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HomeU.S. cars

U.S. cars

Readings

Encyclopedia of American Cars is a useful but sometimes inaccurate reference book

January 30, 2025 Steve 0

(EXPANDED FROM 4/26/2013) Last weekend I made the trek to my favorite bookstore — Powell’s in Portland, Oregon. There I found a 1993 edition of the Encyclopedia of American Cars for $25. That struck me […]

Readings

‘My Dad Had That Car’ is a much bigger but not necessarily better book

December 5, 2024 Steve 2

(EXPANDED FROM 1/10/2022) Now that we’re once again hitting the peak of gift-giving season, let’s take a look at one of the more popular automotive books. My Dad Had That Car ranks among the top-15 […]

J. 'Kelly' Flory Jr.
Readings

J. ‘Kelly’ Flory Jr.’s American Cars series is pricey but valuable

April 18, 2024 Steve 0

The most valuable books I have bought of late have been J. “Kelly” Flory Jr.’s American Cars reference guides. This multi-volume set provides wide-ranging information on U.S.-made cars during the postwar era. Flory’s series has […]

1956 Chevrolet BelAir convertible
Quotes

Detroit automakers created an exciting but insular realm

December 7, 2021 Steve 0

“Cars and the car business infect some people’s blood, which is why that agglomeration of machinery and brains and money we call Detroit functions as a state of mind as much as an industry, not […]

A motor home and a race car
Random Shots

Competing priorities: Which vehicle should win?

March 12, 2021 Steve 0
Readings

‘Car Spotter’s Bible’ a simple but useful reference

April 25, 2013 Steve 0

Laugh if you will at the amateurish layout, but the American Car Spotter’s Bible: 1940-1980 is a useful reference. With this book you too can learn to name the make, model and year of every […]

Readings

Cars of the Sizzling ’60s: A flashy romp through the decade

April 22, 2013 Steve 0

(UPDATED 12/6/2022) Like the other three Cars of books by Consumer Guide, this one is an oversized, hard-cover book that includes large color pictures and has fairly minimal background narrative. The layout has a bit less text than Cars of the […]

Readings

Cars of the Fascinating ’40s: A Decade of Challenges and Changes

April 22, 2013 Steve 0

The first of a four-book Cars series places a greater emphasis on reproductions of advertising. The quality of proofing is better than the Cars of the Sizzling ’60s (auto editors of Consumer Guide, 2002).  Like the other three Cars of […]

Readings

Standard Catalog of American Cars, 1946-1975

April 22, 2013 Steve 0

I probably use this 1,000-page reference guide more frequently than any other book in my automotive library. This is the second in a three-part series on American cars (see 1805-1942 and 1976-1999). As with most other Standard […]

Readings

Cars of the Sensational 70s: A Decade of Changing Tastes and New Directions

April 20, 2013 Steve 0

This is the last of  the four-part Cars of series, which cover the 1940s, 1950s and 1960s. As as with the others, this is an oversized hard-cover book that emphasizes color photographs but includes some advertisements. Minimal text […]

Posts pagination

1 2 »
  • 1967 Oldsmobile Cutlass Supreme
    Was the 1966 Olds Cutlass Supreme the first mid-sized brougham model?
    March 5, 2026 21
  • 1976 Plymouth Volare 2-door coupe
    Splashy new cars often were the biggest disasters during the postwar period
    March 3, 2026 1
  • Reader questions Chrysler’s future as it passes 100th anniversary
    March 2, 2026 12
  • 1968 Chevrolet C10 pickup
    Was the 1967-68 Chevrolet C10 the ‘first modern pickup’?
    February 27, 2026 7
  • 1941 Studebaker Commander 2-door coupe
    1941 Studebaker Commander: Ending its big cars on a high note
    February 26, 2026 11
  • 1961 De Soto
    Video histories of DeSoto and American Motors aren’t as good as books
    February 24, 2026 3
  • 1956 Studebaker Golden Hawk front with hood open
    Four lingering questions about Aaron Severson’s take on the 1956 Studebaker Golden Hawk
    February 20, 2026 6
  • Thank yous, power outages and format changes
    October 31, 2025 0
  • 1956 Buick hood scoop
    Readers brainstorm ideas for future Indie Auto stories
    October 14, 2022 134
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