My wife’s very first car was a brand new ‘71 Ford Pinto……. 2,000 cc German engine….. manufactured in Mexico…. Two door with trunk, Grabber Blue……bought it right after we were married. Drove it 12 years….112,000 miles….. it was actually excellent. Bought new for $2,500…… sold to a friend for $1,250…… half of what it was new… after 12 years!

These cars were introduced because Americans wanted fuel efficient cars. In the early 70s, the large V8 powered cars were just sitting on dealer lots. None of the fuel efficient imports were exciting to drive. There was a limit to 70s technologies. SO to badmouth 4 cylinder performance in the 70s is coming from someone you never experienced the era. Chevrolet had the Chevette for 12 years and built 2.8 million of them. Is that really a failure?

I owned three of the listed vehicles. Pinto, Vega and Chevette. Of the three, the Chevette was the most reliable.

I was an owner of a 71 Pinto. Trust me, you do not want to own one of these cars. It couldn't get out of it's own way. I used to get nervous entering any interstate highway because the entrance ramps weren't long enough for me to get the speed up to a safe level.

I had a 1982 Chevy Chevette 2-Door, boy it was small, I had to remove the Driver Seat, and sit in back seat to drive it. I was 6ft 6in then. I also fixed it up, I removed the 2.0L engine and transmission, remove the Rearend to. I did a Small Block V8 327 swap, 4-Speed Saginaw Tranny and a Ford 9” Rear Axle. I put Hoosier 50’s in rear and Hoosier 7’s in front with CRAGAR Wheels and Traction Bars. I was a HAM Operator then, I installed a 108” rooftop antenna. Everyone in town said my car look like an RC Car, lol. It was Fun & Fast after I got done with it.

No regrets for the 70’s, the most amazing decade of all time.

I think one of the worst cars from the 70's was the Ford Maverick. Especially the one with the 200 sick cylinder. I had one with the 3 on the tree. The linkages broke, and I had to install a floor shifter. On a transmission with no synchronization. I put a floor jack under the frame to jack it up and change a flat tire. The frame was so rusted, my jack went up through it.

Ah the memories. I had a fairmont. It was OK for a first car. A friend had a chevette. Her engine exploded at just 89 miles. A family member had a leg amputation due to a wreck in a Mustang 2

I didn't know anyone that was excited about the Pinto. The Gremlin had one of the best commercials. Hey lady, where's the rest of your car? The Pacer (Spaceship) with a transplanted V8 and wheelie bars was a beast. Ford redeemed itself with the Fox body 79 Mustang. My first new car.

I had a 1971 Gremlin in 1978 I was 20, and the head went bad on it and an old mechanic told me I could take one off a rambler which I did on a 1964. It fit of course same engine. it was a lot of fun at that age and we'd go to lake Michigan with it and stow our gear for the outing in the back.

I had a 1974 Chevy Vega, my engine expired after 52,000 miles, plus my frame broke in two right behind the driver seat.

My dad had an AMC Hornet, my brother an AMC Javelin and my sister had an AMC Gremlin. They were basic but worked well for my family

The Gremlin was a good car for the money

The Pinto was actually a fairly good car, produced for 10 years and 3.3 million sold. Pretty much ALL small cars of that era had the gas tank in the same location as the Pinto. Like the Corvair, the Pinto sold well for a long time but an undeserving bad rap ended it prematurely.

Ugh. My dad drove a 1972 Vega (which later became my first car). My mom drove a 70s Pinto, which she replaced with a 1976 AMC Pacer. They knew how to pick them.

I guess that I'm one of the minority who thinks that the Gremlin looks pretty cool. I remember a friend that had one with the blue jeans denim upholstery for the seats. It was pretty unique.

My first car was a used (8 yr old), pumpkin colored 1978 Chevrolet Chevette. No power anything and no AC. My Dad bought it, and took me to pick it up. I drove it home and nearly panicked, because the brakes were dangerously gone. He got the brakes fixed right away. Lots of good memories. A few years later, I had a 1980 Chevette that had AC and leather seats, but I never liked that car as much as the first one. I remember driving it out of town to a location that had hills. I would have to lay down on the gas pedal and pray that God would help her make it to the top. That was nerve-wracking!

My first car was a metallic green 1978 Chevy Chevette! I got it in 1985 & it literally fell apart everyday! I remember turning a sharp corner & my entire wheel popped off! It also was very gutless, didn't excellerate hardly at all but hey, it was my first car & got me back & forth from home to high school! 😂

I love the 1970's cars. They are really cool. Thank you so much for posting this great video. I love the Chevy Vega!

