Can You Identify These Cool Cars From the '70s?

AUTO

By: Tasha Moore

6 Min Quiz

Image: Klubovy/E+/Getty Images

About This Quiz

Do you distinguish the brawny car breeds of the 1970s from the compact classics of the decade? It's time for a whos-who of '70s autos. We'll take care of the car photos so you can pick your best guesses.

Car manufacturers of the 1970s made great strides as far as design was concerned. Muscle cars flexed new muscle in the decade, and the industry finally settled on a consistent crossover look. However, as far as engineering pursuits, the decade was a considerable challenge for the car-making business. The industry was hit a major blow when emissions regulations took effect in the United States in the mid-1970s. Foreign auto trading and car power suffered as a result of the strict ordinances. Smog and unleaded gasoline requirements called for engine modifications that tamed the auto beasts of the world, which were engineered to guzzle gas and roar. 

Car buyers had to contend with such a patent contradiction, but not for long. International debt and the fuel crises of the decade incentivized a draw to the fuel-efficient compact car. More and more consumers chose practicality over statement cars, and of course, automakers responded in kind. Even race car designer Colin Chapman of Lotus fame jumped on the practicality bandwagon, as you shall soon see during this auto challenge quiz.

Scroll on to see what all the fuss was about back then!

How easy is it for you to ID this lower-powered auto iteration of the Hurst SC/Rambler?

The AMC Hornet SC/360 drove onto the automotive scene in 1971. The Hornet's V-8 engine generated 285 horsepower with a four-speed transmission. AMC only produced 784 Hornets. James Bond was seen at the wheel of an AMC Hornet at least once.

Advertisement

Try to choose the contraption marketed specifically at '70s youth?

Automotive manufacturer Reliant debuted the Bond Bug at Woburn Abbey in Bedfordshire. Although the three-wheeled vehicle looked cool in the '70s, it didn't handle too well; the rear-end chronically slipped to the left.

Advertisement

It was a cross between the company's "deux chevaux" utility vehicle and the DS saloon classic. What auto is in the photo?

The Citroen GS was awarded European Car of the Year. The car carried state-of-the-art pneumohydraulic suspension technology with front-wheel drive. Fun fact: Citroen manufactured its first sports car in 1922 and called it "Caddy."

Advertisement

This vehicle's automaker first thought ________ would be a hit with farmers and their families?

The Range Rover gripped roads well in the '70s with its all-wheel traction. The vehicle was launched with a 3.5-liter V-8 engine and was perfectly suited for formidable off-road performance. Land Rover priced the Range at about $4,790 (the then equivalent of 2,000 British pounds) at its debut.

Advertisement

Can you name this cool car that was launched in September 1969 for the 1970 model year?

The Monte Carlo was a long front/short rear automotive first for Chevrolet, as the vehicle had the longest hood of any vehicle produced by the manufacturer. Additionally, the Monte Carlo had signature vertical taillights.

Advertisement

Are you sure you can name this car which could have been purchased for $10,000 in 1971?

Hall Pantera of Paramount, California, introduced a 1973 version of the De Tomasa Pantera fitted with a Ford V-8 engine that generated up to 350 horsepower. The Pantera accelerated from 0 to 60 miles per hour in less than 6 seconds.

Advertisement

It towed a big engine. Which of these is the exact choice?

The Ford Falcon boasted a V-8 powertrain engine. Ford Motor Company manufactured the Falcon between 1960 and 1970. Ford intended for it to be a family car, as it was designed with extra storage and was spacious enough for six passengers.

Advertisement

The auto in this picture was the first introduced in Malaysia. Give your best guess as to its name?

After Honda debuted the N360 in 1967, it was the best-selling car in Japan for the first three years. The front-wheel-drive minicar was the first mass-produced passenger vehicle from the Japanese label.

Advertisement

The French company that produced this '70s machine was known to make race cars. Can you guess the model?

The Ligier JS2 model launched the start of the French automotive company, which manufactured the vehicle between 1971 and 1977. The Ligier JS2 was a mid-engine breed powered by a 2.7-liter engine.

Advertisement

General Motors purchased German ________ imports.

Opel executives have claimed that models like the Manta and the Opel GT cornered the small-racer German market. The Mantra was an affordable performance car with a 2-liter 16-valve DOHC 4 cylinder engine.

Advertisement

This car was very powerful, yet inexpensive by '70s standards. What was it?

Plymouth confidently branded its Duster model with a cartoon-looking dust cloud. The compact gas-guzzler carried a V-8 engine and seated five passengers comfortably. Plymouth sold 175,000 Duster models in 1970.

