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HomeDrive-By Musings

Drive-By Musings

1983 Ford Thunderbird
Drive-By Musings

What were Detroit’s top-five most iconic vehicle designs from 1980-2000?

October 31, 2025 Steve 11

(EXPANDED FROM 1/2/2024) A few years ago Michael Karesh (2023) of TrueDelta asked, “Which cars (model and year) from the Detroit Three since 1980 do you feel qualify as design icons?” I would invite you […]

1962 Ford Mustang I concept car
Drive-By Musings

How might McNamara have influenced Ford if he had stuck around longer?

October 21, 2025 Steve 2

How might Robert McNamara have influenced Ford if he had remained company president for a few more years? This is a question that emerged from the comment thread in our recent Don Frey story. Let’s […]

Fiat 130 coupe
Drive-By Musings

Was the 1972 Fiat 130 coupe influenced by mid-1960s Ramblers?

August 15, 2025 Steve 8

(EXPANDED FROM 10/5/2023) A few years ago Curbside Classic reposted one of my favorite articles — a magazine-length piece by Don Andreina (2023) about the 1972-77 Fiat 130 coupe. Although the car never made it […]

1963 Buick Riviera interior
Drive-By Musings

What are the top-10 coolest American car interiors from 1955-70?

August 6, 2025 Steve 9

(EXPANDED FROM 6/6/2024) Top-10 lists strike me as rather clickbaity, but I am not above presenting them if they illustrate an important historical theme. Last year I was motivated to create this list after seeing […]

1955 GM brand hierarchy
Drive-By Musings

What do we mean when we talk about the premium-priced field?

July 24, 2025 Steve 14

An Indie Auto reader asked me to explain what I mean when referring to the premium-priced field. More specifically, how do I rank General Motors’ brand hierarchy — and where do I put Pontiac, Olds […]

Railroad crossing through dirty window in C major
Drive-By Musings

Why does the U.S. have a far higher traffic-death rate than France?

July 16, 2025 Steve 6

In the late-1970s the U.S. and France had roughly similar traffic-death rates. However, in recent years the two countries have diverged to such as degree that by 2021 French people were three times less likely […]

1983 AMC Eagle wagon
Drive-By Musings

Would anything have ‘saved’ American Motors?

June 16, 2025 Steve 16

RF stopped by to respond to our story, “Pat Foster barks up wrong tree by lauding an AMC Gremlin GT with a 360 V8.” Well, sort of. He seemed to be more interested in answering […]

1970 Mercury Cyclone
Drive-By Musings

1970 Mercury Montego had a last-of-the-wine quality

June 2, 2025 Steve 2

In a number of respects the 1970 Mercury Montego exuded a last-of-the-wine vibe. For one thing, it was the final reskinning of the mid-sized platform that the Ford Motor Company introduced in 1962. Let’s just […]

1978 AMC Concord hatchback
Drive-By Musings

How might John Z. DeLorean have done as head of AMC?

April 18, 2025 Steve 26

(EXPANDED FROM 7/15/2021) A few years ago Curbside Classic commentator Chris Cieslak (2021) noted that American Motors toyed with the idea of hiring John Z. DeLorean after he left General Motors. This brings up an […]

1978 Cadillac Eldorado
Drive-By Musings

Would U.S. automakers have done better if high tariffs had always been in place?

April 3, 2025 Steve 4

Automotive News has been celebrating its 100-year anniversary by running articles that offer historical context about current events. The Trump administration’s “Liberation Day” tariffs would be a particularly valuable topic for this treatment. Unfortunately, so […]

Posts pagination

« 1 2 3 … 5 »
  • Is Jaguar smart to run away from its design heritage?
    October 8, 2026 21
  • 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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