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Homeroad and track magazine

road and track magazine

1963 Ford lineup
Links

In 1959 Road & Track predicted front-wheel-drive big cars within a few years

January 5, 2026 Steve 2

(EXPANDED FROM 12/19/2023) The November 1959 issue of Road & Track made bold predictions about what would come next after a wave of new compact cars. “Detroit Beat” writer Don Mac Donald stated that “Detroit, […]

1960 Volkswagen Karmann Ghia sketch
Media Analysis

Road & Track predicted a Karmann Ghia-based VW Beetle replacement

December 17, 2025 Steve 8

(EXPANDED FROM 2/16/2022) The Beetle was such a hot commodity in 1959 that total Volkswagen registrations almost topped 120,000 units. That may have been tiny by Detroit standards, but back then it was unprecedented for […]

1977 AMC Gremlin Custom
History

AMC buying VW four-cylinder engine was Roy D. Chapin Jr.’s last big mistake

October 17, 2025 Steve 15

(EXPANDED FROM 7/31/2023) American Motors’ purchase of a four-cylinder engine from Volkswagen was one of CEO Roy D. Chapin Jr.’s last big decisions during his 10-year leadership of the automaker — and arguably his final […]

FIA Formula 3
Current Events

Road & Track displays lack of journalistic independence by pulling F1 story

March 18, 2024 Steve 4

Road & Track may be an increasingly obscure car-buff magazine these days, but it has elicited headlines in the mainstream media for pulling an F1 story by sportswriter and architectural critic Kate Wagner. The magazine’s […]

1964 Ford Thunderbird
Links

Car and Driver playfully roasts a 1964 Ford Thunderbird convertible

February 13, 2024 Steve 4

Car and Driver’s road test of a 1964 Ford Thunderbird reminded me of what I enjoyed about the magazine in its heyday. Although it threw in a few bits of fawning praise, that struck me […]

Media Analysis

Road & Track magazine’s 1972 Nader attack was disingenuous propaganda

April 24, 2023 Steve 2

(EXPANDED FROM 10/30/2020) When Road & Track decided to go after Ralph Nader in 1972, the magazine took unusual measures. Even before an “evaluation” of a Nader report hit the newsstands, Road & Track held […]

Auto media on Legos
Media Analysis

Auto media copy each other instead of covering news that matters

July 9, 2021 Steve 0

Last week I was once again reminded of the Bruce Springsteen song, “57 Channels (And Nothin’ On),” when surveying the automotive media. The major outlets fell all over themselves to cover many of the same […]

  • 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
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