Between malaise-era emissions rules, crash bumpers the size of park benches, and an obsession with opera windows, the 1970s served up some genuinely bewildering sheet metal. Yes, a few icons were born – but so were these 18 eyebrow-raisers. Consider this your guided tour through a decade when wind tunnels were optional and good taste was… negotiable.
1) 1978 Oldsmobile Cutlass Aeroback
Someone at GM heard “European” and translated it as “fastback trunk with no hatch.” The Aeroback grafted a teardrop rear onto a traditional sedan, then refused to give you the practicality of a liftgate. Buyers shrugged, then walked next door to literally anything else. GM scrambled and rushed a proper sedan back into production – an admission that the “aero” vibe wasn’t exactly flying.
2) 1970 Buick Riviera
’66–’69 Riviera? Gorgeous. Then 1970 happened: the grille looked like it slid three inches down the nose, the skirted fenders grew over the wheels like moss, and the whole body puffed up like a marshmallow. Sales dropped accordingly. Thankfully, the boattail arrived in ’71 to save the Riviera’s reputation – and our retinas.
3) 1974 Bricklin SV-1
Gullwings can distract from many sins. Not these. The SV-1 wore turbine-style wheels, slit windows, and crash bumpers that could double as retaining walls. Worse, its heavy doors frequently refused to open, trapping owners inside a plastic greenhouse that leaked and warped. Safety Vehicle One? More like Safety Third.
4) 1975 AMC Pacer (especially the 1978 facelift)
The “first wide small car” had aquarium levels of glass and the curb appeal of a boiled goldfish. In 1978, AMC added a bulbous hood and upright grille to clear an optional V8 – proof that yes, it could get visually louder. Charming in its own way, sure, but handsome it was not.
5) 1977 Volvo 262C Bertone
Volvo tried to channel the Lincoln Mark vibe by chopping the roof on a 260-series coupe. Result: a tuxedo with a too-short jacket – formal, awkward, and cramped for anyone over six feet. It’s weirdly lovable now, but in period it looked like a car that forgot to finish growing.
6) 1973 Reliant Robin
Three wheels, zero dignity. The Robin wore its economy with a kind of shameless pride: narrow track, bug-eyed face, and a stance that screamed “tip me.” Yes, it was lightweight and cheap to run. No, it didn’t need to look so apologetic doing it.
7) 1974 Sebring-Vanguard CitiCar (later Comuta-Car)
Behold the wedge that convinced a generation electric cars were just golf carts with doors. Early cars had 2.5 horsepower and a top speed you could measure with a sundial. The later Comuta-Car added protruding battering-ram bumpers, as if the styling weren’t blunt enough already.
8) 1970 AMC Gremlin
A clever, cheap-to-build subcompact that sold like crazy – and looked like someone stopped drawing two-thirds of the way back. The Gremlin’s chopped tail gave it undeniable character, but also the proportions of a car that hit “save” before the file finished rendering.
9) 1974 Ford Mustang II Ghia
Downsizing the Mustang made sense; dressing it up like a shrunken luxury car did not. The Ghia trim’s vinyl roof, opera windows, and color-keyed everything felt like cosplay for a car that once chased Shelbys down straights. Popular at the time, bewildering in hindsight.
10) 1977 Datsun 200SX
Nissan could do pretty (240Z) and plucky (510). This wasn’t either. The 200SX’s front end resembled an electric shaver, its C-pillars could block a solar eclipse, and its performance didn’t earn forgiveness. One thing it did well: rust. Quickly.
11) 1970 Ford Thunderbird
Somewhere between “Thunder” and “bird,” Ford decided the T-Bird needed an actual beak. The pointed prow looked like it would peck pedestrians. Late-’60s models had presence; 1970 added a costume headpiece the rest of the car couldn’t pull off.
12) 1973 Leyland P76 (Australia)
A big wedge with a trunk large enough to swallow a 44-gallon drum – and perhaps the will to live of its owners. Built when quality control took a sabbatical, the P76 looked like a scaled-up appliance and drove with similar romance. It lasted two years, which feels generous.
13) 1975 British Leyland Princess
A hatchback shape without the actual hatch – just a tiny trunk opening under that long rear glass. Pair the impracticality with a gawky wedge profile and you had a car that managed to be inconvenient, unreliable, and unattractive in one tidy package.
14) 1974 Vanden Plas 1500
Take an Austin Allegro, add a stately upright grille, leather, deep-pile carpet, and walnut picnic tables. Voilà: a miniature limousine still built like an Allegro. Fancy garnish on a plain omelet doesn’t make it a soufflé.
15) 1970 Porsche 914
Mid-engine magic, meet square-shouldered awkwardness. The 914’s slabby sides, long sail panels, and sparse detailing gave it a utilitarian vibe more “dorky cool” than “bedroom poster.” Great to drive, sure – but it looked like it knew it wore sensible shoes.
16) 1972 Subaru GL Coupe
Subaru tried “stylish” and overshot the runway – then apparently lopped eight inches off the tail to make the boat fit the dock. The pinched rear and abrupt proportions made it seem assembled to meet a shipping crate, not a wind tunnel.
17) 1970 Saab Sonett III
Designed with American buyers in mind, then handed a front overhang long enough to land a small plane. Add a federally mandated bumper that sticks out like a diving board and a suddenly stubby rear, and the Sonett looks perpetually mid-faceplant.
18) 1977 “Leata Cabalero” (Custom Chevette)
A privateer special: hundreds of pounds of fiberglass and body filler turned humble Chevettes into Monte Carlo impersonators (and even faux El Camino pickups). The results were… entrepreneurial, let’s say. It takes guts to ask double the price for a car now doubling as an art project.
The Decade of Bumpers, Beaks, and Bold Choices
The 1970s were a perfect storm of safety mandates, fuel crises, and design experiments gone sideways. And yet, these misfits are part of why we love car history. They’re conversation starters, cautionary tales, and occasionally cult classics. Beauty may be timeless, but ugly – especially ’70s ugly – has a way of being unforgettable.
UP NEXT: “Heavily Armed” — See Which States Are The Most Strapped
Image Credit: Survival World
Americans have long debated the role of firearms, but one thing is sure — some states are far more armed than others. See where your state ranks in this new report on firearm ownership across the U.S.
Raised in a small Arizona town, Kevin grew up surrounded by rugged desert landscapes and a family of hunters. His background in competitive shooting and firearms training has made him an authority on self-defense and gun safety. A certified firearms instructor, Kevin teaches others how to properly handle and maintain their weapons, whether for hunting, home defense, or survival situations. His writing focuses on responsible gun ownership, marksmanship, and the role of firearms in personal preparedness.