5. The American auto industry developed small cars with better fuel efficiency
Throughout the 1960s the Volkswagen Beetle became a common sight on American roads and in American driveways. Japanese automobiles, also small cars, began to arrive in increasing numbers in the United States late in the decade. America’s so-called Big Four automakers – General Motors, Ford, Chrysler, and American Motors, developed models to compete with the Germans and the Japanese. AMC was the first to market in 1970 when they introduced the Gremlin. It was aptly presented to the American public on April Fool’s Day. The Gremlin was basically half of an AMC Hornet. It was marketed as the first American “import”.
Ford followed with the Pinto, and Chevrolet with the Vega. Though they sold fairly well, especially when gasoline prices started to rise, all three vehicles were frequently the butt of jokes. Especially the Gremlin, which was called half of a car because that was, in essence, what it was. All three developed reputations for poor construction, fit and finish, and reliability. Years later the Pinto also developed the reputation of burning up. The American sub-compacts damaged the reputation of American automakers, and did much to increase the sales of imports in the United States, which throughout the ‘70s offered superior quality and reliability.