Indie Auto

1975 Mercedes-Benz 450 SL lacked the taut brilliance of its predecessor

by Steve in Gallery 4

(UPDATED FROM 7/17/2024) A few years ago I came across a 1975 Mercedes-Benz SL. In all honesty, I wasn’t nearly as enthused as when I photographed a previous-generation W113 model, with its iconic “pagoda” roof. The R107 models, which were built from 1971-89, had the highest production of the SLs, with output of more than 230,000 roadsters (Pattni, 2024). [...]

Did GM go too far in downsizing the 1986 Riviera, Toronado and Eldorado?

July 10, 2026 16

(UPDATED FROM 7/1/2024) General Motors has been criticized for going too far in downsizing its 1986 E-body personal coupes, which included the Buick Riviera, Oldsmobile Toronado and Cadillac Eldorado. Sales fell off a cliff, but [...]

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

July 10, 2026 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 [...]

1967-72 Pontiac Firebird shows limits of ad illustrations

July 7, 2026 10

(UPDATED FROM 78/2024/ Art Fitzpatrick and Van Kaufman’s artwork in Pontiac’s advertising played an important role in the brand’s popularity during the 1960s. Others have done a thorough job of showcasing the team’s most iconic ads [...]

Motorcade magazine’s ‘sneak peek’ of the 1969 models made up a whole lot of stuff

July 3, 2026 0

(UPDATED FROM 4/17/2024) Motorcade is among the more obscure magazines included in the Automotive History Preservation Society’s archives. A preview of the 1969 models may hint at why the magazine apparently did not survive [...]

Yes, but WHY do today’s automobiles look so similar?

July 2, 2026 10

(UPDATED FROM 7/26/2021) A few years ago Peter DeLorenzo (2021) argued that the auto industry had “reached the nadir of design. And it isn’t pretty.” The big reason why: Cars look so blandly similar that they may as well have been designed [...]

Miscellaneous ramblings about being on the road

by Steve in Current Events 3

The above photo was taken two days ago during a trip across Washington state. Gas prices had come down from the previous week, when I paid a low of $4.89 and a high of $6.09 per gallon for regular unleaded gasoline. Those prices are not just a product of the Iran war. Washington has the third-highest gas taxes in the U.S. behind California and [...]