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Engineering
Quotes
Ed Cole has big news about Chevy’s Vega-based Wankel ‘Mustang killer’
In its April 1974 issue, Popular Science shed light on a Chevrolet Vega-based sporty coupe that was slated to compete with the subcompact Ford Mustang II. The unnamed car’s main claim to fame would be […]
Links
Hudson’s radical WWII concepts and Pierce-Arrow’s downmarket pivot
The other day I intended to take a quick cruise through the Automotive History Preservation Society’s virtual library. Instead, I ended up spending a meaningful amount of time reading articles that had been reposted from […]
History
Four ways Lee Iacocca contributed to the decline of Ford and Chrysler
(EXPANDED FROM 10/11/2021) The death of Lee Iacocca in 2019 brought forth much praise for one of the American auto industry’s most visible leaders. Generally lacking from the obituaries was an acknowledgement that Iacocca’s success […]
Quotes
Motor Life had mixed reactions to 1955 Plymouth’s wrap-around windshield
“Because the wrap-around windshield has proven so popular Plymouth felt it necessary to incorporate this idea. Unfortunately, theirs just doesn’t look like a wrap-around from the outside. They’ve been extremely subtle about it — which […]
History
George Walker predicted in 1940 a space-age version of a 1960s camper van
The November 1940 issue of Popular Mechanics included a major article — replete with color photos! — about the just-introduced 1941 car models. However, Detroit’s latest wares were overshadowed by a cover story about the […]
Quotes
Car and Driver scolds Cadillac for 1967 Eldorado’s ‘unsafe’ brakes
“(T)he standard brakes on Cadillac’s spiffy new Eldorado are a treacherous, unsafe Achilles heel on an otherwise pleasant luxury vehicle. Even though the Eldorado is nearly identical to the Toronado in technical detail, we had […]
Readings
Richard Johnson showed what can happen when a journalist does auto history
(UPDATED FROM 2/19/2021) Histories written by practicing automotive journalists are usually engaging reads with lots of behind-the-scenes anecdotes. However, they can also be analytically superficial and grounded more in access than accountability journalism. In other […]
History
1946 Hudson shows what made automaker so important — and vulnerable
Here’s an idea I would invite Indie Auto readers to test drive: Hudson’s demise had the biggest long-term impact on the U.S. auto industry of any independent automaker that merged or died in the 1950s. […]
Media Analysis
Five questions about Aaron Severson’s take on American Motors
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 […]