Indie Auto

Porsche 914 reflected an interesting theory that didn’t work as well in practice

by Steve in Design Notes 8

(EXPANDED FROM 12/27/2023) Mid-engine sports cars were trendy in the late-1960s, so in theory it made sense that Porsche would come out with one given its background with rear engines. It also made sense that the maker of expensive sports cars would try to increase its volume by going downmarket — and team up with fellow German automaker Volkswagen [...]

The future of auto production capacity, affordable sedans and the Buzz 2.0

October 27, 2026 8

Audi recently announced that it would invest $4 billion in a new assembly plant in Georgia. Joe White (2026) of the High Speed Rodeo noted that this would be only one of 14 new U.S. assembly plants that automakers plan to build [...]

What do automakers refuse to offer that car buyers actually want?

October 21, 2026 16

Larry Printz (2026) recently posted a particularly useful article that deserves wider distribution. The title sums up his beef: “Five Things Automakers Won’t Do That Car Buyers Actually Want.” Printz’s (2026) list is so obvious that you may [...]

Did the 1960-64 big Ford sell so poorly because of cannibalization?

October 16, 2026 37

(EXPANDED FROM 7/30/2024) Aaron Severson (2009) has argued that when Ford added the Falcon and Fairlane in the early-60s, they did well initially but “total sales during that period remained almost flat.” In other words, the [...]

Was 1969 the beginning of the end for the Ford Thunderbird four-door Landau?

October 14, 2026 9

(EXPANDED FROM 5/6/2024) Some have argued that the 1967-71 Thunderbird four-door Landau was a strategic error. For example, James E. Duvall (2024) wrote that the new body style played a major role in “forever” changing “what [...]

A pyrrhic regulatory rollback and how poorly the 1978 Matador coupe sold

by Steve in Links 12

The American car-buff media has struck me as rather stale lately, but one relative newcomer has offered a ray of hope. The Car Collective’s Substack is a “newsletter” (re: a website with email distribution) that is a shared venue for 11 automotive journalists. These 10 men and one woman possess a fair amount of stature within the field. Thus, I initially expected a [...]