1975

[HarleyEarl]

The seventies are much miligned as are cars from the era.

Lets look back and see what all the fuss was, say 1975.

First, let's take a look at the Mercury Bobcat.

Edited August 26, 2008 by HarleyEarl

[Robert Hall]

Here's a favorite of mine: A Mercury Marquis 2dr ht. I love those mid '70s land yachts. They had a cool two-toning on the coupes that I'm looking for pics of. I did find some pics of the Canadian Meteor Montcalm and Rideau (like the Monterey).

Edited August 26, 2008 by moltar

[Camino LS6]

1975 has much more to offer than that.

Plus it is the last year you can do whatever you want in the way of modification without the smog Police getting nasty.

[HarleyEarl]

There is of course the '75 Chrysler Cordoba:

[HarleyEarl]

Here's a favorite of mine: A Mercury Marquis 2dr ht. I love those mid '70s land yachts. They had a cool two-toning on the coupes that I'm looking for pics of. I did find some pics of the Canadian Meteor Montcalm and Rideau (like the Monterey).

Damn, that is a great looking car....almost forgot about those nice coupes.

[bobo]

In the mid-70s, some family friends had a Bobcat as well as the full-boat Lincoln Continental, which was big enough to house a small family. The early Bobcats, of course, had the same design defect as the explosion-prone Pinto.

[HarleyEarl]

Now, for something really different, the '75 AMC Matador coupe:

[Robert Hall]

Damn, that is a great looking car....almost forgot about those nice coupes.

I still remember at age 6 at the L-M dealer w/ my folks..my Mom really liked the yellow '76 Marquis 2dr ht....we went for a test drive in it, a silver Monarch coupe, red Mark IV and a maroon Continental 4dr...we ended up getting the Continental..my Dad's idea for the 'practical family car'..

[HarleyEarl]

Those big Mercs back then looked so Lincoln. Great '70s style.

[Camino LS6]

'75 is also the last year for big block A bodies.

[Robert Hall]

'75 is also the last year for big block A bodies.

Ah... interesting factoid... how about the B-bodies....still big engines thru '76?

[Camino LS6]

Ah... interesting factoid... how about the B-bodies....still big engines thru '76?

Pontiac held on to the 400 even in the A cars I think. But, '75 was it for the Chevy 454 and I think all of the 455s were also gone ( but Balthazar will probably correct me if I'm wrong).

[balthazar]

So no 402/454 Chevelles after '75?

HA-HA: plenty of 400 LeMans' thru '77. Neener-neener!

I have very very little love for the '70s cars- the ghastly hanging bumpers, the faux this-n-that, the anemic engines, the pillow-tufted interiors - blech. What a screaming letdown from the '60s. I've owned only 3 '70s cars: a '72 Riv (parts car, but I loved it) & a '73 Charger Rallye (which is more an extension of the '60s), a passable stripper/commuter '78. I can take a 'lower-line' '77-79 B-Body, but the 'full-boat' '70s cars make me ill. Never owned an '80s car- never will.

[Camino LS6]

Of course trucks are another story.

[Camino LS6]

So no 402/454 Chevelles after '75?

HA-HA: plenty of 400 LeMans' thru '77. Neener-neener!

I have very very little love for the '70s cars- the ghastly hanging bumpers, the faux this-n-that, the anemic engines, the pillow-tufted interiors - blech. What a screaming letdown from the '60s. I've owned only 3 '70s cars: a '72 Riv (parts car, but I loved it) & a '73 Charger Rallye (which is more an extension of the '60s), a passable stripper/commuter '78. I can take a 'lower-line' '77-79 B-Body, but the 'full-boat' '70s cars make me ill. Never owned an '80s car- never will.

Yeah, I love how Pontiac kept the dream alive a bit longer (even in the F-body).

The last 454 SS wasn't even a Chevelle... it was an El Camino!

The SS Chevelle was "replaced" by the Laguna S3.

At least until the 90/91 Silverado version.

[Camino LS6]

In '75 you could still buy one of these with a 454 and a 4spd.

By CaminoLS6

[Camino LS6]

Also the last year for the Monte Carlo big block.

[HarleyEarl]

1975 was also the last year for the Chevrolet Bel Air. It's a great model name. Wish it would come back.

[vonVeezelsnider]

Behold the Mighty Pontiac LeMans Sport Coupe....

My dad had one like this in Powder Blue for about ten years. Rust got so bad there were holes in the trunk pan and people were afraid to park next to it when he rid himself of it in 1990.

[Robert Hall]

1975 was also the last year for the Chevrolet Bel Air. It's a great model name. Wish it would come back.

Yes, in the US...but in Canada, it apparently lived on a few more years.. I've seen a '78 Bel Air 4dr in Florida w/ Ontario plates..

[mustang84]

Never really have been a fan of the '73-75 Cutlasses. I don't like the creases on the sides nor the dual round headlights,

I generally don't like the styling of a lot of vehicles that came out in '74-'75. Most cars donned dual round headlights that looked dopey next to rectangular, gaping grilles. The new quad rectangular headlights that started coming out en masse around 1976 gave cars a fresher and crisper look (see the '75 Eldorado, '76 Cutlass, '77 Trans Am, etc).

