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HomeLuxury cars

Luxury cars

1961 Imperials
Design Notes

1961-63 Imperial: Ode to Virgil Exner’s neo-classical excesses

November 22, 2023 Steve 3

(EXPANDED FROM 3/19/2021) Virgil Exner was a champion of neo-classical styling throughout his career. His best designs were arguably a handful of 1950s Chrysler show cars but his most influential work didn’t come until later. […]

1968 Ford Thunderbird
Data Dive

1958-76 Thunderbird: The rise and fall of the Ford that shook up GM

November 17, 2023 Steve 6

(EXPANDED FROM 10/1/2021) The four-seater Thunderbird was a surprisingly pivotal car for the Ford Motor Company during the postwar period. The T-Bird showed that the No. 2 automaker could better compete against mighty General Motors if it pioneered new […]

2019 Acura RDX
Design Notes

2019 Acura RDX inspired by Wavy Gravy

October 12, 2023 Steve 2

(EXPANDED FROM 11/1/2018) When I came upon a 2019 Acura RDX, I was reminded of Wavy Gravy. That’s the name of a Woodstock-era citizen activist who still uses silly performance art to generate visibility for […]

1951 Packard 300
Design Notes

1951 Packard 300: The double-edged sword of an anonymous design

September 18, 2023 Steve 6

(EXPANDED FROM 2/26/2021) The above-pictured car is a 1951 Packard 300 in front of an auto shop in Northern California. The faded paint and spray-painted “For Sale” sign are good metaphors for the new-for-1951 design, […]

Fake Design

1961-70 Jaguar Mk X: When Hudson step-down met Wienermobile

September 15, 2023 Steve 6

(EXPANDED FROM 11/5/2021) The Jaguar Mark X may have a commanding presence, but it also looks like the lovechild of a Hudson step-down and the Oscar Mayer Wienermobile. Intriguing but somehow . . . not […]

1962 Lincoln Continental 4-door sedan
Letters to the Editor

Reader finds our 1961-63 Lincoln article ‘most negative of them all’

July 12, 2023 Steve 6

Indie Auto reader WM stopped by to offer his reaction on our article, “1961-63 Lincoln Continental was not as iconic as often described.” Well of all the articles written about the 1960s Lincoln, this is […]

Quotes

Imperial’s brief use of Graham’s old plant shows dashed hopes for fledgling brand

June 5, 2023 Steve 0

“Moving Imperial production away from the Chrysler Jefferson Avenue plant made sense for three reasons: surging sales would require mixing too many Imperials with Chryslers on the assembly line; Imperial quality could be upgraded in […]

1967 Cadillac Eldorado
Quotes

Car and Driver scolds Cadillac for 1967 Eldorado’s ‘unsafe’ brakes

May 25, 2023 Steve 3

“(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 […]

1971 Cadillac Eldorado 2-door coupe
Comment Highlights

1971 Cadillac Eldorado comment thread has a new round of discussions

March 19, 2023 Steve 0

Those who are interested in the origins of the 1971 Cadillac Eldorado might wish to check out a new round of discussions that have occurred over the last few days. Michael Karesh stopped by to […]

1949 Kaiser convertible
Design Notes

The 1949 Kaiser-Frazer’s new body styles showed the limits to innovation

March 14, 2023 Steve 12

Kaiser-Frazer deserves credit for experimenting with offbeat ideas. Unfortunately, most of them didn’t work very well. This is why the fledgling automaker is a useful case study of how trying to be “innovative” can backfire […]

Posts pagination

« 1 … 5 6 7 … 9 »
  • 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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