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HomeAmerican Motors

American Motors

2006 Ford Five Hundred
History

How often did renaming a car fail to help it sell better?

December 16, 2024 Steve 21

(EXPANDED FROM 6/8/2022) A few years ago Karl Ludvigsen (2022) wondered whether some cars that were renamed should not have been. For example, he noted that Ford might have benefitted by keeping the Cortina name […]

1965 Rambler Marlin taillight
Quotes

Rambler Marlin advocate reminded of his unerring judgment

December 12, 2024 Steve 1

C. L. Zinn II’s book, Javelin Photo Archive (2002), offered an anecdote that illustrated Vince Geraci’s enthusiasm for the Rambler Marlin. At the time Geraci managed American Motors’ Large Car Studio, which took the lead […]

1967 Cadillac convertible
History

What if GM and Ford were broken up in the 1960s?

December 11, 2024 Steve 24

(EXPANDED FROM 8/19/2022) The topic that has elicited the greatest blowback from Indie Auto readers has been my argument that the U.S. auto industry was less able to respond to a rising tide of imports […]

Fake Design

1957-58 Plymouth: Suddenly it could have been 1962!

December 6, 2024 Steve 13

(EXPANDED FROM 1/7/2022) When writing about the 1953-54 Plymouth, I wondered whether there could have been a compromise between the practicality of Chrysler head K. T. Keller and the trendiness of his successor, Tex Colbert. Let’s apply that question to […]

1976 AMC Pacer X
Media Analysis

Designer Bob Nixon distanced himself from the ill-fated AMC Pacer

December 2, 2024 Steve 7

(UPDATED FROM 10/4/2014) Collectible Automobile’s interviews can be a valuable means of documenting automotive history, but they can also lead us astray due to inaccuracies. For one thing, the memories of key participants can fade […]

Readings

Foster and Glatch’s AMC book is splashy but suffers from pom-pom waving

November 18, 2024 Steve 5

I feel torn in writing a review about The Complete Book of AMC Cars (2024). New auto history books are rare enough these days that anyone who navigates the gauntlet of getting published deserves applause. […]

1971 Ford Mustang Mach 1
Data Dive

Which high-performance pony cars sold best in the early-1970s?

October 25, 2024 Steve 5

(EXPANDED FROM 5/2/2023) When car enthusiasts talk about high-end pony cars, they tend to focus on which ones were the fastest or won the most races. I would like to focus on a nerdier question: […]

1957 Rambler Rebel
Letters to the Editor

Reader chimes in about the 1957 Rambler Rebel

October 25, 2024 Steve 4

Indie Auto reader FF stopped by to respond to our story, “1957 Rambler Rebel was so close yet so far from legendary.” The idea that the Rebel was more expensive or costly in relation to […]

1964 Rambler American 440H two-door hardtop
History

Rambler pays price for not listening to Car and Driver about 1964 American

October 18, 2024 Steve 31

(EXPANDED FROM 2/8/2023) Curbside Classic’s recent republishing of a Car and Driver hit piece on the 1964 Rambler American illustrates how much power car buff magazines could have in molding public opinion. Here we are, […]

1960 Ford wagon
History

In 1974 Harry Bradley anticipated the American wagon’s future

September 10, 2024 Steve 7

(EXPANDED FROM 11/9/2022) A few years ago Dean’s Garage reprinted a prescient essay Harry Bradley (2022) wrote way back in 1974 about the future of the American station wagon. His article made a number of […]

Posts pagination

« 1 … 6 7 8 … 17 »
  • 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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