[XP715]

If I had to pick a 1975 model year barge to drive for the rest of my life, I think this Coupe DeVille would be just fine:

Can't go wrong with white on red, especially if the interior were all white as well (with black carpets and dash).

[Robert Hall]

Never really have been a fan of the '73-75 Cutlasses. I don't like the creases on the sides nor the dual round headlights,

I generally don't like the styling of a lot of vehicles that came out in '74-'75. Most cars donned dual round headlights that looked dopey next to rectangular, gaping grilles. The new quad rectangular headlights that started coming out en masse around 1976 gave cars a fresher and crisper look (see the '75 Eldorado, '76 Cutlass, '77 Trans Am, etc).

Yes on the headlights..the '76-77 Cutlasses looked better than the '73-75 up front, at least...I like the rears of the '73 A-bodies, they had the smallest bumpers. I've always thought it was odd that GM went to 2 headlights on all the A-bodies in '73; most of them from '64-72 had quad lights, which look much better on a car of that size, IMHO..

For the Cutlass, I like both the regular and Cutlass Supreme front ends in '76-77..nice job with the waterfall grille.

Edited August 27, 2008 by moltar

[HarleyEarl]

Does anyone know or recall the laws surrounding headlights in that era?

And why did it take so long for regulations to change to allow rectangulars and other forms later on?

The round headlight really dictated front end design.

[balthazar]

I cannot get past '72 with the A-Specials / G-Bodies.

Edited August 27, 2008 by balthazar

[HarleyEarl]

1975 Factoids:

>North American cars: 6.5 million down from 8.1 million in 1974

>Chevrolet, Ford, Oldsmobile, Pontiac, Buick, Plymouth - in that order

>massive layoffs and plant closures for that year

>catalytic converter becomes widespread

>small cars, slow sellers

>AMC Pacer introduced and sells 72,158 units

>Ford Granada introduced and sells an astounding 302,658

>experimental air bags installed in some Cadillacs, Buicks and Oldsmobiles

>Checker sells and estimated 450

>most convertibles saw their last year in '75

>it was the era of opera windows, opera lights, landau vinyl roofs, vinyl roofs, big formal grills

[HarleyEarl]

The '75 AMC Gremlin GT...I kinda like it:

[Robert Hall]

One of the best qualities of the cars of 1975, IMHO, is the lack of

DEPRESSING GRAY PLASTIC INTERIORS.

Lots of interesting colors, materials, and designs in '75.

[HarleyEarl]

One of the best qualities of the cars of 1975, IMHO, is the lack of

DEPRESSING GRAY PLASTIC INTERIORS.

Lots of interesting colors, materials, and designs in '75.

YESSSSSSSS....totally, happily agree.

[Robert Hall]

YESSSSSSSS....totally, happily agree.

Gray plastic interiors are one of my pain points with today cars... I can tolerate them for a couple days in a rental, but if had to drive something every day with a cheesy gray plastic interior I'd probably start riding the bus..

[HarleyEarl]

If I had to pick a 1975 model year barge to drive for the rest of my life, I think this Coupe DeVille would be just fine:

Can't go wrong with white on red, especially if the interior were all white as well (with black carpets and dash).

Truly one of the finest Cadillac frontends. Beautiful.

I have to agree with you. This is the pick of the '75s.

And I'll take a white interior.

Now is that the plaid option I'm seeing in that Deville?

[Robert Hall]

Truly one of the finest Cadillac frontends. Beautiful.

I have to agree with you. This is the pick of the '75s.

And I'll take a white interior.

Now is that the plaid option I'm seeing in that Deville?

I love those big boats...another '75 GM I like quite a bit is the '75 Grand Ville convertible..the thing I love about the '75 convertibles is that they still have the curvy body work of the '71s, except for the big front and rear bumpers.

I like the '75 Caprice convertible also, but prefer the '76 front end with the rectangular headlights (too bad Chevy didn't change over in '75 as well).

Likewise, the Buick LeSabre convertible...would have looked better w/ the '76 rectangular headlights also, IMHO..

Likewise for the Olds 88 convertible

'71-72 are probably my favorite years for the B- and C- bodies, but the '75s still looked great, even with the big bumpers, IMHO.

Edited August 27, 2008 by moltar

[mustang84]

One loooong Buick

Along with the Coupe DeVille, I've always really liked mid-70s Eldorados

Along with the Mark IV

These old Imperials were gorgeous boats...I love the waterfall

[HarleyEarl]

heck, I'm thinking the '70s weren't so bad afterall, there are some really nice looking cars from that year.

All the big GMs were very nice. That Imperial frontend is so pure....really like it.

[wildcat]

Hey, the Captain and Tennille called and want 1975 back.

That's the year i graduated from high school!

[HarleyEarl]

Hey, the Captain and Tennille called and want 1975 back.

That's the year i graduated from high school!

Muskrat Love?

[Blake Noble]

Never really have been a fan of the '73-75 Cutlasses. I don't like the creases on the sides nor the dual round headlights,

Honestly, I like the first year 1973 Cutlass, same for the 1973 Chevelle and LeMans/GTO/Grand Am.

