There are several things we love about the '70s, but we must admit that, with the golden era of muscle cars behind it, the American car industry did not really offer much in terms of cool car designs during this decade.
American carmakers would possibly move their focus to other types of vehicles. Coupes would no longer be the performance cars they once were due to the very strict gasoline and emissions regulations. With this, the American automotive industry changed, and their cars would now look more angular, rough, and clumsy. Here there are our least favorite American classic cars from the '70s.
8 1977 Leata Cabalero
This is a super rare Leata Cabalero. In fact, the car was introduced in 1977 and, fortunately, only 97 units were produced before the Idaho-based company closed later the same year.
The car was powered by a 4-cylinder General Motors LY-5 engine and featured power windows, power seats, and cruise control. With the vague intention to recall some traits of the old days, the car presents a sort of baroque-oriented style with custom fiberglass body panels, round headlights in square bezels, a rectangular "classic" grille, and heavily styled mudguards.
7 1978 Chevrolet Chevette
Not to be confused with the glorious Chevelle, the Chevette, was introduced in 1976, this was Chevrolet's subcompact car.
The Chevrolet Chevette is a front-engine and rear-drive car, based on the European T-car. Apart from the aesthetics, drivers would report several deficiencies regarding the engine's power and the poor brake system.
6 1970 AMC Gremlin
AMC introduced the subcompact Gremlin in 1970. The car built on a shortened Hornet platform and the bodywork featured a kammback tail. The Gremlin's main competitors were the Chevrolet Vega and Ford Pinto, two of the worst cars to ever emerge from American carmakers.
With competition like that, one could easily assume the AMC Gremlin would be a massive hit. However, its looks certainly didn't do it any favors.
5 1975 Chevrolet Laguna S-3
The Chevrolet Laguna, named after the famous beach in Southern California, aimed to merge sport and luxury features. It did well in the sedan and wagon market, but it lacked decent sales figures in the coupe market, forcing Chevrolet to replace it with the Malibu classic.
The aesthetics of the car are rough and there are no curvy lines. Rather, the car presents that imprecise and undefined look that characterizes the transition from the more curvy 60s to the squared design typical of the 80s. The pink interior definitely makes it one of the ugliest places to spend time.
4 1977 AMC Pacer Wagon
It's not easy to keep a straight face after seeing this car, as it looks like it out of a cartoon. This is AMC Pacer was produced from 1975 to 1980. This one was swimming against the current though, in fact, the model would feature round shapes and huge mirrors, and this was in contrast to the squared design of the time.
For increased cargo capacity, a station wagon body style was offered from 1977. It was normally packed with a straight-6 engine and a V8 engine was optional. Owners did report that it was a comfortable car, even for long road trips, but no doubt, it turned heads for all the wrong reasons.
3 1978 Plymouth Sapporo
The Sapporo is a mid-size car produced by Plymouth from 1977 to 1983. The model was a variant of the Mitsubishi Sapporo, but the Japanese brand was not marketed in the United States at the time.
The Sapporo was joined by an almost identical car, the Dodge Challenger. While the Sapporo would emphasize a luxury interior, the Challenger tried to convince us it was a sports car. The Sapporo was equipped with a 1.6L or 2.6L four-cylinder engine. The gearbox came in two versions, a five-speed manual or a three-speed automatic.
2 1979 Buick Riviera
The Buick Riviera is a stunning car, but its 6th generation is certainly not the best-looking one. With a massive hood, the 1979 Buick Riviera presents an inclined front grill and improbable headlights that give the car an awful look.
At least it had a 5.7L V8 engine, and it had some creature comforts, such as power windows and seats, and air conditioning to keep you cool. Unfortunately, nothing would make you look cool while driving this thing.
1 The 1979 Ford Mustang
The stunningly amazing pony car from the previous decade became an ugly and old horse in the late 70s. This Ford Mustang looks nothing like the outstanding car that came before it and was one of the most recognizable muscle cars of all time.
The myth of the fast and powerful 'Stang was already over by the time this 3rd generation came around with a 2.3L 4-cylinder engine, 2.8 L V6, and the larger 4.9 L V8 was an expensive option. At least this version was available in a rare Indy Pace Car body decal edition, which helps distract us from this unattractive design.