The Gremlin body lived on .... well sort of for a couple of years in the AMC Eagle Kammback 1981-1982. Also the Fox chassis that the Ford Fairmont was built on was used for several Ford models right up to the early 90's, in particular the "Fox body" Mustangs.

Although quite unique and not affordable for the average consumer, the DMC-12, (used in Back To The Future) produced by the DeLorean Motor Company was a slight improvement to the (squared front) cars of the 70s. Although it cost far more than the average car, it also was designed with a square front, which is insane that every designer in that decade felt square was stylish. I can't speak for their performance, as there were so few of them, but they are rare to see on the roadways as it is to see a Pinto or Pacer. Their one true stroke of genius, was their stainless steel body. Where their competitor's vehicles were literally falling apart from rust, they didn't rust at all, not even a little.

The GM diesel experiment

Love my 1972 factory v8 GREMLIN X

I had a cosworth vega in the 70 had a weber 2brl ,engine header, rear loviers rare option i loved it

The Gremlin was cool. Also liked the other AMC cars. Owned a 1978, 1979, and 1983 Fairmont, the last two bought new. All very reliable, even during a Midwest winter. Economy was good. The 78 sedan looked rather pedestrian but the 79 coupe and the 83 Futura coupe looked pretty good. You had to be there, because most of these cars were pretty neat at the time.

Meh. You sound a wee bit clueless on the 70's bro. Don't throw the baby out with the bath water.

your opinion. my opinion, bs.

My best friend in high school had a Pacer in the 80s. At the time, I had no idea how old the car was since it was in absolute mint condition. I miss that car.

The Gremlin was probably the best of the bunch as for as reliability. I had a Maverick Grabber and a Comet GT and liked both of those. A little work on those 302's and you had a little beast. A friend of mine had a Vega with the original tires and rims with a Chevy 400 small block, it was insane. Most all the cars from '74 to '85 were mediocre at best though.

Good show, but I think you missed the worst decade of U.S. cars by 10 years: the 1980's. I would nominate an entire car company, the Chrysler Corporation.

Oh no you did not put the Pacer on this list. Man I loved my mom’s Pacer.

Vega is a favorite to stuff a small block into and make a cheap neck snapper out of.

Pacer is a upside down bathtub.. just kidding folks.

i drove a chevette while in university. I had to fix it once a month. in the end, halfway trip to my university, the engine blew out. I got it to a gas station near there and never retruned for it. hahaa

My parents were thinking about buying a pacer in 1976, unfortunately they didn't. But also the Chrysler cordba was considered. Ultimate decision led us to a new ford conversion van in 1979. Had the same color combinations of the 1979 Ford mustang pace car. Cool choice by my Dad 🏁🏁

LOL These cars are merely representative as it can be said that EVERY 70's car was hunk of junk

I had a Vega and a Chevette

Funny. But worst at what? Styling? Reliability? They’re all American because this is mostly an American audience. Few of you would know the Reliant Robin, the Renault Le Car, the Lada, the Trabant, or just about any British Leyland or Fiat car.

How about the Volkswagen Thing?? I don't know how good or bad they were, but they were definitely quirky.

Cars went downhill 1973 and on.

I got a 1970 monte carlo that i still have today. All originally restored in perfect condition 👌. Will never part from it. A true classic.

I disagree about the Fairmont. I think it’s a great looking car.

The Mustang II never claimed to be a muscle car, so comparing it to one shows lack of knowledge about them. Mustangs were not muscle cars...they were pony cars. Mustang II was quite successful and a popular car for its time, offering many style and engine choices for buyers, including good looking 2+2 hatchbacks, and the sporty Cobra II. They offered good gas mileage which had become a more important consideration in the 70's due to rising gas prices. It was the right car for the time, being practical and affordable with some style.

I owned one of those lovely Pintos. Baby blue and full of bondo. That beautiful hunk of machinery was so special that every time I had to get a tune up for it, the service guy rolled his eyes. That's because he would have to literally take the engine out to replace the plugs. A fine bit of engineering there. He made some good money that day!

I LOVE the AMC Pacer!!. Such a cool car!. And, my Dad worked at Ford in Dearborn Michigan and we actually had the Mercury version of the Fairmont, the Zephyr!!, in station wagon form!. And, YES, I hated that car!!!. Burgundy red interior, and silver exterior. Booooring! Got driven to school in it for a couple years. Yuk!. Needless to say, we didnt have it for long! But i still love the Pacer's Bubble-shaped back end and rounded windows!!. Sooo cool!.

