10 Of The Worst Cars Built In The 1970s
Growing up, my uncle had a rusting AMC Gremlin in his backyard that we kids were forbidden to play in. Little did I know that heap was just one of many automotive disasters that defined the 1970s.
The decade gave us oil crises, emissions regulations, and some truly awful automobiles that manufacturers seemed to slap together with more hope than engineering.
These rolling catastrophes combined terrible design, abysmal reliability, and performance that could generously be described as ‘underwhelming.’
1. Ford Pinto: The Car That Could Murder You
Nothing says ‘we didn’t think this through’ quite like a fuel tank that could rupture in rear-end collisions. Ford’s infamous subcompact became the poster child for corporate negligence when leaked memos revealed the company calculated it was cheaper to pay settlements than fix the design flaw.
Despite selling over 3 million units, the Pinto’s reputation went up in flames after numerous fiery accidents. The resulting scandal changed automotive safety standards forever.
2. AMC Gremlin: Awkwardly Awful
Chopped-off rear end? Check. Peculiar proportions that resembled a pregnant roller skate? Double check. AMC’s rushed response to the import car invasion resulted in what looked like a normal car that had suffered a tragic accident in the design studio.
Hastily developed by literally taking an existing Hornet model and lopping off the back, this automotive oddity became an unintentional icon of questionable taste. Its weird styling couldn’t compensate for mediocre performance and shoddy build quality.
3. Chevrolet Vega: Rusting Before Your Eyes
Launched with great fanfare, the Vega quickly became General Motors’ embarrassing problem child. These cars developed a superpower: the ability to rust almost immediately after leaving the factory. Some owners joked you could actually watch the corrosion spread across the body panels.
Engine problems compounded the misery: overheating, oil consumption, and warped cylinder heads were common complaints. GM’s cost-cutting resulted in an aluminum engine block without proper cylinder liners, creating a mechanical time bomb.
4. Triumph TR7: The Shape of Things That Broke
British Leyland proudly proclaimed the wedge-shaped TR7 as ‘The Shape of Things to Come.’ Unfortunately, what came most frequently were repair bills. Marketed as a sports car, its performance was anything but sporty, with acceleration that made glaciers seem hasty.
Labor disputes at the factory ensured inconsistent build quality, with early models notorious for electrical gremlins and head gasket failures. The pop-up headlights often refused to pop up, giving the car a permanently sleepy appearance.
5. Reliant Robin: The Three-Wheeled Tipover
Technically classified as a motorcycle in the UK (for tax purposes), this three-wheeled oddity had a singular talent: rolling over during cornering. The single front wheel design created a vehicle with all the stability of a drunk penguin on roller skates.
Drivers quickly learned to approach turns with the caution of a bomb disposal expert. Despite its notorious handling, the fiberglass-bodied Robin attracted buyers thanks to lower taxes and the ability to be driven with a motorcycle license.
6. Mustang II: The Stallion That Couldn’t Gallop
How do you ruin an American icon? Ford showed us exactly how with the Mustang II. Sharing a platform with the humble Pinto, this neutered pony car represented everything wrong with 1970s automobiles: anemic power, bloated styling, and pretensions of sportiness without the performance to back it up.
The base four-cylinder wheezed out a pathetic 88 horsepower, turning what was once a muscle car into a breathless impersonator. Even the optional V8 managed only 139 hp, embarrassing by any standard.
7. AMC Pacer: The Fishbowl on Wheels
Resembling a rolling greenhouse with its massive glass area, the Pacer baked its occupants like a convection oven on sunny days. AMC’s ‘wider than it is long’ design philosophy created a car that looked like it had been squashed by giant hands.
Originally designed for a Wankel rotary engine that never materialized, engineers hastily shoved in a straight-six that barely fit. The resulting weight distribution made handling unpredictable, while fuel economy plummeted.
At least passengers could enjoy panoramic views of everyone laughing at them.
8. Volkswagen 412: German Engineering Gone Wrong
VW’s aging Type 4 platform reached its nadir with the unloved 412. Combining the aerodynamics of a brick with the acceleration of a garden snail, this rear-engined oddity represented Volkswagen at its most confused era, before the Golf/Rabbit saved the company.
Air-cooled engines struggled in traffic, overheating regularly and delivering power with all the enthusiasm of a sloth on tranquilizers. The bizarre styling, featuring a nose that appeared to be melting, didn’t help matters.
Even German engineering couldn’t save this automotive misadventure.
9. Chevrolet Chevette: Detroit’s Surrender Flag
GM’s answer to fuel-efficient imports was this soulless econobox that made driving feel like punishment. The rear-wheel-drive Chevette combined the worst aspects of American and foreign cars—it had neither the comfort of traditional domestic vehicles nor the efficiency and reliability of Japanese competitors.
Shoddily built with an interior that featured more cheap plastic than a dollar store, the Chevette’s 51-horsepower engine struggled to move the car out of its own shadow. Detroit’s race to the bottom had found its champion.
10. Aston Martin Lagonda: Beautiful Disaster
Wedge-shaped with futuristic digital displays that rarely worked, the Lagonda was what happened when ambition far exceeded technological capabilities. Each car reportedly required 2,000 hours to build by hand, and many needed repairs before leaving the factory.
The revolutionary electronic dashboard was so unreliable that some owners kept technicians on retainer.
Combining avant-garde styling with electronics that seemed designed by sadistic gremlins, this ultra-expensive luxury sedan bankrupted owners through depreciation and maintenance costs alike.