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HomeData Dive

Data Dive

1980 Pontiac Phoenix 5-door hatch
Data Dive

Bigger didn’t prove to be better for General Motors in late-70s and 80s

February 23, 2024 Steve 35

(EXPANDED FROM 12/30/2022) A few years ago we had a debate in a comment thread about the importance of scale in the U.S. auto industry (go here). I thought I would add another layer to […]

Data Dive

U.S. auto industry challenged by dramatic societal changes in postwar era

January 26, 2024 Steve 3

Constant Reader suggested in the “Story Ideas Bank” the following scenario: “You’re 25 & just bought your first new Chevy, at what ages and which models would be your moves up the Sloan Ladder?” That […]

Data Dive

Did 1964 Ramblers share more parts between size classes than competitors?

December 31, 2023 Steve 0

FS stopped by Indie Auto to complain that our article on the 1963 Rambler Classic was “poorly researched.” He proceeded to offer his take: “The new for 64 Americans shared a lot with the 63-64 […]

1968 Ford Thunderbird
Data Dive

1958-76 Thunderbird: The rise and fall of the Ford that shook up GM

November 17, 2023 Steve 6

(EXPANDED FROM 10/1/2021) The four-seater Thunderbird was a surprisingly pivotal car for the Ford Motor Company during the postwar period. The T-Bird showed that the No. 2 automaker could better compete against mighty General Motors if it pioneered new […]

1967 Oldsmobile Delta 88 Custom
Data Dive

Langworth and Norbye made excuses for General Motors’ big-car fixation

February 27, 2023 Steve 4

While updating our 1971-78 Cadillac Eldorado story, I pulled down from my bookshelf The Complete History of General Motors: 1908-1986. This Consumer Guide book written by Richard M. Langworth and Jan P. Norbye (1986) threw […]

1975 Cadillac Eldorado
Data Dive

CO2 emissions: Automakers still partying like it’s 1975

September 1, 2019 Steve 0

The U.S. automobile industry has shown admirable ingenuity in developing new technologies to reduce the greenhouse gases produced by its cars and trucks. The problem is that a religious devotion to bigger, glitzier and more […]

Fiat 500 headlight
Data Dive

Are boutique brands worth the trouble?

February 1, 2019 Steve 2

When Volkswagen decided to discontinue its “new” Beetle, it did not have to deal with logistical issues such as remodeling showrooms like Toyota had to do when the Scion brand was phased out. That’s because […]

2018 Toyota Camry
Data Dive

Is the mid-sized sedan in a ‘breathtaking’ decline?

July 13, 2018 Steve 0

A Ford executive recently told Automotive News that the Fusion sedan’s forthcoming discontinuance was the result of a “breathtaking” decline in the mid-sized sedan segment that has “accelerated over the past couple years” (Martinez, 2018). In […]

Posts pagination

« 1 … 4 5
  • 1967 Oldsmobile Cutlass Supreme
    Was the 1966 Olds Cutlass Supreme the first mid-sized brougham model?
    March 5, 2026 21
  • 1976 Plymouth Volare 2-door coupe
    Splashy new cars often were the biggest disasters during the postwar period
    March 3, 2026 1
  • Reader questions Chrysler’s future as it passes 100th anniversary
    March 2, 2026 12
  • 1968 Chevrolet C10 pickup
    Was the 1967-68 Chevrolet C10 the ‘first modern pickup’?
    February 27, 2026 7
  • 1941 Studebaker Commander 2-door coupe
    1941 Studebaker Commander: Ending its big cars on a high note
    February 26, 2026 11
  • 1961 De Soto
    Video histories of DeSoto and American Motors aren’t as good as books
    February 24, 2026 3
  • 1956 Studebaker Golden Hawk front with hood open
    Four lingering questions about Aaron Severson’s take on the 1956 Studebaker Golden Hawk
    February 20, 2026 6
  • Thank yous, power outages and format changes
    October 31, 2025 0
  • 1956 Buick hood scoop
    Readers brainstorm ideas for future Indie Auto stories
    October 14, 2022 134
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