The 1970s were a time of extensive changes in the automotive world. Drivers were looking for vehicles that could meet their needs and helped them look "dy-no-mite," and it was an opportunity for the automobile industry to raise the bar and bring cars that drivers needed. A lot of car companies were able to meet the needs of the world and bring wheels that were efficient, dependable, and stylin', but with every great car came some real "Cheese Weasels."
Don't get us wrong! There are a lot of cars we love from the 70s like the Firebird, the Stratos, and the first real Mustangs. We admire these cars, but for each of them to get to their grandest, they had to go through some trial and errors (some more than others). We appreciate the companies that adapt to the world and learn from their mistakes, but that doesn't mean we should forget the boogers and miss out on making fun of them (aka this list).
When it comes to remaining relevant as a car company, you either adapt or disappear. Most, if not all on this list, proved that with trial and error and a bit of luck, they could create vehicles the public loved (and retire the ones drivers didn't want.) So let’s take a look at some of the most outrageous and awful rides from the 70s, to which all have us asking “What were they thinking?!” To those who agree we say “thanks for feelin’ our funk,” and to those who disagree, “stop being such a square.”
19 1972 Oldsmobile Cutlass
You know that moment when your mom is trying to be cool? Like when she says “sweet” or “chill” in front of your friends, and you wanted to die of embarrassment? The 1972 Oldsmobile Cutlass is that not-so-cool mom of 70s vehicles.
Oldsmobile dropped the four-door style and switched to the two-door style to give it a sportier look, but this was Oldsmobiles first introduction into the muscle car world, and personally, we think they should have never made this move.
After Oldsmobile made the step to sport, they eventually went back to the classic Oldsmobile look due to its unpopularity.
18 1975 Chrysler Cordoba
Chrysler is a brand well known for their specific style of cars, but that wasn’t always the case. At one point, Chrysler prided themselves on never making a smaller version of any of their vehicles, and even went as far as saying “there’s no jr. edition of our cars.” That all changed with the 1975 Chrysler Cordoba.
The goal of the Cordoba was to create a vehicle that would compete against the Mercury Comet and Buick Skylark but still wanted to keep the “personal luxury coupe” style. Generally, when a car lands itself on a list like this, it’s because the original manufacturer was trying to keep up with the times instead of sticking to what they know. The 75 Cordoba is the perfect example of that.
17 1974 AMC Matador
The 70s were surely one of the strangest decades in auto history. With so many car companies trying to keep up with the changing lifestyles of the everyday drivers, it's no wonder we got cars like the 1974 AMC Matador.
The '74 version of this vehicle was the second generation of the Matador (the first generation being 71 through 73), and we believe they should have kept the previous body style.
After receiving mixed reviews from the public, the AMC Matador has us asking "Why put a racing engine in such a family-style looking car?" The 1974 AMC Matador is definitely a Mata-don't.
16 1970 AMC Gremlin
Out of all the freaky-deaky automobiles on this list, the 1970 AMC Gremlin has a title we surely will never understand. Before we dive into the name of this vehicle though (which has us asking a lot of questions still!), let’s discuss the oddest body style of its era.
The Gremlin is muscle in the front and fishbowl in the back, and a car with such a mixed-matched body deserves a name that doesn’t make sense either! There’s nothing about the word “Gremlin” that makes us want to buy a car, let alone one with such a unique physique. Gremlins aren’t fast. Gremlins aren’t cool. And Gremlins are undoubtedly some of the ugliest imaginary mischievous mythical creatures (I guess that last part is fitting). With a car that raises so many questions, it’s no wonder this vehicle didn’t sell well. If you ever do end up owning one though, just make sure not to feed it after midnight.
15 1970 Aston Martin Lagonda
Aston Martin’s are known to be sleek and beautiful cars, but that wasn’t always the case. Introducing the vehicle that defied the odds, the 1970 Aston Martin Lagonda. What seems to be the weird-mixture of an Oldsmobile and a Delorean, the Lagonda was the first Aston Martin with families in mind.
