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2010s
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
Why I stopped commenting on automotive blogs
(EXPANDED FROM 5/1/2020) Today someone commented on this post, which I wrote more than four years ago. So perhaps it’s time for an update on automotive-blog comment threads. Around 15 years ago I started to […]
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. […]
Media Analysis
Is the auto history reference book a relic of the past?
When I was updating a review of a Standard Catalog I came across two depressing pieces of information. First, that prolific author John Gunnell died in late August (Borgart, 2023). Second, that the company which […]
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 […]
Media Analysis
A nostalgic look back at Rob Moore’s postmodernesque Studebaker history
Curbside Classic has just reposted a story from originally back in April of 2013 that helped to nudge me into launching Indie Auto. The article started off as a photo essay about the Studebaker Sceptre, […]
Design Notes
2019 Acura RDX inspired by Wavy Gravy
(EXPANDED FROM 11/1/2018) When I came upon a 2019 Acura RDX, I was reminded of Wavy Gravy. That’s the name of a Woodstock-era citizen activist who still uses silly performance art to generate visibility for […]