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HomeCurbside Classic

Curbside Classic

1968 Chrysler New Yorker 2-door hardtop
Design Notes

1968 Chrysler New Yorker: The peak of ‘peak Chrysler?’

November 14, 2025 Steve 22

(EXPANDED FROM 7/8/2022) Paul Niedermeyer (2021) has called the 1965 Chrysler New Yorker “the last great Chrysler.” He argued that this particular vintage “represents a pinnacle: never again would the New Yorker attain this degree […]

Links

How far should AMC have gone to save the Hudson, Nash and Rambler brands?

November 11, 2025 Steve 14

(EXPANDED FROM 10/3/2023) Stephen Pellegrino has sparked a debate about the value of automotive brands by arguing that Hudson, Nash and Rambler were worth saving. His punchline is that “brand names mean something, and the […]

1977 AMC Gremlin Custom
History

AMC buying VW four-cylinder engine was Roy D. Chapin Jr.’s last big mistake

October 17, 2025 Steve 15

(EXPANDED FROM 7/31/2023) American Motors’ purchase of a four-cylinder engine from Volkswagen was one of CEO Roy D. Chapin Jr.’s last big decisions during his 10-year leadership of the automaker — and arguably his final […]

1976 AMC Gremlin
Media Analysis

How Stuff Works still embarrasses itself with a dumb 1970s car quiz

October 13, 2025 Steve 4

(EXPANDED FROM 10/10/2018) Seven years ago I came across an advertisement for a How Stuff Works quiz about vehicles from the 1970s (Tyler, 2018). The promo stated that “no one is getting a perfect score […]

1968 Plymouth VIP
History

1966-69 VIP: Why Plymouth couldn’t sell brougham

September 25, 2025 Steve 15

(EXPANDED FROM 3/7/2023) At least on paper, the VIP luxury series suggested that Plymouth was keeping up with the Chevrolet Caprice and Ford LTD in the late-60s. However, the car’s terrible sales suggest that something […]

1963 Corvette
Literature

When did U.S. automobile ads start to display more racial diversity?

September 22, 2025 Steve 1

(EXPANDED FROM 8/25/2021) A few years ago Paul Niedermeyer (2021) wondered whether a 1961 Oldsmobile marketing image displayed people of color. The short answer is “no,” which we will talk about later in this story. […]

2008 Scion xB
Design Notes

Toyota ruined the Scion xB by making it too big

September 11, 2025 Steve 11

(EXPANDED FROM 1/22/2021) Toyota has had an enviably strong track record here in the United States, but it has had a few misses. They include its mishandling of the ill-fated Scion subbrand. Although one could […]

Media Analysis

David Burrell’s take on the 1962 Dodge and Plymouth got only partway there

September 8, 2025 Steve 4

(EXPANDED FROM 5/11/2022) Back in 2019 David Burrell wrote one of the better overviews of the downsized 1962 Dodge and Plymouth. However, he went astray on some important details. Unlike some other historical accounts, Burrell (2019) […]

Fiat 130 coupe
Drive-By Musings

Was the 1972 Fiat 130 coupe influenced by mid-1960s Ramblers?

August 15, 2025 Steve 8

(EXPANDED FROM 10/5/2023) A few years ago Curbside Classic reposted one of my favorite articles — a magazine-length piece by Don Andreina (2023) about the 1972-77 Fiat 130 coupe. Although the car never made it […]

1955 Buick Century 2-door hardtop
Data Dive

General Motors’ premium-priced brands illustrate the decline of big cars

June 20, 2025 Steve 11

(EXPANDED FROM 1/24/2024) Last year Paul Niedermeyer (2024a) discussed the decline of premium-priced big cars in the late-1950s. One of the points of contention in the comment thread was the degree to which these cars […]

Posts pagination

« 1 2 3 … 10 »
  • 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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