(EXPANDED FROM 8/25/2021) A few years ago Paul Niedermeyer (2021) wondered whether a 1961 Oldsmobile marketing image displayed people of color. The short answer is “no,” which we will talk about later in this story. […]
Howard Boyce’s caterpillar-shaped eyebrows shot skyward when he was shown the latest draft of a 1948 Studebaker ad. “How could you waste such terrific artwork on such boring copy?” he stammered. His boss was used […]
(EXPANDED FROM 6/1/2023) The November 1940 issue of Popular Mechanics included an article about the just-introduced 1941 car models. However, curiously enough, Detroit’s latest wares were overshadowed by a cover story about the “automobiles of […]
(EXPANDED FROM 4/13/2013) When I am trying to track down information about Studebaker, I am most likely to first reach for Richard M. Langworth’s book. The reason why it that his journalistic approach was refreshingly […]
(EXPANDED FROM 1/2/2021) Ed Cray’s history of General Motors is one of the better automotive books in my library. A big reason why is that Chrome Colossus: General Motors and its Times eschewed the usual […]
(EXPANDED FROM 9/19/2023) The late-40s and early-50s arguably had more design and engineering variety among U.S automakers than we would ever see again. That strikes me as a mostly good thing for consumers, but there […]
(EXPANDED FROM 4/22/2023) This story received an unusual amount of pushback in the comment thread when it was originally posted two years ago. A focus of reader criticism was my argument that Hudson’s demise had […]
(EXPANDED FROM 8/10/2023) The National Park Service is slowly renovating the Kestner homestead near Lake Quinault. However, one item is being left to nature’s whims — a circa 1941-46 Chevrolet panel truck once used in […]
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 […]
Why give visibility to a book that was last published almost a quarter century ago? There are apparently so few copies left of Beverly Rae Kimes’ Packard: A History of the Motor Car and the […]
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