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Home2026

Year: 2026

Readings

Langworth’s Kaiser-Frazer book still represents gold standard of auto histories

January 27, 2026 Steve 8

(EXPANDED FROM 5/7/2021) I only needed to quickly double-check a fact when I reached for Richard Langworth’s book, Kaiser-Frazer: The Last Onslaught on Detroit. A few hours later I finally pulled myself away from it. […]

Hudson-Willys merger idea
Media Analysis

Patrick Foster’s idea of a Hudson-Willys merger still raises major questions

January 23, 2026 Steve 7

(EXPANDED FROM 10/17/2023) A few years ago Patrick Foster (2023) suggested in a Hemmings column why a marriage of Hudson and Willys could have made sense. More recently he updated his essay, so I was […]

Current Events

Ford executives try to get close to Trump despite policy differences

January 21, 2026 Steve 10

Ford Motor Company executives stood by quietly as President Donald Trump recently argued that the U.S. doesn’t need cars from Canada and Mexico (Fox 29 Philadelphia; 2026). Later Ford CEO Jim Farley lauded the administration […]

1969 Toyota Corona 4-door sedan
Links

Car and Driver road test of 1966 Toyota Corona anticipates Japanese ascendancy

January 20, 2026 Steve 18

(UPDATED FROM 1/3/2024) A July 1966 Car and Driver road test of the Toyota Corona insisted that if this car was “typical of what the Japanese automobile industry is producing, European manufacturers deserve to lose […]

1970 Buick Riviera
Design Notes

The 11 worst single-year redesigns of postwar American cars

January 16, 2026 Steve 36

(EXPANDED FROM 7/14/2023) I grant you that top-whatever rankings can be clickbaity, but I decided to do this story for a specific reason. In the postwar years Detroit tended to assume that rapid-fire restylings were […]

Olympia parking lot
Media Analysis

How should we view automotive writers who have attacked emissions regs?

January 15, 2026 Steve 2

Aaron Severson (2025) recently criticized a number of automotive writers for attacking emissions regulations. This got me thinking about how we should view these writers — who are often considered some of the leading lights […]

1964 Dodge Dart GT convertible
History

1963-66 Dodge Dart was arguably as important as the Ford Mustang

January 13, 2026 Steve 7

(EXPANDED FROM 10/26/2023) One of the most underrated cars of the 1960s was the 1963-66 Dodge Dart. This “family” compact anticipated the size of the contemporary family sedan during a time when the American auto […]

Parody ads about the auto industry and media
Our Sponsors

Stellantis to add high-end Jeep with 1,050 hp to revive brand’s falling sales

January 12, 2026 Steve 0
1975 AMC Pacer
The Best of Indie Auto

Seven mistakes that killed the AMC Pacer — and American Motors

January 9, 2026 Steve 45

(EXPANDED FROM 9/8/2023) The 1975-80 AMC Pacer may have been a memorable car, but it was also a key factor in American Motors’ demise as an independent automaker. What’s particularly tragic is that the Pacer’s […]

Readings

Robert Ebert’s book on Studebaker head Harold Churchill shows value of a narrow focus

January 6, 2026 Steve 9

(EXPANDED FROM 7/24/2020) Robert R. Ebert’s book about Studebaker head Harold Churchill is a good example of what we need more of in the auto history field — a scholarly treatment that is narrowly focused […]

Posts pagination

« 1 … 13 14 15 »
  • 1970ish Porsche 914
    Porsche 914 reflected an interesting theory that didn’t work as well in practice
    October 31, 2026 8
  • 2026 GMC Canyon
    The future of auto production capacity, affordable sedans and the Buzz 2.0
    October 27, 2026 8
  • 1955 Nash
    Would American Motors under George Mason have done more poorly in the late-50s?
    October 23, 2026 5
  • 2008 Nissan Titan
    What do automakers refuse to offer that car buyers actually want?
    October 21, 2026 16
  • 1962 Ford Galaxie 500
    Did the 1960-64 big Ford sell so poorly because of cannibalization?
    October 16, 2026 37
  • 1969 Ford Thunderbird 4-door Landau
    Was 1969 the beginning of the end for the Ford Thunderbird four-door Landau?
    October 14, 2026 9
  • 2026 Ram pickups
    A pyrrhic regulatory rollback and how poorly the 1978 Matador coupe sold
    October 2, 2026 12
  • 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 146
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Recent Comments

  • Constant Reader on Porsche 914 reflected an interesting theory that didn’t work as well in practice
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  • Scampman on What do automakers refuse to offer that car buyers actually want?
  • Philco Ford on What do automakers refuse to offer that car buyers actually want?
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  • Steve on The future of auto production capacity, affordable sedans and the Buzz 2.0
  • Scampman on The future of auto production capacity, affordable sedans and the Buzz 2.0
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