish multiple price lists for different regions.

Today, that's relatively uncommon, and manufacturers apply a generic transportation charge to all new car sales. It's not part of the MSRP, but it's usually the same charge, regardless of locale.

The reason I occasionally mention it is that some sources list different prices for particular models, which sometimes reflect the different regional costs. (Sometimes prices change during the model year, as well, another reason there are sometimes inconsistencies.)

Wow, thanks for the quick reply! And thanks for the definitions!. Continuing to enjoy the site and open more links.

Nick

I am relatively new to automotive history (I'm only 19). Your site has dozens of articles that provide very good and historical looks at how automakers and the people behind them built the industry.
It's amazing to me how some of the most prominent people change companies- sometimes multiple times.
Also, from reading your articles I have learned where several features found standard on modern cars started. Some are much older than I thought!

I have one thing to suggest/request: trucks.
I love trucks, from light trucks to medium duty to big rigs. Would it be possible for you to write articles on the history of trucks in general, their development, and articles on specific industry changing trucks?

I'm afraid there will probably not be any articles on trucks. I really don't know enough about commercial trucks (big rigs, buses, coaches, etc.) to say anything interesting about them. I don't like trucks or SUVs -- I did do the Chevrolet El Camino/Ford Ranchero, but that's as close as I've come. At some point, I may make an exception for either the original Range Rover (which was designed by the same people who developed the Rover P6) or the first Jeep Grand Cherokee, but that's not a high priority. Sorry!

Mr. Severson,

Great website, great articles. Every one Ive read has been so very well researched and written! Im an instructor at an automotive trade school, and I recommend your site to as many students as I can. In this day and age of ever accelerating change in the automotive world, I tell them its vital to appreciate where the automobile has come from in order to understand where its going. Your site is one of the best at doing that.

As a suggestion, I would love to see an article on some of the early 60s attempts at OHC engines by Detroit. Specifically, the Pontiac Tempest OHC 6 and the lesser known Jeep Tornado 6 cylinder. There may be others, but those two are the two that come to mind for now.

Thanks again for your well researched and written articles.

Joe Dunlap

Joe,

Thanks for the kind words! We tackled the Pontiac OHC 6 earlier this year:
http://ateupwithmotor.com/sports-cars-and-muscle-c ars/240-pontiac-ohc-six-history.html. (It's listed on the Model Histories and Manufacturer Index pages under "1966-1969 Pontiac Tempest Sprint and 1967-1969 Pontiac Firebird Sprint.")

That article mentions the Tornado, but doesn't discuss it in any great detail. If we ever get browbeaten into doing the original Kaiser Jeep Grand Wagoneer, we would definitely talk about it there.