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Home2026

Year: 2026

1974 Chrysler New Yorker
Gallery

1974 Chrysler New Yorker was a tragedy that played out on four levels

September 16, 2026 Steve 16

The 1974 Chrysler New Yorker is one of those cars that does not reek of tragedy in obvious ways. It looks like a perfectly normal big car from the mid-1970s. There’s nothing particularly exciting about […]

1960 Ford wagon
History

In 1974 Harry Bradley anticipated the American wagon’s future

September 11, 2026 Steve 11

(EXPANDED FROM 9/10/2024) A few years ago Dean’s Garage reprinted a prescient essay Harry Bradley (2022) wrote back in 1974 about the future of the American station wagon. His article made a number of important […]

Parody ads about the auto industry and media
Our Sponsors

Hyundai attempts to carve out a unique niche with body-on-frame truck

September 9, 2026 Steve 0
Links

Car and Driver says Ford Mustang will ‘murder’ the 1964 Plymouth Barracuda

September 9, 2026 Steve 17

(EXPANDED FROM 4/10/2024) A Car and Driver article on the just-introduced 1964 Plymouth Barracuda adopted an unusual format — a transcript of a conversation with a Chrysler official. When a road tester complained that the […]

1972 Lincoln Continental Mark IV
Current Events

Is David Kiley right that Ford should replace Lincoln with a new brand?

September 2, 2026 Steve 21

David Kiley (2026) recently argued in The Car Collective’s Substack newsletter that Lincoln should be killed. His opinion piece shows a lot more spunk than what one might find in the vapid pages of Automotive […]

1972 Buick Skylark Custom grille
Design Notes

1972 Buick Skylark Custom represented the end of an era

September 1, 2026 Steve 6

The 1972 Buick Skylark Custom represented the end of an era in a number of ways. This was the last year that the brand’s mid-sized cars were called Skylarks. This was also the end for […]

1959 Ford Thunderbird
Gallery

1959 Ford Thunderbird was a gimmicky but hugely important car

August 26, 2026 Steve 12

(EXPANDED FROM 8/16/2024) I have never been very attracted to the 1958-60 Ford Thunderbird’s gimmicky styling. However, I still must admit that this is one of the most important cars of the postwar era. And […]

Parody ads about the auto industry and media
Our Sponsors

BMW shows future of in-car advertising with innovative campaign

August 21, 2026 Steve 2
Data Dive

Compact cars became the neglected stepchildren of U.S. automakers

August 21, 2026 Steve 21

(EXPANDED FROM 6/26/2024) Compact cars represented a dramatic change for U.S. automakers when they were introduced in the early-1960s. After spending the previous decade making its “standard-sized” cars bigger, glitzier and more powerful, Detroit responded […]

1980 AMC brochure cover with picture of American Center building
History

AMC’s Roy D. Chapin Jr. succumbed to the illusion of bigness

August 19, 2026 Steve 2

(EXPANDED FROM 1/8/2021) When writing a story about the 1974 AMC Ambassador, I came across American Motors car brochures for 1979 and 1980 that took the unusual step of picturing the company’s headquarters in Southfield, Michigan. […]

Posts pagination

« 1 2 3 … 14 »
  • Is Jaguar smart to run away from its design heritage?
    October 8, 2026 20
  • AMC Pacer clay model
    Why does Joe Ligo’s PBS series sanewash AMC’s mid-70s recklessness?
    October 6, 2026 20
  • 2026 Ram pickups
    A pyrrhic regulatory rollback and how poorly the 1978 Matador coupe sold
    October 2, 2026 12
  • 1962 Chrysler 300
    Did the 1962-65 Chrysler 300 ‘dilute’ the letter series?
    September 29, 2026 7
  • 1968 Ford Mustang
    Three rules led to a stultifying level of conformity in 1960s U.S. car design
    September 24, 2026 12
  • 1976ish Toyota Corolla
    Data on imports sheds light on their dramatic gains from 1964-80
    September 18, 2026 5
  • 1974 Chrysler New Yorker
    1974 Chrysler New Yorker was a tragedy that played out on four levels
    September 16, 2026 16
  • Internet problems reminded me of U.S. automakers in the 1970s
    May 2, 2026 1
  • 1956 Buick hood scoop
    Readers brainstorm ideas for future Indie Auto stories
    October 14, 2022 141
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