1970s Cars

Cars and Automobiles in the 1970s

With environmentalism taking flight and the oil crisis hovering morbidly in public consciousness, the demand for cars in the 1970s was fairly low. The price of fuel and insurance rates sky-rocketed, the public showed major concern over the emissions caused by public and private transport vehicles, and in the wake of the oil crisis, the idea for auto-makers was to produce smaller, more fuel-efficient vehicles with high performance value.

The 1970s saw the creation of American-made vehicles like the AMC Pacer, infamous for its "jelly bean" shape, and the second generation of the Pontiac Firebird, both of which have become synonymous with the decade. Coupes were especially popular at that time. Nonetheless, sales were down and American Motors agreed to a partnership with the French company Renault to keep from going under. Car designs in Europe went through an overhaul as well, producing vehicles like the Volkswagen Golf, a smaller family vehicle to accommodate the decade's need for fuel-efficiency. At that time, Ford Europe completely overtook its American parent company, but no auto company could overtake Japan.

While other countries suffered through the effects of the oil crisis and the mounting environmental issues, the auto industry in Japan was on the rise. Japanese vehicles were, by design, not only affordable due in part to robotic manufacturing but also fuel-efficient, which was exactly what consumers needed. In that decade, the world saw the release of the the Toyota Corolla and the Honda Civic, the latter of which saw outstanding success because of its innovative fuel-efficient design. Mazda also shifted some of its focus to smaller vehicles, coming out with the Mazda RX-7 in 1978. Subaru, another Japanese auto-maker, became famous for using the boxer engine in most of their cars.

With environmental issues fresh in public consciousness, the idea for auto makers in the 1970s was to make a smaller vehicle that could perform as well as a larger one without compromising on the values imposed by environmentalism. Muscle cars and flashy convertibles began to fade from the public eye when consumers turned to more practical vehicles, concerned about harmful vehicular emissions and determined to do their part by selecting more practical automobiles that fit their budget and helped the environment.