Indie Auto

Compact cars became the neglected stepchildren of U.S. automakers

by Steve in Data Dive 20

(EXPANDED FROM 6/26/2024) Compact cars represented a dramatic change for U.S. automakers when they were introduced in the early-1960s. After spending the previous decade making its “standard-sized” cars bigger, glitzier and more powerful, Detroit responded to skyrocketing sales of imports by fielding much-smaller and more [...]

AMC’s Roy D. Chapin Jr. succumbed to the illusion of bigness

August 19, 2026 2

(EXPANDED FROM 1/8/2021) When writing a story about the 1974 AMC Ambassador, I came across American Motors car brochures for 1979 and 1980 that took the unusual step of picturing the company’s headquarters in [...]

Ford’s design talent in the 1970s wasn’t enough to halt a dramatic slide in sales

August 14, 2026 13

Recently a retired Ford designer stopped by to offer a response to our story, “How 1960s car design reflected the good old (boy) days.” “I started my career at Ford styling in 1960. Retired in 1998. I have lots and lots of true stories about the real world [...]

Why wasn’t the 1971 ‘boat-tail’ Buick Riviera shrunk to compact size?

August 14, 2026 23

(UPDATED FROM 6/16/2024) David Burrell has written what may be the most detailed account of how William Mitchell vainly tried to shift the “boat-tail” 1971 Buick Riviera to a mid-sized platform. Burrell’s story in Retro Autos (2021) [...]

Patrick Foster’s Hudson book emphasized pictures and boosterism

August 14, 2026 3

(EXPANDED FROM 3/5/2021) Patrick R. Foster’s Hudson Automobiles: An Illustrated History lives up to its title. If you are mainly interested in pictures, this is your book. The 128-page paperback is dominated by photographs, artist [...]

Would the 1969 Ford Mustang have sold better if it had been smaller?

August 7, 2026 23

(EXPANDED FROM 8/27/2024) A major goal of Indie Auto is to question conventional wisdom — which will all but inevitably generate controversy. That was certainly the case with the following story, which argued that the 1969 Ford [...]

The Studebaker Hawk reached its high point in 1957 — and fell rather quickly

by Steve in Gallery 20

(EXPANDED FROM 6/12/2024) The Studebaker Hawk arguably reached its peak in 1957. This was when it sold the best — almost 20,000 units. This was also Peak Hawk from a styling standpoint. For one shining moment, Studebaker had a well-sorted entry in the fledgling personal coupe market — and no direct competition. Alas, things went downhill [...]