That '70s thing

[gordonhyde@domain.elided]

Charlie writes in AD V8 #1142
>> *It has always intrigued me that so many American marque sterotypes 
>> are rooted in the 1970's--what is so special about the '70s??
>Oo - an easy one!
>But in two parts:
>Part One:
>That is when the baby boom came into its own economically and started to >be the core market for new cars.  That is when most of the people who >can buy(lease) new cars formed their initial, and most lasting, >impressions.
>As in all of history, this too shall pass.  But right now, you are stuck >with it for a while longer.
>For a graphic example, read "The Little Prince" and pay attention to the 
>drawing of the snake who has swallowed an elephant.  
>Part B:
>Prior to the 70s, there was little to no impact on the US new car market >from "foreign" makes; it was Detroit's show all the way.  Starting in >the 70s, and for reasons partly having to do with Part 1, above, imports >began to clean the clock of the fatsos in Detroit.  Go figure.  The >first blush of this "foreign invasion" was a brilliant ad campaign of >the mid 60s targeting boomers and selling VWs as the antidote to your >father's Detroit iron: Think Small.  

Shoot, I always figured that it was because the Vietnam era folks went to Europe, found how real cars were made and brought one home with them OR went to VN and came home w/ a bundle of MPC that they converted to foreign sports cars.  
I know I did, and there are some real nice GTVs in the NWARC that were obtained the same way.

Gordy Hyde
gotta go enjoy some sunshine now
on the far side of Seattle
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