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Home1970s

1970s

Drive-By Musings

Would you believe that there was once a car in this picture?

June 5, 2024 Steve 0

A fairly popular type of auto history post includes photos of street scenes from the past. Readers tend to focus on naming the cars. It’s good, clean fun if you have nothing better to do. […]

1968 AMC Javelin
Media Analysis

Why did Patrick Foster settle for fanboy fluff in his 1968-70 AMC Javelin story?

June 3, 2024 Steve 4

I had high hopes when I saw that the August issue of Collectible Automobile included a story about the 1968-70 AMC Javelin. Patrick Foster has been studying American Motors’ history for decades, so I expected […]

Editor's Note

Was the Environmental Protection Agency run by ‘zealots’ in the early-70s?

June 2, 2024 Steve 16

MB stopped by to respond to our article, “Oldsmobile’s John Beltz sounded like a rather cautious GM executive.” He wrote, “The EPA zealots ruined American cars in 1970 thanks to their requirements based on a […]

Letters to the Editor

Ninety-year-old reader would buy another two-seater Thunderbird

May 29, 2024 Steve 0

EG stopped by to respond to our article, “Car and Driver playfully roasts a 1964 Ford Thunderbird convertible.” I have owned nine Thunderbirds. The best one was the two seater. They should have fired the […]

1971 Oldsmobile Ninety-Eight
Links

Oldsmobile’s John Beltz sounded like a rather cautious GM executive

May 29, 2024 Steve 9

John Beltz has been pointed to as one of the more forward-looking General Motors’ executives of the early-70s, but he came across as rather cautious in a lengthy Motor Trend (1970) interview. He was the […]

1971 Oldsmobile Toronado and Cutlass
Design Notes

Did General Motors need to panic with the 1971 Oldsmobile Toronado?

May 27, 2024 Steve 9

The 1971 Oldsmobile Toronado arguably represented the first time that General Motors executives panicked in response to weak sales from a car styled under head designer William Mitchell. Whereas the first-generation Toronado was a remarkably […]

Parody ads about the auto industry and media
Our Sponsors

Trending Books: The tragic story of the Corvette

May 16, 2024 Steve 0
1976 Mercury Bobcat
Design Notes

Why did the Ford Motor Company’s styling go downhill in the 1970s?

May 8, 2024 Steve 12

We’ve had an interesting discussion in a comment thread about Ford Motor Company styling in the 1970s (go here), so I wanted bring some additional information and ideas to the table. This will be a […]

1972 Buick LeSabre 4-door hardtop
Links

Popular Science pans premium cars for cost cutting and impractical styling

May 6, 2024 Steve 3

Popular Science’s Jan P. Norbye and Jim Dunne criticized the quality and practicality of four 1972 premium-priced big cars. They road tested the Buick LeSabre, Chrysler Newport Royal, Mercury Monterey and Oldsmobile Delta 88. “It’s […]

1974 AMC Matador 4-door sedan
Editor's Note

Reader says ‘armchair critics’ of the 1974 AMC Matador sedan are wrong

April 29, 2024 Steve 7

LL stopped by to respond to our story, “Joe Ligo is overly kind in Nash/AMC Ambassador film.” Here’s what he had to say: “I have a 1972 Matador and a 1974 Matador and without a […]

Posts pagination

« 1 … 21 22 23 … 42 »
  • 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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Recent Comments

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  • Scampman on U.S. cars often suffered from weak styling continuity and boxy shapes in 1970-80s
  • Steve on U.S. cars often suffered from weak styling continuity and boxy shapes in 1970-80s
  • Gary S on U.S. cars often suffered from weak styling continuity and boxy shapes in 1970-80s
  • kim in lanark on Is Jaguar smart to run away from its design heritage?
  • Scampman on 1974 Chrysler New Yorker was a tragedy that played out on four levels
  • Scampman on 1974 Chrysler New Yorker was a tragedy that played out on four levels
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