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HomeRegulation

Regulation

1983 Ford Thunderbird
Media Analysis

How accurate were Popular Mechanics’ predictions about 1980s cars?

March 16, 2023 Steve 3

For its September 1975 issue, Popular Mechanics’ Detroit Editor Robert Lund asked executives from each of the Big Four U.S. automakers to predict what cars would be like in the decade ahead. Lund started off […]

Quotes

The Economist points to origins of ‘the biggest industrial collapse ever’

February 28, 2023 Steve 15

“The problem in the 1970s was not really the arrival of better, smaller, lighter Japanese cars; it was GM’s failure to respond in kind. Rather than hitting back with superior products, the company hid behind […]

1912 Willys ad
Media Analysis

Peter DeLorenzo draws questionable lessons from automotive history

February 17, 2023 Steve 20

Peter DeLorenzo (2023) recently raised a useful point: Too many of today’s auto industry executives “have no concept of historical perspective at all.” His full column is worth a read, but here’s a key passage: […]

2020 Lincoln Navigator
Current Events

Popularity of SUVs could offset climate advantages of EVs

December 7, 2022 Steve 12

Growth in the worldwide popularity of larger sport-utility vehicles could imperil efforts to reduce greenhouse gas reductions from electric vehicles. “SUVs were the second-largest contributor to the increase in global CO2 emissions since 2010,” according to […]

1978 Oldsmobile Toronado
Quotes

Alex Taylor III on why GM’s product cycles lengthened in the 1970s

November 25, 2022 Steve 1

“GM’s product development cycles in the 1960s, which had been among the shortest, were becoming among the longest in the industry, according to GM’s own in-house history. More content dictated by federal regulations was part […]

Parody ads about the auto industry and media
Our Sponsors

Automotive Views: Republican senator calls for more auto-safety regulations

May 30, 2022 Steve 4
Parody ads about the auto industry and media
Our Sponsors

Automotive Views: Alabama takes action against drive-in theaters

May 14, 2022 Steve 0
1957 Lincoln
Auto Paedia

‘Detroit Mind’ led to collapse of U.S. automakers

April 27, 2022 Steve 56

(EXPANDED FROM 9/18/2020) “Detroit Mind” is the label Brock Yates gave to the worldview of U.S. automakers from the 1950s into the 1980s. This was epitomized by a focus on cars that were “too large, […]

2020 Ram Rebel 1500 Hemi
Quotes

If automakers focused more on efficiency would there be less pressure to go EV?

February 23, 2022 Steve 14

“Just think, a little more focus on efficiency and we wouldn’t be forced to go all electric in the future. I love power, so don’t get me wrong. But with such dismal mileage that these […]

1967 Cadillac DeVille convertible
History

It’s a big deal that Ford and GM knew about climate change in 1960s

December 29, 2021 Steve 0

(UPDATED FROM 6/6/2020) The news that Ford and General Motors knew about climate change in the 1960s raises a number of big questions. For example, might this revelation open both automakers to lawsuits similar to […]

Posts pagination

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  • 1954 Chevrolet was beginning of the end for GM’s brand hierarchy
    April 21, 2026 17
  • 1980 Pontiac Phoenix 5-door hatch
    Bigger didn’t prove to be better for General Motors in late-70s and 80s
    April 17, 2026 41
  • 1963 Ford Galaxie
    Might Detroit have embraced front-wheel drive earlier if McNamara had stayed at Ford?
    April 16, 2026 7
  • Cheap dealer car
    How much do Trump policies have to hurt auto industry before it supports Dems?
    April 14, 2026 19
  • 1975 Ford Thunderbird
    Ford design in the 1970s was a real step down from the previous decade
    April 10, 2026 24
  • 1981 Chevrolet Monte Carlo
    The sad story about buying a 1981 Monte Carlo right out of college
    April 9, 2026 2
  • Why the 1968-69 Javelin was not Richard Teague’s best AMC sporty coupe
    April 6, 2026 9
  • Mitsubishi dealer in Spokane
    Indie Auto is moving — although you may barely notice
    April 8, 2026 4
  • 1956 Buick hood scoop
    Readers brainstorm ideas for future Indie Auto stories
    October 14, 2022 136
Society of Automotive Historian award to Indie Auto

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  • Philco Ford on Bigger didn’t prove to be better for General Motors in late-70s and 80s
  • Philco Ford on Bigger didn’t prove to be better for General Motors in late-70s and 80s
  • Jeff Kennedy on Ford design in the 1970s was a real step down from the previous decade
  • Lori H. on 1954 Chevrolet was beginning of the end for GM’s brand hierarchy
  • Stéphane Dumas on Ford design in the 1970s was a real step down from the previous decade
  • Steve on 1967 Pontiac Grand Prix convertible didn’t catch on
  • Philco Ford on 1954 Chevrolet was beginning of the end for GM’s brand hierarchy
  • Steve on 1954 Chevrolet was beginning of the end for GM’s brand hierarchy
  • Anthony Boddy on 1954 Chevrolet was beginning of the end for GM’s brand hierarchy
  • Albert Fredrick Godwin on 1967 Pontiac Grand Prix convertible didn’t catch on
  • Randerson on Bigger didn’t prove to be better for General Motors in late-70s and 80s
  • SCAMPMAN on Bigger didn’t prove to be better for General Motors in late-70s and 80s
  • SCAMPMAN on Bigger didn’t prove to be better for General Motors in late-70s and 80s
  • Terrance Smith on Even Motor Trend complained about the 1967 Cadillac Eldorado’s brakes
  • SCAMPMAN on 1954 Chevrolet was beginning of the end for GM’s brand hierarchy

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