Top 10 The Most Disastrous Cars Of The 1970s | Decades Of History

now you can get that room and ride and the first wide small car today we are highlighting 10 of the worst cars from the 1970s new emissions and safety rules the 1973 oil crisis and fierce competition from overseas shook the industry to its core automakers scrambled to adapt often cutting Corners in design and materials this led to some of the most notorious and problematic vehicles ever to hit the road but amidst these Automotive Misadventures one car stood out not just for its flaws but for a Deadly Secret that turned it into a ticking Time Bomb On [Music] Wheels stay tuned as we will uncover the shocking story of a car that could literally explode upon impact so let's get started let's go for a drive Vega is getting quite a reputation as a great little sports car and as you can see it's quite deserving number 10 1971 Chevrolet Vega the 1971 Chevrolet Vega was definitely one of the worst cars ever even though it was promoted as the car of the year and had a cheap starting price of just $2,090 it turned out to be a real headache the engine had a habit of overheating causing expensive repairs that cost more than what you paid for the car on top of that the body of this car didn't handle the weather well it rusted super quickly and in some extreme cases it just fell apart adding to the issues the transmission liked to give up way too soon they use cheap material matal to keep the cost down and it showed to put it in perspective $2,090 in 1971 would be roughly equivalent to about $133,000 today after adjusting for inflation however that meager price did not reflect the quality of this car the 1971 Chevrolet Vega went from being the Car of the Year to one of the most Troublesome and disappointing cars ever made by an American company its reputation took a big hit they're trading in bigger cars for it they've discovered they didn't need most of their big car number n 1975 AMC Pacer The 1975 AMC Pacer surely holds a prominent Place among the weirdest cars of that era with its wide body and extensive glass it looked like it was pulled straight from a Sci-Fi comic this car was nothing if not unique turning heads and raising eyebrows with its futuristic design but the Pacer's Journey wasn't just about looks it faced criticism for its mechanical reliability while not every Pacer suffered from these issues they were notable enough to tarnish its reputation under the hood the Pacer started with a 232 cubic in 6-cylinder engine later upgraded in models performance and build quality received mixed reviews with some owners less than thrilled priced around $3,500 in the 1970s equivalent to about $177,000 today the Pacers value now varies some see it as a collector's item While others remember the less favorable aspects handling and interior finishes again opinions were divided the Pacer's unique design was not matched by its functionality for some leading to a a less than Stellar reputation in the automotive World despite its mixed Legacy the AMC Pacer remains a fascinating piece of Automotive History it's a testament to the era's willingness to push design boundaries for better or worse the Pacers story is just one chapter in our exploration of the 1970s worst cars yeah now this is what I call fast feed man I had me a car like this and I would get in it take off and I wouldn't stop a lot someplace else number eight 1973 stuts Blackhawk the favorite of none other than Elvis Presley is the 1973 stuts Blackhawk a car that didn't hold back when it came to luxury and extravagance with a design reminiscent of 1930s cars but an enormous length of around 19 ft the Blackhawk was pure extravagance on Wheels its interior was the epitome of excess adorned with Connelly leather Maple and Birchwood details Australian Lamb's wool carpets and even IR fur lining in the trunk even more eye-catching was its price of $30,000 in 1971 that was almost 10 times the the average annual salary in the US what's worse its expensive Lear amfm 8 trck audio system and all the other luxuries made the Blackhawk one of the most expensive cars in the world undoubtedly the Blackhawk was a vehicle reserved only for the deepest Pockets nowadays $30,000 from 1971 would be around $210,000 today adjusted for inflation the ride smooth and stable the steering is responsive with a firm feel of the road number seven 1971 Pontiac Grand Prix the 1971 Pontiac Grand Prix celebrated for its design and luxury faced significant setbacks with the onset of the 1973 oil crisis with a suggested starting price of $3,850 which equates to approximately $27,000 today its large size and fuel inefficient V8 engines were out of sync with the era's shift towards smaller more economical Vehicles this mismatch along with its heavy build negatively impacted both both its fuel efficiency and Agility diminishing its appeal in a market increasingly favoring compact cars compounding its struggles the grand prix's attempt to balance luxury with performance was challenged by stricter emissions regulations leading to reduced power and driving satisfaction as a result it faced stiff competition from more efficient domestic and foreign models eroding its market share these factors collectively contributed to the Grand prix's reputation as one of the 1970s more disappointing Vehicles reflecting the broader challenges faced by the American Auto industry during this transformative era two different body shapes each with three power options number six Morris Marina the Morris Marina launched in the early 1970s quickly gained notoriety as one of the decade's worst cars due to its numerous shortcomings designed to compete with popular models like the Ford Cortina the marina was hastily pushed into production by British Leland resulting in a car that was underdeveloped from the start its design was considered outdated lacking the style and Innovation that were becoming standard in the automotive industry owners frequently faced a range of problems from minor irritations to Major mechanical failures the build quality was inconsistent with common issues including rust electrical faults and poor fit and finish the engines though varied were often underpowered and inefficient failing to meet the performance expectations of the era these issues exacerbated by labor disputes and quality control problems at British Leland cemented the Marina's reputation as a symbol of the struggles faced by the British car industry in the 1970s that's uh one of the problems with these Imports oh this isn't an import no C this is a Chevrolet chevet number five Chevrolet chevet the Chevrolet chevet introduced in the mid 1970s is often remembered as one of the worst cars of the decade largely