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HomeHistory

History

1953 Studebaker Commander 2-door coupe
History

Should Nash have combined with Studebaker rather than Hudson in 1954?

August 19, 2024 Steve 11

Curbside Classic commentator Steve (2018) has argued that Nash-Kelvinator should have combined with Studebaker rather than Hudson for an interesting set of reasons. He effectively follows the advice of Aaron Severson (2024), who recently suggested that […]

History

When should U.S. automakers have begun producing a domestic subcompact?

August 1, 2024 Steve 41

We’ve had a robust discussion about when American automakers should have begun producing a domestic subcompact in the comment thread of “Aaron Severson’s Ford Cardinal story challenges auto history field.” I would like to bring […]

1974 full-sized low-priced cars
History

1974 AMC Ambassador: Was its styling ruined by bumper regs?

July 15, 2024 Steve 7

(EXPANDED FROM 9/11/2020) Readers of Indie Auto can offer feedback either by commenting or by sending a direct message here. A few years ago a reader used the latter route to vigorously defend the looks […]

1988 Oldsmobile Toronado
History

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

July 1, 2024 Steve 12

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 they didn’t recover […]

1948 Hudson rear
History

1948 Hudson ‘step-down’ was a brilliant car with tragic flaws

June 17, 2024 Steve 26

(EXPANDED FROM 2/10/2022) In the early post-war period Hudson came the closest to being an American Mercedes-Benz. The new-for-1948 “step-downs” had engineering advances that most other automakers would not pick up on for years. So […]

1962 Plymouth Sport Fury
History

Defense of Virgil Exner’s 1962 Plymouth doesn’t add up

June 10, 2024 Steve 5

(EXPANDED FROM 4/23/2021) Once in a while a work of automotive history is smacked down by a critic who sanctimoniously points to alleged inaccuracies. Sometimes these kind of critiques are on target (if unduly indignant). […]

History

Why was Wayne Kady’s favorite design the 1971 Cadillac Eldorado?

May 24, 2024 Steve 6

In a recent interview, Wayne Kady was hesitant to name his favorite car design among those he had worked on during a 38-year stint at General Motors, saying that was like picking a favorite child. […]

1953 Hudson hood emblem
History

Would Hudson have been Packard’s best merger partner?

May 15, 2024 Steve 15

(EXPANDED FROM 10/13/2021) A decade ago Curbside Classic commentator Steve (2014) offered one of the more thoughtful merger scenarios for Packard: He concluded that Hudson would have been the best choice. I think that Steve’s […]

1969 an 1977 Plymouth Fury
History

1969-77 Plymouth: Fuselage wasn’t so bad compared to anti-fuselage

May 3, 2024 Steve 13

(EXPANDED FROM 5/13/2022) Ponderous styling of the so-called “fuselage” Plymouths has been pointed to as the biggest reason why sales were smaller than the well-regarded platform it replaced (e.g., auto editors of Consumer Guide, 2022). Output for […]

1955 Nash
History

Would American Motors under George Mason have done more poorly in the late-50s?

April 9, 2024 Steve 3

Kim in Lanark makes a useful point in arguing that if American Motors had “kept the Nash and Hudson nameplates any longer, the AMC executives could drive their 1959 Nashes and Hudsons to bankruptcy court.” […]

Posts pagination

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  • 1950 Nash Rambler hood ornament
    Speedreaders.info is a rare source of book reviews, but quality varies
    June 3, 2026 0
  • 1958 Lincoln
    1958-60 Lincoln: Failing to beat GM at its own game
    June 2, 2026 12
  • 1957 Nash Ambassador
    Three videos: The death of car culture, rich people’s cars and the 1957 Nash
    May 29, 2026 6
  • 1963 Mercury Marauder
    1963 Mercury Marauder: Ford tries to do a premium-priced car on the cheap
    May 27, 2026 11
  • Did 1964 Ramblers share more parts between size classes than competitors?
    May 26, 2026 1
  • 1976 Tatra T-613
    Tatra was yet another automaker that deemphasized aerodynamics by 1970s
    May 22, 2026 12
  • Patrick Foster shows how International Harvester failed to adapt
    May 13, 2026 5
  • 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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