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Home1970s

1970s

1976 Jeep Cherokee Chief
Media Analysis

Collectible Automobile’s 1974-83 Jeep Cherokee story avoids inconvenient questions

January 10, 2024 Steve 12

The February 2024 issue of Collectible Automobile has a story about the 1974-83 Jeep Cherokee. As is typical for this magazine, you will find lots of nice photos and a comprehensive recitation of product specifications […]

Porsche 914
Design Notes

Porsche 914 reflected an interesting theory that didn’t work as well in practice

December 27, 2023 Steve 6

Mid-engine sports cars were trendy in the late-1960s, so in theory it made sense that Porsche would come out with one given its background with rear engines. It also made sense that the maker of […]

Parody ads about the auto industry and media
Our Sponsors

Collectible Cars: A 1975 Plymouth Fury or that?

December 27, 2023 Steve 0
1977 Monte Carlo
Fake Design

Was the 1973-77 Chevrolet Monte Carlo’s styling ‘honest’?

December 22, 2023 Steve 36

(EXPANDED FROM 12/24/2021) Curbside Classic commentator XR7Matt (2014) offered a fascinating justification for the stylistic excesses of the 1973-77 Chevrolet Monte Carlo: “Space efficiency is marketing buzz that everyone has fallen for in recent years, it’s actual day […]

1978 Chevrolet Opala SS
Letters to the Editor

U.S. automakers adapted to Brazilian market car designs from elsewhere

December 5, 2023 Steve 2

CP sent in the following letter, which may have been in response to our story, “Brazilian Volkswagens show automaker’s struggle for a post-Beetle look.” I have been following the Brazilian car scene for a few […]

1961 Imperials
Design Notes

1961-63 Imperial: Ode to Virgil Exner’s neo-classical excesses

November 22, 2023 Steve 3

(EXPANDED FROM 3/19/2021) Virgil Exner was a champion of neo-classical styling throughout his career. His best designs were arguably a handful of 1950s Chrysler show cars but his most influential work didn’t come until later. […]

1968 Ford Thunderbird
Data Dive

1958-76 Thunderbird: The rise and fall of the Ford that shook up GM

November 17, 2023 Steve 6

(EXPANDED FROM 10/1/2021) The four-seater Thunderbird was a surprisingly pivotal car for the Ford Motor Company during the postwar period. The T-Bird showed that the No. 2 automaker could better compete against mighty General Motors if it pioneered new […]

1970 AMC Hornet
Links

Car Life called the redesigned 1970 AMC Hornet stylish but not fun to drive

November 7, 2023 Steve 13

Car Life magazine argued that the 1970 AMC Hornet met two out of three of the automaker’s stated goals for the car. Engineering Editor David Bean wrote that American Motors thought that the compact and […]

Luciano Bove video
Multimedia

Luciano Bove talked about why Harry Bradley was a great car design teacher

November 6, 2023 Steve 12

When Harry Bradley died last May, Dean’s Garage reposted a video from Luciano Bove that talked about how Bradley influenced his work as a car designer and educator (Smith, 2023). That video offers a fascinating […]

1970 Pontiac Firebirds
Letters to the Editor

Reader ‘doesn’t know what the author is talking about’

October 29, 2023 Steve 3

LS stopped by to respond to our article, “1970 Pontiac Firebird: Time to go on a diet.” I don’t know what the author is talking about. The 1970 Firebirds were lauded as a groundbreaking design. […]

Posts pagination

« 1 … 24 25 26 … 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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