All these cars went to live on the Drag strip

This has great production value but its not very accurate. The Ford Pinto was hugely popular and AMC Gremlin was successful and sold better than most imports at the time since

What about the electric cars today? I loved those cars in those days ❤️

I had a '78 Chevette. Only got 18 miles per gallon. Not the 28 miles per gallon as advertised. So glad when I got rid of it and got a new Camero. Notice how you never see any Chevettes on the road anymore?

I still own a pinto Station wagon. You know it's a collectible nowadays. The Vegas we used to drop small block Chevy engine in them and they were quite respectable then. Funny thing is we get 25 mi a gallon with it!!! Mustang 2 I've got one that still doesn't have a Harley in miles on it owned it for a long time. It looks more like a mustang than what they put out now. People forget those cars initially in 65 and 66 were meant to be the little ladies second car. I do agree with you on the Pacer because it was not much lighter than the bigger cars. I did not say biggest I said bigger. All that glass in back also they had problems with the rear suspension because of that weight. Refrigerator the Ford Fairmont station wagon it was good for what it was and pretty solid. The Ford 2-door box coupe as I called it with a 302 hummed all the way to Texas at 85 mph. I had a little Ford futura with the inline 6 and it got 25 miles a gallon it was sporty looking. It was the style that Ford got right as far as the Fairmont. Hitt road well. Unfortunately one day the converter caught onfire. AMC gremlin buddy of mine had that. He had six cylinder model. But there are guys who were putting eight cylinders in them. They are very odd-looking but I like them. But one problem they had was the back hatch glass simply exploding. Had to be from the heat buildup cuz that's when they would burst and that's what happened to his

I had a ‘78 Fairmont wagon the reared was replaced 3 times the mileage was below 15 mpg. The Maverick though two doors only seemed better than pinto/ Fairmont

The Mustang 2............The leisure suit of Mustangs

the Vega. steering was of set hast to do with power string. my brother Put a pacier in the demolition derby rad blue a hole the car last about 15 minutes all in fun a grit day fantastic video thank you😁😁😁👍

All cars had the tank in the back in the 70's

the Plymouth Valiant....

Always wanted a AMC Pacer wagon,had a 1972 Gremlin, reliable, 22mpg .,but poor ride and lousy in snow.

The malaise years.

Almost embarassed to say my wife had a 78 AMC Pacer wagon. It felt like riding in a fish bowl. I was not sad to see that one go when I traded it for a 79 Pontiac Grand Prix.

the most disappointing car in this list has to be the Mustang II....you go from a Shelby GT500 to this?...wow....

As a car guy, the problems were obviously technology sucked, but point blank car companies all had models that were made so cheap for them to be affordable. Case in point a Oldsmobile Cutlass well made, Oldsmobile Omega cheaply made.

In the 70s, I thought the Grimlin, all AMC cars, were so ugly. I couldn't understand how people could drive them. Same goes for the cube, neon, scion.

My friend.had a Pinto.and i was always scared riding on the back

If these cars were to be introduce in the late 1950's and 1960's perhaps they would all have come out successfully among the public.But they came" late in the day" and by then people's mentality and lifestyles had changed a lot.😮😢

You don't know what you are talking about.

Most of the cars in this video were owned by someone on my block. My dad got a Vega Wagon from his dad. 2 aunts had Pacers, another had a sportabout wagon.

Worse car I ever owned was a 77 dodge Monaco. I was taking it back weekly because it wouldnt s😊tart sometimes The termostat went out in 3 months. It rusted out in less than three years and you had to carry that one part in your glove box for a spare part because they were always going out and it would only run on shell gas. The only good thing about it was the payment was only 119 a month

One or two more on the list and I'm sure I'd've seen MY nightmare, the Volkswagen Scirocco (anyone even remember them?). With the gas shortage came odd/even, $2 max. lines around the block. Time to ditch my first brand-new car, an 8 MPG, 340 Plymouth Duster that I (and even my dealer) loved. Went 4-banger for the first time and picked wrong. If the humidity got too high the cat converter decides to stop converting. The exhaust system was held up by rubber O-rings...guess what started breaking. Ditched THAT sucker after a year, went Honda and never looked back!😁

ALL of the problems with almost ALL of these cars was caused by BEAN COUNTERS cutting corners.

