Indie Auto

Charles K. Hyde wrote a useful but superficial history of the Chrysler Corp.

by Steve in Readings 1

I am ambivalent about Charles K. Hyde’s book, Riding the Roller Coaster: A History of the Chrysler Corporation. The American automotive history field desperately needs more scholarly books, and Hyde is a relatively rare academic who has ventured into this realm not once but twice. He followed up his Chrysler history with one about American Motors (2009). However, the downside of Riding the Roller Coaster [...]

Chrysler’s collapse in premium-priced field was a bigger deal than Edsel’s

February 20, 2025 9

(EXPANDED FROM 6/23/2023) A while back Indie Auto reader Geeber asked about what happened to Chrysler Corporation’s market share in the premium-priced field after Dodge went downmarket in 1960. He was referring [...]

Peter Wilding: With power comes the need for control

February 19, 2025 1

Peter Wilding had technical problems posting a comment so I’m running it as a stand-alone letter to the editor. If you experience a similar issue, send your comment here. Know that I rarely withdraw a commentator’s posting [...]

US automakers made vain promises in early-1970s to beat back imports

by Steve in History 0

In response to soaring import sales in the early-1970s, US automakers made brave promises of a counterattack. In retrospect, many of those promises sound decidedly hollow. For example, in the wake of a critical review of the 1969 1/2 Maverick (go here), Motor Trend ran a follow-up story in its August 1969 issue that quoted from a variety [...]

Roy D. Chapin Jr. showed little self awareness when recounting AMC tenure

February 17, 2025 1

Once upon a time the Henry Ford museum sponsored an automotive design oral history project. Among the people interviewed was Roy D. Chapin Jr., who led American Motors from 1967-77. The Automobile in American Life and [...]

Remembering the dark side of 1960-70s American ‘muscle cars’

February 15, 2025 4

“Don’t want to rain on the parade of a nice article, but reading about Duster 340’s always makes me sad. Back in 1970 a close friend skrimped and saved all his money from summer and part-time jobs to buy a new 340. Three [...]

A road sign with a sense of humor?

by Steve in Random Shots 2

I have long thought that American government could communicate more effectively if it used a senes of humor once in a while. Thus, I was intrigued by this sign on an obscure rural highway in Maui, Hawaii. Was the sign turned upside down — and put unusually [...]

First-generation Scirocco was trendy but didn’t look like a Volkswagen

February 14, 2025 26

(EXPANDED FROM 1/16/2023) Yesterday Aaron Severson weighed in on the original Volkswagen Scirocco, so this is a good time to expand on a piece I wrote a few years ago after finding a rare — and rather weathered — specimen [...]

1971-72 Dodge Demon shows Chrysler both at its best and worst

February 13, 2025 1

The 1971-72 Dodge Demon is a weird historical anomaly in that it showed the Chrysler Corp. at both its best and worst. Giving the compact A-body an entry-level sporty coupe turned out to be the automaker’s single smartest move [...]

US automakers made vain promises in early-1970s to beat back imports

February 18, 2025 0

In response to soaring import sales in the early-1970s, US automakers made brave promises of a counterattack. In retrospect, many of those promises sound decidedly hollow. For example, in the wake of a critical review of the [...]

Was the 1963-64 Studebaker Avanti a fatal mistake?

by Steve in Fake Design 36

(EXPANDED FROM 4/22/2022) The 1963-64 Studebaker Avanti has been described by historian Patrick Foster as “one of the most beautiful automobiles ever to grace the road” (2008, p. 138). Even so, the premium-priced sporty coupe was arguably a commercial failure. Studebaker could have plausibly extended its time as an automobile [...]

Charles K. Hyde wrote a useful but superficial history of the Chrysler Corp.

Data Dive

Chrysler’s collapse in premium-priced field was a bigger deal than Edsel’s

Letter to the Editor

Peter Wilding: With power comes the need for control

US automakers made vain promises in early-1970s to beat back imports

Links

Roy D. Chapin Jr. showed little self awareness when recounting AMC tenure

Quotes

Remembering the dark side of 1960-70s American ‘muscle cars’

A road sign with a sense of humor?

Design Notes

First-generation Scirocco was trendy but didn’t look like a Volkswagen

Gallery

1971-72 Dodge Demon shows Chrysler both at its best and worst

History

US automakers made vain promises in early-1970s to beat back imports

Was the 1963-64 Studebaker Avanti a fatal mistake?

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