The 1970s' social, political, and economical upheavals caught Detroit unawares. Rising fuel prices made the vast, thirsty sedans, station wagons, and muscle cars that had been its stock-in-trade a lot less acceptable. But even without the effects of the 1973 oil crisis, buyers were tiring of the poor build quality of many domestic cars, and the yearly changes that obliged them to trade in for a new model that wasn't very new at all.
The public was also increasingly aware of the value, reliability, and economy of imported cars. Where VW had laid the groundwork, now Toyota, Datsun, and Honda were blazing a trail with thrifty compacts. Sales of boring but sturdy Volvos boomed as buyers recognized the safety issues endemic in cars that were engineered around styling fads rather than crashworthiness. Even sacred cows Cadillac and Lincoln were under threat from BMW and Benz, making cars that handled and stopped properly, sounding the death knell for Detroit's classic land yachts.
Commercial pressure was only half the story. The federal government was adding increasingly unrealistic emissions and safety rules, ushering in the era of 'park bench' impact bumpers and emasculated V8s. Detroit's responses to these challenges were laughably inadequate, giving rise to a dynasty now known collectively as the 'malaise era'. Poorly built, hideously styled, underpowered, and horrid to drive, the awfulness of these cars offers an increasing fascination.
1 Buick Riviera
Denne historien er fra August 2022-utgaven av Classic & Sports Car.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
Allerede abonnent ? Logg på
Denne historien er fra August 2022-utgaven av Classic & Sports Car.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
Allerede abonnent? Logg på
A Breath of Fresh Air- Alfa Romeo's exotic, V8-powered Montreal was like nothing the marque had made before, but can it compare with a Porsche masterpiece, the 911S 2.4?
The stereotype of the ItaloGermanic automotive rivalry is that the Latin car will be brilliant to drive, but poorly built and ergonomically flawed, while the Teutonic will be the opposite. Yet these 2+2 sports coupés both ran against orthodoxy. In the Montreal, Alfa Romeo created an outlandish-looking two-door more comfortable, more powerful and more refined than anything it had produced for decades. Meanwhile, Porsche continued to refine its back-to-front, austere and increasingly aged 911. Neither took a traditional development path, but both created thrilling and individual cars that have echoed through the decades.
Daring to be diminutive
AMC's Gremlin and Pacer, and Ford's much-derided Pinto, led America's response to the threat of imported European compacts
THE LONG WAY ROUND
There is a great tradition of overland trips by Land-Rover, but the tale of this 70s Aussie epic and the car itself was discovered by chance
Handsome cab
The Phantom V limousine marked the beginning of the end for coachbuilder James Young, but this Rolls-Royce represents the craft at its very best
DOING IT FOR THEMSELVES
Racing for their own F1 teams brought some drivers success and an enduring legacy. For others, it turned into a nightmare
20 30 LITRES CYLINDERS, 400BHP......AND MORE THAN A CENTURY OLD
Thunderous torque, flame-spitting stub-exhausts, white-knuckle thrills - and hopefully no spills - aboard a trio of Edwardian racing titans
ICON.
The three top-selling vehicles in the USA in 2023 were pick-ups, topped by the Ford F-Series. This is the truck that started it all
Blurred Lines
lan 'Del' Lines blended the V8 burble of Triumph's open GT with real practicality in his Stag V8 saloons and estates
Home of the brave
The innovative Silverstone proved a hit with keen amateur drivers. To mark its 75th, Healey's club racer returns to the circuit for which it is named
PLAYING ALL THE ANGLES
Alfa Romeo's wild RZ eschewed the jellymould styling of the period to offer a striking, wedge-shaped take on open-topped performance motoring