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HomeDrive-By Musings

Drive-By Musings

1980 Ford Thunderbird and 1956 model
Drive-By Musings

Ford’s design talent in the 1970s wasn’t enough to halt a dramatic slide in sales

August 14, 2026 Steve 13

Recently a retired Ford designer stopped by to offer a response to our story, “How 1960s car design reflected the good old (boy) days.”  “I started my career at Ford styling in 1960. Retired in […]

1977 Pontiac Phantom
Drive-By Musings

The good and bad of William Mitchell’s 1977 Pontiac Phantom

May 2, 2026 Steve 16

(EXPANDED FROM 12/18/2020) Indie Auto’s internet connection is finally working, so let’s take another look at William Mitchell’s swan song, the 1977 Pontiac Phantom. I must admit to feeling ambivalent about this concept car. Although […]

Drive-By Musings

Why the 1968-69 Javelin was not Richard Teague’s best AMC sporty coupe

April 6, 2026 Steve 9

In a comment thread to a recent story we have debated whether the original Javelin was Richard Teague’s best sporty coupe design. I would like to flesh out my rationale for why it wasn’t. This […]

2026 GMC Yukon 4T4
Drive-By Musings

If you could have foreseen the future in high school, would today’s cars surprise you?

March 31, 2026 Steve 16

(EXPANDED FROM 11/1/2023) When this query was originally posted more than two years ago it elicited a fascinating range of responses. I have thus wondered if the passage of time might spur additional thoughts by […]

1982 Cadillac Cimarron
Drive-By Musings

How might GM have better adapted its hierarchy of brands to changing times?

March 25, 2026 Steve 15

Michael Karesh (2026) stopped by to comment on our review of Thomas Bonsall’s book about the Edsel. I think that Karesh makes an important point about General Motors’ handling of its passenger-car brands. Thus, I […]

1976 Plymouth Volare 2-door coupe
Drive-By Musings

Splashy new cars often were the biggest disasters during the postwar period

March 3, 2026 Steve 5

One of the biggest assumptions of U.S. automakers in the postwar period was that they desperately needed splashy new cars. Yet when I think about the biggest disasters of that era, they often involved expensive […]

Drive-By Musings

What is the quintessential automotive history book?

February 10, 2026 Steve 4

Karl Ludvigsen (2026) stopped by to “humbly put forward” his book, Porsche: Excellence Was Expected, as the “quintessence of an auto history.” In a comment, he noted that the book first came out “in 1978 […]

1950 Nash Rambler hood ornament
Drive-By Musings

Was the 1950-55 Rambler the biggest category buster of the postwar era?

January 28, 2026 Steve 8

A recent discussion by Kim and Geeber in a comment thread got me wondering whether the 1950-55 Rambler was the biggest category buster of the postwar era. Why would I consider that possibility? The Nash […]

Oldsmobile's ads were more innovative than the cars
Drive-By Musings

Dr. Oldsmobile stops by to complain about improper nomenclature

December 2, 2025 Steve 5

“Dr. Oldsmobile” stopped by to complain about nomenclature used in the story, “Road Test columnist attacks Motor Trend for Car of Year awards to Pontiac.” The good doctor asked: “Who calls a 4-4-2 a Cutlass […]

1983 Ford Thunderbird
Drive-By Musings

What were Detroit’s top-five most iconic vehicle designs from 1980-2000?

October 31, 2025 Steve 11

(EXPANDED FROM 1/2/2024) A few years ago Michael Karesh (2023) of TrueDelta asked, “Which cars (model and year) from the Detroit Three since 1980 do you feel qualify as design icons?” I would invite you […]

Posts pagination

1 2 … 5 »
  • 1972 Lincoln Continental Mark IV
    Is David Kiley right that Ford should replace Lincoln with a new brand?
    September 2, 2026 8
  • 1972 Buick Skylark Custom grille
    1972 Buick Skylark Custom represented the end of an era
    September 1, 2026 4
  • 1959 Ford Thunderbird
    1959 Ford Thunderbird was a gimmicky but hugely important car
    August 26, 2026 11
  • 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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