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HomeHistory

History

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 […]

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. […]

1974 full-sized low-priced cars
History

1974 AMC Ambassador: Was its styling ruined by bumper regs?

August 5, 2026 Steve 11

(EXPANDED FROM 7/15/2024) One of Indie Auto’s first harshly negative comments came from someone who was infuriated with my essay about the 1974 AMC Ambassador, where I criticized the car’s looks. “Worst stupid article I […]

History

When should U.S. automakers have begun producing a domestic subcompact?

July 24, 2026 Steve 46

(UPDATED FROM 8/1/2024) In 1959 imported cars captured 10 percent of the U.S. market. However, their popularity quickly subsided after the Big Three came out with an unprecedented wave of compacts beginning in 1960. The […]

1988 Oldsmobile Toronado
History

Did GM go too far in downsizing the 1986 Riviera, Toronado and Eldorado?

July 10, 2026 Steve 16

(UPDATED FROM 7/1/2024) General Motors has been criticized for going too far in downsizing its 1986 E-body personal coupes, which included the Buick Riviera, Oldsmobile Toronado and Cadillac Eldorado. Sales fell off a cliff, but […]

History

Why was Wayne Kady’s favorite design the 1971 Cadillac Eldorado?

June 30, 2026 Steve 8

(UPDATED FROM 4/24/2024) In an interview back in 2024 Wayne Kady was hesitant to name his favorite car design among those he had worked on during a 38-year stint at General Motors, saying that was […]

1969 an 1977 Plymouth Fury
History

1969-77 Plymouth: Fuselage wasn’t so bad compared to anti-fuselage

June 12, 2026 Steve 15

(EXPANDED FROM 5/3/2024) Ponderous styling of the so-called “fuselage” Plymouths has been pointed to as the biggest reason why sales were smaller than the well-regarded platform it replaced (e.g., auto editors of Consumer Guide, 2022). Output for […]

1958 Lincoln
History

1958-60 Lincoln: Failing to beat GM at its own game

June 2, 2026 Steve 18

(EXPANDED FROM 11/10/2023) The Edsel is generally pointed to as the Ford Motor Company’s biggest post-war flop, but the 1958-60 Lincoln deserves a consolation prize. This car represents the disastrous final phase of Ford’s no-holds-barred […]

1963 Buick Riviera
History

1963-65 Buick Riviera shows GM’s struggle with personal coupes

May 20, 2026 Steve 19

(UPDATED FROM 12/14/2023) The 1963-65 Buick Riviera was one of the more memorable designs of the 1960s. However, the car didn’t really look like a Buick. Nor did it sell very well — arguably due […]

1962 Plymouth
History

1962-64 Plymouth: The odd case of prescience interruptus

May 9, 2026 Steve 11

(EXPANDED FROM 8/25/2023) The 1962-64 Plymouth is one of the most prescient U.S. cars of the 1960s. Aside from the 1953 Plymouth, the 1962 redesign represented the first serious effort by a Big Three automaker […]

Posts pagination

1 2 … 8 »
  • 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
Society of Automotive Historian award to Indie Auto

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