American Car Spotters Guide - 1970 |
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The 1970s proved to be a decade of tumultuous change for the automobile industry in the USA. Caught first in the economic turmoil of high interest rates, high inflation, and price control and then in the energy crises of 1973-1974 and 1979, the automobile industry bore the brunt of the changes brought upon the U.S. economy. In addition to the domestic economic situation, U.S. automakers also faced a changed international market, with more competition from foreign manufacturers. The decade started badly with a paralyzing strike by the United Auto Workers (UAW) during 1970.
As a result production at the four major automakers - General Motors, Ford, Chrysler and AMC reduced by over one million vehicles, 10 percent below 1969 figures. In addition to the strike, automakers were faced with a buying public that was increasingly resistant to price increases and high interest rates. While the going was tough for local manufacturers, foreign carmakers managed to sell one hundred thousand more cars in the United States during 1970 than they had in 1969. The import market share rose from 11.4 percent to 14 percent, almost all of the increase due to the increasing popularity of small, inexpensive cars such as the Volkswagen Beetle and the Toyota Corolla.
Domestic makers countered with small-car models of their own, with the AMC Gremlin, Chevrolet Vega, and Ford Pinto leading the way in 1971. Another response by the Big Four U.S. automakers was to streamline their catalogue, and the number of different models offered by the domestic manufacturers shrank in the 1971 model year from 37 to 331, the lowest number since 1962.
Also see: 1970 Australian Car Spotters Guide | 1970 British and European Car Spotters Guide | 1970 Japanese Car Spotters Guide
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AMC Gremlin |
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Also see: AMC Car Reviews | The History of Rambler |
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Always looking for a way to stretch research and development dollars, American Motors used the Hornet platform and body shell to create one of the first American-built subcompacts — the AMC Gremlin, which arrived in the spring of 1970. The Gremlin went on to become American Motors' best-selling passenger car with well over 700,000 units sold before the end of production in 1978. |
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Bricklen SV1 |
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Bricklen SV1 |
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GMC Jimmy |
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Imperial Lebaron 4 Door |
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Imperial Sedan |
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Pontiac Catalina Hardtop Coupe |
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Also see: Pontiac Car Reviews | The History of Pontiac |
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All full-sized Pontiacs, including Catalinas, received a new Grand Prix-like V-nose grille for 1970 along with 'horns ports' on a facelifted front end and new taillights mounted in the rear bumper. Catalina sedans and coupes now came standard with a smaller 255-horsepower 350 cubic-inch Pontiac V8 as standard equipment with optional engines including the previously-standard 400 two-barrel rated at 265 and 290 horsepower (still standard on convertibles and Safari wagons), a 330-horsepower 400 four-barrel and a two versions of the new 455 cubic-inch V8 rated at 360 horsepower (270 kW) or 370 horses with the "HO" option. As in past years, a three-speed manual transmission with column shift was standard equipment, but most cars were equipped with the optional three-speed Turbo Hydramatic. Also offered for 1970, but seldom ordered, was a two-speed automatic transmission (basically a Chevrolet Powerglide) that was available with the 350 V8. |
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