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2000s
Design Notes
BMW’s 7 Series ‘Bangle butt’ helped legitimize weird styling
(EXPANDED FROM 3/5/2021) In the comments we’ve recently talked about Chris Bangle, so I thought I would expand a story I had written a few years ago about one of the most controversial designs that […]
Letters to the Editor
Owner of a 2007 Dodge Charger calls comments about the car ‘not in line’
Hawk stopped by to respond to our story, “2006-2010 Dodge Charger: A cartoonish attempt at rip-roaring nostalgia.” I own a 2007 Dodge Charger R/T and have enjoyed many positive comments on it. This all-black beauty […]
Links
The question of whether size matters when it comes to auto safety has a long history
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 […]
Media Analysis
Is Ate Up With Motor the ‘canary in the mineshaft’ for auto history media?
Right before Christmas Aaron Severson (2023) warned that “the future of Ate Up With Motor is looking quite bleak.” This strikes me as a wake-up call to the automotive history field. Severson is arguably one […]
Letters to the Editor
Why General Motors didn’t realize that Oldsmobile was in trouble
Our “Story Ideas Bank” sometimes morphs into debates about specific historical events. George Denzinger recently weighed in on the death of Oldsmobile. This is a thoughtful analysis so I am elevating it to the front page. […]
Design Notes
2011 Chrysler 300C: The adults finally showed up
(EXPANDED FROM 9/18/2020) The Chrysler 300C’s styling received high praise when the car first came out in 2004. “Bold. Brash. . . . Ballsy,” gushed Motor Trend writer Arthur St. Antoine (2005) in explaining why the […]
Design Notes
2006-2010 Dodge Charger: A cartoonish attempt at rip-roaring nostalgia
The 2006 Dodge Charger’s styling was greeted with mixed reviews when the car was introduced. Perhaps the most pointed criticism came from Car and Driver writer Larry Webster (2005), who stated that its corporate sibling […]
Media Analysis
Review of Thomas Bonsall’s Edsel book mischaracterized Robert McNamara
Indie Auto appreciates when readers give us a heads up about interesting content elsewhere on the web. In a recent comment, John Sutter pointed to an eye-opening review of Thomas E. Bonsall’s (2002) book, Disaster […]
Fake Design
1970 Pontiac Firebird: Time to go on a diet
(EXPANDED FROM 11/26/2021) The 1971-73 Ford Mustang has been criticized for growing too big and fat (e.g., Mueller, 2010). However, Ford didn’t act in isolation. All of the pony cars bloated out when they were […]