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HomeAerodynamics

Aerodynamics

Citroen SM
Design Notes

Citroen SM: A surprisingly conventional next step

June 12, 2025 Steve 8

(EXPANDED FROM 12/4/2020) In a post on the Saab 99, we mentioned how in the late-60s and early-70s a handful of iconoclastic automakers tried to mainstream their basic designs. A case in point was Citroën. […]

1953 Hudson Hornet
Gallery

1953 Hudson Hornet was both peak ‘step down’ and the beginning of the end

March 4, 2025 Steve 6

(EXPANDED FROM 1/15/2021) The 1953 Hudson Hornet’s styling strikes me as being peak “step down.” As a case in point, this was the last year for the rounded rear end. It looked dated compared to […]

Gallery

The Stout Scarab didn’t just anticipate the modern minivan

December 23, 2024 Steve 1

(EXPANDED FROM JUNE 2, 2023) Histories about the Stout Scarab tend to emphasize that it was the first production minivan (Peek, 2021; Wikipedia, 2023). However, this innovative 1930s car strikes me as also being the […]

2022 Chevrolet Corvette front
Design Notes

Styling comparison: C8 Chevrolet Corvette Stingray versus the original

September 5, 2024 Steve 17

(UPDATED FROM 10/19/2022) When I finally saw a new mid-engined Chevrolet Corvette Stingray in the wild a few years ago I wondered why General Motors called it a Corvette. The so-called C8 generation is simply […]

2023 Tesla Cybertruck
Design Notes

Is Tesla Cybertruck a brilliant breakthrough or a gimmick?

December 6, 2023 Steve 7

(EXPANDED FROM 3/12/2021) When Tesla’s Cybertruck was unveiled a few years ago, Electrek commentator Benjamin Winters (2021) dismissed the design as “objectively bad.” When he received pushback, Winters countered by arguing that “I’m an industrial […]

1976 Tatra T-613
Design Notes

Tatra was yet another automaker that deemphasized aerodynamics by 1970s

August 24, 2023 Steve 7

The other day Curbside Classic reposted a story about the Tatra T-613 (Shafer, 2023). What strikes me about that car, which was designed in the late-60s but did not reach production until 1973, was it […]

Chevrolet truck
Design Notes

Yes, but WHY do today’s automobiles look so similar?

July 26, 2021 Steve 7

(EXPANDED FROM 10/2/2020) Auto Extremist has reposted a Peter DeLorenzo (2021) column which argues that the auto industry has “reached the nadir of design. And it isn’t pretty.” The big reason why: Cars look so […]

2019 Honda Clarity airdam
Auto Paedia

Airdams: The greatest automotive innovation since the tail fin

October 30, 2020 Steve 1

The airdam, and its twin brother the air curtain, are the tail fins of our time. They have become such a key part of today’s vehicles that even family cars have raced to offer the […]

Quotes
Quotes

Lucid: Weight and aerodynamics matter as much as advanced batteries

September 25, 2020 Steve 0

“Peter Rawlinson, who led design of the Tesla Model S and is now chief executive of the electric car start-up Lucid, likes to wow audiences by showing up at events dragging a rolling carry-on bag […]

Birds chatter about the 2019 Jeep Gladiator
Bird Chatter

Jeep Gladiator is the brick that could save world

August 7, 2020 Steve 0

Posts pagination

1 2 »
  • 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 12
  • 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
  • 1961 De Soto
    Video histories of DeSoto and American Motors aren’t as good as books
    February 24, 2026 3
  • 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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