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HomeCar Life

Car Life

1964 Studebaker logo
History

Might Studebaker have survived if Sherwood Egbert had stayed healthy?

November 4, 2025 Steve 16

(EXPANDED FROM 7/28/2023) A few years ago Ate Up With Motor had an interesting exchange about how Sherwood Egbert’s departure as president of the Studebaker Corporation hurt its automotive division’s chances of survival. Egbert resigned […]

1935 Pierce-Arrow
Links

Hudson’s radical WWII concepts and Pierce-Arrow’s downmarket pivot

October 14, 2025 Steve 20

(EXPANDED FROM 8/15/2023) I wanted to more significantly expand on my discussion about two articles posted at the Automotive History Preservation Society’s virtual library. Alas, I can no longer access either story. I can still […]

1967 Imperial Crown coupe
Links

Car Life’s faint praise for redesigned 1967 Imperial hints at why it wasn’t a hit

August 20, 2025 Steve 17

(EXPANDED FROM 7/11/2023) Car-buff writers didn’t know it at the time, but the new-for-1967 Imperial would be Chrysler’s last big push in the luxury-car field. Although the brand lost its exclusive platform — just like […]

1956 Studebaker Golden Hawk
Gallery

1956 Studebaker Golden Hawk: A match made in hell

November 12, 2024 Steve 25

(EXPANDED FROM 4/2/2021) After Studebaker and Packard combined in 1954, Motor Trend anticipated the possibilities of the two automakers sharing resources. For example, the magazine imagined Studebaker’s lightweight cars getting Packard’s “monstrous new V8 engine, […]

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, […]

Links

Car Life tries not to yawn when road testing the 1964 Chevrolet Chevelle

April 2, 2024 Steve 7

Car Life wasn’t hugely excited about the 1964 Chevrolet Chevelle. Even so, the magazine tried to present the new nameplate in a positive light: “At this writing, Chevelle accounts for 18% of Chevrolet sales and […]

1970 American Motors ad with Chapin
Links

Car and Driver gives Roy D. Chapin royal treatment in 1970 AMC Hornet story

March 26, 2024 Steve 0

Car and Driver under David E. Davis gave the royal treatment to American Motors’ head Roy D. Chapin Jr. A case in point was a story about the 1970 AMC Hornet, which treated Chapin’s marketing […]

1965 Studebaker Cruiser proposal
Links

Car Life speculates about why Studebaker shut down its South Bend plant

November 24, 2023 Steve 5

A March 1964 Car Life article offers a fascinating take on why Studebaker shifted production from its South Bend main plant to a much smaller one in Hamilton, Ontario — which turned the brand into […]

1970 AMC Hornet
Links

Car Life called the redesigned 1970 AMC Hornet stylish but not fun to drive

November 7, 2023 Steve 13

Car Life magazine argued that the 1970 AMC Hornet met two out of three of the automaker’s stated goals for the car. Engineering Editor David Bean wrote that American Motors thought that the compact and […]

1965 Rambler American 440H 2-door hardtop
Quotes

1964-65 Rambler American paid a price for using Classic body parts

June 19, 2023 Steve 2

A key way that American Motors was able to afford fielding both a compact and mid-sized platform in the mid-1960s was by sharing an unusual number of body parts. However, as Car Life noted below, […]

  • 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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