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HomeU.S. cars

U.S. cars

J. 'Kelly' Flory Jr.
Readings

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

July 10, 2026 Steve 4

(UPDATED FROM 4/18/2024) The most valuable books I have bought in recent years 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 […]

Encyclopedia of American 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 […]

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 […]

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 2

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 […]

Readings

Standard Catalog of American Cars, 1805-1942

April 16, 2013 Steve 0

This may be the most heavily researched of the Standard Catalog of American Car series. That’s by necessity — the 1,612-page catalog covers almost 140 years and a huge number of minor makes. Editors Beverly Rae Kimes […]

Posts pagination

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  • 1972 Lincoln Continental Mark IV
    Is David Kiley right that Ford should replace Lincoln with a new brand?
    September 2, 2026 15
  • 1972 Buick Skylark Custom grille
    1972 Buick Skylark Custom represented the end of an era
    September 1, 2026 4
  • 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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