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HomePatrick R. Foster

Patrick R. Foster

Fake Design

1958 Studebaker: Honesty is the best policy

September 25, 2020 Steve 4

If you went by the above photo alone, you would get a misleading impression of the 1958 Studebaker. Yes, the colors are grossly exaggerated, but an even bigger problem is that the photo only shows […]

Current Events

2022 Jeep Wagoneer: Turning generic into a big grand deal

September 11, 2020 Steve 2

The marketing wizards are trying to present the 2022 Wagoneer as a big grand deal; a triumphant return of a legendary nameplate. The only problem is that the forthcoming new Jeep is as generic as […]

1974 AMC Ambassador fake design
Fake Design

1974 AMC Ambassador: GM envy to the ZiL degree

August 7, 2020 Steve 7

The 1974 Ambassador’s ZiL-like styling shows how AMC had succumbed to “GM envy” in the 1970s. This car was so big and ugly that it was doomed to failure. Yet American Motors wasted scarce resources […]

Readings

Mister Javelin: Guy Hadsall Jr. at American Motors

July 17, 2020 Steve 0

First-person accounts by lesser-known auto industry leaders can add to the historical record in surprising ways. This is why the SAH Press, which is an arm of the Society of Automotive Historians, should be lauded […]

George Romney made eight big mistakes at AMC
History

George Romney made eight big mistakes at AMC

July 10, 2020 Steve 8

George Romney may have been one of the U.S. auto industry’s best post-war leaders, but he made eight big mistakes while leading AMC from 1954-62. Some of his bad moves were costly enough to almost […]

1967 Rambler Rebel 550 2-door coupe
History

How American Motors abandoned its uniqueness in the second half of the 1960s

January 1, 2020 Steve 0

The most strikingly quality of American Motors’ car designs developed in the mid-60s was how quickly the automaker ditched the Rambler look in favor of styling mostly indistinguishable from the Big Three. This was a […]

Readings

Jeep: The History of America’s Greatest Vehicle

January 14, 2015 Steve 0

In a vague sense this book is an update of The Story of Jeep (Foster, 1998). However, like Patrick R. Foster’s other recent books, Jeep: America’s Greatest Vehicle, is much more graphically oriented. While not quite as large […]

Drive-by musings
Drive-By Musings

Saab hung onto two-stroke engine far too long

May 1, 2014 Steve 0

In the April edition of Collectible Automobile (2014), Patrick R. Foster noted that Saab was the last European automaker outside Warsaw Pact countries to produce two-stroke engines. The Swedish automaker switched to a modern four-stroke […]

Pop quiz: Is this a Valiant or a Volare?
Media Analysis

Does the Internet dumb down auto history?

May 17, 2013 Steve 1

In some respects the rise of the web has been the best thing that ever happened to American automotive history. Just click on Google’s “images” tab and you instantly have access to far more pictures […]

Readings

Kaiser-Frazer: 1947-1955 Photo Archive

April 29, 2013 Steve 0

As the title suggests, this is essentially a picture book. The photographs are large but all black and white. The captions offer a mix of product information and a brief analysis about why Kaiser-Frazer failed. Kaiser-Frazer: […]

Posts pagination

« 1 … 6 7 8 »
  • 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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