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HomeFord Motor Co.

Ford Motor Co.

1962 Ford Mustang I concept car
Drive-By Musings

How might McNamara have influenced Ford if he had stuck around longer?

October 21, 2025 Steve 2

How might Robert McNamara have influenced Ford if he had remained company president for a few more years? This is a question that emerged from the comment thread in our recent Don Frey story. Let’s […]

1965 Ford Mustang
Quotes

Donald Frey tells how he knew the 1965 Ford Mustang would be approved

October 16, 2025 Steve 6

Ford executive Donald N. Frey shared with David Crippen (1986) how he found out from Henry Ford II that the 1965 Mustang would be approved. “I remember one day I was in the styling studio, we […]

Design Notes

1967-74 Mercury Cougar: A classic goes to hell

October 9, 2025 Steve 21

(EXPANDED FROM 7/20/2022) The 1967-74 Mercury Cougar is a tragic story of a classic design going to hell. The first-generation models, which were produced from 1967-68, were among the best-looking pony cars of the late-60s. […]

1954 Ford ad
Data Dive

Was the ‘Ford blitz’ to blame for the collapse of independent automakers?

October 2, 2025 Steve 45

(UPDATED FROM 10/28/2022) If I had to pick a favorite Indie Auto story, this one would be in my top five. It is one of the longest pieces I have written — roughly 4,600 words […]

1967 Dodge Charger
Media Analysis

Popular Mechanics got many things wrong about 1968 cars but one thing right

October 1, 2025 Steve 2

(EXPANDED FROM 1/18/2023) The June 1967 issue of Popular Mechanics was published only a few months prior to the beginning of the 1968 model year for U.S.-built cars. Even so, an article by Bob Irwin […]

1968 Plymouth VIP
History

1966-69 VIP: Why Plymouth couldn’t sell brougham

September 25, 2025 Steve 15

(EXPANDED FROM 3/7/2023) At least on paper, the VIP luxury series suggested that Plymouth was keeping up with the Chevrolet Caprice and Ford LTD in the late-60s. However, the car’s terrible sales suggest that something […]

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. […]

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 […]

Links

1970 Ford Maverick gets surprisingly critical take from Motor Trend

September 2, 2025 Steve 12

(EXPANDED FROM 9/25/2023) Should I be embarrassed to admit that the first car magazine I subscribed to was Motor Trend? When I was around 11 years old I was enticed by one of those promotional […]

1953 Chrysler Town & Country rear quarter
Gallery

1953 Chrysler Town & Country was the granddaddy of today’s large SUVs

August 28, 2025 Steve 0

The 1953 Chrysler Town & Country wagon was one of the more obscure cars of the early postwar period, but it was essentially the granddaddy of today’s large sport-utility vehicles. Not the only one, but […]

Posts pagination

« 1 … 5 6 7 … 26 »
  • 1962 Ford Galaxie 500
    Did the 1960-64 big Ford sell so poorly because of cannibalization?
    October 16, 2026 34
  • 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 7
  • 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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