Cars of the 1970's: Is Bigger Better?

Cars of the 1970's: Is Bigger Better?

Ford's newly scaled-down Mustang II

The beginning of the 1970's saw huge changes in how Americans viewed cars. The EPA laws started to make the auto companies struggle on how to meet emissions requirements. Fuel economy dropped and reliability suffered with performance.

To cut costs manufacturers started using a low quality steel. Enter safety laws. In 1974 OPEC or Organization for Oil Exporting Countries who's members were Iraq, Iran, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia and Venezuela and oil production was cut. 

Gas was hard to come by and expensive. At this time, Ford down-sized its Mustang with the Mustang II. General Motors said they would not because they felt the U.S. consumer would not buy them. Eventually all U.S. car makers started to produce smaller cars.

The 1970 Chevelle had scaled-down

 Other automakers tried innovations that worked but some didn't. Some import companies, like Fiat and MG left the market. This trend continued until 1985 when computer controlled cars with fuel injection became more available.

Fiat 124 Coupe

The four cylinder twin overhead engine on the Fiat 124 Coupe was designed by ex-Ferrari engineer Aurelio Lampredi. It sported a 5-speed gearbox, disc brakes, and a double wishbone front suspension. The U.S. model received mild carburation because of emissions constraints. It would set the pace for cars to come after it.

Resources:
http://auto.howstuffworks.com/sports-cars4.htm