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HomeStudebaker-Packard Readings

Studebaker-Packard Readings

Readings

Patrick Foster shows how International Harvester failed to adapt

May 13, 2026 Steve 5

(UPDATED FROM 9/4/2020) International Harvester is the post-war U.S. automaker that has received the least attention from historians. Thus, Patrick Foster’s book, International Harvester: The Complete Story, is a particularly welcome addition. The format is […]

Readings

Robert Ebert’s book on Studebaker head Harold Churchill shows value of a narrow focus

January 6, 2026 Steve 9

(EXPANDED FROM 7/24/2020) Robert R. Ebert’s book about Studebaker head Harold Churchill is a good example of what we need more of in the auto history field — a scholarly treatment that is narrowly focused […]

Langworth Studebaker
Readings

Richard Langworth’s Studebaker book is dated but mostly still the best

September 9, 2025 Steve 5

(EXPANDED FROM 4/13/2013) When I am trying to track down information about Studebaker, I am most likely to first reach for Richard M. Langworth’s book. The reason why it that his journalistic approach was refreshingly […]

Kimes Packard
Readings

Could Beverly Rae Kimes’ Packard book be published today?

July 22, 2025 Steve 7

Why give visibility to a book that was last published almost a quarter century ago? There are apparently so few copies left of Beverly Rae Kimes’ Packard: A History of the Motor Car and the […]

Readings

‘Industrial Strength Design’ offers lush but shaky take on Brooks Stevens

December 24, 2024 Steve 2

(EXPANDED FROM 6/14/2023) For good or ill, Brooks Stevens was one of the most influential independent U.S. auto design consultants of the postwar era. Despite some shaky analysis and factual lapses, the best book about […]

Ward Packard
Readings

James Ward offers more nuanced take on Packard’s fall than other auto histories

February 26, 2024 Steve 35

(EXPANDED FROM 12/15/2022) James A. Ward’s Packard book, The Fall of the Packard Motor Car Company, is dwarfed by Automobile Quarterly’s epic tome edited by Beverly Rae Kimes (2002) as well as Stuart R. Blond’s […]

Stuart Blond's James Nance bio Vol. 1
Readings

James Nance bio, ‘Spellbinder,’ shows promise and pitfalls of self publishing

January 30, 2023 Steve 3

Stuart R. Blond’s biography of Packard head James Nance is among the most unusual books in my automotive library. For one thing, Spellbinder: The Life of James J. Nance, is a two-volume set that stretches […]

Thomas Bonsall's Studebaker book
Readings

Thomas Bonsall’s Studebaker book is useful but flawed

December 27, 2021 Steve 0

(EXPANDED FROM 11/13/2020) Thomas E. Bonsall wrote one of the better Studebaker histories, but it suffers from flaws that undercut the book’s usefulness. More Than They Promised, which was published in 2000, is a refreshing […]

Readings

Avanti book by John Hull provides a useful overview

December 26, 2020 Steve 0

To my mind, the Avanti’s history has two major parts: Under Studebaker and as an independent automaker. Of the Studebaker histories, Richard M. Langworth (1993) arguably offers the most detailed and analytically sophisticated narrative. The […]

  • 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
Society of Automotive Historian award to Indie Auto

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