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HomeCompact cars

Compact cars

1969 Pontiac GTOs ad
Quotes

So what exactly is a ‘muscle car,’ anyway?

April 18, 2022 Steve 5

“For this writer, the Pontiac GTO not only defines the genre (it was a mid-size or intermediate body), but also the beginning and end of the Muscle Car Era; 1964-1974. Some might argue that the […]

Parody ads about the auto industry and media
Our Sponsors

Automotive Views: Honda’s 2023 HR-V shows the future of US small cars

April 14, 2022 Steve 0
1960 Studebaker Lark 4-door sedan
Media Analysis

1959 Studebaker: Was it really design theft?

March 21, 2022 Steve 12

(EXPANDED FROM 4/2/2017) Richard M. Langworth has authored more auto histories than just about anyone. Yet he was strikingly humble when beginning to discuss the controversial topic of who was responsible for the 1947 Studebaker’s styling. “I am […]

1973 Chevrolet Malibu SS
Quotes

John Z. DeLorean: Downsizing GM cars for 1973 was opposed by Mitchell

March 18, 2022 Steve 17

“The K-Car program proposed a common body and chassis for all the GM cars in the intermediate and compact car classes. On the Chevrolet lines alone this meant building the Chevelle, Camaro and Nova, which […]

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 […]

1965 Ford Mustang rear quarter
History

What is the right size for a Ford Mustang?

January 14, 2022 Steve 4

(UPDATED FROM 10/9/2020) Did Ford deviate too much from the original Ford Mustang’s size before finally getting it right once again in 2005? That year was pivotal because it was the first time in a quarter […]

1965 Rambler American 440H
Letters to the Editor

AMC’s Roy Abernethy should have invested more in mid-sized cars

January 12, 2022 Steve 13

CJ recently wrote an exceptionally thoughtful comment that I would like to highlight on the front page as a letter to the editor. This missive was in response to the story, “Historians differ on origins […]

1959 Lincoln Continental
Auto Paedia

‘Lower! Longer! Wider!’ fixation of US automakers left opening for imports

September 22, 2021 Steve 13

(EXPANDED 10/24/2022) “Lower, longer, wider” was the domestic automakers’ dominant design approach until they were forced to downsize their fleet in the late-1970s due to federal fuel-economy standards. Since that time automakers have at least […]

1959 and 1955 Studebaker rooflines
Fake Design

1959 Studebaker: Throwing the baby out with the bath water

September 10, 2021 Steve 14

(EXPANDED FROM 5/22/2015) The 1959 Studebaker Lark’s design was initially so successful that it was described by historian Robert Ebert as a “miracle” (2013, p. 55). Studebaker-Packard Corporation, which was on the verge of liquidating […]

1966 Chevrolet Corvair
Fake Design

1965-69 Chevrolet Corvair: What if it had a front-engined companion?

September 3, 2021 Steve 18

(UPDATED ON 10/14/22) The second-generation Chevrolet Corvair was one of the best cars General Motors has ever built. Its styling was exceptionally clean for the mid-60s, which were dominated by fussy gingerbread designs. Meanwhile, the […]

Posts pagination

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  • 1962 Ford Galaxie 500
    Did the 1960-64 big Ford sell so poorly because of cannibalization?
    October 16, 2026 34
  • 1969 Ford Thunderbird 4-door Landau
    Was 1969 the beginning of the end for the Ford Thunderbird four-door Landau?
    October 14, 2026 7
  • Is Jaguar smart to run away from its design heritage?
    October 8, 2026 21
  • AMC Pacer clay model
    Why does Joe Ligo’s PBS series sanewash AMC’s mid-70s recklessness?
    October 6, 2026 20
  • 2026 Ram pickups
    A pyrrhic regulatory rollback and how poorly the 1978 Matador coupe sold
    October 2, 2026 12
  • 1962 Chrysler 300
    Did the 1962-65 Chrysler 300 ‘dilute’ the letter series?
    September 29, 2026 7
  • 1968 Ford Mustang
    Three rules led to a stultifying level of conformity in 1960s U.S. car design
    September 24, 2026 12
  • Internet problems reminded me of U.S. automakers in the 1970s
    May 2, 2026 1
  • 1956 Buick hood scoop
    Readers brainstorm ideas for future Indie Auto stories
    October 14, 2022 146
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