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1990s
Links
The question of whether size matters when it comes to auto safety has a long history
The argument that big vehicles are safer than small ones has been floating around since imports first made inroads in the U.S. during the late-1950s. For example, in 1958 Road & Track magazine quoted the […]
Drive-By Musings
What were Detroit’s top-five most iconic vehicle designs from 1980-2000?
Michael Karesh (2023) of TrueDelta recently asked, “Which cars (model and year) from the Detroit Three since 1980 do you feel qualify as design icons?” I would invite you to check out the ensuing debate […]
Letters to the Editor
Why General Motors didn’t realize that Oldsmobile was in trouble
Our “Story Ideas Bank” sometimes morphs into debates about specific historical events. George Denzinger recently weighed in on the death of Oldsmobile. This is a thoughtful analysis so I am elevating it to the front page. […]
Drive-By Musings
If you could have foreseen the future in high school, would today’s cars surprise you?
This is a question that may be most interesting to older Indie Auto readers. What brings it up for me is a fictional story in McSweeney’s Internet Tendency, which is a humor magazine. Alex Baze […]
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Quotes
Maryann Keller: GM’s postwar dominance lulled it into a false sense of security
“During the 1960s and 1970s GM was lulled into a false sense of security by its dominance of the market. There was certainly a bottom-line mentality, but this mentality dictated that additional costs be passed […]
Design Notes
2006-2010 Dodge Charger: A cartoonish attempt at rip-roaring nostalgia
The 2006 Dodge Charger’s styling was greeted with mixed reviews when the car was introduced. Perhaps the most pointed criticism came from Car and Driver writer Larry Webster (2005), who stated that its corporate sibling […]
History
An AMC four-cylinder engine was Roy D. Chapin Jr.’s last big mistake
Curbside Classic recently posted a 1977 Road & Track test of an AMC Gremlin with a new four-cylinder engine. This got me thinking about how American Motors’ purchase of a power plant from Volkswagen was […]
History
Four ways Lee Iacocca contributed to the decline of Ford and Chrysler
(EXPANDED FROM 10/11/2021) The death of Lee Iacocca in 2019 brought forth much praise for one of the American auto industry’s most visible leaders. Generally lacking from the obituaries was an acknowledgement that Iacocca’s success […]