Historiography: 1970

Do you have any memories from when you were five years old? Was there something that piqued your interest at that age? 

In many cases, the things you love the most today has stuck with you since that age. For example, if you were introduced to baseball at that age – and loved it a lot at the time – then it may still be with you. 

Sometimes, interest in things could wane with age. Rather, the energy could shift to a more mature approach. After all, some of us may be far beyond our childhood dreams as it was maintained by the fervor of youth. 

After 55-56 years, I still love the automobile. Perhaps not as enthusiastically as I once was back at five or six years old. There are some memories that are stored deep in my brain that is worth recalling. 

It was at five or six years old that I first truly dove into my love of the automobile. It was after the “dawning of the age of Aquarius” and Neil Armstrong’s moment on the moon. 

It seemed that every vehicle offered during the 1970 model year reflected the optimism of a new decade. A fresh energy pervaded the automotive industry after accomplishing a moon landing and pacing itself away from the turmoil of the outgoing decade. 

Granted, the US Armed Forces were still in Vietnam. Richard Nixon was entering his second year of his Presidency. He was about to surprise a few conservatives with his emphasis on the environment and energy. 

The model year began months after the riots at the Stonewall Inn in New York City. Again, the Apollo 11 mission practically give all of us a “feel good” moment towards seeing what 1970 would bring to dealerships across the country. 

This would be my first full model year where every new vehicle caught my attention. 

Why 1970? 

First, it was the newest vehicles that drew me to them. At Chrysler, the new generation ponycars arrived with a further emphasis on the Fuselage design language. A more pronounced “Coke bottle” beltline made the Plymouth Barracuda and the all-new Dodge Challenger attractive to me. I truly believed they were better than the Chevrolet Camaro and Ford Mustang. 

Well…not exactly. They looked great and packed serious performance underneath the hood. Mopar was at its peak in 1970, and the Barracuda/Challenger added serious style to HEMI and Six-Pack V8 power. I’ll even call them iconic. 

Being at peak Mopar, the Chrysler Corporation had a lineup that seemed unbeatable. HEMI V8 power, wild colors, and extroverted trim packages were seen from the Plymouth Valiant up to the Chrysler 300. While they were at it, Chrysler added a two-door fastback-like coupe to the Valiant lineup – called the Duster. 

General Motors were not idle during the 1970 model year. Refreshes across the board were in order. New product finally arrived after the first of the year with the 1970-1/2 Camaro and Pontiac Firebird. The second-generation F-Body would be iconic in their own right with signature fastback styling, a cockpit interior design, and a lineup of performance options to keep Chrysler and Ford running back to the drawing board. 

The other new vehicle would be an important one for the industry. The proliferation of the personal luxury coupe would take hold at Chevrolet with the introduction of the Monte Carlo. Built on the A-Body platform, it arrived with classy style and details. There was a Super Sport model with an available 454 cubic-inch V8 that drew muscle car fans to this premium coupe. 

At Ford, the Falcon finally gave way to the more modern Maverick. The new compact emphasized economy before performance, which brought budget-minded buyers to their showrooms. The midsized cars got a sharper design to compete head-on with GM’s A-Bodies and Chrysler’s venerable and HEMI-driven Dodge Coronet and Plymouth Belvidere. Again, there were a part of a slew of refreshes keeping the Ford, Mercury, and Lincoln lineups in vogue for the new decade. 

We sometimes forget that American Motors was still in business in 1970. They actually were a solid player in the 1960s leading into the new decade. The biggest news that year was the acquisition of the Jeep brand from Kaiser Corporation. The brand known for what we now call the SUV was given a huge shot in the arm finding their way to AMC showrooms. Jeep would become the driver for growth since their acquisition. 

The other big news at AMC was two new smaller vehicles. The Hornet replaced the Rambler American, replete with contemporary styling on top of its ancient platform. Later in the model year, the Gremlin hatchback would arrive on a shortened platform sharing the same front fender design as the Hornet. Both added to the continued success of AMC at the dawn of the new decade. 

