The 70's
The 70's was a decade that belonged to high profile cars such as the BMW M1, Lamborghini Countach and Lotus Espirit. The most significant change in design was the revolutionary Lamborghini Countach, it was so wide,flat and angular that normal doors were unable to fit so then the creation of scissor doors were invented. The car designers who made it weren't very impressed with this new style but the public had loved it and eventually won the designers over and this is now a really stylish feature to any super car these days. Many of these popular cars were imported into America where they looked really out of place. Americans never moved on from their ways of styling which cost them dearly in terms of sales because many American citizens were buying imports with the majority percentage of sales being Japanese cars. To make matters worse a Clean Air Act was introduced which said that car companies had to produce cars that could conserve gasoline and comply with the Clean Air Act meaning that they had to reduce emissions by over 90% within the next six years. Due to the act many Americans were demanding smaller and much more efficient cars and most of these were imports. By 1970 the number of imports had exceeded one million.
In 1973 Detroit was dealt with a major blow to oil supplies as the oil rich countries of the Middle East imposed an embargo of oil supply to Israel and its allies which included the USA. This caused long lines at petrol stations and they had a certain limit to how much fuel they could purchase and on top of that the fuel prices were extremely high compared to what they were used to. Nationwide speed limits of 55 mph were introduced to conserve fuel. People became very frustrated and the demand for smaller and efficient cars were high and if American companies wouldnt manufacture them then the consumer would turn towards the foreign market.
The 70's was a decade that belonged to high profile cars such as the BMW M1, Lamborghini Countach and Lotus Espirit. The most significant change in design was the revolutionary Lamborghini Countach, it was so wide,flat and angular that normal doors were unable to fit so then the creation of scissor doors were invented. The car designers who made it weren't very impressed with this new style but the public had loved it and eventually won the designers over and this is now a really stylish feature to any super car these days. Many of these popular cars were imported into America where they looked really out of place. Americans never moved on from their ways of styling which cost them dearly in terms of sales because many American citizens were buying imports with the majority percentage of sales being Japanese cars. To make matters worse a Clean Air Act was introduced which said that car companies had to produce cars that could conserve gasoline and comply with the Clean Air Act meaning that they had to reduce emissions by over 90% within the next six years. Due to the act many Americans were demanding smaller and much more efficient cars and most of these were imports. By 1970 the number of imports had exceeded one million.
In 1973 Detroit was dealt with a major blow to oil supplies as the oil rich countries of the Middle East imposed an embargo of oil supply to Israel and its allies which included the USA. This caused long lines at petrol stations and they had a certain limit to how much fuel they could purchase and on top of that the fuel prices were extremely high compared to what they were used to. Nationwide speed limits of 55 mph were introduced to conserve fuel. People became very frustrated and the demand for smaller and efficient cars were high and if American companies wouldnt manufacture them then the consumer would turn towards the foreign market.
The 80's
The situation pretty much continued straight into the 80's and if anything it just kept getting worse for the American automobile industry. By 1980 the big three (Ford, Chrysler and General Motors were being outsold by Japanese Motor Companies such as Honda, Nissan and Toyota. In a single year Chrysler noted a record loss of $1.7 Billion, Ford recorded $1.5 Billion and most notably the worst loss came for General Motors which recorded a massive $763 Billion.
The Big Three needed to realise that the public was moving on as they had more problems concerning fuel to think about. If they didn't change their car manufacturing ways then it could very well be the end for them. The American public recognised that their big, thirsty for petrol cars wasn't helping the fuel shortage. They switched to Japanese cars and realised that it was much more fuel efficient and the cars were in fact quality products. By 1980 Japanese Motors were outselling American cars by a lot.
For the first time the Automobile hit their biggest economic recession. In 1980-1983 Ford announced it had a total loss of $3.3 Billion in just those three years. Poor man management in the work area meant that workers were not bothered with the quality of the cars they were producing. They were just there to get a salary and a car was just simply the by product of their presence at the work place so most of the finished cars were poorly proportioned and weren't very quick and the fine quality was missing.
In order to stay on top of things they were going to have to change their manufacturing procedure to ensure top quality cars if they were to compete with imports and have a strong presence in the industry. Eventually after hiring experts the companies all made remarkable turnarounds and now continue to survive into todays world.
