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Year: 2023
Quotes
Hal Sperlich: Detroit made bad small cars to prove buyers wouldn’t like them
“The small cars that Detroit had produced, [Hal Sperlich] believed, had been bad ones, reluctant efforts at best. If anything the companies had brought out inferior, unappealing small cars to prove their own thesis that […]
Drive-By Musings
Automotive History Preservation Society’s new website isn’t always better
When I was updating a story today I noticed that the Automotive History Preservation Society has changed its URL. The organization’s website can now be found at autohistorypreservationsociety.org. Indie Auto links when possible to its […]
Media Analysis
Road & Track magazine’s 1972 Nader attack was disingenuous propaganda
(EXPANDED FROM 10/30/2020) When Road & Track decided to go after Ralph Nader in 1972, the magazine took unusual measures. Even before an “evaluation” of a Nader report hit the newsstands, Road & Track held […]
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Current Events
What should a simple modern car look like?
(EXPANDED FROM 3/1/2020) Once upon a time a Truth About Cars commentator lauded the simplicity of the then-new Jeep Renegade. “Well, I for one am yearning for a simpler time, and this vehicle suggests that,” […]
Quotes
Maryann Keller: General Motors once again punished its media critics
“GM’s old critics were sharpening their knives. In January [1992] David E. Davis, editor and publication director of Automobile magazine, gave a biting speech to the Washington Auto Press Association in which he blasted past […]
Editor's Note
Should a nonprofit auto history group create a credible data bank?
(EXPANDED FROM 4/16/2021) One of the challenges of working with automotive sales and production data is that the most easily-available sources don’t always appear to be accurate. Thus, it felt validating to come across a […]
Letters to the Editor
Reader opines on why U.S. automakers weren’t competitive with imports
Ole stopped by to respond to the post, “Gordon Buehrig on Ford’s attitude about small cars circa 1960.” It wasn’t until the early-1960s that the entire European auto industry produced more cars than Chevrolet or […]
Media Analysis
Five questions about Aaron Severson’s take on American Motors
Ate Up With Motor’s Aaron Severson (2023) stopped by Curbside Classic last week to post an epic series of comments about American Motors. The thing that most struck me about his 11 comments — which […]