During the 70s Aston Martin was making two-seater sports cars and facing a financial crisis, so Aston Martin changed their direction towards selling vehicles to families.
Not only was it a colossal failure, but it was a huge waste of money since the Lagonda was wildly unpopular. We say Aston Martin should stick with sports cars - and luckily for the world, they went back to their roots.
14 1978 Subaru Brat
Now, everyone in the world knows the El Camino: a rad muscle car with a bed in the back, usually painted orange and is a signature hot rod. Well, we would like to introduce to you the El Caminos not as cool spoiled younger brother - the 1978 Subaru Brat. If we had to describe this car best, it’s like a blend between a golf cart, an El Camino, and a kids toy car.
We have so many questions, like “who would buy this car and what possessed Subaru to enter the mini muscle game?” Out of all the cars on this list, this rascal is the definition of "what were they thinking?!"
13 1972 Plymouth Cricket
One thing the 70s were known for (besides Saturday Night Fever), was giving odd names to cars. There’s the Subaru Gremlin, the Volkswagen “Thing,” and then there’s the Plymouth Cricket. The 1972 Plymouth Cricket was initially designed to compete with the Chevy Vega and the Ford Pinto, but after receiving extremely negative reviews and low auto sales, it was scrapped after just one year of production and never seen to the world again - and to be honest with you, we’re okay with that. The 70s were full of weird decisions and lessons to be learned, and the Cricket was one of them.
12 1971 Ford Pinto
This list is full of wheels that have drivers scratching their heads and asking questions. Out of all the cars on this list, it could be argued that the 1971 Ford Pinto is the most recognizable “what were they thinking?” vehicle.
The only thing that would make this vehicle worse is adding wood paneling to the side, and in 1971 Ford did just that.
Unfortunately for the Pinto, a month and a half after they were available to purchase, 26,000 Pintos had to be recalled for stick-shift issues, and to make matters worse six months after that 220,000 were recalled for fuel vapor problems. Overall the car was a disaster from start to finish and has us screaming “WHAT WERE THEY THINKING!”
11 1972 Dodge Dart Swinger
I think I can; I think I can; OH WAIT I can’t. Introducing, the little muscle car that never could: the 1972 Dodge Dart Swinger. This car is another vehicle of the 70s that tried to meet the needs of families and sports car fans alike but couldn’t pull it off.
The '72 model even made some updated body style changes (a new instrument cluster, larger rectangular speedometer, and an AM/FM-radio option) and also added a Devil decal to the rear to make it appear more “mean,” but the Dodge Dart Swinger was never a true muscle car.
10 1973 Volkswagen Thing
When you think of beastly automobiles, a Hummer or a Ford F-350 probably come first to mind. But the real beast of the 70s was the 1973 Volkswagen Thing! This mini-tank was originally built by the German army and was later sent into mass production as the “European Jeep competitor,” but after receiving very mixed reviews from the public, it was later discontinued.
Our question for this vehicle is why did Volkswagen try and compete against Jeep? Why not continue to make beautiful roadsters and leave the modern off-roaders to the experts? The only thing we want to know about the Volkswagen Thing now is “What were they thinking?”
9 1978 Chevrolet Chevette
Chevrolet is easily one of the most well-known automotive companies in this day in age, but that doesn’t always mean they got it right. The 1978 Chevrolet Chevette is unarguably one of the most boring looking vehicles ever mass produced by Chevy, and was consistently known for having mechanical problems.
What the '78 Chevette shows the world is that even the best car companies are prone to making mistakes and giving the public a vehicle that is a less-than-exciting.
Besides all its issues, the 1978 Chevrolet Chevette lacked style or efficiently. Overall, this ride has us disappointingly asking “what were they thinking?”
8 Oldsmobile 98 Regency Coupe
Everyone has seen that one grandpa that is still driving around their old ride - refusing to ever upgrade into the 21st century. But don’t get us wrong, sometimes when you see an oldie rocking a classic it makes us think of better times when cars were built to last - the Oldsmobile 98 Regency Coupe is not that car.
