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HomePatrick Foster

Patrick Foster

1950 Nash Rambler hood ornament
Links

Speedreaders.info is a rare source of book reviews, but quality varies

June 3, 2026 Steve 0

(EXPANDED FROM 4/21/2023) Auto history books get surprisingly little attention in the buff media. If a newly published book is mentioned at all, it tends to be done with a modestly rewritten press release. Analytically […]

1957 Rambler Rebel
History

1957 Rambler Rebel was so close yet so far from legendary

December 16, 2025 Steve 15

(EXPANDED FROM 6/27/2022) American Motors head George Romney may not have realized it at the time, but he was onto something when he okayed the 1957 Rambler Rebel for production. This would prove to be […]

1986 Jeep Grand Wagoneer
Media Analysis

Could American Motors have survived if it ditched passenger cars for Jeeps?

July 18, 2025 Steve 8

In conjunction with his recent Public Broadcasting series on American Motors, Joe Ligo (2025) wrote a provocative article for Hagerty. He wondered whether AMC might have survived for at least a while longer if it […]

1967 Rambler Rebel SST convertible
History

Would AMC have done better if George Romney had stayed longer?

June 26, 2025 Steve 26

(EXPANDED FROM 6/11/2021) The comment thread in the previous post about George Romney (go here) has generated a robust discussion that deserves a substantive response. I thought the best way to do so would be […]

1969 International pickup
Design Notes

1969 International was too little, too late to save brand’s big-truck ambitions

June 24, 2025 Steve 4

(EXPANDED FROM 5/12/2023) This post has received a burst of new attention, so I thought it would be a good time to expand it. I have argued what may not be very popular with fans […]

1960 Saab 93
Gallery

Why didn’t the Saab 93 catch on like the Volkswagen Beetle?

April 11, 2025 Steve 6

The Volkswagen Beetle was so popular in the United States during the 1960s that it can be viewed with an aura of inevitability. Even so, one could argue that the VW benefitted by being in […]

1971 AMC Ambassador
Data Dive

The 1967-74 AMC Ambassador didn’t measure up in roominess or quality

April 7, 2025 Steve 3

(EXPANDED FROM 10/15/2021) A lingering point of contention in the auto history media has been whether the last-generation AMC Ambassador had as much interior room as the Big Three’s full-sized cars. The short answer: Not […]

1966 AMC Ambassador DPL
Media Analysis

Motor Trend’s take on AMC’s decline shows limitations of auto punditry

March 13, 2025 Steve 3

The May 1966 issue of Motor Trend included an unusually long article about the woes of American Motors. The piece was written by Editor Donald Mac Donald, so presumably it displayed the magazine’s most sophisticated […]

Roy D. Chapin Jr.
Links

Roy D. Chapin Jr. oral history showed little self awareness about AMC tenure

February 17, 2025 Steve 1

Roy D. Chapin Jr. showed little self awareness when recounting his tenure as head of AMC from 1967-77. He participated in an oral history project sponsored by the Henry Ford museum. The Automobile in American […]

A Century of Automotive Style
Readings

Lamm and Holls’s ‘A Century of Automotive Style’ is epic but uneven

January 9, 2025 Steve 2

(UPDATED FROM 3/23/2023) A Century of Automotive Style was first published in 1996, so it is a fairly old auto history book. Nevertheless, I would rank it as important enough to be updated. I say […]

Posts pagination

1 2 »
  • 2006-7 Dodge Charger
    2006-2010 Dodge Charger: A cartoonish attempt at rip-roaring nostalgia
    June 5, 2026 5
  • 1950 Nash Rambler hood ornament
    Speedreaders.info is a rare source of book reviews, but quality varies
    June 3, 2026 0
  • 1958 Lincoln
    1958-60 Lincoln: Failing to beat GM at its own game
    June 2, 2026 15
  • 1957 Nash Ambassador
    Three videos: The death of car culture, rich people’s cars and the 1957 Nash
    May 29, 2026 6
  • 1963 Mercury Marauder
    1963 Mercury Marauder: Ford tries to do a premium-priced car on the cheap
    May 27, 2026 11
  • Did 1964 Ramblers share more parts between size classes than competitors?
    May 26, 2026 1
  • Patrick Foster shows how International Harvester failed to adapt
    May 13, 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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