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Home1950s

1950s

1953 Plymouth
History

Historians fuzzy on Exner’s impact on 1953-54 Plymouths

February 7, 2024 Steve 5

(EXPANDED FROM 8/16/2021) Did Virgil Exner have any involvement with the 1953-54 Plymouth’s design? Automotive historians have tended to either dance around that question or offer varying — or even contradictory — information. As a […]

Parody ads about the auto industry and media
Our Sponsors

The hot new book on cars and the American male

January 29, 2024 Steve 3
Links

The question of whether size matters when it comes to auto safety has a long history

January 24, 2024 Steve 2

The argument that big vehicles are safer than small ones has been floating around since imports first made inroads in the U.S. during the late-1950s. For example, in 1958 Road & Track magazine quoted the […]

Robert McNamara upside down
Drive-By Musings

Should the Automotive Hall of Fame present accurate information about its inductees?

January 17, 2024 Steve 2

The Automotive Hall of Fame has a fancy website, a big building and lots of very important people on its board of directors. Yet its explanation for why Robert S. McNamara was inducted has surprisingly […]

1950 Studebaker Champion convertible
Satire

1950-51 Studebaker was ‘pinnacle of postwar styling’ that could have saved automaker

January 8, 2024 Steve 13

Now that The Truth About Cars is publishing stories developed with artificial intelligence, Indie Auto has no choice but to keep up with the competition. We have thus created a new feature called “The AI […]

1956 Hudson
Media Analysis

Curbside Classic commentators tease out undiscussed aspects of 1950s independents

January 4, 2024 Steve 5

One of the best parts of Curbside Classic is the comment section. For example, a story about the 1961 Studebaker Lark had a wide-ranging discussion about why why American Motors did better than Studebaker-Packard in […]

1954 Hudson Hornet Hollywood hardtop
Design Notes

One of Hudson’s fatal mistakes was the 1951-54 Hollywood hardtop

December 20, 2023 Steve 9

(EXPANDED FROM 5/31/2021) A few years ago I stumbled across the Hudson Motor Car Fan Club. Its Facebook page didn’t offer much historical analysis but did have some cool photographs. I was particularly taken by […]

1965 Studebaker Cruiser proposal
Links

Car Life speculates about why Studebaker shut down its South Bend plant

November 24, 2023 Steve 5

A March 1964 Car Life article offers a fascinating take on why Studebaker shifted production from its South Bend main plant to a much smaller one in Hamilton, Ontario — which turned the brand into […]

1961 Imperials
Design Notes

1961-63 Imperial: Ode to Virgil Exner’s neo-classical excesses

November 22, 2023 Steve 3

(EXPANDED FROM 3/19/2021) Virgil Exner was a champion of neo-classical styling throughout his career. His best designs were arguably a handful of 1950s Chrysler show cars but his most influential work didn’t come until later. […]

2024 Cadillac Lyriq
Current Events

Would William Mitchell have cared if auto-accident repair became too costly?

October 24, 2023 Steve 14

Peter DeLorenzo (2023) continues to insist that design is the “Ultimate Initial Product Differentiator” in the American automobile market. Among “mainstream” vehicles he singles out the Cadillac Lyriq for bringing “high-concept executions to the street.” […]

Posts pagination

« 1 … 19 20 21 … 35 »
  • 2006-7 Dodge Charger
    2006-2010 Dodge Charger: A cartoonish attempt at rip-roaring nostalgia
    June 5, 2026 4
  • 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 13
  • 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
  • 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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