Is there a department or executive position within Tesla that has a responsibility for checking to make sure plans can actually be implemented before they're announced to the public? Because they should maybe think about doing that.

Those ones probably are, the American office settled on a highly retro theme early on and those look like that line of thinking. The only place I ever saw any of the other designs was in that one TV show, and I haven’t seen it in probably 17 years or so. I do remember the Italian proposal actually looking really sexy,…

Not exact, they’re more of a cousin to the Mustang than a sibling. The Thunderbird has IRS and double wishbones in the front, the Mustang got a solid axle out back and cheaper MacPherson struts for the front. They were supposed to share directly, but Ford decided that was too costly for the Mustang’s price level. The…

The trouble was that with the contracting coupe market, Ford felt that they couldn’t justify a 4 seat Thunderbird and a Mustang anymore. The higher end trims of the Mustang with leather seats and extra convenience features and whatnot were supposed to be enough to fill the role of a 4 seat personal luxury coupe, and…

Hell, my realtor in Delaware drove one. Still does, I see it in front of their office. Black with a red interior. 

I remember a TV special that aired in 2001 or 2002 on A&E or TLC or one of those channels that showed the history of the Thunderbird from the ‘50s-’90s, and also dealt with the development of the 11th gen.

Mainly rental fleets and for folks in flat, warm weather areas like Florida that wanted an open vehicle but didn’t necessarily need 4WD. 2WD Jeeps had been a thing in the old days, too,  like the DJ Postal Service Jeeps. The 2WD JK didn’t sell very well and was dropped after a few years. 

I’ve always kind of liked these, but they were a flawed product. Overpriced for what you got, the interiors were too cheap for the money.

I’m not hard up for money, and only eat one real meal a day and a few small snacks. I have a sedentary office job and just don’t really work up an appetite. 

Has anyone used carfromjapan.com? it seems to be a site for Japanese car dealers to sell directly to overseas buyers, but, considering most of what they deal with are likely newer used cars going to Russia and Africa, I question how "up" a lot of them might be on US paperwork requirements. Just wonder if anyone's had…

They’re also to avoid getting sick or to keep allergies under control. Also, some people just wear them for privacy or, oddly, for fashion (to draw attention to the eyes/make the face look smaller).

Isnt that exactly Bruce Springsteen's own MO though? Guy's worth half a billion.

The RLX is the Legend, they just don’t use the name in North America. Same with the RL before it. 

Lordstown has nothing to do with what powertrain cars have (although, ICE cars are still ca. 98.25% of the market, even higher at the lower end where the Cruze competes) - its about the market switching from passenger cars to light trucks.

I was never really a fan of the updated Youngstown-built Avantis, especially the sedan. But, even the coupes and convertibles lost something when they were redesigned to fit on the GM chassis, and their interiors looked like a thrown together kit car.

For anyone looking for a solution to high car payments, may I recommend the following book? Its a real good value at $29.95, or yours free with a 12 month subscription to Stop Buying Stuff Magazine.

10% just seemed like a lot for a car payment, given that it's just one bill of many. But 10% on all transportation-related expenses combined is a different story.

I had that issue buying a Dodge once. Dealer kept trying to talk monthly payments, and I kept having to steer him back to the amount I actually wanted to borrow. 

They got me for paint protectant once, I figured oh well, it is a black car. Made no discernable difference.

I did the calculation in my head and got angry at the idea of anyone thinking a $600 car payment was OK, then read further that that 10 percent should include insurance, gas, and maintenance; which still seems high, but not as crazy.