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Home1980s

1980s

1981 Cadillac
Quotes

Maryann Keller: GM’s postwar dominance lulled it into a false sense of security

October 9, 2023 Steve 6

“During the 1960s and 1970s GM was lulled into a false sense of security by its dominance of the market. There was certainly a bottom-line mentality, but this mentality dictated that additional costs be passed […]

1981 Pontiac Firebird Trans Am
Ad Nauseam

DeBest ad for the 1981 Pontiac Trans Am that was never printed

July 17, 2023 Steve 1

Pete DeBest thought he had it made. He followed his dad into the car business by landing a gig at Pontiac’s ad agency as a copy writer. Things went great at first. For example, one […]

Parody ads about the auto industry and media
Our Sponsors

Collectible Cars: Another head-scratching ‘This or that?’

June 29, 2023 Steve 0
1976 AMC Pacer and Chevy Nova
Media Analysis

Automotive News treats Gerald C. Meyers’ tenure at AMC with kid gloves

June 28, 2023 Steve 10

Automotive News’ obituary of Gerald C. Meyer treated his tenure at American Motors with kid gloves. Meyers died on June 19 at the age of 94. Presenting a largely upbeat narrative would make sense if […]

1980 Chevrolet Citation ad
Letters to the Editor

General Motors lost styling leadership in early-80s in ‘a morass of boxiness’

June 15, 2023 Steve 10

At the risk of disrupting an active comment thread, I would like to elevate to the front page a response by Peter Wilding to our story, “U.S. cars often suffered from weak styling continuity and […]

1954 Chevy abandoned in Quinault garage 6.8.23
Random Shots

An automotive time machine with an open door

June 8, 2023 Steve 9

Since I began visiting Lake Quinault in the mid-1980s, I have noticed this 1953 Chevrolet sitting in a garage. The garage’s door has always been open and the Chevy has not appeared to have been […]

Parody ads about the auto industry and media
Our Sponsors

Trending Books: The man with the widest vision of all

June 6, 2023 Steve 0
Six Men Who Built the Modern Auto Industry
Readings

Richard Johnson showed what can happen when a journalist does auto history

May 18, 2023 Steve 2

(UPDATED FROM 2/19/2021) Histories written by practicing automotive journalists are usually engaging reads with lots of behind-the-scenes anecdotes. However, they can also be analytically superficial and grounded more in access than accountability journalism. In other […]

1962 Volkswagen Beetle
Current Events

What should a simple modern car look like?

April 14, 2023 Steve 22

(EXPANDED FROM 3/1/2020) Once upon a time a Truth About Cars commentator lauded the simplicity of the then-new Jeep Renegade. “Well, I for one am yearning for a simpler time, and this vehicle suggests that,” […]

1983 Ford Thunderbird
Media Analysis

How accurate were Popular Mechanics’ predictions about 1980s cars?

March 16, 2023 Steve 3

For its September 1975 issue, Popular Mechanics’ Detroit Editor Robert Lund asked executives from each of the Big Four U.S. automakers to predict what cars would be like in the decade ahead. Lund started off […]

Posts pagination

« 1 … 7 8 9 … 15 »
  • Why did American Motors fire Wells Rich and Greene in 1972?
    March 6, 2026 6
  • 1967 Oldsmobile Cutlass Supreme
    Was the 1966 Olds Cutlass Supreme the first mid-sized brougham model?
    March 5, 2026 21
  • 1976 Plymouth Volare 2-door coupe
    Splashy new cars often were the biggest disasters during the postwar period
    March 3, 2026 1
  • Reader questions Chrysler’s future as it passes 100th anniversary
    March 2, 2026 13
  • 1968 Chevrolet C10 pickup
    Was the 1967-68 Chevrolet C10 the ‘first modern pickup’?
    February 27, 2026 7
  • 1941 Studebaker Commander 2-door coupe
    1941 Studebaker Commander: Ending its big cars on a high note
    February 26, 2026 11
  • 1956 Studebaker Golden Hawk front with hood open
    Four lingering questions about Aaron Severson’s take on the 1956 Studebaker Golden Hawk
    February 20, 2026 6
  • Thank yous, power outages and format changes
    October 31, 2025 0
  • 1956 Buick hood scoop
    Readers brainstorm ideas for future Indie Auto stories
    October 14, 2022 134
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