Advertisement

It was one of the manufacturer's sedans that was only produced during a three-year span. Can you name the design?

British automotive manufacturer Triumph produced the Stag between 1971 and 1973. The stag was nice to look at, but the 3.0-liter overhead-cam V-8 engine was reportedly flawed. Critics insisted that a displacement upgrade from 2.5 to 3.0 liters was the major misstep.

Advertisement

The "Time Machine" car museum in Milan has showcased the unique ________ concept car.

Alfa Romeo commissioned Giorgetto Giugiaro of Italdesign to engineer the Alfa Romeo Caimano for the 1971 Turin Motor Show. Giugiaro crafted the chassis based on the Alpha Romeo Alfasud, which he also designed.

Advertisement

Do you recognize the auto styled by Pininfarina?

Nicknamed "Daytona," the Ferrari 365 GTC/4 boasted a futuristic design and a sturdy 4.4-liter V-12 engine. The GTC/4 carried power steering and oleo-pneumatic leveling suspension technology.

Advertisement

Which from among the choices was modeled after an 808 Grand Familia?

Mazda sold the RX-3 Savanna in the United States from 1971 to 1978. The small 2,100-pound RX-3 race car with a rotary engine had a reputation for winning several international competitions.

Advertisement

Its German manufacturer eventually renamed it the A4. How difficult is it for you to guess its first label?

Only six years after Audi debuted the 80 B1 series model in 1972, the company had sold 1 million units. The vehicle was outfitted with OHC engines and self-leveling steering roll radius.

Advertisement

Auto genius Kjell Qvale made the ________.

British car importer Kjell Qvale manufactured the Jensen-Healy roadster after buying a stake in Jensen Motors company in the early 1970s. Qvale was born in Trondheim, Norway, in 1919 and immigrated to the United States in 1929.

Advertisement

Giuseppe 'Nuccio' Bertone shared a nickname with what design?

The Lancia Stratos HF Zero marvel hailed as the best work of Italian design firm Stile Bertone in 1970. The firm engineered the high-performance, lightweight concept car with a roof made of tensile steel.

Advertisement

New emissions laws of the '70s led to considerable horsepower losses. Identify a vehicle that was affected by the change.

Chevrolet manufactured the Laguna from 1973 to 1976. For the 1974 model year, the Laguna lost considerable horsepower as a result of smog and unleaded gasoline stipulations. The rear-wheel drive model is the sibling of the modern Chevrolet Malibu.

Advertisement

What car among the choices used Citroen parts?

The Maserati Khamsin coupe was manufactured from 1974 to 1981. The sports car was engineered when Citroen owned Maserati. It was made to compete with the Ferrari Daytona. The Khamsin achieved zero to 60 miles per hour in 6 seconds.

Advertisement

G6 06 is the new name for the ________.

Starting with the 1973 model year, Pontiac had promoted the Grand Am title. The car was nearly 18 feet long and carried an engine that consumers could upgrade. The standard engine was a V-8 that generated 170 horsepower.

Advertisement

Can you guess the name of this car company, and the model shown, that once went by the partial name "Gesellschaft zur Vorbereitung des Deutschen"?

Following the success of its Beetle line, Volkswagen introduced several products in the 1970s, including the Passat in 1973. The company immediately released variants of the Passat: the Scirocco in '74 and the Golf GTI in '76.

Advertisement

The maker of the ________ helped get Suburu off to a successful start.

Malcolm Bricklin left Suburu in 1972; he was also instrumental in aiding the start of Yugo of America. His SV-1 1974 car creation featured gull-wing doors, as well as a 360-cubic-inch V-8 engine. Though a cool-looking classic, the car was plagued with an assortment of cosmetic and engineering issues.

Advertisement

More than 2,000 of these were sold. What was it called?

Bob Beaumont, a former car dealer, was responsible for engineering this electric car, which was quite a task in the '70s. Released in 1974, the Citicar could only tolerate short trips. Beaumont's company, Sebring-Vanguard, went bankrupt in 1977.

Advertisement

This vehicle was a response to the Blazer's surprising success. What was it?

American Motors released the Cherokee as a sportier version of other cars in its segment. Almost immediately, the car developed a cult-like following in spite of the many problems it reportedly gave buyers, including a faulty transmission.

Advertisement

Prior to this model, more than two passengers per high-performance vehicle was unheard of. What manufacturer and model broke the mold?

Pietro Frua crafted the first Maserati Quattroporte in 1963. The 1974 Mark II translation was the first front-wheel-drive car made by the company. The Quattroporte Mark II featured a three-liter V-6 engine.

