Will This '70s Cars Quiz Drive You Crazy?

AUTO

By: Robin Tyler

7 Min Quiz

Image: nakhon100/Riley/René via Wiki Commons

About This Quiz

The 1970's. What a decade for motoring!

It was a decade where the world struggled for gas and cars were sometimes the last thing on people's minds. It was a time of rock 'n roll, the birth of disco and the end of the hippie era. That said, even though many didn't care about cars — except the need to get them from A to B — others were still looking or the ultimate ride.

And so the 1970s gave us an incredible assortment of cars, not only from American car makers, including the Big Three, but from abroad as well. Japanese cars started to make an impact in the United States and, just as in the '50s and '60s, those beautiful European designs continued to come into the country.

Although they had been "invented" just a few years earlier, muscle cars were still extremely popular, especially with lovers of large, American V8 engines. Sports cars, particularly of European origin, also remained popular.

So, in this quiz, your knowledge of cars from the 1970s needs to be top notch. Just take your time — you can do it!

Good luck!


Oh, I say! What vehicle have we here?

Designed by Bill Allen, the Corniche from Rolls Royce was produced for the period between 1971 to 1995. It was an advancement on the Silver Shadow and was available as either a two-door coupe or two-door convertible.

Advertisement

This vehicle from the 1970s is a ________?

The Granada was marketed as a mid-sized car in the United States between 1975 and 1982. It came in many guises, including a two- and four-door sedan, station wagon, and two-door coupe. It was also sold in Europe as an executive car through 1994.

Advertisement

Name this muscle car, please.

The Rebel, particularly the 1970 models, took AMC straight into the muscle car fight. This was a real looker, blessed with a muscle car stance. With “Up with the Rebel Machine!” — AMC's slogan for the car — they were certainly trying to buy into the younger market. The 1970 model offered the option of a 6.4-Liter engine with 325 horsepower.

Advertisement

Look at those sleek lines. Can you identify this beauty from the '70s?

Formed in 1922 by Sir William Lyons and William Walmsley, the Swallow Sidecar Company was the forerunner to Jaguar. One of their much-loved vehicles, the XJ Coupe, was built between 1975 and 1978. These were available with inline-six and V12 engine options. More than 10,000 were produced.

Advertisement

This vehicle was partly styled by the Italian styling house, Bertone. What is it?

Part of the Volvo 200 series, the 262C was a special edition designed with the help of Italian styling house, Bertone. It was available in the 1978 through 1981 model years. It was only available as a coupe and served as Volvo's first entry into the luxury car market, competing in the U.S. market against Cadillac and Mercedez-Benz.

Advertisement

The vehicle in this image is a ______?

The Lincoln Mark V was marketed in the luxury coupe market segment from 1977 to 1979. During its brief life, the car was a best seller — more than 228,000 were sold in that period.

Advertisement

That's a long hood! To which vehicle listed below does it belong?

The Grand Prix was built by Pontiac between 1962 and 2008. It underwent a number of cosmetic changes during its long​ production run but, until 1987, had a number of V8 engine options to give it that muscle car appeal. The V8 reappeared in the seventh — and final — generation in the 2005 model.

Advertisement

Last one! Can you identify this vehicle?

Produced from 1969 to 1977 in North America, the Maverick was a compact two- or four-door sedan. It came with a range of power plant options, the biggest of which was a 5.0-Liter V8.

Advertisement

A classic '70s muscle car. What is its name?

The Grand Sports badge first appeared on the Buick Skylark in 1965. By 1967, it was a marque all of its own. In 1970, the company released the Grand Sport 455, considered by many experts to be one of the greatest muscle cars ever built.

Advertisement

Name this truck, please.

A "super truck" of sorts, more than 2,100 Li’l Red Express Trucks were sold in 1978. And it's not difficult to understand why. Not only did it look incredible but it had some serious speed — Car and Driver actually listed it as the fastest American-made vehicle from 0 to 100 mph that year. In fact, the modified 360 cubic inches V-8 engine produced 225 horsepower, even more than most Corvettes produced at the time. The vehicle was produced for one more year, in 1979, and then retired.

Advertisement

This two-door coupe was never sold in the US but was popular in Europe. Name it, please.​

Sold between 1966 and 1975, the BMW 1602 was a two-door cabriolet which included a high-performance version, the TI. This model was not sold in the United States because it did not meet emissions requirements at the time.

Advertisement

Identify this coupe, please.

