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Home2026

Year: 2026

Budd XR-400
Fake Design

The XR-400 wouldn’t have ‘saved’ AMC but it pointed in a useful direction

July 22, 2026 Steve 6

(EXPANDED FROM 7/7/2023) A while back Stéphane Dumas quite rightly noted that another alternative to the 1964 Rambler Tarpon concept car was the XR-400. This was a 2+2 convertible proposed to American Motors in 1962 […]

1965 Studebaker Cruiser proposal
Links

Car Life speculates about why Studebaker shut down its South Bend plant

July 17, 2026 Steve 9

(UPDATED FROM 11/24, 2023) A March 1964 Car Life article offers a fascinating take on why Studebaker shifted production from its South Bend main plant to a much smaller one in Hamilton, Ontario — which […]

1956 Lincoln
Design Notes

The 1956 Lincoln’s styling proved to be a one-year wonder

July 17, 2026 Steve 19

(UPDATED FROM 1/6/2023) The 1956 Lincoln was one of the brand’s most-important postwar cars. Almost 54,000 cars left the factory — an all-time record not broken until 1966. The Ford Motor Company was clearly intending […]

1975 Mercedes-Benz 450 SL
Gallery

1975 Mercedes-Benz 450 SL lacked the taut brilliance of its predecessor

July 14, 2026 Steve 10

(UPDATED FROM 7/17/2024) A few years ago I came across a 1975 Mercedes-Benz SL. In all honesty, I wasn’t nearly as enthused as when I photographed a previous-generation W113 model, with its iconic “pagoda” roof. […]

J. 'Kelly' Flory Jr.
Readings

J. ‘Kelly’ Flory Jr.’s American Cars series is pricey but valuable

July 10, 2026 Steve 4

(UPDATED FROM 4/18/2024) The most valuable books I have bought in recent years have been J. “Kelly” Flory Jr.’s American Cars reference guides. This multi-volume set provides wide-ranging information on U.S.-made cars during the postwar […]

1988 Oldsmobile Toronado
History

Did GM go too far in downsizing the 1986 Riviera, Toronado and Eldorado?

July 10, 2026 Steve 16

(UPDATED FROM 7/1/2024) General Motors has been criticized for going too far in downsizing its 1986 E-body personal coupes, which included the Buick Riviera, Oldsmobile Toronado and Cadillac Eldorado. Sales fell off a cliff, but […]

Parody ads about the auto industry and media
Our Sponsors

Trending Books: The amazing story of an American legend

July 10, 2026 Steve 0
1968 Pontiac Firebird green convertible
Literature

1967-72 Pontiac Firebird shows limits of ad illustrations

July 7, 2026 Steve 10

(UPDATED FROM 78/2024/ Art Fitzpatrick and Van Kaufman’s artwork in Pontiac’s advertising played an important role in the brand’s  popularity during the 1960s. Others have done a thorough job of showcasing the team’s most iconic […]

1969 Mercury Cyclone
Links

Motorcade magazine’s ‘sneak peek’ of the 1969 models made up a whole lot of stuff

July 3, 2026 Steve 0

(UPDATED FROM 4/17/2024) Motorcade is among the more obscure magazines included in the Automotive History Preservation Society’s archives. A preview of the 1969 models may hint at why the magazine apparently did not survive the […]

2026 Toyota Highlander
Design Notes

Yes, but WHY do today’s automobiles look so similar?

July 2, 2026 Steve 10

(UPDATED FROM 7/26/2021) A few years ago Peter DeLorenzo (2021) argued that the auto industry had “reached the nadir of design. And it isn’t pretty.” The big reason why: Cars look so blandly similar that […]

Posts pagination

« 1 2 3 4 … 13 »
  • 1972 Lincoln Continental Mark IV
    Is David Kiley right that Ford should replace Lincoln with a new brand?
    September 2, 2026 17
  • 1972 Buick Skylark Custom grille
    1972 Buick Skylark Custom represented the end of an era
    September 1, 2026 5
  • 1959 Ford Thunderbird
    1959 Ford Thunderbird was a gimmicky but hugely important car
    August 26, 2026 12
  • Compact cars became the neglected stepchildren of U.S. automakers
    August 21, 2026 21
  • 1980 AMC brochure cover with picture of American Center building
    AMC’s Roy D. Chapin Jr. succumbed to the illusion of bigness
    August 19, 2026 2
  • 1980 Ford Thunderbird and 1956 model
    Ford’s design talent in the 1970s wasn’t enough to halt a dramatic slide in sales
    August 14, 2026 13
  • 1973 Buick Riviera
    Why wasn’t the 1971 ‘boat-tail’ Buick Riviera shrunk to compact size?
    August 14, 2026 24
  • 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
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