To conclude my three-part article about 1970s trends, I will be talking about cars this time. It’s quite unusual for me to talk about cars like this, but the cars in the 1970s are worth talking about. When you are driving down the street in today’s world, every single car made recently looks the same. One car from the 1970s on a road filled with recently made cars stands out for a good reason. I feel as if cars from the ‘70s were more thought out in manufacturing. Federal regulations were starting to overcome style due to the “oil crisis”. As a result, muscle cars were still manufactured, and compact cars were becoming more and more popular.  Many consumers opted for smaller, more fuel-efficient cars.

        Automobile manufacturers started listening to consumers’ opinions by including gas caps that lock; after inflation in gasoline prices due to the oil crisis, owners wanted to be sure that no one would siphon gasoline out of their fuel tanks with hoses. New car sales in the United States skyrocketed to about 10,820,000 and set an all-time high. Around this time was when compact cars took the lead and were the most commonly purchased.

        In the 1970s, Volkswagen, a car manufacturer that originated in Germany, was the leading import to the United States. We all know the iconic look of the Volkswagen Beetles. Most everyone wanted a Volkswagen Beetle. Not only was this car pretty fuel efficient, but those classic colors and body are what attracted consumers.

        Another thing that screams ‘70s cars is vinyl roofing. Vinyl roofs were popular for quite a while. Most of the 20th century and the first quarter of the 21st century were peak times for vinyl roofs. Although not every car was manufactured with a vinyl roof, it sort of felt like it. Of course, some cars required a stronger build when it came to roofing.

        Let’s talk about the most ‘70s car the ‘70s had to offer. From recent research, I’ve concluded that the Stutz Blackhawk is one of the most iconic cars from the ‘70s. The Blackhawk was sold for about 25,000 United States Dollars, which is the equivalent of around 250,000 United States dollars today. Although it has no resemblance to the original Blackhawk manufactured around 1930, the Stutz Blackhawk from the 1970s made a larger impact. The Stutz was an ultra-luxury car. Its body was hand-built in Turin Italy topped with more than 15 coats of paint. This model also included a gold trim and shag carpeting in the interior. To add even more pizazz, because this was the ‘70s, your name was custom engraved on a plate on the dash. This car was a hit in the celebrity world. It seemed like only celebrities could get their hands on one of these. Elvis Pressley, the rock and roll legend, known throughout the world, owned a Stutz. Other celebrities such as Willie Nelson, Lucille Ball, and George Foreman were rocking this sweet ride.

        To conclude, the ‘70s were home to some of the most iconic cars. Some I did not mention include the Pontiac Firebird, Ford Pintos, Fiat X1s, and many more. When it came to cars in the 1970s, many manufacturers were starting to take into account the oil crisis by making compact cars, which are ultimately more fuel efficient. The things I’d do to be born in the ‘70s.