1. fastback
   liftback
2. station wagon
   sport-utility vehicle

The station wagon was a roomy car with a cargo area accessible by a tailgate. In the 1970s, the suburbs were full of them. The minivan and then the sport-utility vehicle have rendered the station-wagon mostly obsolete.

1. the Continental
   the Pacer
2. the Pinto
   the Javelin

The design and position of the Pinto's fuel tank made it prone to fires after a rear-end impact. What really hurt Ford's reputation, though, was a paper trail indicating Ford knew about the problem and did not issue a recall.

1. the Datsun 280Z
   the Ford Anglia
2. the Vauxhall Astra
   the VW Beetle

Though Japanese cars would enter the American market in a big way in the 1970s, the first year, 1970, was still all about the beloved "Bug."

1. flatback
   hatchback
2. cargo-back
   lorry

In the US, the hatchback is known as a car of convenience, not sexiness. But fans of the UK's "Top Gear" might recognize the term "hot hatch" for a hatchback car with sexy body styling and decent speed.

1. Camry
   Celica
2. Monza
   Nova

"Celica" is derived from "coelica," which means "of heaven or the firmament." The Chevy Nova's name, meanwhile, is derived from the Latin word for "new," but there was an unintended consequence in the Latin American market: "No va" means "it doesn't go" in Spanish.

1. Dodge
   Ford
2. Plymouth
   Vauxhall

The Colt was actually a rebranded Mitsubishi. Though its name implied a pony car, the Colt was definitely an economy car.

1. a Chevy Corvette
   a Dodge Challenger
2. a Ford Mustang
   an Alfa Romeo Spider

Barry Newman's disillusioned former police officer, Kowalski, drove a 1970 Challenger. Nearly four decades later, the same model of Challenger was featured in Quentin Tarantino's, "Death Proof."

1. AMC
   Chrysler
2. Ford
   Chevrolet

American Motors Corporation was a competitor to the Big Three until it was bought by Chrysler in 1987. Most people in the US only recognize AMC as the former "American Movie Classics" channel, now just "AMC."

1. the AMC Pacer
   the Honda Civic
2. the Datsun 280Z
   the Oldsmobile Toronado

The Honda Civic is one of the greatest success stories in all of Japanese automaking. The Civic line gave birth to the surprisingly sexy two-seater "CRX" in the 1980s, and went hybrid in the 2000s. You can buy a tenth-generation Civic today.

1. air bags
   heated seats
2. cruise control
   a moonroof

Thanks to Retrowaste.com for this historical tidbit! (If this quiz whets your appetite, you might want to visit Retrowaste and check out the articles on automotive history through the various decades).

1. 1973
   1976
2. 1979
   both #1 and #3

The 1970s saw not one but two fuel crises. In 1973, middle-eastern nations forced an oil embargo in protest of several Western nations' support of Israel in the Yom Kippur War. Then, in 1979, the fall of the Shah in Iran destabilized oil production there, causing a less-severe "oil shock."

1. a four-cylinder engine
   a four-stroke engine
2. a four-speed manual transmission
   a car that seats only four people

By 1975, the expectation that a family car would have a V8 engine was decidedly a thing of the past. A four-cylinder engine was all most consumers needed (it helped that family sizes were also shrinking).

1. Datsun
   Lancia
2. Motobecane
   Vauxhall

Datsun was always a Nissan brand. The "re-badging" of Datsun vehicles as Nissans in North America began first with expensive models, and eventually the Datsun name was phased out. It was revived, however, to sell inexpensive cars in Third World markets.

1. Astra
   Gran Turismo
2. Monza
   Scirocco

Volkswagen introdced the Scirocco in 1974. Though it ceased production in 1992, you will still see vintage Sciroccos on the road -- they have a loyal fan base.

1. the Cadillac Eldorado
   the Chevy Nova
2. the Plymouth Duster
   both #2 and #3

Both the Nova and the Duster had powerful engines; the Duster's was 340 cubic inches. The two also look a lot alike; it's easy to mistake one for the other on the street.

1. the Corvette Sting Ray
   the Toyota Corolla
2. the Mustang II
   the VW Beetle

The Mustang II sold well at the time, but history has not looked kindly on it. Modern car buffs consider it underpowered and tacky-looking compared to nearly all other generations of the classic pony car.

1. yes
2. no

This economy car actually made its debut in 1966. It gained traction in north America in the 1970s due to, of course, the need for fuel-efficient cars.

