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HomeMedia Analysis

Media Analysis

Washington Capitol WWI statue at dusk
Media Analysis

What is Automotive News’ next step after tariff bill defeat?

May 1, 2025 Steve 0

Yesterday the U.S. Senate defeated a bill championed by Automotive News that would have reined in President Donald Trump’s tariffs. If we are being reality based, that bill had zero likelihood of getting passed into […]

No Picture
Media Analysis

Does Automotive News have a realistic plan for fighting Trump’s tariffs?

April 17, 2025 Steve 1

Automotive News (2025) recently displayed an eye-opening strategy when endorsing a U.S. Senate bill that would strengthen Congress’s role in overseeing the president’s tariff policies. For one thing, the unsigned editorial emphasized in the headline […]

2025 Chevrolet Silverado
Media Analysis

Automotive News does a poor job of assessing U.S. traffic death growth

April 10, 2025 Steve 0

In celebration of its 100-year anniversary, Automotive News has been running a series of news articles that “honor our legacy by connecting topics of today with our historical coverage as we look ahead to the […]

1966 AMC Ambassador DPL
Media Analysis

Motor Trend’s take on AMC’s decline shows limitations of auto punditry

March 13, 2025 Steve 3

The May 1966 issue of Motor Trend included an unusually long article about the woes of American Motors. The piece was written by Editor Donald Mac Donald, so presumably it displayed the magazine’s most sophisticated […]

1956 Chevrolet
Media Analysis

Why does knowledge advance sooo slowly in the U.S. auto history field?

March 6, 2025 Steve 0

Indie Auto has previously explored this question, but I would like to offer some updated and expanded thoughts. The basic problem is that the U.S. auto history field all too often feels like it was […]

1965 Chevrolet Corvair
Media Analysis

Why hasn’t Consumer Guide Automotive fixed a discredited anti-Nader rant?

February 4, 2025 Steve 4

(EXPANDED FROM 11/1/2019) One way auto history websites can squeeze more profits from their content is to endlessly repost stories. That’s not a bad thing if the information is accurate, but it strikes me as […]

Media Analysis

How to deal with rumors about struggling automotive media outlets?

January 25, 2025 Steve 2

Indie Auto has recently received two comments stating that another auto media outlet “is in debt and may go under in 2025.” That would be meaningful news if it proved to be true, but the […]

2024 Tesla Cybertruck
Media Analysis

Automotive News gets surprisingly negative on Tesla Cybertruck

January 16, 2025 Steve 2

Automotive News isn’t noted for tough-minded journalism, so I was surprised by the negative tone of a recent Tesla Cybertruck story. It started with the provocative headline: “Cyberflop? Tesla discounts Cybertruck as demand cools for […]

1974 AMC Matador coupes
Media Analysis

Bob Nixon interview left questions about 1974 AMC Matador and 1965 Marlin

December 26, 2024 Steve 0

(EXPANDED FROM 10/4/2014) We have previously critiqued American Motors designer Bob Nixon’s recollections about the Pacer (go here). Now let’s discuss his take on the 1974 Matador and 1965 Marlin. This portion of his Collectible […]

Oldsmobile's ads were more innovative than the cars
Media Analysis

Did Oldsmobile revolutionize the car industry?

December 17, 2024 Steve 21

(EXPANDED FROM 10/31/2022) The automotive media tends to treat orphaned American brands with extra enthusiastic pom-pom waving. An example of the genre is Mark J. McCourt’s (2020) Hemmings article about Oldsmobile. He breathlessly insisted that […]

Posts pagination

« 1 2 3 4 … 13 »
  • 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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