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HomeJan P. Norbye

Jan P. Norbye

1949 Plymouth
Data Dive

Were the 1949 Chryslers to blame for the automaker losing the No. 2 spot to Ford?

September 19, 2024 Steve 34

Paul Niedermeyer (2024) recently commented that the “new 1949 Chrysler Corp. line has to be seen as a failure inasmuch as Ford regained the #2 spot, and never looked back. Excellent cars, but not what […]

1963 Cadillac Coupe de Ville
Design Notes

1963 Cadillac: The car that mainstreamed the brougham look

August 23, 2024 Steve 16

(EXPANDED FROM 12/16/2022) Pointing to the exact moment that the brougham look gained traction in the U.S. is an inexact science. For one thing, this design approach, which mimicked the classic look of luxury cars […]

1953 Plymouth
Fake Design

Six myths about the misunderstood 1953-54 Plymouth

July 19, 2024 Steve 20

(EXPANDED FROM 5/20/2022) Let’s take the time to unpack six myths about one of the most misunderstood post-war American cars — the 1953-54 Plymouth. This an important exercise because it brings to light some key […]

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 […]

1967 Cadillac Eldorado
Links

Even Motor Trend complained about the 1967 Cadillac Eldorado’s brakes

May 1, 2024 Steve 11

Motor Trend was hardly known as the toughest of the car-buff magazines, but it nevertheless complained about inadequate brakes on the 1967 Cadillac Eldorado. A road test found that the Eldorado’s stopping distances from 60 […]

1967 Plymouth GTX
Design Notes

1966-67 Plymouth Satellite was most anonymous-looking car of its era

March 25, 2024 Steve 10

(EXPANDED FROM 11/10/2021) I hereby nominate the 1966-67 mid-sized Plymouth as the most anonymous-looking car of the mid-1960s. At least to my eyes, the Belvedere line — which included top-end Satellite and GTX models — […]

1953 Plymouth
History

Historians fuzzy on Exner’s impact on 1953-54 Plymouths

February 7, 2024 Steve 5

(EXPANDED FROM 8/16/2021) Did Virgil Exner have any involvement with the 1953-54 Plymouth’s design? Automotive historians have tended to either dance around that question or offer varying — or even contradictory — information. As a […]

1972 Ford Gran Torino 2-door hardtop
Links

All-new 1972 Ford Torino didn’t rank well against older intermediates

February 5, 2024 Steve 3

The 1972 Ford Torino was a particularly big deal. The automaker had bestowed upon its mid-sized offerings the first all-new platform since they were introduced in 1962. Ford ditched unit-body construction and increased exterior dimensions […]

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 […]

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. […]

Posts pagination

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  • 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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