We'll Give You the '70s Car Model, You Give Us the Make

AUTO

By: Robin Tyler

6 Min Quiz

Image: jallfree/E+/Getty Images

About This Quiz

The 1970's were one helluva decade for motoring, and many car aficionados still look back on it with just a hint of nostalgia.


And it sure was a turbulent time in which world politics severely influenced motoring, and not in a good way. Sadly, in a time of rock 'n roll, Motown and the rice of disco, politics forced cars into the back of people's minds.

The decade started well enough with muscle cars dominating before the crisis in the Gulf led to a gas crisis around the world, mostly in the form of a massive shortage.

Muscle cars and their big gas guzzling V8 engines were now replaced with smaller vehicles with small, more gas efficient motors. 

Japanese cars started to make an impact in the United States thanks to their compact designs and fuel efficiency. European cars still were popular thanks to their stylish looks and relatively fuel efficient motors. American car companies were forced to compete, and a number of smaller cars soon hit the market to face the new threat.

So in this quiz, we are going to test your knowledge of the cars from the '70s by giving you a model name and you having to identify the maker. 

Do you think you can do it?

Good luck!

Everyone drooled of the Countach when it came out in the 1970's, but who made it?

First built in 1974, the Countach was unlike anything anyone had seen before. And that was its major appeal! Gullwing doors made it look very futuristic, and the Countach was popular for the 16 year period it was built.

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Who introduced the Acty in 1977?

The Japanese produce some weird and wonderful small vehicles, the Acty been one of them. Essentially it is a micro truck or van.

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You either loved the Gremlin or hated it. Nonetheless, it certainly got your attention, especially with its odd shape. The Gremlin was the brainchild of which automaker?

The American Motors Corporation produced the subcompact class Gremlin between 1970 and 1978. A number of models were produced but it was the Gremlin powered either 5.0-liter or 6.6-liter V8 that are considered to be muscle cars.

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The Camargue is a luxury two-door saloon from the 1970's made by ________

This luxury 2-door saloon was produced by Rolls Royce between 1975 and 1986. It was designed by the legendary Pininfarina design house in Italy, with Paolo Martin the lead designer. Interestingly, this was the first Rolls Royce not designed by the company itself since the Second World War.

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Do you know the auto maker who first introduced the now legendary 315 sedan in 1975?

The first generation of BMW's famed 3 series was released in 1975 and remained in production until 1983. Over 1,3 million were built and included a convertible model designed with the help of Baur Coachbuilders.

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You could consider yourself suave if you drove an XJ Coupe. That's all thanks to the manufacturer. Name them, please.

The Jaguar XJ Coupe was built between 1975 and 1978 and is a true British classic.

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Any ideas as to who made the Gladiator, the last of which rolled off the production line in 1971?

Produced between 1962 and 1971, the Jeep Gladiator was available in both a 4-wheel drive and rear wheel drive option. Obviously, the 4-wheel drive was far more capable off-road. Suspension options also varied with either a solid front axle or an independent front section. Power plant options changed a number of times through the years.

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A rally and a roadcar, who produced the Stratos?

Purpose built for rallying, the Lancia Stratos didn't disappoint, winning the World Rally championship for three years from 1974 to 1976.

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At 5.8 meters long, the Continental Mark V was a long vehicle! Can you tell us who marketed it?

At 5.8 meters, the Mark V was certainly a long car, especially for a 2-door coupe. Built between 1977 and 1979, the Mark V had two powerplant options, a 6.6-liter V8 or a 7.5-liter V8. 228,262 were sold in three years, making the Mark V the most sold model of the Mark series.

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The Cosmo 121 was the brainchild of which Japanese brand?

The 121 badge has been used on a range of models from Mazda. It first appeared on piston-engined versions of the sports car produced by the company from 1975 to 1981, the Cosmo.

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Never a pretty SUV, the G-Wagon was released by which of these manufacturers?

The G Wagon, a luxury SUV, is not something that you would normally associate with the Mercedes brand. That said, there clearly is a market for it, although if we are honest, it’s not the prettiest car ever made. More like a box on wheels! It was first produced in 1979.

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Strange name, but who was responsible for the Toronado produced from the mid-'60s till 1971?

Oldsmobile - a front wheel drive muscle car? Yes, we give the Toronado muscle car status! Produced from 1966 to 1971, it certainly featured some unique styling, but under the hood, it had that all-important V8.

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The Barracuda was a 70's muscle car stunner manufactured by which of these below?

The two-door Barracuda was a muscle car from auto manufacturer Plymouth manufactured between 1964 and 1974. Interestingly, the Barracuda was introduced before the Mustang, by a mere two weeks. By the 1970's, the Barracuda was in demand as a muscle car.

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The FF1 G is a subcompact marketed in the early 70's. But by who?

Built between 1971 and 1972 the FF1 G was a subcompact vehicle available in a number of body styles including 2-door coupe, 4-door sedan or 5-door wagon. It was designed by Subaru.

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Three generations of the Leone were produced up until 1994, with the first arriving in 1971. Can you identify which manufacturer was responsible for this compact car?

Marketed in the compact car segment, the Leone was manufactured between 1971 and 1994. During this time, three generations were produced. The Leone (meaning lion) was powered by a range of Boxter engines and owners had the option of four-wheel drive. This vehicle came in a range of body options including a station wagon, hatchback coupe as well as sedan.

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A cute off-roader, that's for sure, the Jimny first appeared in the 1970s made by ________.

