Indie Auto

Patrick Foster shows how International Harvester failed to adapt

by Steve in Readings 0

(UPDATED FROM 9/4/2020) International Harvester is the post-war U.S. automaker that has received the least attention from historians. Thus, Patrick Foster’s book, International Harvester: The Complete Story, is a particularly welcome addition. The format is similar to his other recent books — an oversized hard cover with lots of big pictures (many color). The [...]

Was the 1978 Cadillac Eldorado the most excessive car of the brougham era?

May 12, 2026 21

(EXPANDED FROM 1/5/2024) Reasonable people can debate what was the most excessive car of the brougham era, but I would propose the 1978 Cadillac Eldorado for top honors. To be more specific, I would point to the top-of-line Custom [...]

1966 Mercury Colony Park wagon was an unsung bright spot for the brand

May 11, 2026 7

(EXPANDED FROM 10/7/2022) Mercury’s Colony Park never got much attention, but it saw steadily increasing sales through the second half of the 1960s. For example, in 1966 almost 19,000 of the top-of-line Mercury wagons were produced. [...]

1962-64 Plymouth: The odd case of prescience interruptus

May 9, 2026 11

(EXPANDED FROM 8/25/2023) The 1962-64 Plymouth is one of the most prescient U.S. cars of the 1960s. Aside from the 1953 Plymouth, the 1962 redesign represented the first serious effort by a Big Three automaker to emphasize a [...]

The 1975-79 Cadillac Seville was a confused young sedan

May 5, 2026 23

(EXPANDED FROM 3/25/2025) The Cadillac Seville has come up in our recent debate about whether William Mitchell stayed too long as head designer at General Motors (go here). Thus, I thought I would expand on my take on this car. I have [...]

Why is the Toyota Sienna minivan’s styling out of this world?

May 3, 2026 9

(UPDATED FROM 3/4/2024) AUTOMOTIVE VIEWS NEWSWIRE — It’s no accident that the Toyota Sienna minivan stands out from the crowd when it comes to styling. Disturbed by declining sales, the automaker decided to give [...]

How much do Trump policies have to hurt auto industry before it supports Dems?

by Steve in Current Events 21

In early April the average new car price hit $50,729. This was an $820 jump in just 30 days. Meanwhile, first-quarter new car sales have slowed. A recent Automotive News (2026b) editorial claimed that “there is no doubt” rising prices have contributed to the sales decline. And in another unsigned editorial, the trade journal once again complained that [...]