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HomeDesign excesses

Design excesses

1972 Mercury Cougar 2-door hardtop
Editor's Note

Reader insists that 1971-73 Mercury Cougars were ‘awesome’

June 13, 2023 Steve 9

Our story, “1967-73 Mercury Cougar: A classic goes to hell,” apparently took the smile off the face of (former?) reader SL. He flatly declared, “The 1971-73 Cougars are awesome cars. All this talk about them […]

1967 Ramber Rebel SST two-door hardtop
Media Analysis

Five questions about Aaron Severson’s take on American Motors

April 7, 2023 Steve 3

Ate Up With Motor’s Aaron Severson (2023) stopped by Curbside Classic last week to post an epic series of comments about American Motors. The thing that most struck me about his 11 comments — which […]

1983 Ford Thunderbird
Media Analysis

How accurate were Popular Mechanics’ predictions about 1980s cars?

March 16, 2023 Steve 3

For its September 1975 issue, Popular Mechanics’ Detroit Editor Robert Lund asked executives from each of the Big Four U.S. automakers to predict what cars would be like in the decade ahead. Lund started off […]

1949 Kaiser convertible
Design Notes

The 1949 Kaiser-Frazer’s new body styles showed the limits to innovation

March 14, 2023 Steve 12

Kaiser-Frazer deserves credit for experimenting with offbeat ideas. Unfortunately, most of them didn’t work very well. This is why the fledgling automaker is a useful case study of how trying to be “innovative” can backfire […]

1971 Cadillac Eldorado
Letters to the Editor

Peter Wilding analyzes the 1971-78 Cadillac Eldorado’s design

February 26, 2023 Steve 6

Peter Wilding wrote a thoughtful comment about our 1971-78 Cadillac Eldorado story that I don’t want to get buried in the comment thread: Late to the party here. Design analysis first. As an Aussie, I […]

1971 Cadillac Eldorado
Media Analysis

1971-78 Cadillac Eldorado: Collectible Automobile tells only part of the story

February 24, 2023 Steve 50

(EXPANDED FROM 4/30/2021) A big reason Collectible Automobile has survived longer than the late, great Automobile Quarterly may be because it is less — how you say — highbrow. For one thing, Collectible Automobile‘s presentation […]

1963 Rambler American 2-door hardtop closeup
Design Notes

1961-63 Rambler American: Would it have been better without a restyling?

February 21, 2023 Steve 13

Paul Niedermeyer (2023) recently suggested that the 1961 Rambler American’s “two-box” styling “just doesn’t work for me.” That makes sense. The newly reskinned car represented one of the most extreme — and awkward — examples […]

Parody ads about the auto industry and media
Our Sponsors

Automotive Views: 2024 Highlander meets growing expectations for SUVs

February 11, 2023 Steve 0
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 […]

1966 Studebaker Sceptre taillights
Media Analysis

Accounts of Brooks Stevens’s Studebaker Sceptre and siblings can vary

February 3, 2023 Steve 13

Dean’s Garage has reposted a Hemmings story about a number of proposed Studebakers designed by Brooks Stevens. Daniel Strohl (2023) primarily focused on the Sceptre, a replacement for the ancient Hawk. I find the photographs […]

Posts pagination

« 1 … 12 13 14 … 20 »
  • 2006-7 Dodge Charger
    2006-2010 Dodge Charger: A cartoonish attempt at rip-roaring nostalgia
    June 5, 2026 4
  • 1950 Nash Rambler hood ornament
    Speedreaders.info is a rare source of book reviews, but quality varies
    June 3, 2026 0
  • 1958 Lincoln
    1958-60 Lincoln: Failing to beat GM at its own game
    June 2, 2026 13
  • 1957 Nash Ambassador
    Three videos: The death of car culture, rich people’s cars and the 1957 Nash
    May 29, 2026 6
  • 1963 Mercury Marauder
    1963 Mercury Marauder: Ford tries to do a premium-priced car on the cheap
    May 27, 2026 11
  • Did 1964 Ramblers share more parts between size classes than competitors?
    May 26, 2026 1
  • Patrick Foster shows how International Harvester failed to adapt
    May 13, 2026 5
  • 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 141
Society of Automotive Historian award to Indie Auto

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