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HomeMid-sized cars

Mid-sized 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 […]

1991 Avanti 4-door touring sedan
Design Notes

1990-91 Avanti four-door sedan points to the road Studebaker could have taken

June 24, 2024 Steve 8

We have had a burst of discussion in a comment thread about the Avanti four-door sedan (go here), so let’s take a quick look at that tragic car. In its dying years Studebaker had developed […]

1948 Hudson rear
History

1948 Hudson ‘step-down’ was a brilliant car with tragic flaws

June 17, 2024 Steve 26

(EXPANDED FROM 2/10/2022) In the early post-war period Hudson came the closest to being an American Mercedes-Benz. The new-for-1948 “step-downs” had engineering advances that most other automakers would not pick up on for years. So […]

1962 Plymouth Sport Fury
History

Defense of Virgil Exner’s 1962 Plymouth doesn’t add up

June 10, 2024 Steve 5

(EXPANDED FROM 4/23/2021) Once in a while a work of automotive history is smacked down by a critic who sanctimoniously points to alleged inaccuracies. Sometimes these kind of critiques are on target (if unduly indignant). […]

1967 Mercury Comet Caliente convertible
Design Notes

Did stylistic penny pinching undercut the 1966-67 Mercury Comet?

May 22, 2024 Steve 11

As mysteries go it’s a small one, but I have long been curious as to why the 1965-67 Mercury Comet switched from horizontal to stacked headlights. The new look wasn’t in alignment with any of […]

Chevrolet Malibu
Current Events

GM’s discontinuing of the Chevrolet Malibu is criticized as short sighted

May 15, 2024 Steve 22

Fast Company’s David Zipper (2024) took General Motors to task for announcing that General Motors would discontinue the Chevrolet Malibu in November. With the long-running nameplate’s demise, GM will no longer sell an affordable sedan […]

1974 AMC Matador 4-door sedan
Editor's Note

Reader says ‘armchair critics’ of the 1974 AMC Matador sedan are wrong

April 29, 2024 Steve 7

LL stopped by to respond to our story, “Joe Ligo is overly kind in Nash/AMC Ambassador film.” Here’s what he had to say: “I have a 1972 Matador and a 1974 Matador and without a […]

Data Dive

The 1965-73 Ford LTD may not have impacted Mercury very much

April 11, 2024 Steve 10

(EXPANDED FROM 1/28/2022) Indie Auto commentator Geeber recently discussed how premium-priced big cars did better than their lower-priced brethren as the 1970s progressed. His comment, which is worth reading in full (go here), spurred me […]

Links

Car Life tries not to yawn when road testing the 1964 Chevrolet Chevelle

April 2, 2024 Steve 7

Car Life wasn’t hugely excited about the 1964 Chevrolet Chevelle. Even so, the magazine tried to present the new nameplate in a positive light: “At this writing, Chevelle accounts for 18% of Chevrolet sales and […]

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 — […]

Posts pagination

« 1 … 6 7 8 … 10 »
  • 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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