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Homecompacts

compacts

History

When should U.S. automakers have begun producing a domestic subcompact?

July 24, 2026 Steve 46

(UPDATED FROM 8/1/2024) In 1959 imported cars captured 10 percent of the U.S. market. However, their popularity quickly subsided after the Big Three came out with an unprecedented wave of compacts beginning in 1960. The […]

1963 Ford Galaxie
Links

Might Detroit have embraced front-wheel drive earlier if McNamara had stayed at Ford?

April 16, 2026 Steve 7

(UPDATED FROM 1/16/2024) The Chrysler Corporation’s decision to shrink its big Plymouth and Dodge for 1962 occurred at a tumultuous time — the U.S. auto industry was reportedly considering even more dramatic changes due to […]

Hudson-Willys merger idea
Media Analysis

Patrick Foster’s idea of a Hudson-Willys merger still raises major questions

January 23, 2026 Steve 7

(EXPANDED FROM 10/17/2023) A few years ago Patrick Foster (2023) suggested in a Hemmings column why a marriage of Hudson and Willys could have made sense. More recently he updated his essay, so I was […]

1963 Studebaker Lark Wagonaire
History

Could Studebaker have come out of the 1970s as successful as Jeep?

October 31, 2024 Steve 18

(EXPANDED FROM 4/23/2021) A few years ago our story on Brooks Stevens’s redesign of the 1964 Studebaker generated enough debate that I decided to further flesh out an alternative scenario. To wit, Studebaker would have […]

1962 Ford Galaxie 500
Data Dive

Did the 1960-64 big Ford sell so poorly because of cannibalization?

July 30, 2024 Steve 16

Aaron Severson (2009) has argued that when Ford added the Falcon and Fairlane in the early-60s, they did well initially but “total sales during that period remained almost flat.” In other words, the brand suffered […]

1967 Ramber Rebel SST two-door hardtop
Media Analysis

Five questions about Aaron Severson’s take on American Motors

April 7, 2023 Steve 3

Ate Up With Motor’s Aaron Severson (2023) stopped by Curbside Classic last week to post an epic series of comments about American Motors. The thing that most struck me about his 11 comments — which […]

1963 Rambler American 2-door hardtop closeup
Design Notes

1961-63 Rambler American: Would it have been better without a restyling?

February 21, 2023 Steve 13

Paul Niedermeyer (2023) recently suggested that the 1961 Rambler American’s “two-box” styling “just doesn’t work for me.” That makes sense. The newly reskinned car represented one of the most extreme — and awkward — examples […]

Quotes
Quotes

Ads comparing Ford Granada to a Mercedes were ‘brilliant’

May 19, 2021 Steve 0

“The Granada/Mercedes campaign was a stroke of absolute brilliance. Why do you think we remember it 40 some years later after nearly every Granada has been made into a Huawei refrigerator? Ok, so Consumer Reports […]

  • 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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