Our Sponsors
Stellantis
Links
Even in mid-70s Consumer Reports warned about spotty import dealer service
The Consumer Reports 1975 Buying Guide was fairly positive about imported cars but cautioned about dealer service. The annual guide, which was published in December 1974, noted that some foreign brands had only a fraction […]
Data Dive
1968 full-sized Mercury: A pioneer of brougham was overshadowed
(EXPANDED FROM 8/20/2021) One of my lingering questions from a Collectible Automobile story on the Mercury Park Lane was why it didn’t sell better in 1968 (Biel, 2021). This was arguably the first year that […]
Letters to the Editor
Paul Niedermeyer updates his thinking on origins of 1962 Plymouth and Dodge
Paul Niedermeyer stopped by Indie Auto to share his current thinking about the downsizing of the 1962 Plymouth and Dodge. This is a response to a story we ran almost two years ago entitled, “Did […]
Letters to the Editor
U.S. automakers adapted to Brazilian market car designs from elsewhere
CP sent in the following letter, which may have been in response to our story, “Brazilian Volkswagens show automaker’s struggle for a post-Beetle look.” I have been following the Brazilian car scene for a few […]
Auto Paedia
Brand management: The tail that now wags U.S. auto industry
(UPDATED FROM 8/21/2020) Peter DeLorenzo (2018) has argued that brand management “is now the Number 1 priority in this business.” The reason is that a “democratization of technology and luxury” has leveled the playing field. […]
Design Notes
2011 Chrysler 300C: The adults finally showed up
(EXPANDED FROM 9/18/2020) The Chrysler 300C’s styling received high praise when the car first came out in 2004. “Bold. Brash. . . . Ballsy,” gushed Motor Trend writer Arthur St. Antoine (2005) in explaining why the […]
History
1958-60 Lincoln: Failing to beat GM at its own game
(EXPANDED FROM 12/31/2021) 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 no-holds-barred […]
History
1963-66 Dodge Dart was arguably as important as the Ford Mustang
One of the most underrated cars of the 1960s was the 1963-66 Dodge Dart. This “senior” compact anticipated the size of the contemporary family sedan during a time when the American auto industry was fixated […]
Data Dive
Why V8 engines were less important in the 1950s than commonly believed
(EXPANDED FROM 10/22/2021) One of the most pervasive myths in US automotive history is that a V8 engine became essential to an automaker’s success in the first half of the 1950s. This narrative is summed […]