4 Of The Worst Cars Built In The 1970s

The 1970s were a tumultuous time. The oil crisis threw oil prices out of whack, and politics all over the world were in turmoil, leading to a lot of uncertainty. That naturally extended to the automotive industry, so much that this era of cars is often called the "Malaise Era." The early 1970s saw some of the best muscle cars in history like the Plymouth Superbird, Ford Gran Torino, and Chevy Chevelle. However, by the time the mid 1970s rolled around, automakers — especially American marques — were facing challenges from emissions controls, overseas automakers like Toyota, and their own hubris.

Talk to any older automotive enthusiast and there's a good chance they'll say that the 1970s were one of, if not the absolute worst periods in automotive history. A lot of bad cars were made in the era, and it's worth exploring exactly what cars exemplified the worst the automotive industry had to offer, and what made that make or model miss the mark.

One can scarcely talk about the 1970s without mentioning a concept that's almost entirely alien to today's market full of crossovers, trucks, and SUVs. That's the personal luxury coupe. Like the name suggests, these coupes were designed for luxury, meaning they were often really long, covered in shag carpet and leather (or imitation leather), and more often than not were powered by a huge V8. 

The Ford Thunderbird from the era was one of the better known executions of this concept. In some cases, like the models from the 1950s and 1960s, it worked well. In 1974, it was starting to get a little bloated, and that's not in a metaphorical sense. It was a two-door car that weighed 5,068 pounds and was 224.8 inches long. A new Chevy Tahoe is 210.7 inches long. 

In 1974, a 460 cubic-inch V8 became the standard powerplant. That all sounds great until you see that it only makes 224 horsepower. A 7.5-liter V8 making less power than a new Toyota Camry is frankly ridiculous. The 1974 Ford Thunderbird was roughly the size of a city block, and made a laughable amount of power.

The Chrysler Cordoba, when it launched, was actually very successful — selling 150,105 cars the first year it was offered in 1975. Additionally, the sales campaign and numerous commercials featuring Ricardo Montalbán are iconic. However, an excellent ad blitz and fortuitous sales do not make a "good" car. The Cordoba, much like the Ford Thunderbird, was a personal luxury coupe that fell into the same pitfalls. Namely, it was huge and underpowered.

Hemmings notes that the Cordoba came with three different engine displacements, depending on what options you picked: A 318 cubic-inch V8, a 360 cubic-inch V8, or a 400 cubic-inch V8. Not a single choice is particularly good. Perhaps the most egregious is the 165 horsepower two-barrel variant of the 400 cubic-inch engine. It's 6.5 liters and it manages to make less horsepower than the 2.0-liter four-cylinder found in a modern Toyota Corolla. It was also 17.9 feet long. A boating license, as opposed to a drivers license, may have been more appropriate for the Cordoba.

1978 marked the 25th anniversary of the Corvette, so you'd think Chevrolet would do something monumental for the occasion, right? Well if "monumental" means some extra badging and two-tone paint, you'd be right. Chevy really had the opportunity to blow the doors off other cars from the time for the anniversary. 

Instead, it was fitted with the same 350 cubic-inch V8 from pretty much every GM car. That Chevy Small Block was available in three flavors, each sadder than the last. The "hottest" V8, using the code name L82, made 220 horsepower. The base model's L48 V8 made 185 horsepower, and last (and least), the L48 V8 with California Emissions equipment could only generate a paltry 175 horsepower. 

A Corvette that can be optioned to make less than 200 horsepower is outright sad. It's akin to getting a pair of used socks and an expired gift card for your wedding anniversary.

By the early 1970s, things were already starting to look a little grim for the Mustang. It went from a lithe pony car to something that looked like the cross between a shovel and a whale. 1973 brought all of the poor styling choices and emissions-controlled confusion into one model. 

Exactly zero of the four engines available in 1973 were worth more than its price in scrap, but the title of saddest engine belongs to the 250 cubic-inch six-cylinder that was available. It made 98 horsepower. Under 100 horsepower is weak for any car, regardless of the size or price. The power of five riding lawn mowers under the hood of one of the most iconic American cars ever made is almost blasphemous.

Like every other car from the 1970s, the 1973 Ford Mustang was proportionally goofy, with the hood taking up a huge portion of its 193 inch length. The 1973 Ford Mustang is a terrible iteration of a historically excellent car.