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HERE’S MY BEST ANSWER AS TO WHY car companies other than General Motors, Ford, and Chrysler were called “independents.” The “Big Three” consisted of several makes, while the independents, at least before the mergers, consisted of just a single make. For example, in the 1950s every car Hudson made was a Hudson: Hudson Commodore, Hudson Hornet, Hudson Jet, etc. Likewise, Studebaker President, Studebaker Commander, Studebaker Hawk, and so on.

On the other hand, there was no such thing as a Ford Mercury, Ford Lincoln, Chrysler Plymouth, or Chrysler Dodge. And no car was a General Motors anything.

Eventually AMC tried to differentiate their models as makes, as Rambler, Ambassador and American rather than Rambler, Rambler Ambassador and Rambler American, although the latter nomenclature was widely used by the public. And as much as Packard wanted the Clipper to be a separate make, it was always seen as just one model of the company’s single make.

Mark John Astolfi

Danvers, Massachusetts

question in #179 about why all car manufacturers except General Motors, Ford, and Chrysler are called independents, he guessed pretty accurately. The brands built under the GM, Ford, and Chrysler umbrellas are dependent on the direction and funding their