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Home1950s

1950s

Ward Packard
Readings

James Ward offers more nuanced take on Packard’s fall than other auto histories

July 23, 2026 Steve 36

(EXPANDED FROM 2/26/2024) James A. Ward’s Packard book, The Fall of the Packard Motor Car Company, is dwarfed by Automobile Quarterly’s epic tome edited by Beverly Rae Kimes (2002) as well as Stuart R. Blond’s […]

1965 Studebaker Cruiser proposal
Links

Car Life speculates about why Studebaker shut down its South Bend plant

July 17, 2026 Steve 9

(UPDATED FROM 11/24, 2023) A March 1964 Car Life article offers a fascinating take on why Studebaker shifted production from its South Bend main plant to a much smaller one in Hamilton, Ontario — which […]

1956 Lincoln
Design Notes

The 1956 Lincoln’s styling proved to be a one-year wonder

July 17, 2026 Steve 19

(UPDATED FROM 1/6/2023) The 1956 Lincoln was one of the brand’s most-important postwar cars. Almost 54,000 cars left the factory — an all-time record not broken until 1966. The Ford Motor Company was clearly intending […]

J. 'Kelly' Flory Jr.
Readings

J. ‘Kelly’ Flory Jr.’s American Cars series is pricey but valuable

July 10, 2026 Steve 4

(UPDATED FROM 4/18/2024) The most valuable books I have bought in recent years have been J. “Kelly” Flory Jr.’s American Cars reference guides. This multi-volume set provides wide-ranging information on U.S.-made cars during the postwar […]

Robert McNamara upside down
Media Analysis

Automotive Hall of Fame post on Robert McNamara is still riddled with fact errors

June 15, 2026 Steve 30

(EXPANDED FROM 1/17/2024) More than two years ago we pointed out that the Automotive Hall of Fame posted remarkably inaccurate information about former Ford Motor Company executive Robert McNamara. Their fact errors still haven’t been […]

1967 Oldsmobile Delta 88 Custom
Data Dive

Langworth and Norbye made excuses for General Motors’ big-car fixation

June 9, 2026 Steve 8

(EXPANDED FROM 2/27/2023) Indie Auto was partly created to spark more robust debates in U.S. auto history. As a case in point, a few years go I questioned a take by Richard M. Langworth and […]

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 […]

1957 Nash Ambassador
Multimedia

Three videos: The death of car culture, rich people’s cars and the 1957 Nash

May 29, 2026 Steve 6

Our first video, from the YouTube channel America Revisited (2026), argues that the country’s car culture is dying off with the Baby Boomers. The video goes on to suggest that car culture was about “freedom […]

1963 Mercury Marauder
Gallery

1963 Mercury Marauder: Ford tries to do a premium-priced car on the cheap

May 27, 2026 Steve 11

(UPDATED FROM 1/30/2024) The 1963 Mercury Marauder “fastback” two-door hardtop represented the beginning of a new era for the Ford Motor Company. The utilitarian sensibilities of its former leader, Robert McNamara, were eclipsed by an […]

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Our Sponsors

Automotive Views checks in with K. T. Keller

May 16, 2026 Steve 0

Posts pagination

« 1 2 3 … 35 »
  • 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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