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Razor Sharp, Razor Clean: The 1963-1965 Buick Riviera |
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Tags: 1960s | American cars | Bill Mitchell | Buick | General Motors | personal luxury cars | styling
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Written by Aaron Severson
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Saturday, 17 November 2007 15:50 |
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From 1958 to 1977, the head of General Motors Styling was William L. (Bill) Mitchell, protégé and anointed successor of the legendary Harley Earl. Mitchell was just as contentious and flamboyant as his mentor, but his tastes were more restrained, bringing about a new era of crisp, confident styling that was perfectly suited to the prevailing mood of the early 1960s.
One of the best designs of Mitchell's tenure -- and one of his personal favorites -- was the 1963 to 1965 Buick Riviera, a stylish coupe that finally put GM on the map in the lucrative personal luxury market. But if it had gone according to plan, the Riviera wouldn't have been a Buick at all, and it came to market only after a strange and complicated journey of missed opportunities, corporate politicking, and sibling rivalry.
Click here to read more about the 1963-1965 Buick Riviera
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Last Updated on Tuesday, 07 September 2010 21:10 |
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Long and Dark, Shiny and Black: Harley Earl, Bill Mitchell, and the Cadillac Sixty Special |
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Tags: 1930s | 1940s | American cars | Bill Mitchell | Cadillac | General Motors | Harley Earl | styling
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Written by Aaron Severson
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Sunday, 11 November 2007 14:25 |
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For nearly five decades, Cadillac was the standard-bearer for luxury cars in America. There were cars that more sophisticated, more expensive, and more prestigious, but General Motors' luxury division was the one to beat. Its success was reflected in nearly unbroken sales growth from a dismal 4,236 in 1935 to a peak of more than 383,000 in 1979.
Cadillac's dominance was not won through technical innovation or forward-thinking product development, but through styling leadership. Under the flamboyant direction of design chief Harley J. Earl, Cadillac introduced styling features that set the standards for automotive aesthetics around the world.
Although the division produced some gorgeous cars in the early thirties that are acknowledged as classics, Cadillac's position as a true styling leader can be traced to one car: the 1938-1941 Cadillac Sixty Special. This enormously influential model was laden with then-radical features that have since become the industry norm. The Sixty Special also launched the career of William L. (Bill) Mitchell, Harley Earl's eventual successor and one of the most influential men in the history of the American automobile.
Click here to read more about the 1938-1942 Cadillac Sixty Special and the career of Bill Mitchell
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Last Great American Whale: The Cadillac Eldorado Convertible |
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Tags: 1970s | American cars | Cadillac | convertibles | front-wheel drive | General Motors
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Written by Aaron Severson
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Thursday, 08 November 2007 14:06 |
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Thirty years ago, many believed this car would be the last American convertible. It wasn't, but it did mark the end of the line for that uniquely American concept: the full-sized open car.
Click here to read more about the 1971-1976 Cadillac Eldorado convertible
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Better Slow that Mustang Down: The Story of the Original Ford Mustang |
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Written by Aaron Severson
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Sunday, 21 October 2007 11:19 |
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Do we even need to talk about the Mustang? It's one of the best-known of all postwar American cars, and there have been dozens of books about it, some of them obnoxiously sycophantic. Still, it is certainly important, and hugely influential -- not just in the automotive world. So, once more into the breach, dear friends, with the history of the original pony car.
Click here to read more about the origins of the 1965 Ford Mustang
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