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HomeDesign

Design

1959 Cadillac front end
Design Notes

What’s the most excessive American car design of all time?

October 18, 2021 Steve 6

(UPDATED FROM 5/1/2020) American automakers have always had a penchant for extravagant designs that can look overwrought compared to imports. Of course, this has been changing of late as foreign automakers — particularly the Japanese […]

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Automotive Views: Ford goes nuts with new mini-truck

September 30, 2021 Steve 0
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 […]

1967 Ford Mustang and 1969 AMC Javelin
Quotes

Bill Porter: Why as a Pontiac designer he competed most against Chevy

September 15, 2021 Steve 0

“(The AMC Javelin and AMX) were very handsome cars.  They look great on the road. They were fine, and they still look today. They’ve held up very well.  But I was in Pontiac at that […]

2004-11 Chrysler 300C
Editor's Note

The great debate: Which Chrysler 300C was better styled?

September 9, 2021 Steve 2

Indie Auto stories are occasionally linked to — and then debated — on other automotive history websites. A recent example is Curbside Classic, where a subthread discussed the 2004-to-present Chrysler 300C. This debate is a […]

1976 AMC Pacer rear
Media Analysis

The downside of auto historians writing about their friends

September 1, 2021 Steve 0

(EXPANDED FROM 7/17/2020) One of the hazards of any kind of writing is that you can get too close to your subjects. In anthropology this has been called “going native.” Because we are human, we […]

1955 Packard Request's retro look didn't capture elegance of 1930's grilles
Design Notes

1955 Packard Request: Retro styling doesn’t always work

August 27, 2021 Steve 5

(UPDATED FROM 7/24/2020) The 1955 Packard Request is a good example of how “retro” styling doesn’t always work very well. This show car took too literal of an approach in trying to evoke Packard’s classic […]

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Automotive Views: Cadillac styling goes wild

August 20, 2021 Steve 0
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Auto Nostalgist: Today’s car design Bill Mitchell would have really liked

August 13, 2021 Steve 1
1974 AMC Matador and other cars
Media Analysis

Was Mac’s Motor City Garage wrong about the 1974-78 Matador coupe?

August 9, 2021 Steve 3

Fred (2018), a Mac’s Motor City Garage commentator, argued that a story about the 1974-78 AMC Matador coupe was riddled with “typical mistakes that get repeated again and again” by “one hack Internet report after […]

Posts pagination

« 1 … 35 36 37 … 43 »
  • 2006-7 Dodge Charger
    2006-2010 Dodge Charger: A cartoonish attempt at rip-roaring nostalgia
    June 5, 2026 3
  • 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
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