The 70s cars were a product of the mentality of industries in America. If they tend to break down, it was because of the complacency that dominate the industries that produced TV sets, washing machines, not only cars. ![]() 1970s Volkswagen Van Westfalia with an accompanying battery powered mini-bus. More and More Regulations Simultaneously, efforts to combat air pollution—a problem that grew more complicated in 1973 when the OPEC oil embargo led to price controls and gasoline rationing—focused Detroit's attention on emissions control. ![]() 70s Cars
Chevrolet ![]() 1975 Chevy Chevette Another of the 70s cars was the Chevrolet Nova SS
which some pundits observed as the '70s equivalent of the '57 Chevy.
But these cars died a death in '72, making these last-of-the-line '71s
perfect candidates for the "Chevy Muscle Hall of Fame." ![]() 1970 Chevy Nova SS The most interesting US models in the late 70s were throwbacks to an earlier era - Chevrolet's 1978 Silver Anniversary Corvette
came with a Stingray-like fastback, while Ford's Mustang King Cobra was
a throwback to the muscle car days, sporting stripes, a cool snake
decal and a 122 horsepower engine. ![]() 1978 Corvette Silver Anniversary Edition After a successful debut in 1967, the Camaro hit a slump in 1972. That year also saw the end of the Super Sport (SS) package. Road & Track
magazine mourned the passing of Chevrolet Camaro SS 396, hailing the
SS 396 as the "best car built in America in 1971." The early Seventies
were a bad trip for the automobiles, all 70s cars affected by
regulations as well as the gas shortage. ![]() 1969 Chevy Camaro SS 396 Road & Track magazine mourned the passing of Chevrolet Camaro SS396, hailing the SS396 as the "best car built in America in 1971." One 70s cars which was hailed as "action and elegance in a sporty personal luxury package," was the Chevy Monte Carlo.
It was only available as a coupe and came with power front discs,
Elm-Burl dash panel inlays, and a choice of engines that ranged from the
standard 350cid V8 to the SS454. It was sold at $3,123 and cheap
compared to the $5,000 Thunderbird. The Monte Carlo used the same platform as the redesigned 1969 Pontiac Grand Prix. ![]() 1970 Chevy Monte Carlo Priced at $3,123 and cheap compared to the $5,000 Thunderbird. ![]() 1976 Ford Thunderbird Buick It's base price was $5,251, more pricey than its arch rival T-bird by a wide margin. At last, Buick had a flagship model that was the envy of the industry. These 70s cars made Buick proud. ![]() 1971 Buick Riviera Handsome and dramatic, it was nicknamed the "boat-tail" Ford ![]() 1970 Ford Granada In the UK, the Ford Capri was the car of choice for heavy-set boys. Their dads on the other hand, probably drove an Austin Allegro. The Allegro was genteel, economical - a company car for junior management. ![]() 1970 Ford Capri AMC ![]() 1970 AMC Gremlin AMC also introduced "The Machine": factory-modified 1970 AMC Rebel
which ran 14.4-second quarter mile in stock trim. American Motors'
mid-sized 1970 Rebel Machine, was also built for normal street use. It
was thought by its designers as a competitor to the GTOs. With
four-speed manual transmission, the Rebel could spring from zero to 60
miles per hour in just 6.4 seconds. ![]() 1970 AMC Rebel Machine The quintessential 1970s
US car was probably the Pacer, introduced by AMC as "the first wide
small car". The car's bubble-like styling made it look like some "car of
the future" from a 1950s showroom, but its heavy six cylinder engine
made handling awkward, and caused the car to gobble far more fuel than
the average domestic compact. For all its hype, sales were disappointing
and the Pacer barely made it to the end of the decade. ![]() A 70s AMC Pacer Ugly, awkward, gas-guzzling car that did not make it to the 80s. Lincoln Road-testers were
unanimous in their praise for its power, luxury, and size, remarking
that the Mark IV's hood "looks like an aircraft carrier landing-deck on
final approach." It had air-conditioning, six-by-six-way power seats,
power windows, antenna and door locks. And all came as standard. ![]() 1972 Lincoln Continental Mark IV Priced at $10,000 in 1972, it had a Rolls-Royce-esque look. Lincoln's limited-edition Continental Mark V Diamond Jubilee coupe was typically excessive, coming with a gold grille, special midnight-blue metallic paint, and a leather bound owner's manual and tool kit. ![]() 1978 Continental Mark V Diamond Jubilee Chrysler ![]() 1975 Chrysler Cordoba Ricardo Montalban's fave car when he said "rich, Corinthian leather." It's the shortest Chrysler car since World war II.
This "reasonably
fast" compact muscle car had a stiff, slightly lowered suspension. The
car was a success. Hot Rod rated the Duster "one of the best, if not
the best, dollar buy in a performance car" in 1970. ![]() 1970 Plymouth Duster Priced at just US$2,547, these 70s cars are one of the best, if not the best, dollar buy in 1970. Cadillac The press called
it the "best Caddy for 26 years." Launch price for the Seville was
$13,700, $6,000 less than a comparable Mercedes and sales of the new car
rightly worried the German manufacturer. Fortune magazine named Seville
as one of the U.S.'s best-designed products, a quality 70s cars. ![]() 1976 Cadillac Seville "Best Caddy for 26 years," these European styled cars had very good design and was a threat to the sales of Mercedes Benz cars. By 1976, Cadillacs had become so swollen that they plowed through corners, averaged 13 mpg and were as quick as off the line as an M24 tank. Despite a massive 500cid V8, output of the 1976 Eldorado was a lowly 190 hp, with a top speed of just 109 mph. Something had to change and Cadillac's response had been the '75 Seville. But the '76 Eldorado marked the end of an era for another reason - it was the last American convertible. When Cadillac announced that the convertible was to be phased out at the end of '76, the market fought to buy the last 200. People even tried to cut in line by claiming they were distantly related to Cadillac's founder.
![]() 1976 Cadillac Eldorado The heavy, massive, quick as a tank Eldorado had to go. People sensed that these 70s cars would soon be collectibles so they fought tooth and nail to buy one, some for as much as $20,000, nearly double the list price. |