1. the Colt
   the Toronado
2. the Mustang II
   the Trans Am

The Firebird Trans Am, made by Pontiac, was a movie star, even into the millennial era. Daryl Hannah drove one in "Kill Bill: Vol 2."

1. Chevrolet
   Chrysler
2. Ford
   Nissan

The Monte Carlo bucked the fuel-efficiency trend by coming with a standard V8 engine. Though not a huge "boat" like the Continental, the Monte Carlo offered power and a bit of luxury -- its name focusing attention on the latter.

1. Gremlin
   Pacer
2. Cordoba
   Rebel

Chrysler made the Cordoba. It was smaller than previous Chryslers, while still preserving the comfort of a luxury car.

1. Alan Alda
   John Ritter
2. Ricardo Montalban
   Henry Winkler

Montalban starred in ABC's Saturday night show, "Fantasy Island." This show about an island where dreams come true -- and then go very wrong -- gave nightmares to '70s kids whose parents weren't around to send them to bed after "The Love Boat."

1. Corvette
   Ferrari
2. Mach 1
   Stingray

Mark Hamill was riding high off the success of "Star Wars" when he made this forgettable movie about a teenager who builds a Corvette Stingray in shop class, only to have it stolen. (Note: "Stingray Summer" would also have worked, and -- we think -- sounds cooler!)

1. a Pontiac Firebird
   a Jaguar XJ8
2. a Mustang Cobra II
   an Opel Kadett

Well, it looked cool at the time. Plus, with Farrah's Jill Munroe at the wheel, we're pretty sure no one was paying much attention to the car.

1. Datsun
   Lancia
2. Plymouth
   Toyota

The Datsun 240Z came out in October 1969 as a 1970 model, followed by the Datsun 260Z and 280Z all through the '70s. It was very popular in racing and you'll still see a few well-maintained specimens on the road today. (This is much less true of other Datsun models). Nissan continues the Z line to this day.

1. Dirk Benedict
   Ron Howard
2. Paul Newman
   Dennis Quaid

The humble actor registered for races as "P.L. Newman." He made his debut on the track in 1972, after getting instruction in auto racing for a movie and finding he was good at it.

1. Ferrari
   Lamborghini
2. Porsche
   Dacia

The low, streamlined Countach looked like a Lamborghini you could drive through a mail slot, and it also boasted a V12 engine. Its name is an expression of surprise in Piedmontese Italian, similar to French's "sacrebleu!"

1. Plymouth
   Saab
2. Vauxhall
   Volvo

Like the VW Beetle before it, the Volvo wagon stuck around to become a classic student/stoner car of the 1980s and 1990s. Age has finally caught up with them: you see relatively few '70s Volvos on the roads nowadays.

1. a Chevy Monte Carlo
   a Buick LeSabre
2. a Porsche 911
   a VW Beetle

Herbie was a VW Beetle with a mind of his own. Herbie made two outings in the 1970s, "Herbie Rides Again" and "Herbie Goes to Monte Carlo."

1. Chrysler
   Ford
2. Chevrolet
   this is not a make of car

Carmakers have given their products increasingly silly, no-meaning names -- but we're pretty sure no one has made a "Superba" yet. (It's probably just a matter of time).

1. AMC Gremlin
   Dodge Omni
2. Honda CRX
   Chevy Vega

The Honda CRX is a good example of what is called a "hot hatch" in the UK. It was a speedy little two-seater offered mostly in red, black or white -- but it didn't debut until 1984.

1. sure is!
2. nope!

Almost! ... The DeLorean debuted in 1981 and ceased production in 1983. It was on its way to obscurity when an appearance in "Back to the Future" made it something of a cult item.

1. calipers
   fuel injectors
2. turbochargers
   solar panels

Fuel injection atomizes and sprays gasoline into the cylinder for compression. It's a more efficient technique than carburetion (a process we won't go into here, for brevity's sake).

1. the Chevette
   the Continental
2. the Celica
   the Sebring

Though better economic times were coming, Americans weren't ready to give up compact cars yet -- thus the popularity of the light, low-powered Chevette. If you wanted to feel special, you could get it with fake wood paneling on the doors.

1. Angst
   Ennui
2. Malaise
   Attitude

This term was coined by Jalopnik, an online magazine. It refers generally to the period from 1973 to 1983.

1. a Dodge Dart
   a Chevy Chevelle
2. a Plymouth Duster
   Umm ....

The show couldn't get its act together on this point. Though more than one script referred to Al driving a Dodge, car aficionados have confirmed the car seen in exterior/driving shots is actually a 1972 Plymouth Duster.