Another typical '70s styled two-door coupe, the Mark IV was produced between 1972 and 1976. More than 270,000 units of the Mark IV were sold during its five-year production run

Advertisement

Are you able to identify this vehicle?

Created as a high-speed racing machine especially for NASCAR, the Superbird was also for sale to the public. The Superbird was only produced in 1970 with close to 2,000 being built. They were instantly recognizable thanks to the massive spoiler on the back. A version of the car is featured in the Pixar movie Cars, voiced by Richard Petty.

Advertisement

This is a classic for sure. Can you name it?

Released between 1976 and 1986, Jeep’s CJ-7 was one of the most popular off-roaders available during those 10 years. It had a large 93.3-inch wheelbase which, coupled with an optional three-speed gearbox, meant the Jeep went places other 4x4s had trouble getting to. The top-of-the-range CJ-7 was powered by a 304 cubic inch V8.

Advertisement

The '70s vehicle in this image is a _________?

This full-sized station wagon was produced by Chevrolet over two periods — first from 1958 to 1961 and again from 1969 to 1972. It was an entry-level station wagon offered by the company during both its production runs.

Advertisement

You should be able to identify this car with ease.

Produced between 1961 and 1975, the FJ Fleetvan came in two different versions, the FJ-3 and the FJ-3A, which was a little longer. Essentially a delivery van, the FJ was used by the U.S. postal service, among others.

Advertisement

Are you able to name this useful model from the 1970s?

The C/K series of Chevrolet pickup trucks was radically redesigned for their third generation, released in 1973. Known as the "Square-body" or "Box-body" generation, these vehicles offered rounded windshield corners, slanted front fenders and a low slope of the hood (which gave the vehicle its nickname). The body was sculpted to improve aerodynamics, and therefore, fuel efficiency.

Advertisement

Still a model today, this 4x4 first appeared in 1970. Do you know what it is?

A small off-road option, the Jimny has been produced by Suzuki since 1970 and has sold more than 2.8 million of them around the world. It's still being made to this day.

Advertisement

A fairly small vehicle for the time, what car is shown in this image?

A performance version of the Valiant, the Duster was a fairly small vehicle for the time. It had a range of engine options and was produced by Plymouth until 1976.

Advertisement

The vehicle in this image is a _________?

Produced between 1977 and 1988, the Diplomat competed in the mid-sized car segment. It is a sister model of the Plymouth Gran Fury. The Diplomat came with three engine options: a 3.7-liter inline six, a 5.2-liter V8, or a 5.9-liter V8. Diplomats were a favored vehicle for city police forces around the United States and Canada.

Advertisement

Are you able to identify this vehicle from the '70s?

The American Motors Corporation manufactured the subcompact class Gremlin between 1970 and 1978. A number of models were produced but a special modification, known as the Randall 401-XR, offered a 6.6-Liter V8 capable of running a quarter mile in 13.9 seconds. Only 21 of these special editions were built between 1972 and 1974.

Advertisement

Let's begin. Name this classic '70s car.

Since its inception in 1974, the Golf has gone from strength to strength. In fact, Volkswagen’s tagline, "The People’s Car," easily moved from the aging Beetle to this hatchback. Currently on their seventh iteration of this model and the fifth decade, Golfs are sophisticated, high-performance vehicles. And they are popular, too!

Advertisement

Any clue as to what '70s car is depicted in this image?

Since its introduction in 1966, the Dodge Charger as been everything from a subcompact hatchback to a personal luxury coupe. The 1970 version was a pure muscle car, available with a 7.2-Liter V8. The Charger had 10 wins in NASCAR that year, more than any other vehicle. Now in its seventh generation, the Charger is a four-door, full-size sedan.

Advertisement

This one is tricky. Can you identify this '70s vehicle?

Built for rallying, the Lancia Stratos didn't disappoint, winning the World Rally championship for three years from 1974 to 1976.

Advertisement

This was the first mass-produced car in its country of origin. But what is the make and model?

The Pony, South Korea's first mass-produced car, was a rear-wheel-drive subcompact car produced by the Korean manufacturer between 1975 and 1990. Two generations of the Pony were produced with a range of body options, including sedans, wagons, a coupe utility and a hatchback.

Advertisement

Are you able to name the vehicle in this picture?

Essentially a Golf with rear storage space making it a sedan instead of a hatchback, the Jetta first appeared in 1979. Now in its seventh generation, the Jetta is still a valuable player in VW's lineup.

