22 September 2015

US Car Production By Make : 1970-79

1979 Chevrolet Malibu 

US car production rose from 7.9m to 9.4m in this ten year period. However, this was the decade of GM as share rose from 46.5% to 57.4% and units made went from 3.7m to 5.4m. Ford only just grew numerically but the Ford nameplate fell. It relied on Mercury and Lincoln for the increase.

Chrysler and AMC went backwards. For the Chrysler Group Dodge and especially Plymouth slumped but the Chrysler nameplate grew strongly. As for AMC, it was losing money on its cars but being saved by it's Jeep division, whose sales don't count here as cars so do not appear below. However, AMC was struggling to compete and the 1980's would see changes.

The figures below are in thousands so you have to add three zeros.


Year GM Ford Chrys AMC Total

1970 3,681 2,480 1,483 276 7,920

1971 3,725 2,482 1,440 245 7,892

1972 4,837 2,783 1,555 258 9,433

1973 5,548 2,964 1,799 392 10,703

1974 4,232 2,678 1,349 432 8,691

1975 3,666 2,076 979 242 6,963

1976 4,788 2,467 1,173 284 8,712

1977 5,733 2,554 1,472 182 9,941

1978 5,444 2,728 1,323 138 9,633

1979 5,371 2,695 1,126 169 9,361

The AMC Pacer (1975-80) was wide for a small car

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