I've actually gained respect for the Colonnade coupes. They still pale in comparison to their predecessors from the 1968 - 1972 era, but they are no longer unattractive to me. The first year cars are actually somewhat handsome in spite of their flaws.

[bobo]

Does anyone know or recall the laws surrounding headlights in that era?

And why did it take so long for regulations to change to allow rectangulars and other forms later on?

The round headlight really dictated front end design.

1975 was the first year for rectangular headlights. GM lobbied hard for the change in federal regulations. Consumer Reports at the time commented that it was a bad move for consumers because of the cost and complication of a new type of headlight. Sealed halogen headlights were allowed in 1978. They were optional on Cadillacs. Ford lobbied hard for aerodynamic, composite headlights, and they introduced them on the 1984 Lincoln Mark VII. Again, Consumer Reports said it was a bad move for consumers because of costly replacement.

[HarleyEarl]

I like them too, the Chevy to a lesser extent. I did like the Chevy Laguna frontend much better than the standard Malibu.

[HarleyEarl]

1975 was the first year for rectangular headlights. GM lobbied hard for the change in federal regulations. Consumer Reports at the time commented that it was a bad move for consumers because of the cost and complication of a new type of headlight. Sealed halogen headlights were allowed in 1978. They were optional on Cadillacs. Ford lobbied hard for aerodynamic, composite headlights, and they introduced them on the 1984 Lincoln Mark VII. Again, Consumer Reports said it was a bad move for consumers because of costly replacement.

Thanks Bobo for the info. Interesting stuff.

[HarleyEarl]

This is an interesting Ford Granada ad in '75.

[balthazar]

Yeah; one would think that ad was put together by Saturday Night Live's prop's dept (and they must've all been dems). The grenade and the Seville have nothing in common besides paint color.

[gm4life]

I had graduated for highschool in 1975. Was starting college and my dad still had his 1971 Bonneville and the Nova didn't come till much later, was the wifes...

[HarleyEarl]

Yeah; one would think that ad was put together by Saturday Night Live's prop's dept (and they must've all been dems). The grenade and the Seville have nothing in common besides paint color.

Exactly.

In a way I guess it's a homage to Cadillac.

They could have waited 'till '77 when they rebadged it a Lincoln Versailles and then said 'What looks like the newest Lincoln....'

Which it actually did.

[ocnblu]

It's funny how some things stay the same. The "Grenade" (ha balthy!) and Versailles have pretty much the same relationship as the Fusion and MKZ have in 2008.

[HarleyEarl]

It's funny how some things stay the same. The "Grenade" (ha balthy!) and Versailles have pretty much the same relationship as the Fusion and MKZ have in 2008.

So true! There is a parallel here.

Blu you always see beyond.

[Sixty8panther]

As Balthazar already said; the 1970s started off strong...

M.Y. 1970: 95% of domestics are appealing to me, 40% of them are downright AWESOME!

M.Y. 1971: 80% appealing, 35% of them are downright AWESOME!

M.Y. 1972: 75% appealing, 35% AWESOME!

M.Y. 1973: 75% appealing, 25% AWESOME!

M.Y. 1974: 45% appealing, 10% AWESOME!

M.Y. 1975: 35% appealing, 7% AWESOME!

M.Y. 1976: 30% appealing, 5% AWESOME!

and that downward trend does NOT reverse as the 1970s wind down....

ANY car from year 1973 or later has a BETTER looking, better built

and much more innovative ancestor in the late-'60s or early '70s.

That '75 Coupe deVille makes me think: MAN I wish that was a '67 or '61

1975 Camaros makes me think "too bad that is not a '70 or '71, or better still: '69"

'75 Firebirds make me wish it was a '67 or at least '73

the majority of '75 Fords are downright disgusting.

to a much lesser degree the same can be said for

most '75 Mopars.... show me a '75 Chrysler, or

Plymouth or whatever and I'll show you a '60s

equielant (never mind Imperial) that will blow it

out of the water in terms of styling, quality, style,

power and most importantly SELF respect.

[Delta Force79]

I've always been partial to the 77-79 GM B-Bodies and C, D bodies...That stems from the fac tmy first car was a '78 Ninety Eight. The Olds' are indeed my favorites of that generation, as I currently own a '79 Delta 88...but I also like the Electra Park Ave's of that era and the Fleetwood's and Coupe DeVille's as well. In recent years I've had an undying desire to own mid 70's Imperial or New Yorker ( with the Imperial front end) I love the waterfall grilles on those boats, and the interior is huge and so comfy looking.

[ocnblu]

My Grandfather was a Chrysler man his whole life, on the car side, with a smattering of Pontiacs thrown in for variety. His last Chrysler was a '77 New Yorker Brougham, bronze color with an off-white vinyl top and black velour interior. He loved that thing, with its big honkin' 440. Even in the last months of his life, when he bought his '89 Caprice Classic Brougham LS, he still liked to drive that old Chrysler.

[HarleyEarl]

Check out this link to an old Car & Driver for '75 model cars:

http://images.google.com/imgres?imgurl=htt...:en-US%26sa%3DN