Advertisement

G'day! This Australian vehicle proved popular in the '70s. Identify it, please.

First introduced in 1978 and still marketed in Australia today, the Holden Commodore is now imported to Australia from Germany. The VB was the first model Commodore to be produced. The line is now in its fifth generation, with the ZB introduced in 2018.

Advertisement

The make and model depicted in this image shows a _______________?

First released in the United Kingdom in 1979, for its first two generations the Astra was exactly the same as the Opel version — the Kadett — except it is a right-hand drive car. Currently in its seventh generation, this vehicle has proved a popular seller.

Advertisement

What beautiful lines! What '70s classic is this?

Only 25 of the Ferrari 512 model were ever built. Made between 1969 and 1970, the vehicles boasted 5.0-Liter 12-cylinder engines (thus, "512"), and debuted at the 1970 24 hours of Daytona endurance race, coming in third.

Advertisement

Are you able to name this vehicle?

Produced between 1969 and 1973, the FF-1 Star was a modification of Subaru's 1000 model. Powered by a 1.1-liter engine, the FF-1 was marketed as the Star in the United States in 1970 and 1971.

Advertisement

All pointy and sleek, it looks fast! What rare vehicle is in this image?

This Italian car was produced in 1971 and built for a period of 20 years. A two-door mid-engined coupe, 7,260 were produced. The vehicle was imported to the U.S. by Ford until 1975.

Advertisement

The car in this image is a ______?

First marketed in Europe as the Hillman Avenger, this four-door small family car received Chrysler branding in 1976. From 1971 to 1973, before it received its Chrysler badge for the European market, it was sold in America as the Plymouth Cricket. Versions of the vehicle were available in many different countries, including Argentina, Brazil, New Zealand, Iran, South Africa and Uruguay.

Advertisement

Please tell us the vehicle found in this photo.

The Alpine was a European Chrysler model marketed under a host of other names in various car markets around the world. This front-wheel-drive hatchback was produced by Chrysler Europe between 1975 and 1979 and by the PSA Group from 1979 through 1986

Advertisement

It was a favorite in Europe in the 1970s. Can you name the vehicle in the image?

More than 30,000 of these fastback coupes were built by Audi from 1969 to 1976. The 100 Coupe S was powered by a 1.8-liter engine coupled to a four-speed manual gearbox or a three-gear automatic.

Advertisement

Name this British favorite, please.

Manufactured under several different names, including the ADO16, this vehicle was available as a four-door saloon, a two-door saloon and a three-door estate car. When it was released, the ADO16 offered technologically advanced features such as single piston swinging caliper disc brakes, rare for mass-produced cars at the time. Powered by a 1.2-liter motor, the 1971 1100 Saloon produced around 63 horsepower.

Advertisement

You might not have first hand knowledge of the vehicle in the image, but can you identify it?

This full-sized sedan was manufactured by Mazda for a brief period from 1975 to 1977. Mazda took the chassis of the Australian Holden HJ and HX and fitted their own 1.3-liter rotary engine which produced 130 horsepower. Unfortunately, the engine lacked enough torque to deal with the weight of the chassis and handled poorly.

Advertisement

Those sleek lines... beautiful. Can you name this car?

Designed by the legendary Giorgetto Giugiaro, the M1 sports car was released in 1978 and built for a period of three years in which 453 were made. This was BMW's first mass-produced mid-engined car and was powered by a 3.5-liter double overhead cam straight six engine. It had a top speed of 162 mph.

Advertisement

Believe it or not, this became a popular drifting car later in its life, especially later versions. Can you name the vehicle?

Available only in Japan, the Chaser was produced between 1977 and 2001, first as a compact car and then, from 1988, in the mid-sized car segment. The Chaser shared the same chassis with two other Toyota models, the Cressida/Mark II, and the Cresta. Thanks to its front-engined, rear-wheel drive layout, the Chaser became a popular car to use in drifting.

Advertisement

This model even has some input from the legendary Italian design house, Pininfarina. Can you name it?

This luxury two-door saloon was produced by Rolls Royce between 1975 and 1986. It was designed by the legendary Pininfarina design house in Italy, with Paolo Martin the lead designer. This was the first Rolls Royce not designed by the company itself since World War II. There were 531 produced during its run.

Advertisement

This vehicle was available as a microtruck or a van. What is it?

This vehicle has been produced by Honda since 1977 and is now in its fourth generation. The Acty has been available as a two-door microtruck or five-door minivan.

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!