Indie Auto

Speedreaders.info is a rare source of book reviews, but quality varies

by Steve in Links 0

(EXPANDED FROM 4/21/2023) Auto history books get surprisingly little attention in the buff media. If a newly published book is mentioned at all, it tends to be done with a modestly rewritten press release. Analytically substantive reviews are virtually nonexistent among the commercial — and even most of the noncommercial — media outlets. Why is this? [...]

1958-60 Lincoln: Failing to beat GM at its own game

June 2, 2026 11

(EXPANDED FROM 11/10/2023) The Edsel is generally pointed to as the Ford Motor Company’s biggest post-war flop, but the 1958-60 Lincoln deserves a consolation prize. This car represents the disastrous final phase of Ford’s [...]

Three videos: The death of car culture, rich people’s cars and the 1957 Nash

May 29, 2026 6

Our first video, from the YouTube channel America Revisited (2026), argues that the country’s car culture is dying off with the Baby Boomers. The video goes on to suggest that car culture was about “freedom in a specific form affordable to [...]

1963 Mercury Marauder: Ford tries to do a premium-priced car on the cheap

May 27, 2026 11

(UPDATED FROM 1/30/2024) The 1963 Mercury Marauder “fastback” two-door hardtop represented the beginning of a new era for the Ford Motor Company. The utilitarian sensibilities of its former leader, Robert McNamara, [...]

Did 1964 Ramblers share more parts between size classes than competitors?

May 26, 2026 1

(EXPANDED FROM 12/31/2023) A few years ago FS complained that our article on the 1963 Rambler Classic was “poorly researched.” This strikes me as an important — if nerdy — debate, so let’s drill down. He argued that: “The new [...]

Tatra was yet another automaker that deemphasized aerodynamics by 1970s

May 22, 2026 12

(EXPANDED FROM 8/23/2023) A few years ago Curbside Classic reposted a story about the Tatra T-613 (Shafer, 2023). What struck me about that car, which was designed in the late-60s but did not reach production until 1973, was it looked [...]

Patrick Foster shows how International Harvester failed to adapt

by Steve in Readings 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 similar to his other recent books — an oversized hard cover with lots of big pictures (many color). The [...]