The Cars from the late 60 early 70’s
https://www.thepeoplehistory.com/60scars.html
The MOT Test is introduced in Britain [1]
In 1960 the average new car costs about 2,752 dollars, and a gallon was gas was around 31. cent.
The 1960s were a time of change, Russia beat the US into outer space, Elvis hits the UK, the Beatles hit world big time. All From the sixties
In 1960 Chevrolet introduced the XP700 Corvette experimental car. The 1962 Corvette was a high-performance car, with a powerful V8 engine (which was optional), some of them were further equipped with fuel injection and aluminum cylinder heads. This was a fast car by the standards of its time. The Corvette was an eye-opening American car for its time.
The 1960 Chevrolet Corvair 500 Deluxe came with a Basic Corvair Engine 139.6 Cid, horizontally opposed six, 80hp @ 4400 RPM, one-barrel carburetor. A three-speed manual transmission was standard, heater, padded dash, and manual radio.
The Chevrolet Camaro was introduced in the North America in 1967 this was General Motors competition for the Ford Mustang. Although it was classed as a compact car (by the standards of its time) the Camaro like the mustang was classified as an intermediate sports car, or muscle car.
One of the 1960s Super cars was the Lotus Elan with a compact fiberglass-body, drop-head, two-seater, powered by various versions of the Ford-based Lotus twin cam engine. The car was first shown at the London Motor Show late in 1962, but didn’t reach production until 1963. Functional in design and layout, Lotus Elan combines simplicity, with leech like road holding, and a willing (if occasionally unreliable) twin -cam engine.
Born in 1968 the Morgan Plus 8, used the sliding pillar type of independent suspension with which every Morgan had been fitted, since the first tricycle had taken to the road in 1910.
The Ford Motor company totally redesigned their 1960s models from the ground up. They shared nothing with the previous models except engines and drivelines.
The 1960s styles were considered controversial by many, it still is one of the smoothest designs ever to come from the Dearborn drawing board. The new models were longer, lower and wider than previous models. All 1960s Fords featured a single chrome strip from the top of the front bumper, sweeping up to the top of the front fender, then back, horizontally along the beltline to the back of the car. There it turned inward and capped a small horizontal fin. Large semi-circular taillights were housed in an aluminum escutcheon panel below the fins and a directly above a large a large chrome bumper. The Fairlane series contained the word Ford spaced along the rear quarter panel for trim. The Fairlane script was on the sided of the front fenders.
The Galaxy series used a Ford crest in script, on the deck lid and on the front fenders. A single strip began along the center of the front door and continued back to the taillights on the side with ribbed aluminum stone shield behind the rear wheel opening.
The Falcon was first introduced during this time, this was Fords entrance into the compact car race. The Falcon was an uncomplicated little car that was available in two-door or four-door sedans, and station wagons. The styling left little doubt that they were Ford products, but was remarkably simple and attractive. In 1965 Ford lineup represented five full car lines with 44 models-the widest choice of models in Ford ‘s division’s history.
Chrysler was making its own history in 1968, the Chrysler New Yorker took first place in its class, in the Mobil Economy run from Los Angeles to Indianapolis.
In 1969 the average new car 3,400 dollars, and a gallon of gas cost 35. cent.
Disregarded From the Decades[2]
Written by Jesse Mc Graw
Ah, the 60s. The Beatles came to America, hippie culture was in full swing, the first NFL Super Bowl took place, and we landed on the moon. Then into the 70s, disco was the new happening’ thing, the first personal computers were sold, Muhammed Ali Rumbled in the Jungle, and the first Star Wars hit theaters. America went through a lot of changes in these decades, as did the automotive industry in this time.
With the emergence of the Ford Mustang came the competitive age of the pony car. Some of the most well-known vehicles of automotive history came from these two decades – consider the iconic Chevrolet Camaro, Dodge Challenger, AMC Javelin, and Pontiac Firebird just to name a few. However, today’s article isn’t about these popular and highly sought-after muscle cars. No, instead we’ll focus on some of the everyday vehicles from the same time period that never achieved the same notoriety. These are some of the less recognized vehicles of the 60s and 70s we think you should know.
The automotive industry of the 1960s was leaning heavily towards larger, less efficient, and more expensive vehicles. AMC saw this trend and took a different approach with their popular Rambler. The AMC Rambler was an affordable compact car offering that came as a sedan, station wagon, coupe, or convertible. The naming between different years and body styles gets convoluted (i.e. Rambler American, Rambler Classic, Rambler Six & Eight), but the Rambler namesake is continuous throughout. If it wasn’t for the Rambler and its success among frugal customers, AMC may have ceased to exist… earlier than it did.
