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Home1950s

1950s

1959 Ford Thunderbird
Gallery

1959 Ford Thunderbird was a gimmicky but hugely important car

August 16, 2024 Steve 10

I have never been very attracted to the 1958-60 Ford Thunderbird’s gimmicky styling. However, I still must admit that this is one of the most important cars of the postwar era. And while the T-Bird’s […]

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 […]

1962 Ford Galaxie 500
Data Dive

Did the 1960-64 big Ford sell so poorly because of cannibalization?

July 30, 2024 Steve 16

Aaron Severson (2009) has argued that when Ford added the Falcon and Fairlane in the early-60s, they did well initially but “total sales during that period remained almost flat.” In other words, the brand suffered […]

1955 Hudson
Data Dive

Why did the Nash-based 1955 Hudson sell so poorly?

July 23, 2024 Steve 21

(EXPANDED FROM 1/13/2023) Last year a reader contributed a good question for our “Story Ideas Bank” — Why was the new-for-1955, Nash-based Hudson not successful? After all, the reader noted, the Hudson “had up-to-date and […]

1953 Plymouth
Fake Design

Six myths about the misunderstood 1953-54 Plymouth

July 19, 2024 Steve 20

(EXPANDED FROM 5/20/2022) Let’s take the time to unpack six myths about one of the most misunderstood post-war American cars — the 1953-54 Plymouth. This an important exercise because it brings to light some key […]

1957 Studebaker Silver Hawk
Letters to the Editor

11th-generation Studebaker owner calls his car ‘innovative’ and ‘patriotic’

June 27, 2024 Steve 5

DB stopped by to respond to our article, “The Studebaker Hawk reached its high point in 1957 — and fell rather quickly.” Well, I’m glad you gentleman have it all sorted out now. Whatever the […]

1991 Avanti 4-door touring sedan
Design Notes

1990-91 Avanti four-door sedan points to the road Studebaker could have taken

June 24, 2024 Steve 8

We have had a burst of discussion in a comment thread about the Avanti four-door sedan (go here), so let’s take a quick look at that tragic car. In its dying years Studebaker had developed […]

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 […]

Parody ads about the auto industry and media
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Collectible Cars has some heavenly choices for you!

June 17, 2024 Steve 0
Gallery

The Studebaker Hawk reached its high point in 1957 — and fell rather quickly

June 12, 2024 Steve 14

The Studebaker Hawk arguably reached its peak 1957. This was when it sold the best — almost 20,000 units. This was also Peak Hawk from a styling standpoint. For one shining moment, Studebaker had a […]

Posts pagination

« 1 … 17 18 19 … 35 »
  • 1965 Studebaker Cruiser proposal
    Car Life speculates about why Studebaker shut down its South Bend plant
    July 17, 2026 8
  • 1956 Lincoln
    The 1956 Lincoln’s styling proved to be a one-year wonder
    July 17, 2026 18
  • 1975 Mercedes-Benz 450 SL
    1975 Mercedes-Benz 450 SL lacked the taut brilliance of its predecessor
    July 14, 2026 6
  • 1988 Oldsmobile Toronado
    Did GM go too far in downsizing the 1986 Riviera, Toronado and Eldorado?
    July 10, 2026 16
  • J. 'Kelly' Flory Jr.
    J. ‘Kelly’ Flory Jr.’s American Cars series is pricey but valuable
    July 10, 2026 4
  • 1968 Pontiac Firebird green convertible
    1967-72 Pontiac Firebird shows limits of ad illustrations
    July 7, 2026 10
  • Miscellaneous ramblings about being on the road
    June 25, 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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