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Home2025

Year: 2025

1979 Pontiac Firebird TransAm
Drive-By Musings

What were the five most successful postwar facelifts among US cars?

February 25, 2025 Steve 9

In the “Story Ideas Bank” Stewdi offered a topic that got me thinking: What are the most successful facelifts of all time? The power was out at Indie Auto’s world headquarters for most of the […]

Current Events

Which EV startups will succeed in crossing the ‘Valley of Death’?

February 24, 2025 Steve 0

One of the biggest questions about the electric-vehicle market in the United States is how many startups will survive. This is partly because of the Trump administration’s antagonistic attitude toward EVs, but over the last […]

Parody ads about the auto industry and media
Our Sponsors

Automaker gets creative in appealing to EV-skeptical demographics

February 23, 2025 Steve 0
Skagit Valley sunrise
Random Shots

Sunrise over a country road evokes a classic 1923 Jordan ad

February 23, 2025 Steve 6

The car-buff media is so oriented toward the gear that it tends to neglect one of the biggest reasons people drive automobiles — to go somewhere interesting. We could talk about that in scholarly terms. […]

1957 Ford Skyliner
Quotes

How a ‘cockamamie’ corporate structure resulted in the 1957 Ford

February 22, 2025 Steve 11

Former Ford Motor Company executive Donald Frey explained to David Crippen (1986) why he thought that the automaker’s “cockamamie” decision-making structure led to major quality-control problems with the 1957 Ford. “As it turned out, preceding […]

Charles K. Hyde Chrysler
Readings

Charles K. Hyde wrote a useful but superficial history of the Chrysler Corp.

February 21, 2025 Steve 5

I am ambivalent about Charles K. Hyde’s book, Riding the Roller Coaster: A History of the Chrysler Corporation. The American automotive history field desperately needs more scholarly books, and Hyde is a relatively rare academic […]

1961 Dodge Polara 4-door hardtop
Data Dive

Chrysler’s collapse in premium-priced field was a bigger deal than Edsel’s

February 20, 2025 Steve 13

(EXPANDED FROM 6/23/2023) A while back Indie Auto reader Geeber asked about what happened to Chrysler Corporation’s market share in the premium-priced field after Dodge went downmarket in 1960. He was referring to a major […]

1971 Plymouth Dusters
Letters to the Editor

Peter Wilding: With power comes the need for control

February 19, 2025 Steve 1

Peter Wilding had technical problems posting a comment so I’m running it as a stand-alone letter to the editor. If you experience a similar issue, send your comment here. Know that I rarely withdraw a […]

1972 Chevrolet Vega
History

US automakers made vain promises in early-1970s to beat back imports

February 18, 2025 Steve 3

In response to soaring import sales in the early-1970s, US automakers made brave promises of a counterattack. In retrospect, many of those promises sound decidedly hollow. For example, in the wake of a critical review […]

Roy D. Chapin Jr.
Links

Roy D. Chapin Jr. oral history showed little self awareness about AMC tenure

February 17, 2025 Steve 1

Roy D. Chapin Jr. showed little self awareness when recounting his tenure as head of AMC from 1967-77. He participated in an oral history project sponsored by the Henry Ford museum. The Automobile in American […]

Posts pagination

« 1 … 28 29 30 … 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

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