A few assorted thoughts that need to get out scraps of paper: Combe has great brands. The news that the brands of Combe are for sale, the Journal reported, was tempered by the fact that apparently other companies just want Just for Men, and not other brands like Williams MugMORE HERE

The new Land’s End catalog features one of the great American cars, a car brand with great enduring appeal. The Grand Wagoneer. It still holds as an icon, or so the happy scene to the right shows. The car helps sell clothes, and connotes a lifestyle. The branding question isMORE HERE

A quick thought. What happened to diversified car companies. The nation misses diversified products, though they are sold by foreign companies, particularly Asian companies, all at the same time. The companies were more interesting when: Ford made Fordson (and Ford) Tractors, Tri-Motors and Philco Televisions. Kingsford charcoal was an interestingMORE HERE

Racing Brand Revival Targets Niche Buyer TURIN – Fiat has brought back the Abarth brand, and cars are being delivered to the U.K. this month. Abarth, a sub-brand of Fiat (BIT: F), is one of many car brands that have returned to life in Europe in recent years, including Mini,MORE HERE

LOS ANGELES – We’ll miss the man of the Corinthian leather! Great obit on him on Bloomberg.com. The ads said that the Chrysler Cordoba commercial had “tastefulness of its appearance” and the “thickly cushioned luxury of seats available even in soft Corinthian leather.” According to Bloomberg, the phrase “Corinthian leather”MORE HERE

Sometimes you bury pride and sell on price. Remember Ed Rooney, in Ferris Bueller’s Day Off? He drove a government issue K-car. During the 1980s, the Plymouth K-car was what the government bought when it needed something basic. If you were lucky, it had a $79 AM radio. We heardMORE HERE

AUBURN HILLS – The news on Chrysler isn’t good. The company announced yesterday that it was drastically scaling down its dealer network, only a few months after killing off models like the PT Cruiser. The move will cost dealers millions, and is necessary because Chrysler isn’t selling enough cars toMORE HERE