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HomeQuality control

Quality control

1988 Oldsmobile Toronado
History

Did GM go too far in downsizing the 1986 Riviera, Toronado and Eldorado?

July 10, 2026 Steve 16

(UPDATED FROM 7/1/2024) General Motors has been criticized for going too far in downsizing its 1986 E-body personal coupes, which included the Buick Riviera, Oldsmobile Toronado and Cadillac Eldorado. Sales fell off a cliff, but […]

Editor's Note

Internet problems reminded me of U.S. automakers in the 1970s

May 2, 2026 Steve 1

I proved to be wrong when I recently wrote that most readers might not notice that Indie Auto is moving. Internet problems resulted in not being able to post new content or send out the […]

1976 Plymouth Volare 2-door coupe
Drive-By Musings

Splashy new cars often were the biggest disasters during the postwar period

March 3, 2026 Steve 5

One of the biggest assumptions of U.S. automakers in the postwar period was that they desperately needed splashy new cars. Yet when I think about the biggest disasters of that era, they often involved expensive […]

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 […]

1979 Lincoln Continental Mark V Bill Blass Edition ad
History

Defective 1977-79 Continental Mark V showed how Lincoln lost its way

July 21, 2025 Steve 19

(EXPANDED FROM 4/5/2023) Some buyers of the 1977-79 Lincoln Mark V waited up to eight weeks to receive exclusive designer-series models . . . that turned out to have defective paint. At least that was […]

1968 AMC Ambassador SST 2-door
History

Why didn’t AMC’s 1967-68 mid-sized two-door hardtops sell better?

July 8, 2025 Steve 21

After writing the vlogging story last week, my YouTube feed was inundated with videos about late-60s American Motors cars. And I had to admit that the Rebel and Ambassador two-door hardtops looked fairly good. That […]

Links

Car Life tries not to yawn when road testing the 1964 Chevrolet Chevelle

April 2, 2024 Steve 7

Car Life wasn’t hugely excited about the 1964 Chevrolet Chevelle. Even so, the magazine tried to present the new nameplate in a positive light: “At this writing, Chevelle accounts for 18% of Chevrolet sales and […]

Parody ads about the auto industry and media
Our Sponsors

Collectible Cars: Another head-scratching ‘This or that?’

June 29, 2023 Steve 0
1958 Buick
Letters to the Editor

Why the popularity of premium-priced U.S. car brands fell in the late-1950s

October 3, 2022 Steve 3

Peter’s letter to the editor last week about our 1958 Studebaker article has generated a robust discussion. Thank you to everyone who has participated. Part of Geeber’s comment in that thread addresses a broader topic: […]

1969 Dodge Charger
Quotes

Chrysler’s Lynn Townsend giveth and taketh on warranties

August 26, 2022 Steve 5

“Hard-eyed Townsend caught the industry with its pants down in 1962 when Chrysler suddenly offered its customers a five-year or 50,000-mile warranty on principal engine and power-train components on new cars. Industry practice at the […]

Posts pagination

1 2 »
  • 1972 Lincoln Continental Mark IV
    Is David Kiley right that Ford should replace Lincoln with a new brand?
    September 2, 2026 16
  • 1972 Buick Skylark Custom grille
    1972 Buick Skylark Custom represented the end of an era
    September 1, 2026 5
  • 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
Society of Automotive Historian award to Indie Auto

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