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HomePremium-priced cars

Premium-priced cars

History

Lincoln-Zephyr was a first step in Ford surpassing Chrysler

August 30, 2024 Steve 9

(EXPANDED FROM 4/11/2022) The 1936-42 Lincoln-Zephyr is a more important car than is commonly assumed. Not only did it offer notably advanced styling and engineering, but it also represented the Ford Motor Company’s first meaningful […]

1959 Ford Thunderbird
Gallery

1959 Ford Thunderbird was a gimmicky but hugely important car

August 16, 2024 Steve 10

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 while the T-Bird’s […]

1955 Hudson
Data Dive

Why did the Nash-based 1955 Hudson sell so poorly?

July 23, 2024 Steve 21

(EXPANDED FROM 1/13/2023) Last year a reader contributed a good question for our “Story Ideas Bank” — Why was the new-for-1955, Nash-based Hudson not successful? After all, the reader noted, the Hudson “had up-to-date and […]

1948 Hudson rear
History

1948 Hudson ‘step-down’ was a brilliant car with tragic flaws

June 17, 2024 Steve 26

(EXPANDED FROM 2/10/2022) In the early post-war period Hudson came the closest to being an American Mercedes-Benz. The new-for-1948 “step-downs” had engineering advances that most other automakers would not pick up on for years. So […]

1953 Hudson hood emblem
History

Would Hudson have been Packard’s best merger partner?

May 15, 2024 Steve 15

(EXPANDED FROM 10/13/2021) A decade ago Curbside Classic commentator Steve (2014) offered one of the more thoughtful merger scenarios for Packard: He concluded that Hudson would have been the best choice. I think that Steve’s […]

1972 Buick LeSabre 4-door hardtop
Links

Popular Science pans premium cars for cost cutting and impractical styling

May 6, 2024 Steve 3

Popular Science’s Jan P. Norbye and Jim Dunne criticized the quality and practicality of four 1972 premium-priced big cars. They road tested the Buick LeSabre, Chrysler Newport Royal, Mercury Monterey and Oldsmobile Delta 88. “It’s […]

Data Dive

The 1965-73 Ford LTD may not have impacted Mercury very much

April 11, 2024 Steve 10

(EXPANDED FROM 1/28/2022) Indie Auto commentator Geeber recently discussed how premium-priced big cars did better than their lower-priced brethren as the 1970s progressed. His comment, which is worth reading in full (go here), spurred me […]

1957 Lincoln four-door hardtop
History

Could the 1956-57 Lincoln have saved a dying Packard?

April 4, 2024 Steve 11

(EXPANDED FROM 7/30/2021) Stéphane Dumas has been displaying his broad knowledge of web-based sources of automotive history for quite a few years. As a case in point, back in 2015 Dumas posted a comment over at […]

1950 Buick Super
Design Notes

1950 bucktoothed Buick: The definitive design statement from General Motors

March 14, 2024 Steve 9

(EXPANDED FROM 8/23/2021) Over more than a century General Motors has produced a broad range of cars and trucks. However, if I had to pick one single vehicle that best summed up GM’s design approach, […]

1972 Chrysler New Yorkers
Data Dive

The 1969-73 Chrysler wasn’t a disaster, but it wasn’t a success

March 12, 2024 Steve 16

(EXPANDED FROM 10/21/2022) A few years ago J P Cavanaugh (2020) received pushback from some Curbside Classic commentators for calling the fuselage Chryslers a “Deadly Sin.” As a case in point, Moparlee (2020) wrote, “I […]

Posts pagination

« 1 … 4 5 6 … 8 »
  • 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
Society of Automotive Historian award to Indie Auto

Recent Comments

  • josh on Car Life speculates about why Studebaker shut down its South Bend plant
  • Geeber on Car Life speculates about why Studebaker shut down its South Bend plant
  • John Sutter on Miscellaneous ramblings about being on the road
  • Steve on 1975 Mercedes-Benz 450 SL lacked the taut brilliance of its predecessor
  • Steve on Adam Wade’s top-10 ugliest ‘classic’ cars list is decidedly quirky
  • stewdi on Adam Wade’s top-10 ugliest ‘classic’ cars list is decidedly quirky
  • Kowalski on 1975 Mercedes-Benz 450 SL lacked the taut brilliance of its predecessor
  • kim in lanark on Car Life speculates about why Studebaker shut down its South Bend plant
  • Mike in IA on The 1956 Lincoln’s styling proved to be a one-year wonder
  • Anthony Boddy on Adam Wade’s top-10 ugliest ‘classic’ cars list is decidedly quirky
  • Geeber on Adam Wade’s top-10 ugliest ‘classic’ cars list is decidedly quirky
  • Geeber on Adam Wade’s top-10 ugliest ‘classic’ cars list is decidedly quirky
  • Geeber on Miscellaneous ramblings about being on the road
  • Steve on Adam Wade’s top-10 ugliest ‘classic’ cars list is decidedly quirky
  • Anthony Boddy on Adam Wade’s top-10 ugliest ‘classic’ cars list is decidedly quirky

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