Advertisement

It's a favorite design, even though the door handle popped off. What's the popular car named?

The Fiat-based Premier Padmini enjoyed major prominence in India, as many were converted to black-and-yellow taxis. Both loved and hated for its modest speed, the car's production ceased in 2000.

Advertisement

The H-platform ________ was based on the Chevrolet Monza.

Chevrolet ran production of the hatchback Skyhawk from 1975 to 1980. The Buick Skyhawk was the rear-wheel-drive version of the Chevrolet Monza. The first batch of Buick Skyhawks carried 3.8-liter V-6 engines.

Advertisement

In the 1970s, actor Ricardo Montalban spoke about its "Corinthian leather" in the television commercial for the vehicle. Do you remember the car's name?

Chrysler sold 150,105 units of the Cordoba during its first run in 1975. Overall, the model was the car company's most popular full-size edition. When production of the design ceased in 1983, Chrysler had sold more than 757,000 units.

Advertisement

Bertone crafted the frame. What's the car's name?

The Ferrari 308 GTB was mostly a Fiat concept. Enzo Ferrari sold the passenger division of the brand to Fiat in 1969. The '75 308 GTB was made with a fiberglass body that most customers didn't care for, so the company switched to a steel frame.

Advertisement

Try to guess this '70s car that was replaced by "Excel" in Europe in 1985.

Hyundai introduced the "Pony" model in Italy at the 1974 Turin International Motor Fair. The Korean automotive company was launched in December 1967 in collaboration with Ford UK.

Advertisement

You are seeing Colin Chapman's interpretation of four-seater vehicle practicality. Can you choose the correct label?

Production for the Eclat, which was based on the Lotus Elite II, occurred between 1975 and 1982. The Lotus Eclat was valued at $11,050. The 522 edition carried amenities such as a cassette player and air conditioning.

Advertisement

Can you identify this cool car from the '70s?

The rear-wheel-drive Plymouth Gran Fury was built from the mid-'70s to 1989. The car's attributes included power steering, automatic transmission, a radio, whitewall tires and a vinyl roof.

Advertisement

True Porsche fans know that the ________ is the 930.

The whale-tailed Porsche 911 Turbo Carrera was the roadster version of Porsche's race car lot. The '76-model-year car carried a Bosch K-Jetronic fuel injection system and a 3.0-liter turbocharged engine.

Advertisement

This design was a best-seller in Europe. Pick the correct model.

The Ford Fiesta sold well in Europe as well as in Asia. The last year that Ford sold a Fiesta in the United States was 1981. The company reintroduced the car in the U.S. market in 2010.

Advertisement

The manufacturer released the _______ and the Sigma during the same year.

Mitsubishi unveiled the company's "MM" symbol the same year it produced the Galant Lambda. The re-introduced 1978 Dodge Challenger was a rebadged version of the Galant Lambda.

Advertisement

It's safe to say that this foreign 4x4 helped paved the way for cars of its kind. See if you can make the correct choice.

The 4x4 Lada Niva was first manufactured in 1977. The off-roader is arguably Russia's most celebrated car. The vehicle's simplicity and low price are reasons it continues to sell well in spite of its age.

Advertisement

The history of this car category dates back to the 1950s. What was a '70s model?

The French Matra-Simca Rancho was unveiled in 1977 as one of the first crossover vehicles in its class. Lada Niva and AMC Eagle are predecessors, but the Soviet Maskovitch 410 is possibly the first of the crossover automotive segment.

Advertisement

It has been called the "Kijang" in Indonesia. What do you call it?

The Toyota Unser began as a generic utility vehicle when it was first introduced in 1976. A much-more evolved 21st-century Unser model boasts a power-assisted rack and pinion steering system.

Advertisement

The auto maker responded to the Chrysler Cordoba with this. What's the answer?

Dodge ceased making the first-edition Chargers in 1978, one year before the car was first featured on "The Dukes of Hazzard" television show. Bo and Luke Duke's Charger was a 1969 model.

Advertisement

Explore More Quizzes

About Autoversed

Welcome to Autoversed: your online auto destination. If you consider a vehicle more than just means of transportation; if you treat your ride with love and care; if, even after years of driving, the feeling of accelerating hard on the open road still gets you revved up – you’ve come to the right place.

Whether you’re a daily commuter looking for a reliable ride, a car enthusiast thinking about your next hot rod, or a parent who needs to get the kids from A to Z, Autoversed has something for you. We’ve got the lowdown on hot exotic rides, pricy luxury vehicles, eco-friendly green machines, rugged off-roaders, and more. Come take a look!