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HomeFeatured

Featured

1973 Valiant VJ Charger
History

1970 Plymouth Barracuda should have been like an Australian Valiant Charger

December 26, 2025 Steve 16

(EXPANDED FROM 9/29/2023) The 1970 Plymouth Barracuda and its sibling the Dodge Challenger proved to be a costly mistake that epitomized Detroit’s slowness in responding to changing times. Indeed, the Chrysler Corporation’s early-1970s pony cars […]

1964 Studebaker logo
History

Might Studebaker have survived if Sherwood Egbert had stayed healthy?

November 4, 2025 Steve 16

(EXPANDED FROM 7/28/2023) A few years ago Ate Up With Motor had an interesting exchange about how Sherwood Egbert’s departure as president of the Studebaker Corporation hurt its automotive division’s chances of survival. Egbert resigned […]

1953 Buick Roadmaster
Letters to the Editor

Finding specific cars and inquiring about what we’re smoking

August 31, 2025 Steve 3

AB wrote that he was “not finding what used to be pretty easily available. How can I look up articles on a specific car?” I haven’t removed or changed any of the ways that you […]

1967 Imperial Crown coupe
Links

Car Life’s faint praise for redesigned 1967 Imperial hints at why it wasn’t a hit

August 20, 2025 Steve 17

(EXPANDED FROM 7/11/2023) Car-buff writers didn’t know it at the time, but the new-for-1967 Imperial would be Chrysler’s last big push in the luxury-car field. Although the brand lost its exclusive platform — just like […]

1971 Chrysler New Yorker
Fake Design

1969-71 Chrysler: An Exner idea fumbled again

July 29, 2025 Steve 30

(UPDATED FROM 8/3/2022) The 1969-71 Chrysler was an unfortunate example of a promising design that went sideways because of a few bad decisions. The styling was exceptionally clean and purposeful for an American premium-priced car […]

1956 Mercury Montclair 4-door hardtop
History

1956 was an odd transition year for Ford’s Mercury brand

March 27, 2025 Steve 9

(EXPANDED FROM 3/3/2023) The 1956 Mercury represented the end — at least for the next four years — of Edsel Ford’s original conception of the brand. Since it was introduced 1939, Mercury had been positioned […]

1956 Chevrolet
Media Analysis

Why does knowledge advance sooo slowly in the U.S. auto history field?

March 6, 2025 Steve 0

Indie Auto has previously explored this question, but I would like to offer some updated and expanded thoughts. The basic problem is that the U.S. auto history field all too often feels like it was […]

1966 Chevrolet Chevelle SS convertible
History

AMC’s Roy Abernethy was increasingly hemmed in but not without options

February 7, 2025 Steve 7

(EXPANDED FROM 3/4/2022) Automotive historians, both professional and armchair, tend to beat up too much on Roy Abernethy’s leadership of American Motors. Thus, Geeber (2021) offered useful context in responding to a denunciation of Abernethy. […]

1968 Chrysler 300
Literature

1965-69 Chrysler: Trying to sell prestige in a rapidly changing culture

January 24, 2025 Steve 16

(EXPANDED FROM 3/15/2023) The Chrysler brand during the second half of the 1960s was one of that automaker’s biggest success stories. We have discussed the design of its cars (e.g., go here and here), so […]

2024 Mitsubishi Outlander
Data Dive

Why did Mitsubishi fail in the United States?

January 7, 2025 Steve 28

(EXPANDED FROM 2/9/2024) There was good news and bad news about Mitsubishi’s U.S. sales in 2024. The good news: Sales were up 25 percent, led by its Mirage economy cars. The bad news: This was […]

Posts pagination

1 2 3 »
  • 1965 Studebaker Cruiser proposal
    Car Life speculates about why Studebaker shut down its South Bend plant
    July 17, 2026 8
  • 1956 Lincoln
    The 1956 Lincoln’s styling proved to be a one-year wonder
    July 17, 2026 18
  • 1975 Mercedes-Benz 450 SL
    1975 Mercedes-Benz 450 SL lacked the taut brilliance of its predecessor
    July 14, 2026 6
  • 1988 Oldsmobile Toronado
    Did GM go too far in downsizing the 1986 Riviera, Toronado and Eldorado?
    July 10, 2026 16
  • J. 'Kelly' Flory Jr.
    J. ‘Kelly’ Flory Jr.’s American Cars series is pricey but valuable
    July 10, 2026 4
  • 1968 Pontiac Firebird green convertible
    1967-72 Pontiac Firebird shows limits of ad illustrations
    July 7, 2026 10
  • Miscellaneous ramblings about being on the road
    June 25, 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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