Sublime

The GM model took the vehicle-as-status-symbol, an idea as old as wheeled vehicles themselves, to a new level. “You are what you drive,” the importance of design, annual model updates, buying on credit, and upgrading often—these ideas have all persisted into the modern era. They all began with GM in the 1920s. Ford reinvented how cars were made,

These new elements I think I can without significant loss reduce to four: installment selling, the used-car trade-in, the closed body, and the annual model. (I would add improved roads if I were to take into account the environment of the automobile.)

Managers who knew relatively little about automobiles but a great deal about process took control of auto factories and tried to operate a range of businesses, from autos to finance. General Motors became so diffuse and entangled in so many industries that it could not compete in the core markets with Japanese and German companies,

Consider design by committee when quality, error mitigation, and stakeholder acceptance are primary factors. Consider design by dictator when an aggressive timeline is the primary factor. Favor

Mr. Ford’s remark to me back in 1912, “Give them any color they want so long as it is black,” epitomized the reasons for Model T’s success and its ultimate decline.

Porsche's masterstroke was thinking about monetization long before product development for the SUV was in full speed, then designing a car with the value and features customers wanted the most, around a price that made sense. The result was total corporate alignment: Porsche knew it had a winner, and had the confidence to invest accordingly.

The Model T was not the cheapest car on the market when it went on sale—runabouts could be had for less—but it offered an unprecedented degree of power and durability for the price. It cost little more than a runabout, but it could handle hills and rutted country roads. Available as a runabout, a five-seater touring car, or a delivery van, all