We can only imagine that this slow-cruiser was designed for the uncool grandpas of the world, and they sold these cars to their exact audience. We even have a hard time imagining what a young person would look like cruising in this vehicle. There’s out of date, and there’s classic, and the 76’ Regency Coupe is the definition of out-of-date.
7 1978 Volvo 262C
Today, Volvo is known for producing cars that are stylish and full of comfort, but in 1978, Volvo was still trying to figure out their brand and what kind of cars they were going to showcase the world.
The 1978 Volvo 262C was Volvo's first attempt into the luxury coupe business, and even though this one was considered a “disaster” by most, they persisted and created a brand that is notable today.
So even though the '78 Volvo 262C has us saying “what were they thinking,” at least they learned to take their mistake and move towards a brand we love today.
6 1972 Ford Country Squire
The 70s had some dangerously odd trends (clogs, bell bottoms, and tie-dye everything to name a few), but nothing will be odder than wood-paneling on the 1972 Ford Country Squire. If we could go back in time and ask just one question in the 70s, it would be "Why was wood-paneling ever a thing!" Especially since it always made cars look like they were driving with their kitchen cabinets or that they stole the wood from a bowling alley and slapped it on the side of their vehicle.
If there’s one trend we hated in the 70s, clogs would be a close second compared to the wood-paneling craze. Thank you, Ford, for discontinuing this trend!
5 1978 Subaru GL Wagon
The world of cars in the 70s was about durability, dependability, and a new style of vehicles for any driver. There were a lot of cars that did just that, but the 1978 Subaru GL Wagon was not one of them.
Created initially to compete in the domestic markets as a family car with a powerful engine, but the GL Wagon was notorious for having mechanical issues, an uncomfortable interior, and a style that was hugely unpopular.
Today, Subarus are known for being reliable and excellent vehicles to own, but like any major car manufacturer, it takes a few rotten eggs to find your way.
4 1973 Austin Allegro
Now some major fans of the 70s Austins might be wondering why the 1973 Austin Allegro is on this list. Sure they made great cars, and the Allegro wasn’t necessarily a bad one, but what has us shouting “what were they thinking” is not mechanics of this car, but the colors they mass-produced it in.
With over 600,000 made in 1973, the Austin Allegro came in some of the most repugnant colors imaginable. What we can only describe as "kid-snot" green and "left out in the sun mustard" yellow, the 73 Allegro what us literally screaming “WHAT WERE THEY THINKING?!”
3 1972 Ford Granada
The 70s had some really “awesome possum” muscle cars like the GTO, the Cobra, and the Road Runner. Then there was the 1972 Ford Granada. The Granada was a nice ride, but with so many other muscle cars bringing power to the market, why would Ford create a vehicle that was short of style and even shorter in torque.
We don’t expect every muscle car of the 70s to be mean and grand, but at least the rest were trying to compete and updating to the modern times. The '72 Ford Granada is more like the Ford Nada am I right?!
2 1970 Chevrolet El Camino
Now I know the world is full of die-hard El Camino fans, so we’ll make sure to tread lightly when we discuss why it’s on this list. This ride or don't hot-rod was the mixture between a sedan and a truck and has a pretty unique history.
In 1932 an Australian wrote a letter to Chevy Australia asking for a vehicle that she and her husband could “take to church on Sunday and could carry pigs to market on Mondays.”
This letter was the start of the famous El Camino, but we still have one questions: "Why not just take your truck to church on Sunday?"
1 1975 AMC Pacer
We would like to introduce the biggest rear window in automotive history: The 1975 AMC Pacer. This ride has us scratching our heads and asking many questions - like why take away room from the backseat interior to give it such an unusual hatchback rear? Why does this car look like the first hatched-back hearse? As part of the marketing strategy for what we labeled as the "Hatchback of Notre Dame," it was labeled as “the first wide small car.” Doesn’t that contradict the purpose of branding it as small or wide? This turtle looking automobile has us saying “what were they thinking?”
Sources: MightyAutoshop.com, Axleaddict.com, AutoBlog.com