The situation pretty much continued straight into the 80's and if anything it just kept getting worse for the American automobile industry. By 1980 the big three (Ford, Chrysler and General Motors were being outsold by Japanese Motor Companies such as Honda, Nissan and Toyota. In a single year Chrysler noted a record loss of $1.7 Billion, Ford recorded $1.5 Billion and most notably the worst loss came for General Motors which recorded a massive $763 Billion.
The Big Three needed to realise that the public was moving on as they had more problems concerning fuel to think about. If they didn't change their car manufacturing ways then it could very well be the end for them. The American public recognised that their big, thirsty for petrol cars wasn't helping the fuel shortage. They switched to Japanese cars and realised that it was much more fuel efficient and the cars were in fact quality products. By 1980 Japanese Motors were outselling American cars by a lot.
For the first time the Automobile hit their biggest economic recession. In 1980-1983 Ford announced it had a total loss of $3.3 Billion in just those three years. Poor man management in the work area meant that workers were not bothered with the quality of the cars they were producing. They were just there to get a salary and a car was just simply the by product of their presence at the work place so most of the finished cars were poorly proportioned and weren't very quick and the fine quality was missing.
In order to stay on top of things they were going to have to change their manufacturing procedure to ensure top quality cars if they were to compete with imports and have a strong presence in the industry. Eventually after hiring experts the companies all made remarkable turnarounds and now continue to survive into todays world.
The 90's
The cars during this era are still seen within our cities everyday. They are probably the most popular cars and the designs still rub off on most of new designs today. Many cars being bought second hand today will most likely have been manufactured in the 90's. This decade was when car manufacturers began mixing things up and combining different technology and inventions together to create the perfect vehicle.
In this decade, Detroit made a remarkable comeback which saw them get right back into the market and even fighting off Japanese competition. Cars like the Ford Taurus had the right mixture of comfort, speed and reliability for it to win over the American citizens.
Sports Utility Vehicles or SUV's become very popular during this era with a well know SUV called the Ford Explorer burst into the market with flying colours and this was what the public needed, big and spacious cars. The Explorer was vital in the way it changed the views on big cars. They combined the 4 wheel drive system and the space of a pick up truck with an enhanced driving experience to provide the driver with something that suited their every needs.
Sports cars were a craze during the 90's many people sought after the fastest cars and also ones that were practical too. The 90's did not fail to impress, one of the most remarkable creations till date and probably the best supercar ever made is the McLaren F1. A supercar which was track orientated but didn't compromise its everyday usability and comfort. It claimed the title of 'Worlds Fastest Production Car' by reaching a top speed of 240 mph until 2005 when the Bugatti Veyron stole it by reaching a top speed of 267 mph while in Super Sport Mode however the F1 is still admired today and it still sets the bar for supercars today.
That is the whole evolution of cars from the 1920's all the way to 1990's and the future may hold for us some new cars with new technology waiting to make history.
The cars during this era are still seen within our cities everyday. They are probably the most popular cars and the designs still rub off on most of new designs today. Many cars being bought second hand today will most likely have been manufactured in the 90's. This decade was when car manufacturers began mixing things up and combining different technology and inventions together to create the perfect vehicle.
In this decade, Detroit made a remarkable comeback which saw them get right back into the market and even fighting off Japanese competition. Cars like the Ford Taurus had the right mixture of comfort, speed and reliability for it to win over the American citizens.
Sports Utility Vehicles or SUV's become very popular during this era with a well know SUV called the Ford Explorer burst into the market with flying colours and this was what the public needed, big and spacious cars. The Explorer was vital in the way it changed the views on big cars. They combined the 4 wheel drive system and the space of a pick up truck with an enhanced driving experience to provide the driver with something that suited their every needs.
Sports cars were a craze during the 90's many people sought after the fastest cars and also ones that were practical too. The 90's did not fail to impress, one of the most remarkable creations till date and probably the best supercar ever made is the McLaren F1. A supercar which was track orientated but didn't compromise its everyday usability and comfort. It claimed the title of 'Worlds Fastest Production Car' by reaching a top speed of 240 mph until 2005 when the Bugatti Veyron stole it by reaching a top speed of 267 mph while in Super Sport Mode however the F1 is still admired today and it still sets the bar for supercars today.
That is the whole evolution of cars from the 1920's all the way to 1990's and the future may hold for us some new cars with new technology waiting to make history.