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HomeFull-sized cars

Full-sized cars

1959 Ford Thunderbird
Gallery

1959 Ford Thunderbird was a gimmicky but hugely important car

August 26, 2026 Steve 11

(EXPANDED FROM 8/16/2024) I have never been very attracted to the 1958-60 Ford Thunderbird’s gimmicky styling. However, I still must admit that this is one of the most important cars of the postwar era. And […]

1974 full-sized low-priced cars
History

1974 AMC Ambassador: Was its styling ruined by bumper regs?

August 5, 2026 Steve 11

(EXPANDED FROM 7/15/2024) One of Indie Auto’s first harshly negative comments came from someone who was infuriated with my essay about the 1974 AMC Ambassador, where I criticized the car’s looks. “Worst stupid article I […]

1965 Chrysler Newport
Design Notes

1965 Newport made Chrysler a contender in premium-priced, big-car field

August 4, 2026 Steve 14

(UPDATED FROM 10/13/2023) The 1965 Newport is an important car for Chrysler because it propelled the brand to record-breaking sales. That, in turn, made it a force to be reckoned with in the premium-priced, big-car […]

Data Dive

Did the odd styling of the 1969 Chrysler two-door hardtop hurt its sales?

June 25, 2026 Steve 6

(EXPANDED FROM 6/7/2024) Curbside Classic commentator nlpnt (2024) argued a while back that the fuselage Chrysler’s best-looking body style was the wagon. Conversely, I would add that the two-door hardtop was the least aesthetically pleasing […]

1969 an 1977 Plymouth Fury
History

1969-77 Plymouth: Fuselage wasn’t so bad compared to anti-fuselage

June 12, 2026 Steve 15

(EXPANDED FROM 5/3/2024) Ponderous styling of the so-called “fuselage” Plymouths has been pointed to as the biggest reason why sales were smaller than the well-regarded platform it replaced (e.g., auto editors of Consumer Guide, 2022). Output for […]

1967 Oldsmobile Delta 88 Custom
Data Dive

Langworth and Norbye made excuses for General Motors’ big-car fixation

June 9, 2026 Steve 8

(EXPANDED FROM 2/27/2023) Indie Auto was partly created to spark more robust debates in U.S. auto history. As a case in point, a few years go I questioned a take by Richard M. Langworth and […]

1963 Mercury Marauder
Gallery

1963 Mercury Marauder: Ford tries to do a premium-priced car on the cheap

May 27, 2026 Steve 11

(UPDATED FROM 1/30/2024) The 1963 Mercury Marauder “fastback” two-door hardtop represented the beginning of a new era for the Ford Motor Company. The utilitarian sensibilities of its former leader, Robert McNamara, were eclipsed by an […]

1978 Cadillac Eldorado
Gallery

Was the 1978 Cadillac Eldorado the most excessive car of the brougham era?

May 12, 2026 Steve 30

(EXPANDED FROM 1/5/2024) Reasonable people can debate what was the most excessive car of the brougham era, but I would propose the 1978 Cadillac Eldorado for top honors. To be more specific, I would point […]

1966 Mercury Colony Park rear quarter
Design Notes

1966 Mercury Colony Park wagon was an unsung bright spot for the brand

May 11, 2026 Steve 9

(EXPANDED FROM 10/7/2022) Mercury’s Colony Park never got much attention, but it saw steadily increasing sales through the second half of the 1960s. For example, in 1966 almost 19,000 of the top-of-line Mercury wagons were […]

1962 Plymouth
History

1962-64 Plymouth: The odd case of prescience interruptus

May 9, 2026 Steve 11

(EXPANDED FROM 8/25/2023) The 1962-64 Plymouth is one of the most prescient U.S. cars of the 1960s. Aside from the 1953 Plymouth, the 1962 redesign represented the first serious effort by a Big Three automaker […]

Posts pagination

1 2 … 9 »
  • 1972 Lincoln Continental Mark IV
    Is David Kiley right that Ford should replace Lincoln with a new brand?
    September 2, 2026 8
  • 1972 Buick Skylark Custom grille
    1972 Buick Skylark Custom represented the end of an era
    September 1, 2026 4
  • 1959 Ford Thunderbird
    1959 Ford Thunderbird was a gimmicky but hugely important car
    August 26, 2026 11
  • Compact cars became the neglected stepchildren of U.S. automakers
    August 21, 2026 21
  • 1980 AMC brochure cover with picture of American Center building
    AMC’s Roy D. Chapin Jr. succumbed to the illusion of bigness
    August 19, 2026 2
  • 1980 Ford Thunderbird and 1956 model
    Ford’s design talent in the 1970s wasn’t enough to halt a dramatic slide in sales
    August 14, 2026 13
  • 1973 Buick Riviera
    Why wasn’t the 1971 ‘boat-tail’ Buick Riviera shrunk to compact size?
    August 14, 2026 24
  • 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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