A small off-road option, the Jimny has been produced by Suzuki since the 1970s with the third generation of the brand currently available. The Jimny offers either two-wheel or four-wheel drive and a range of power plant options with the 1.4 liter, the biggest.

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The 2000GT was considered to be the first super car from one of the firms below. Which is it?

Manufactured under license by Yamaha, the 2000GT sports car was a model offered by Toyota between 1967 and 1970. Essentially, this was the first supercar built by a Japanese firm. The 2000GT was powered by a 2.0-liter straight six engine capable of producing 150 brake horsepower. Only 351 were built.

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First introduced in 1979, who is responsible for the Astra?

First released in the United Kingdom in 1979, the Astra is exactly the same as the Opel version except it is a right-hand drive car.

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Can you tell us who made the Golf, the original hot hatch?

Since its inception in 1974, the Golf has gone from strength to strength. In fact, Volkswagen’s tag line, ‘The People’s Car’ easily moved from the ageing Beetle to this hatchback.

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Released in the 1970's for the first time, the 240 series was made by which of these manufacturers?

The popular 240 series from Volvo saw the Swedish company sell close to 3 million cars from 1974 to 1993. The 240 was available as both a sedan as well as estate, while a sports saloon, the 240 Turbo also formed part of the stable. It was based on a Group A touring car that raced across Europe

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In terms of luxury, the Corniche Mk 1 was top notch. Which British manufacturer produced it?

Designed by Bill Allen, the Corniche from Rolls Royce was produced for a 16-year period from 1971 to 1996. It was an advancement on the Silver Shadow and was available as either a 2-door coupe or 2-door convertible.

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Which of these manufacturers produced the MGB V8, a beautiful and stylish two-door roadster?

Produced from 1962 to 1980, the MG MGB was a two-door roadster with a number of variants. Over the years, different models evolved from the original MGB including a V8 coupe with a 3.5-liter V8 engine.

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One of the lesser known American muscle cars, the AMX had six different engine options and was produced till 1970. Who marketed this design?

Produced by the American Motors Corporation between 1968 and 1970, the AMX was a GT-style sports car. It featured a 2-door coupe-styled body and had six different engine options, all V8's of varying size. AMX's came with either a four-speed manual or three-speed automatic transmission.

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Which company was responsible for the three-door hatchback dubbed the 50?

Contesting the supermini segment, the Audi 50 was a small, three-door hatchback. Produced between 1975 and 1979, the 50 was sold only in Europe. With a four-speed manual gearbox, it had three different engine options, the biggest of which was a 1.3-liter.

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_______ started producing the 1502 in 1975 and marketed it for a three year period.

An economy model in the 02 series, the BMW 1502 first entered production in 1975. Powered by a 1.5-liter engine, the 1502 was marketed until 1977, even though production on the rest of the 02 range was stopped in 1975.

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Today the Accord is a legend and a top seller all over the world, including the States. It started off life as subcompact car in 1972. But who manufactured it?

First produced in 1976, the Honda Accord is currently in its ninth generation and forms part of the full-size car market. It is a top seller in the United States and sells over 300,000 vehicles a year almost every year. The best sales year ever recorded was in 1990.

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You could find the Apollo in two configurations in 1973 - a two-door hatchback or four-door sedan. It was made by which American car maker?

Produced between 1973 and 1975, the Apollo from Buick was available as a 2-door coupe and hatchback and a 4-door sedan. The most powerful engine option available to the Apollo was a 350 cubic inch 5.7-liter V8.

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Station wagons from the 1970s don't get more classic than the _________ Brockwood, do they?

This full-sized station wagon was produced by Chevrolet over two periods - firstly from 1958 to 1961 and again from 1969 to 1972. It was entry level station wagon offered by the company during both its production runs.

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The Cordoba was a luxury coupe built between 1975 and 1983 over two generations. By who?

A luxury coupe, the Cordoba was marketed by Chrysler between 1975 and 1983 and over two generations. The Cordoba also featured in Nascar in for two seasons. The largest engine to feature in a Cordoba was a 5.2-liter V8.

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One of the most memorable muscle cars ever, the Challenger, made by ________ was first introduced in 1970.

The Challenger was first introduced in 1970 as a muscle car. The top of the range model from this era was powered by a monster 6.98-liter Chrysler Hemi engine.

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Introduced in 1979, which auto maker is responsible for the Jetta?

A Golf with a rear, the Jetta was first introduced by Volkswagen in 1979. Popular the world over, over 17 million have been sold throughout the globe in a number of countries.

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A very popular model, the Celica first appeared in 1971. It was made by which manufacturer?

Seven generations of the Toyota Celica were produced between 1971 and 2006. The Celica has some excellent racing pedigree and took place in both track racing as well as rallying.

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Identify the company responsible for the Duster, a performance version of the Valiant sedan.

A performance version of the Valiant, the Duster was a fairly small vehicle for the time. It had a range of engine options and was produced by Plymouth right until 1976.

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Tell us who made the CJ-5 Golden Eagle.

The Golden Eagle trim package was available for both the Jeep CJ-5 and CJ-7. It was introduced in 1977 and featured a one-color option initially, thrush brown. More colors were added from 1978. Golden Eagle Jeeps also included a large eagle decal on the hood, a Levi's soft top cover and large spoked wheels.

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The GSX was another brilliant entry into the muscle car wars of the early 1970s, albeit a little less popular than the regular favorites. Who made it?

Introduced in 1970, The Buick GSX was Buick’s greatest contribution to the muscle car wars. With a massive V8 under the hood, the GSX was quick, getting to 60 mph from a standing start in just 5.5 seconds.

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