European automakers did not have a lot of news coming to America. Audi began to establish themselves with a new premium sedan – the 100LS. Soon, they would be paired with Porsche at dealerships across the country, added needed traffic for vehciles priced less than the 912 and 911. The Stuttgart-based sports car specialists added a Volkswagen-based 914 and 914/6 with its targa roof and mid-engine placement. You saw a lot of new goodies at Porsche+Audi showrooms. 

Volkswagen rolled out a more premium model in the Type 4. Called the 411, it was Wolfsburg’s first four-door sedan. It also became available in a two-door or a wagon. The idea was to keep Type 1 and Type 3 owners in the corporate family with more upmarket and aspirational models that competed against similar vehicle from other “foreign” brands. 

Mercedes-Benz was already established as a premium automaker with desirable vehicles. BMW was gaining ground with a more discriminating enthusiast crowd, thanks to the iconic 2002 two-door sedan. It would be the one car that would proclaim the Bavarian’s slogan of “The Ultimate Driving Machine.” 

Italy was producing its best vehicles by 1970. We had Fiat attracting budget consumers, with Alfa Romeo enticed enthusiasts with its wares. The same went with the French automakers, as people still looked at Renault and Peugeot. The Citroen DS was still on sale after 15 years in America with no new product forthcoming for another couple of years. 

By this time, British Leyland was now sewn together. Little did we know that the patchwork of different brands would become the messy hodgepodge in the new decade. These stores sold a menagerie of MGs, Triumphs, Rovers, and Jaguars – sometimes all under one roof. 

Volvo and Saab represented Sweden in this marketplace. Gothenburg’s 140-serioes received a new grille with a few updates, as did Trollhättan’s 99 sedans. 

Domestic manufacturers also sold brands from their overseas operations through their showrooms. GM sold German Opels through Buick dealers, with the Kadett and GT offered alongside Electras, Skylarks, and Rivieras. Ford stopped selling the Mark II Cortina, opting instead with German-produced Capri coupes through Lincoln-Mercury dealers. 

Select Chrysler-Plymouth dealers had French Simcas and British Sunbeams to sell alongside Valiants, Barracudas and Newports. That would change in a year’s time as began to refocus on vehicles from Asia than Europe. 

The Europeans established themselves in the US market almost immediately after World War II. The Japanese started gaining some momentum by the end of the 1960s with new brands and expanded lineups. 

At Nissan – er, Datsun – the arrival of the 240Z signaled a new chapter for Asian vehicles. The sports coupe showed off a classic European design and strong sx-cylinder performance. This was ripe for American enthusiasts that were drawn to its sexy shape. The response was phenomenal, with the “buff books” singing high praise for the newly christened Z.

The 1970 model year also saw the emergence of the Datsun 510 at the showroom and on the track.  It challenged the BMW 2002 by delivering equal performance at a lower price point. While NASCAR proclaimed itself by having its cars to race on Sunday, then attract customers the next day. Nissan experience the same effect with the 510 after key victories on the SCCA circuit. 

Toyota was on the brink of a major breakthrough for the 1971 model year. In the meantime, they needed to keep customers coming for Corollas and Coronas. They were seen as the middle of the road choice among Japanese brands. 

By 1970, you saw Honda and Subaru establishing themselves in the marketplace. They offered vehicles that were deemed too small for American tastes. That would change as the 1970s continued on with larger vehicles that were more competitive at the dawn of the OPEC Oil Crisis in 1973. Mazda would ramp up their efforts starting in 1970, as well. 

At that time, there was an automotive industry in the Republic of Korea, the People’s Republic of China, the Soviet Union, Australia, Eastern Europe, and India. We would never see anything substantial from these countries until at least the 1980s. 

All of this may sound dizzying. It was for a five or six-year-old kid in Reseda, California. I was fortunate to live in a state where the automobile ruled culture and society. Any given Los Angeles Basin freeway indicated that power it had over its people. 

It would be Southern California’s reliance on the automobile and the ensuing car culture that would spark my imagination. It drew me to the “buff books,” as I began to read them – and become mesmerized by its amazing photography. Luckily, some of those magazines are still in business – and, I am fortunate to know colleagues that work for them today. 

This look back at the 1970 model year serves as a reminder of how the automotive industry was a mighty powerhouse that served up dreams for aspirational people. 

All photos by Randy Stern