Indie Auto

The Stout Scarab didn’t just anticipate the modern minivan

by Steve in Gallery 1

(EXPANDED FROM JUNE 2, 2023) Histories about the Stout Scarab tend to emphasize that it was the first production minivan (Peek, 2021; Wikipedia, 2023). However, this innovative 1930s car strikes me as also being the granddaddy of the 1960s camper van because of the versatility of its interior configurations, which include a folding table and movable seats (Patton, 2008). Even that comparison isn’t [...]

Richard Teague’s styling helped to kill American Motors

December 20, 2024 25

(EXPANDED FROM 3/19/2021) This story has received more reader pushback than almost any other single piece that I have published in Indie Auto. Even so, I think that it epitomizes what this blog is all about — to honestly [...]

Auto blinders (or peepers): How they improve the human condition

December 19, 2024 5

(EXPANDED FROM 5/26/2021) Automotive blinders, also known as auto peepers, are the narrowing of windows between the C- and D-pillars of vehicles. This design feature blocks a driver’s rearward vision, which assists in [...]

Jean Jennings’ death reminds us of Automobile magazine’s greatest legacy

by Steve in Links 1

(EXPANDED FROM 7/9/2021) The recent death of Jean Jennings is a useful reminder that Automobile magazine’s biggest journalistic contribution was arguably that it elevated an unusually large number of women into senior editorial roles. This was an important step forward for an industry that had been utterly dominated by men. David E. Davis [...]

How often did renaming a car fail to help it sell better?

December 16, 2024 21

(EXPANDED FROM 6/8/2022) A few years ago Karl Ludvigsen (2022) wondered whether some cars that were renamed should not have been. For example, he noted that Ford might have benefitted by keeping the Cortina name in Great [...]

Did Oldsmobile revolutionize the car industry?

December 17, 2024 19

(EXPANDED FROM 10/31/2022) The automotive media tends to treat orphaned American brands with extra enthusiastic pom-pom waving. An example of the genre is Mark J. McCourt’s (2020) Hemmings article about Oldsmobile. [...]

Ford did better than Chrysler in differentiating its 1970s mid-sized coupes

December 13, 2024 13

(EXPANDED FROM 5/14/2021) A few years ago CJ and Geeber commented that the 1975 Dodge Charger would have worked better if it had been given the more distinctive design of the 1978 Magnum XE. That’s a good point. The Magnum [...]

In 1960 Lincoln moved upmarket despite struggling sales

December 10, 2024 13

(EXPANDED FROM 8/9/2022) A few years ago Corey Lewis (2022) wrote that the 1960 Lincoln’s entry-level model was “rebranded as simply ‘Lincoln,’ to compete with the new base model Chrysler New Yorker (1960-1962) and Series [...]

1957-58 Plymouth: Suddenly it could have been 1962!

by Steve in Fake Design 13

(EXPANDED FROM 1/7/2022) When writing about the 1953-54 Plymouth, I wondered whether there could have been a compromise between the practicality of Chrysler head K. T. Keller and the trendiness of his successor, Tex Colbert. Let’s apply that question to the 1957-58 Plymouth. Even more so than other Chrysler brands, the second-wave [...]

Readers brainstorm ideas for future Indie Auto stories

October 14, 2022 119

This is a centralized place for readers to offer specific story ideas to Indie Auto. Any ideas are welcome, from potential feature stories to book reviews. I have started off by posting suggestions from readers [...]

The Stout Scarab didn’t just anticipate the modern minivan

The Best of Indie Auto

Richard Teague’s styling helped to kill American Motors

Satire

Auto blinders (or peepers): How they improve the human condition

Jean Jennings’ death reminds us of Automobile magazine’s greatest legacy

History

How often did renaming a car fail to help it sell better?

Media Analysis

Did Oldsmobile revolutionize the car industry?

Railroad crossing through dirty windshield in C major

Design Notes

Ford did better than Chrysler in differentiating its 1970s mid-sized coupes

Data Dive

In 1960 Lincoln moved upmarket despite struggling sales

1957-58 Plymouth: Suddenly it could have been 1962!

Story Ideas

Readers brainstorm ideas for future Indie Auto stories

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