due to its underwhelming performance lackluster build quality and minimalistic design designed as a response to the oil crisis of the 1970s and the growing demand for fuel efficient compact cars the chevet aimed to compete with the influx of small economical Imports flooding the American Market however in its pursuit of fuel efficiency and affordability Chevrolet made significant compromises in other areas the Chevette was equipped with small underpowered engines that struggled to provide adequate performance this lack of power was particularly noticeable on highways and during acceleration making the Driving Experience generally uninspiring and at times frustrating for drivers use to more robust American cars the car's construction was often seen as cheap with a Spartan interior that lacked the comfort and features consumers expected even in budget models the use of lowcost materials led to problems like rapid wear and susceptibility to rust diminishing the vehicle's longevity and appeal as a result despite its initial popularity due to its low cost and fuel efficiency the Chet's Legacy is marred by its shortcomings reflecting the challenges faced by American automakers in adapting to a changing Automotive landscape American am's modern gas mileage champ just want to use your pay phone it'll drive you happy if you can afford a car you can probably afford two Gremlins I love you number four AMC Gremlin it's time for another one from AMC undoubtedly this is one of the cars with the strangest designs of all time it was built with poor quality materials and despite being conceived as a subcompact it used mechanical Parts intended for larger cars in its production the result a kind of Frankenstein with a chopped off rear end that was only in production between 1970 and 1978 additionally this caused weight distribution problems complicating handling as well as issues with the suspension and steering the mockery and negative response from the public were so strong at the time that various magazines and Automotive critics included it in their lists of the worst cars the average price of an AMC Gremlin in the 1970s varied depending on the year and specific model in the early 1970s the selling price of an AMC Gremlin was approximately 1,9 $999 adjusted for inflation this price would be around $7,800 today by car used to deliver pizzas in this car secret pizzas incredible and it's mine take a closer look at the new Mustang 2 number three 1974 Ford Mustang 2 the 1974 Ford Mustang 2 marked a low point for what was otherwise an iconic muscle car name plate based on the ill-fated Pinto platform the Mustang 2 represented an attempt to downsize the brand for the era of fuel crises starting prices began around $3,300 which would equate to just over $21,500 today however buyers found little reason to send their money to Ford based on the underwhelming results where the original Mustang delivered style and Power in Spades the Mustang 2 had neither strangled by emissions equipment and built upon a subpar Pinto Foundation even the V8 models struggled to reach 130 horsepower the Basin Line 6 managed a poultry 105 horsepower as a result performance was lethargic and acceleration felt more like a Yugo than a proper sports car and that's the Brooklyn with safety as the most important design factor dramatic styling lecture number two 1975 Brooklyn sv1 The 1975 Brooklyn sv1 seemed to have all the ingredients for Success iconic gwing doors flashy styling and a focus on safety but what resulted was an automotive debacle for the ages conceived by entrepreneur Malcolm brickland as the safety vehicle of the future the sv1 boasted massive 5 mph impact bumpers a rollover cage and vertically opening doors weighing over 100 lb each however all that safety equipment combined with a plastic body ended up weighing the car down excessively with a sticker price of $9,985 th000 today the underpowered V8 simply could not move the heavy brick adequately the build quality was atrocious due to the unrefined use of fiberglass and and Plastics reliability was a joke with issues like tiny radiators causing constant overheating in the end only around 3,000 bricks were ever produced between 1975 and 1976 it represented an automaker completely over its head while Innovative with its many safety focused ideas the brickland sv1 was one of the least well-executed car designs in history yeah come on us come on tell us what's going on goodbye to a lot of extra servicing [Music] number one Ford Pinto finally we get to our exploding car the infamous 1971 Ford Pinto it's one of the most dangerous and defective cars ever produced with an initial price of less than $22,000 Ford managed to sell almost 400,000 units in its first year however that came at the expense of safety the pinto gained notoriety due to Serious flaws that turned it into a rolling bomb its lightweight body offered very little protection in case of an accident e easily crumpling but the worst part was the placement of its fuel tank just behind the rear axle ensuring that any rear end collision would turn the car into a fiery explosion estimates by Mother Jones attribute between 500 and 900 burn deaths to Pinto crashes who would not have been seriously injured if the car had not burst into flames studies showed that fixing these defects would have cost only a few dollars more per vehicle but Ford chose not to do so based on a calculation of lives versus costs subsequent legal proceedings revealed the company's complete disregard for the safety of its customers today less than $2,000 from 1971 would be roughly equivalent to about $113,000 however no amount of money can compensate for the loss of human lives due to Ford's greed and negligence with the [Applause] [Music] pinto which of these cars do you think is the absolute worst were there any that did not make the list that you think should be on here drop your thoughts in the comments below and if you enjoyed this video please watch the next one and if you're feeling extra friendly today be sure to like this video And subscribe to our channel from all of us here thank you for watching

Channel: Decades Of History

Views: 119,031

Keywords: Top 10 The Most Disastrous Cars Of The 1970s, Decades Of History, Top, Disastrous, Cars, Worst 1970s Cars, Car Failures 1970s, 1970s Auto Disasters, Infamous 1970s Vehicles, Notorious 1970s Car Models, Classic Car Fails, Automotive Mistakes 1970s, Avoid These 1970s Cars, Worst Car Designs 1970s, 1970s Car Flops, Disappointing Cars 1970s, Worst Rated 1970s Vehicles, 1970s Car Errors, Major Car Flops 1970s, 1970s Automotive Fails, Historical Car Disasters 1970s, DhT&x%

Id: CPF97tlFT3o

Length: 13min 9sec (789 seconds)

Published: Fri Feb 02 2024