Indie Auto
header-advert
  • Home
  • About
    • Introduction
    • Editor’s Notes
    • Story Ideas Bank
    • Why All The Data?
    • Fake Stuff
    • About Those Photos
    • Talk Legal To Me
    • Privacy Policy
  • All Our Features
    • Ad Nauseam
    • Bird Chatter
    • Calendar
    • Current Events
    • Data Dives
    • Design Notes
    • Drive-By Musings
    • Fake Designs
    • Gallery
    • Histories
    • Letters to the Editor
    • Links
    • Literature
    • Media Analysis
    • Multimedia
    • Our Sponsors
    • Photo Essays
    • Quotes
    • Random Shots
    • Satire
  • Look It Up
    • In Auto Paedia
    • By author
    • By automaker or brand
    • By time period
    • By topic
    • By vehicle type
  • Readings
    • General Reference
    • Specific Brands & Automakers
    • Auto Culture, Policy & Business Strategy
    • Bibliography
    • Where To Buy Your Books
    • Recently-Posted Readings
  • Links
    • Bibliography of Links
  • Contact
    • Emails & Newsletter
    • Rejected Comments
  • Donate
Home2025

Year: 2025

1958 Buick grille
Current Events

Could U.S. regulatory rollback lead auto industry to repeat of late-50s backlash?

July 3, 2025 Steve 8

In key respects President Trump’s budget legislation represents a huge Christmas gift to legacy automakers. Although it may take time to better understand the many ramifications of a bill that stretches more than 900 pages, […]

Mercedes-Benz 300TD wagon
Design Notes

Mercedes-Benz W123: Back when form really did follow function

July 2, 2025 Steve 4

(EXPANDED FROM 5/26/2023) A comment by Fratzog spurred me to expand on this story about the Mercedes-Benz W123, which to my mind is the brand’s most iconic model. I get that this may be a […]

Links

Are Internet sources of auto history information getting better or worse?

July 1, 2025 Steve 2

It’s been a while since we checked in on Internet sources of automotive product information, so let’s take a look under the hood. Which websites are the most useful? And where could they improve? I […]

1972 Buick Electra 225 2-door hardtop
Data Dive

Trajectory of top-end Buicks shows GM’s postwar strengths and weaknesses

June 30, 2025 Steve 6

(EXPANDED FROM 12/15/2023) I don’t think one can fully understand why the 1963-65 Buick Riviera wasn’t as successful as commonly argued in automotive histories without considering its relationship to the Electra 225. So let’s do […]

Pacific NW camper vehicles
Photo Essay

Pacific Northwesterners can be quite eclectic in how they like to camp

June 29, 2025 Steve 2

When I moved to Ohio many years ago to enter a doctoral program, I camped out for a few days until I found a place to rent. When I mentioned that to a fellow student […]

The Thinker sculpture
Quotes

H. Donald Capps: Severe case of ‘autophobia’ permeates academia

June 28, 2025 Steve 9

Do you ever wonder why American automotive history can have such a dumbed-down quality? I would argue that a big reason why is that the subject has never gained much traction in the scholarly realm. […]

1977 Pontiac Firebird Trans Am front quarter
Media Analysis

Does a decline in car design — and car culture — mirror a decline in America?

June 27, 2025 Steve 3

American car-buff media tend to talk down to their readers to the point where I sometimes wonder whether editors — or at least their overseers on the business side — think we’re just a bunch […]

1967 Rambler Rebel SST convertible
History

Would AMC have done better if George Romney had stayed longer?

June 26, 2025 Steve 26

(EXPANDED FROM 6/11/2021) The comment thread in the previous post about George Romney (go here) has generated a robust discussion that deserves a substantive response. I thought the best way to do so would be […]

George Romney
Multimedia

George Romney talked about why he gambled on the Rambler

June 25, 2025 Steve 5

(EXPANDED FROM 5/31/2023) Joe Ligo’s six-part AMC series has completed its run on the Public Broadcasting Service and is now posted at AutoMoments on YouTube (go here). Documentaries such as this one can provide a […]

1969 International pickup
Design Notes

1969 International was too little, too late to save brand’s big-truck ambitions

June 24, 2025 Steve 4

(EXPANDED FROM 5/12/2023) This post has received a burst of new attention, so I thought it would be a good time to expand it. I have argued what may not be very popular with fans […]

Posts pagination

« 1 … 14 15 16 … 35 »
  • Ward Packard
    James Ward offers more nuanced take on Packard’s fall than other auto histories
    July 23, 2026 35
  • Budd XR-400
    The XR-400 wouldn’t have ‘saved’ AMC but it pointed in a useful direction
    July 22, 2026 6
  • 1965 Studebaker Cruiser proposal
    Car Life speculates about why Studebaker shut down its South Bend plant
    July 17, 2026 9
  • 1956 Lincoln
    The 1956 Lincoln’s styling proved to be a one-year wonder
    July 17, 2026 18
  • 1975 Mercedes-Benz 450 SL
    1975 Mercedes-Benz 450 SL lacked the taut brilliance of its predecessor
    July 14, 2026 10
  • 1988 Oldsmobile Toronado
    Did GM go too far in downsizing the 1986 Riviera, Toronado and Eldorado?
    July 10, 2026 16
  • 1968 Pontiac Firebird green convertible
    1967-72 Pontiac Firebird shows limits of ad illustrations
    July 7, 2026 10
  • 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
Society of Automotive Historian award to Indie Auto

Recent Comments

  • Kowalski on 1975 Mercedes-Benz 450 SL lacked the taut brilliance of its predecessor
  • Kowalski on 1975 Mercedes-Benz 450 SL lacked the taut brilliance of its predecessor
  • Geeber on 1975 Mercedes-Benz 450 SL lacked the taut brilliance of its predecessor
  • Stéphane Dumas on Car Life speculates about why Studebaker shut down its South Bend plant
  • Randerson on 1975 Mercedes-Benz 450 SL lacked the taut brilliance of its predecessor
  • Eric on Adam Wade’s top-10 ugliest ‘classic’ cars list is decidedly quirky
  • josh on Car Life speculates about why Studebaker shut down its South Bend plant
  • Geeber on Car Life speculates about why Studebaker shut down its South Bend plant
  • John Sutter on Miscellaneous ramblings about being on the road
  • Steve on 1975 Mercedes-Benz 450 SL lacked the taut brilliance of its predecessor
  • Steve on Adam Wade’s top-10 ugliest ‘classic’ cars list is decidedly quirky
  • stewdi on Adam Wade’s top-10 ugliest ‘classic’ cars list is decidedly quirky
  • Kowalski on 1975 Mercedes-Benz 450 SL lacked the taut brilliance of its predecessor
  • kim in lanark on Car Life speculates about why Studebaker shut down its South Bend plant
  • Mike in IA on The 1956 Lincoln’s styling proved to be a one-year wonder

Archives

Categories

Tags

1930s 1940s 1950s 1960s 1970s 1980s 1990s 2000s 2010s 2020s American Motors Auto culture Auto history media Auto media Automotive News Automotive Views Business strategies Chevrolet Compact cars Curbside Classic Design Design excesses Dodge Electric vehicles Engineering Fake advertising Ford Ford Motor Co. Full-sized cars General Motors Journalism standards Luxury cars Management culture Marketing Mid-sized cars Parody Patrick R. Foster Plymouth Premium-priced cars Public policies Rambler Reader comments Richard M. Langworth Stellantis Studebaker
Follow Us
  • Facebook
  • RSS Feed
Search
Archives
Categories
Help keep the lights on
Quinault at night

Copyright © 2022 Olympia, Earth Media, LLC | All rights reserved