The 1970s are not really known as a good time in the history of American automaking. The '50s and the '60s were periods of great growth and some amazing designs came from that era. In the 1970s it seemed like something bad happened. Numerous issues with designs of several models created a bad public perception across the board. Infamous cars like the Gremlin, the Pacer and the Pinto were considered not just ugly but badly made vehicles. Compact and sub-compact cars began to replace the muscle cars of the previous era and it seemed like the whole industry flopped. Not to mention the 1973 oil crisis that led to a drastic change in fuel standards. By 1977, nearly all major manufacturers had been forced to downsize their vehicles to accommodate those standards.

These days we can look back and appreciate the few design triumphs, some of the incredible design missteps and the odd car that got a worse rap than it deserved. But as they say, hindsight is 20/20. At the time it was a different ballgame. Like it or not, if you were there you had to deal with what was being made. Think we can guess what you ended up choosing to drive? Take the quiz and we'll see!