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HomeAuto design

Auto design

1953 Plymouth
Fake Design

Six myths about the misunderstood 1953-54 Plymouth

July 19, 2024 Steve 20

(EXPANDED FROM 5/20/2022) Let’s take the time to unpack six myths about one of the most misunderstood post-war American cars — the 1953-54 Plymouth. This an important exercise because it brings to light some key […]

1967 Plymouth GTX
Design Notes

1966-67 Plymouth Satellite was most anonymous-looking car of its era

March 25, 2024 Steve 10

(EXPANDED FROM 11/10/2021) I hereby nominate the 1966-67 mid-sized Plymouth as the most anonymous-looking car of the mid-1960s. At least to my eyes, the Belvedere line — which included top-end Satellite and GTX models — […]

1950 Buick Super
Design Notes

1950 bucktoothed Buick: The definitive design statement from General Motors

March 14, 2024 Steve 9

(EXPANDED FROM 8/23/2021) Over more than a century General Motors has produced a broad range of cars and trucks. However, if I had to pick one single vehicle that best summed up GM’s design approach, […]

2011 Chrysler 300C front quarter
Design Notes

2011 Chrysler 300C: The adults finally showed up

November 14, 2023 Steve 4

(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 […]

Jaguar XK-E
Design Notes

1961-68 Jaguar XK-E has never been topped in two ways

July 3, 2023 Steve 7

(EXPANDED FROM 7/1/2021) The Jaguar XK-E was a remarkable car for a variety of reasons, but I would like to point out two qualities that have always been particularly appealing to me. For starters, the […]

1938 Graham sharknose front
Fake Design

The 1938-40 Graham didn’t just fail because of ‘sharknose’ styling

February 10, 2023 Steve 4

(EXPANDED FROM 1/15/2021) The 1938-40 Graham is a popular topic in the auto history media because of the car’s infamous “sharknose” styling. What gets little, if any, attention is that even if the design had […]

Mercedes-Benz W-123
Quotes

Is Teutonic car design obsolete?

March 1, 2022 Steve 1

“Maybe. Then again . . . maybe not. Perhaps this is all just temporary. Consider what happened to American car design in the wake of the 1958 recession. Suddenly, all the jet-aged, tail-finned, twin-turbined, dynaflowed […]

Design Notes

How would a facelifted Hudson have fared in 1955?

February 24, 2022 Steve 13

(EXPANDED FROM 1/2/2021) Hudson as been a popular topic with readers this week so I have expanded a story that takes a different angle: What might have happened if Hudson had managed to remain an […]

1969 Dodge Polara two-door hardtop
Quotes

Did Elwood Engel’s acquiescence ruin the 1969 Dodge’s styling?

December 21, 2021 Steve 7

“Designer Darin Yazejian recalled an approval meeting with top Dodge management when someone criticized the roof treatment of a proposed 1969 Polara hardtop. This particular roof had rear-extending sail panels that thrust out behind the […]

Parody ads about the auto industry and media
Our Sponsors

Automotive Views: What Harley Earl thinks about today’s car styling

November 11, 2021 Steve 0

Posts pagination

« 1 2 3 4 5 »
  • 1954 Chevrolet was beginning of the end for GM’s brand hierarchy
    April 21, 2026 17
  • 1980 Pontiac Phoenix 5-door hatch
    Bigger didn’t prove to be better for General Motors in late-70s and 80s
    April 17, 2026 39
  • 1963 Ford Galaxie
    Might Detroit have embraced front-wheel drive earlier if McNamara had stayed at Ford?
    April 16, 2026 7
  • Cheap dealer car
    How much do Trump policies have to hurt auto industry before it supports Dems?
    April 14, 2026 19
  • 1975 Ford Thunderbird
    Ford design in the 1970s was a real step down from the previous decade
    April 10, 2026 24
  • 1981 Chevrolet Monte Carlo
    The sad story about buying a 1981 Monte Carlo right out of college
    April 9, 2026 2
  • Why the 1968-69 Javelin was not Richard Teague’s best AMC sporty coupe
    April 6, 2026 9
  • Mitsubishi dealer in Spokane
    Indie Auto is moving — although you may barely notice
    April 8, 2026 4
  • 1956 Buick hood scoop
    Readers brainstorm ideas for future Indie Auto stories
    October 14, 2022 136
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Recent Comments

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  • Steve on 1967 Pontiac Grand Prix convertible didn’t catch on
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  • Albert Fredrick Godwin on 1967 Pontiac Grand Prix convertible didn’t catch on
  • Randerson on Bigger didn’t prove to be better for General Motors in late-70s and 80s
  • SCAMPMAN on Bigger didn’t prove to be better for General Motors in late-70s and 80s
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  • Terrance Smith on Even Motor Trend complained about the 1967 Cadillac Eldorado’s brakes
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