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Home1950s

1950s

1974 AMC Ambassador fake design
Fake Design

1974 AMC Ambassador: GM envy to the ZiL degree

August 7, 2020 Steve 7

The 1974 Ambassador’s ZiL-like styling shows how AMC had succumbed to “GM envy” in the 1970s. This car was so big and ugly that it was doomed to failure. Yet American Motors wasted scarce resources […]

Readings

Mister Javelin: Guy Hadsall Jr. at American Motors

July 17, 2020 Steve 0

First-person accounts by lesser-known auto industry leaders can add to the historical record in surprising ways. This is why the SAH Press, which is an arm of the Society of Automotive Historians, should be lauded […]

George Romney made eight big mistakes at AMC
History

George Romney made eight big mistakes at AMC

July 10, 2020 Steve 8

George Romney may have been one of the U.S. auto industry’s best post-war leaders, but he made eight big mistakes while leading AMC from 1954-62. Some of his bad moves were costly enough to almost […]

Quotes
Quotes

Should Richard Teague have walked away from American Motors?

July 10, 2020 Steve 0

“I went to American Motors as assistant director of styling in September 1959. I saw the ’60 Rambler, and I almost walked out the front door. It looked like it was chiseled out of marble […]

Lake Quinault country road in fall
Editor's Note

Acknowledging the politics of auto history

April 1, 2020 Steve 0

The auto buff media tends to avoid discussing the political dimensions of the industry for good reason. Readers can have strong views, so why risk antagonizing anyone? Indie Auto doesn’t want to make anyone mad, […]

first panel of Bird Chatter cartoon on traffic intersections
Bird Chatter

Traffic intersections, dinner and God

March 1, 2020 Steve 0
Readings

Studebaker: The Life and Death of an American Corporation

March 1, 2020 Steve 3

This is one of the better scholarly books about an auto company. Donald T. Critchlow achieves the rare feat of crafting a narrative that is engaging, analytically sophisticated and challenges industry groupthink in key respects. […]

Multimedia

Joe Ligo drives a Kaiser and plans an AMC film

February 1, 2020 Steve 1

Joe Ligo shows the value of auto history films in a 10-minute piece about the 1954 Kaiser Special. He mixes historical footage and scenes from a test-drive of a restored Kaiser as the visual backdrop […]

1975 Cadillac Eldorado
Data Dive

CO2 emissions: Automakers still partying like it’s 1975

September 1, 2019 Steve 0

The U.S. automobile industry has shown admirable ingenuity in developing new technologies to reduce the greenhouse gases produced by its cars and trucks. The problem is that a religious devotion to bigger, glitzier and more […]

1956 Plymouth Fury
Calendar

LeMay at Marymount hosts 42nd annual show

August 10, 2019 Steve Comments Off on LeMay at Marymount hosts 42nd annual show

The LeMay Collections at Marymount are open year-round, but the best time to go is arguably on the day of its annual car show and auction. This year’s all-day event will be held on Saturday, […]

Posts pagination

« 1 … 30 31 32 … 35 »
  • 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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