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HomeJames M. Flammang

James M. Flammang

Readings

Thomas Bonsall’s Edsel book is nuanced but suffers from groupthink

March 17, 2026 Steve 15

(EXPANDED FROM 9/27/2021) Disaster in Dearborn: The Story of the Edsel is paradoxical. On the one hand, this is a serious history book. That’s the opposite of so many of the coffee table books that […]

1965 Rambler Marlin ad
History

Historians differ on origins of 1965 Rambler Marlin

November 18, 2025 Steve 14

(EXPANDED FROM 8/14/2019) Histories about the 1965 Rambler Marlin’s origins show how even basic facts can be difficult to nail down. Authors differ over when and why the Marlin was developed as well as what […]

1958 Edsel retractable convertible
History

1958 Edsel with retractable roof hints at why the brand failed

October 24, 2025 Steve 5

(EXPANDED FROM 5/5/2023) One of the curious things about American cars is that even the most ridiculed models will invariably develop a dedicated fan club. As a case in point, some collectors of the infamous […]

1979 Lincoln Continental Mark V Bill Blass Edition ad
History

Defective 1977-79 Continental Mark V showed how Lincoln lost its way

July 21, 2025 Steve 19

(EXPANDED FROM 4/5/2023) Some buyers of the 1977-79 Lincoln Mark V waited up to eight weeks to receive exclusive designer-series models . . . that turned out to have defective paint. At least that was […]

Flammang Standard Imported Cars
Readings

Standard Catalog of Imported Cars, 1946-1990 is sort-of better than second edition

July 9, 2025 Steve 1

(EXPANDED FROM 5/1/2020) The Internet appears to be getting better as a source of information about cars. For example, Automobile Catalog offers basic product details about an admirably broad range of domestic and foreign brands. […]

1959 Lincoln Continental
Auto Paedia

‘Lower! Longer! Wider!’ fixation of US automakers left opening for imports

September 22, 2021 Steve 13

(EXPANDED 10/24/2022) “Lower, longer, wider” was the domestic automakers’ dominant design approach until they were forced to downsize their fleet in the late-1970s due to federal fuel-economy standards. Since that time automakers have at least […]

Patrick Foster's George Romney biography
Readings

Patrick Foster’s George Romney bio is rose-tinted but valuable

February 12, 2021 Steve 1

Patrick Foster (2005) once lamented that he couldn’t find a publisher for a book on George Romney. “A typical rejection goes something like this: George Romney led an exemplary life, was honest in business, never […]

1962 Plymouth and Dodge
Media Analysis

Did a rumor cause the downsized 1962 Plymouth and Dodge?

January 2, 2021 Steve 6

A few years ago Paul Niedermeyer (2017a) questioned the conventional wisdom that the downsized 1962 Plymouth and Dodge were an 11th-hour accident of history. In an epic essay, the Curbside Classic publisher poked holes in […]

Readings

Standard Catalog of American Cars, 1976-1999

April 19, 2013 Steve 0

This 975-page paperback reference guide is the last in a three-volume series focused on American cars. As with most Standard catalogs, this one is a utilitarian book dominated by small text and black-and-white photos on non-glossy paper […]

Readings

Cars of the Fabulous ’50s: A Decade of High Style and Good Times

April 15, 2013 Steve 2

The second of a four-book Cars of series displays a wee bit more editorial sophistication than the other three (which cover the 1940s, 1960s and 1970s). The basic format is the same —  an oversized hard-cover book […]

Posts pagination

1 2 »
  • 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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