Category: "Commentary"
“GM Needs a Phe-Nom of Its Own” by Richard Johnson
In the new Detroit, it’s all about the CEO, all about having the right guy in command at the right time. We are in the [...]
“Whitacre Must Lead…” by Peter Brown
Five things about still another changing of the guard at General Motors: 1. Fritz Henderson did a heck of a job as the bankruptcy/reorganization CEO [...]
“Pontiac Joins the List of Extinct Brands” by John K. Teahen, Jr.
Going. Going. Gone. Any day now, a revered 83-year-old brand — Pontiac — will be a relic of the past, and a relic of what [...]
“The Travails of Smart…” by Peter M. De Lorenzo
Two weeks ago, in an item in our “On the Table” column, I suggested that the Smart adventure was nearing an end, saying the following: [...]
“How to Raise the Gas Tax” by John McElroy
Raising taxes on gasoline is political suicide in the United States. Any politician foolish enough to propose raising the gas tax would be hounded out [...]
“The Big Picture: Reality Bites” by Angus MacKenzie
A reader writes: “After subscribing to your magazine for more years than I can remember, I was amazed that you actually tested a (gasp!) Buick. [...]
“A Point of Historical Interest” by Mark Vaughn
On this date 20 years ago in Berlin, some minor East German Communist party leader named Günter Schabowski was giving a press conference. The party [...]
“Mini to Make Big Impact” by Anthony Peacock
It may not appear obvious at first glance exactly what Princess Margaret of England, John Lennon, Peter Sellers and Rauno Aaltonen had in common–apart from [...]
“Why the Reorganization of the US Auto Industry was Handled the Way It was” by Eddie Alterman
Earlier this summer, after GM had run through bankruptcy like a greased pig, our John Phillips threw a page of questions onto my desk. The [...]
Commentary: “They Came, They Saw, They Bored Us to Death” by Peter M. De Lorenzo
From AutoExtremist: Okay, I must say right up front that the much-anticipated unveiling of Sergio Marchionne’s five-year reinvigoration plan for the “new” Chrysler-Fiat was special. [...]
Commentary: “Don’t Lose Hope” by Cory Farley
An unheralded milepost on the path of U.S. automobile development was the first Arab oil embargo in 1973. In a matter of days, gasoline on [...]
“The End of Saab…” by Richard Johnson
If this truly is the end of Saab, maybe it’s just as well Bob Sinclair isn’t around to see it. Sinclair, who died in May [...]