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HomeDesign

Design

1959 Cadillac
Letters to the Editor

That night when Cadillac lost its mind

September 21, 2025 Steve 2

CaptainMyCaptain graciously shared the following transcripts from his files, dated late 1956, Detroit, MI. This was in response to our story, “1959 Cadillac epitomized what was wrong with U.S. car styling.” I. “Have you seen […]

1965 Rambler Ambassador 990 convertible
Data Dive

Did the 1965-66 AMC Ambassador sell better when it had a unique snout?

September 19, 2025 Steve 4

In the “Story Ideas Bank” James Duvall suggested that Indie Auto look into whether the 1965-66 AMC Ambassador sold better when it had a unique snout. To be more specific, he asked: “Why didn’t the […]

1959 Cadillac
Gallery

1959 Cadillac epitomized what was wrong with U.S. car styling

September 16, 2025 Steve 13

The 1959 Cadillac may not have been the most excessive design to come out of the late-50s and early-60s, but I still think that it epitomized what was wrong with U.S. car styling. The new […]

1957 Lincoln
Quotes

If you think the 1957 Lincoln looks bad, picture the tailfins being even taller

September 13, 2025 Steve 4

When John Najjar was tapped to head the Lincoln brand’s design studio, one of his first projects was to complete the 1957 models. In an oral history conducted by David R. Crippen and Douglas A. […]

2008 Scion xB
Design Notes

Toyota ruined the Scion xB by making it too big

September 11, 2025 Steve 11

(EXPANDED FROM 1/22/2021) Toyota has had an enviably strong track record here in the United States, but it has had a few misses. They include its mishandling of the ill-fated Scion subbrand. Although one could […]

1941 Plymouth
Links

George Walker predicted in 1940 a space-age version of a 1960s camper van

September 10, 2025 Steve 4

(EXPANDED FROM 6/1/2023) The November 1940 issue of Popular Mechanics included an article about the just-introduced 1941 car models. However, curiously enough, Detroit’s latest wares were overshadowed by a cover story about the “automobiles of […]

Media Analysis

David Burrell’s take on the 1962 Dodge and Plymouth got only partway there

September 8, 2025 Steve 4

(EXPANDED FROM 5/11/2022) Back in 2019 David Burrell wrote one of the better overviews of the downsized 1962 Dodge and Plymouth. However, he went astray on some important details. Unlike some other historical accounts, Burrell (2019) […]

2025 Toyota Tundras at dealer
Photo Essay

What is a Toyota dealer trying to sell us Americans?

September 7, 2025 Steve 7

I had to get my Toyota serviced this week, so let’s take a quick look at what the Japanese automaker is currently trying to sell us Americans. Of course, this is but one data point […]

1965 Pontiac Grand Prix
Multimedia

Adam Wade says the best year for American cars was 1965. Really?

September 5, 2025 Steve 24

Ranking the “best year” for American cars strikes me as clickbaity, but Adam Wade’s (2025) Rare Classic Cars & Automotive History vlog has gone there — and proposes 1965 as the winning year. Before explaining […]

1977ish Lincoln Continental Mark IV
History

Five ways Lee Iacocca contributed to the decline of Ford and Chrysler

September 4, 2025 Steve 15

(EXPANDED FROM 7/18/2023) Our discussion about the Ford Maverick got me thinking about Lee Iacocca. More than any other car, the Maverick reflected how Iacocca’s sensibility differed from that of Robert McNamara, the father of […]

Posts pagination

« 1 … 8 9 10 … 43 »
  • 1962 Ford Galaxie 500
    Did the 1960-64 big Ford sell so poorly because of cannibalization?
    October 16, 2026 36
  • 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 10
  • 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
Society of Automotive Historian award to Indie Auto

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