When people think 60s and 70s Fords, the Mustang always comes to mind. However, if it were not for the Ford Falcon, the Mustang would have never come to fruition. The Falcon was Ford’s foray into the compact car market of the early 1960s. Much like the Rambler, the Falcon came in many different body styles including a ute named the Falcon Ranchero. Ford’s Falcon made record sales with over a million sold just in its first two years on the market. However, the Falcon’s unified frame design was the basis of a 1964 fastback coupe we all recognize today as the Mustang. Following the Mustang’s release, the Falcon’s sales plummeted, forcing the model out of production by 1970.
You know what sounds cooler than a mustang? A cougar, at least that’s what Ford’s Lincoln–Mercury division thought. The Mercury Cougar was a direct cousin to the Ford Mustang with slight alterations to the front grille design, more luxurious options, and came exclusively with a V8 engine. Upon its release, the Mercury Cougar made up 40% of Lincoln-Mercury’s sales. As the Cougar carried on, the vehicle would gradually distance itself from the Mustang’s design and growing into a longer muscle car with an available 429 CID 7.0L Super Cobra Jet engine. Eventually the Cougar leaned into the personal luxury vehicle design popularly known as a “land yacht”, but this just meant there were more preferential options to choose from.
When one thinks of rear-engine cars, Porsche comes to mind. However, Chevrolet made their own rear-engine car in the 60s called the Corvair. The Corvair is the only American designed passenger car with this engine placement, which makes for a good conversation piece. There was a coupe/convertible option called the Corvair Monza, but in general it wasn’t as sporty as a Porsche. It was mainly created as a compact model to compete with the likes of the Falcon and Rambler. The Chevrolet Corvair only ever came with a flat-six engine, making it one of only two American made cars to ever do so. You can still find affordable Corvairs in multiple body styles similar to the Ford Falcon, but the obscure van and truck models will cost a bit more.
The Buick Skylark started the era as a compact car luxury trim level, and then ventured into the muscle car scene in 1964 as its own model. The Skylark featured the same chassis and similar body parts to the Chevrolet Chevelle, but with its own Buick luxury twist on the model. Also like the Chevelle, with its SS variant, the Buick Skylark received a performance package called the Gran Sport. This package came with a 401 CID 6.6L V8, heavy duty radiator, dual exhaust, and the special Gran Sport badging. Going into the second generation, the Gran Sport diverged into its own line while the Skylark continued on as a luxury offering. The A-body Skylark would leave the market in 1972, only to return as a compact car once again in subsequent years.
The 88 model was a staple for Oldsmobile for a majority of the company’s existence. For the 60s and 70s, Oldsmobile presented the Delta 88, a B-body platform that was available as a coupe, convertible, sedan, or station wagon. This car went from an affordable family car to a top of the line luxury coupe found in the Royale trim. The Delta 88’s largest engine offering was the 455 CID 7.5L Rocket V8 engine, which is now highly sought after by enthusiasts, more so even than the car itself. Much like the Skylark, the Buick Delta 88 ventured into a land yacht territory and then scaled down into a compact car (which is probably the 88 model you likely associate with Oldsmobile today).
Everyone knows the Ford Bronco and Chevrolet K5 Blazer as some of the most iconic SUVs ever made, but not too many remember the GMC Jimmy. While it was pretty much a rebadged Blazer, the Jimmy came with a different grille design, had quad headlights for a few years, and was touted as being “built with better care and quality” than Chevrolet models. Although, the last one is more of a salesman gimmick rather than fact. Basically, the GMC Jimmy came down to design preference when looking at the front end. Nowadays, a Jimmy is harder to find than a Blazer, but you could always retrofit the GMC styled grille to a Blazer and end at the same result, I guess.
Jesse McGraw brings his life-long car obsession into his writing. A fun childhood that involved growing up around race tracks, working on a rusty ‘99 Dodge Dakota held together by zip ties, and collecting Hot Wheels developed into a strong appreciation for automotive history. If there is an old, obscure, or rare car, he wants to know about it. With a bachelor’s degree in Web Development & Design from Dakota State University, Jesse can talk shop about car or computer specs, focusing on classic cars, imports, and car culture.
[1] The testing scheme was established by the ministry in 1960 to offer a quick and cheap way of finding out whether the brakes, steering and lights of a vehicle were in order or in need of adjustment.
[2] https://www.carsforsale.com/car-comparisons/unsung-classic-cars-of-the-60s-and-70s/