I.had a Gremlin, it was a fun.car but pretty crappy

My favorite Muscle car! ©️hevelle super sport automatic 1973 🕸

I loved the AMC PACER. Fun car and fantastic visibility in all directions but hot as hell inside on sunny summer days. The glass didn't hold back any heat and the ACs - if they had them - couldn't keep up. Those issues could probably be overcome today.

American Cars died in the 1970’s. Rust and poor quality. The small cars were crappy and still got poor mileage.

A lot of butt hurt Vega, Pinto, Gremlin, and Mustang II owners in the comment section. 🤣🤣 Hate to break it to them, but he's right.

No AMC Hornet? AMC made some real shit in the 70s. But I will admit, as a kid, I thought the Gremlin had a cool look to it, for whatever reason......except the avacado green or PURPLE ones.....yuck.

My brother put 70k+ miles on a Chevette in two years… worked for him.

1970s and 80s American cars are remembered for terrible quality and reliability. Also remembered as Japanese cars taking over the lead.

The 80s were not much better, except for the iroc z Camero and the buick grand national.

The 70s were terrible as far as fashion. But I remember the ugly square cars that would start breaking down before your last payment was made. The majority of cars in the 70s were absolute junk. I still remember the picture of the girls on fire jumping out of their Pinto that the gas tank exploded on them. Absolutely horrible disregard for safety. We used to call the AMC Pacer, the Glass Coffin. The Fairmont was everywhere and was the quintessential poster child model for 70s vehicles.

I'm happy I was just a kid in the 70s. Horrible fasions for both men and women. Disco sucked. Some cars were as big as boats.

Pacer i believe is the worst looking car of all time Usa.

I had a 1978 Plymouth Volare, straight six. AM Radio, Digital Clock. Leaked oil in 4 places, It had a broken left headlight socket - when I braked hard, the head light out literally pop out, making it look like it was winking! lol

Um carro chamado "Pinto" aqui no Brasil, iria dar muito problema! 😅😂😅😂😅😂😅😂😅😂😅😂

Pacer was epic fail, designed with a Wankel engine in mind built by Germany, But the engine was late, then had no power when it was finished and couldn't be used. But they already put the factory production in place so they shoehorned a v-6 in it and you had to drill holes in the floor to change the back spark plugs...

The early 70's was still really the leftover 60's. When Disco kicked in, fashion certainly became more important. Everyone wanted to look good at the "DISCO"! THE "HIPPIE LOOK" WAS OVER. Every generation can look back at the previous one and make fun of it. All the "little" cars that came out were pretty ugly. The ones from overseas were no better ! We were stuck with new gas regulations and style went right down the drain. The AMC Pacer looked like a terrarium on wheels.

the chevy nova would not sell in mexico as a friend of mine who lived their told me "Chevy Nova" translated to wont go in english. I don't know if that was a true translation but I was told that was why the Nova never really sold there.

The weight & base price would have been good to share.

None of those issues happened with vegas

The 7 worst cars of the 70s, and all of them American…😂

well, for me, i have fond and great memories of the Gremlin! 😁 back in jr high (late 70s), this senior chick would skip school with me and a couple other guys, once in awhile.. and she'd buy us Wine, while of course us guys usually had a little weedle one us 🪴 and she'd take us out to the lake and we'd spend all day at the tower, swinging off the rope. this was at Lk Murray, S OK. sadly they closed the tower in the early 80s due to people getting hurt. me and buddy spent all of summer 1980 at the lake (3 months) and spent most days at the rope tower, but that's another story! but yeah, we had some good times in that old Gremlin. as i remember, it was kind of a dark red, with red interior. i'll always remember her beads n stuff handing from the mirror. so ya, you can actually have fun in a Gremlin! ☮

You need way more than 10 minutes! lol

In 1971, I thought the Vega was a great looking little car and it handled effortlessly. My father - a mechanic - warned me about aluminum block engines. He steered me to buy a Challenger instead - which I did. When I took my cross country road trip a year later, I saw more broken down Chevy Vegas along the roadsides than any other car.

*The 70s were terrible as far as fashion. But I remember the ugly square cars that would start breaking down before your last payment was made. The majority of cars in the 70s were absolute junk. I still remember the picture of the girls on fire jumping out of their Pinto that the gas tank exploded on them. Absolutely horrible disregard for safety. We used to call the AMC Pacer, the Glass Coffin. The Fairmont was everywhere and was the quintessential poster child model for 70s vehicles*