Need a realistic vehicle for someone to own during the early 1970s

[samhasstories]

Here’s our car. It’s a 1970 Torino country squire wagon.

351 Cleveland block, AC and rear facing jump seats. You could fit about 7362773623 people into it to go to a drive in.

View this content on Instagram

View this content on Instagram

The rear-facing back seats were the best.

 

[gunhilltrain]

(Not actually for a lit project but I feel like lit is my best means to access people who might have answers Hopefully I’m putting this thread in the right place on the forums too.)

I need a vehicle that would be reasonable for someone to own during the early 1970s, and trying to ask Google just spits out vehicles made during those years…but not everyone would own a brand-new car, right?

I also specifically need it to be a vehicle that would be able to haul a small uhaul trailer—which if I understand correctly *did* exist back then.

So yeah. Any ideas?

So you want to pull a trailer. That would probably mean a mid-size or full-size car from GM, Ford, or Chrysler. A pick-up or van would work too. Go into Wikipedia, and look up the models each company built in those years. Then look at the entry for a plausible model. Compacts and sub-compacts likely wouldn't be able to tow a trailer. Most foreign cars of the era were also too small.

Your choices are abundant.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_Chrysler

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Plymouth_Fury

The Fury, for example, had been around for many years by the early 1970's. You don't need a brand-new one.

 

[Sinstories]

Here’s our car. It’s a 1970 Torino country squire wagon.

351 Cleveland block, AC and rear facing jump seats. You could fit about 7362773623 people into it to go to a drive in.

View this content on Instagram

View this content on Instagram

Also one of the best demolition derby cars (wagons in general, Torinos and Plymouth Furies more specifically)

 

[gunhilltrain]

gas mileage wasn't a thing in the 70s. I think I bought gas for 59 cents a gallon.

Everybody forgets to factor in inflation. 59 cents in 1970 would be about $4.70 today, which is about what gas is now.

 

[ShelbyDawn57]

Everybody forgets to factor in inflation. 59 cents in 1970 would be about $4.70 today, which is about what gas is now.

Thanks for popping the bubble. I loved that illusion.

Actually, according to the interwebszzzzz: $1 in 1972 = $7.46 in 2024.

 

[gunhilltrain]

A Morris Minor.

You might be able to tow a really small trailer. 1971 was the last year for that car.

https://www.shutterstock.com/shutte...inor-car-driving-on-an-english-2146266069.jpg

 

[Dashabout]

My parents had a ford wagon too and when I met my husband he had a pick up but also had big ass ford wagon for camping. held all his gear and was fun to sleep in, kind of miss that car.

 

[MrPixel]

gas mileage wasn't a thing in the 70s. I think I bought gas for 59 cents a gallon.

I had a job pumping gas in the summer of 1971. Our price for regular (leaded!) was 27.9¢/gallon. That would be $2.10 today.

 

[billrokra]

In the UK, a Vauxhall Viva.

 

[ShelbyDawn57]

In the UK, a Vauxhall Viva.

Another vote for GM...

 

[gunhilltrain]

Thanks for popping the bubble. I loved that illusion.

Actually, according to the interwebszzzzz: $1 in 1972 = $7.46 in 2024.

Yes, you are right. But from what I've found out, gasoline was about 36 cents per gallon in 1972, which would be about $2.53 today. Not quite as bad as we were projecting.

It is true that wages and salaries have not kept pace with inflation for a long time now. That's a topic for another thread (in the politics board!).

 

[ShelbyDawn57]

Yes, you are right. But from what I've found out, gasoline was about 36 cents per gallon in 1972, which would be about $2.53 today. Not quite as bad as we were projecting.

It is true that wages and salaries have not kept pace with inflation for a long time now. That's a topic for another thread (in the politics board!).

The the 1976 election happened and we got double digit inflation and gas lines, and all that. But rather go into politics, I'm going to go find that thread with the bare chested redheads...

 

[RachelPost]

Now, I wasn't around during that time, but my brother-in-law has a 1975 AMC Gremlin, Levi Edition. It had a denim interior.
Later it got voted as the dorkiest car ever.

 

[StillStunned]

It had a denim interior.

That is at once both the most awful thing and the coolest thing imaginable.

 

[gunhilltrain]

I'll vote for the car I had during the 70s, a 1964 Ford Thunderbird. It looked like a spaceship, complete hydraulic everything, V-8, very cheap, and ran well, mostly. I believe they've become somewhat collectible, but back in the day, they were just old, ugly cars that got bad gas mileage.

I loved the convertible version of that car. (All convertibles are cool, unless you overturn the vehicle and don't have a roll-bar, which most of them don't have.) Don Draper's Chrysler Imperial convertible could pull a trailer and look good while doing it.

https://journal.classiccars.com/media/2018/03/MM.IMG_2031.jpg

 

[ShelbyDawn57]

Now, I wasn't around during that time, but my brother-in-law has a 1975 AMC Gremlin, Levi Edition. It had a denim interior.
Later it got voted as the dorkiest car ever.

View attachment 2314289

Speaking of dorky cars...

 

[MrPixel]

The the 1976 election happened and we got double digit inflation and gas lines

Uh. Gas lines were in '73-'74. The machinations during my second year in college that I had to go through to put gas in my '66 Beetle so I could drive the 80 miles for nookie with the GF...

We broke our cherries in that car.

 

[Mike130]

MGB, Oldsmobile Cutlass, Chevy Nova VW bug

 

[PantsAndPencils]

I came here to say a car.

Sorry, I'll leave now.

Woah, slow down! I gotta add this to my notes!! *scribbles furiously on notepaper*

 

[PantsAndPencils]

Can you give a notion of location? Makes a big difference. Ford station wagon if US, but elsewhere could make for a big range.

Ah yeah good point. I’m needing ideas that make sense for Canada, though I’d hope that anything popular in the US could be plausible to see up there?

 

[PantsAndPencils]

m/f? Single or married? family? location? lots of great options but those are key questions

A general answer would be a Grand Torino. It could be a muscle car, a family sedan and they made a wagon (think Family Truckster from Vacation). Probably not a great pick for a single woman, but for men or families, it would be a good pick.

Male. Older character helping young adult character move, so car could be written to belong to either of them. Canada, maaaybe implied to be in one of the Western provinces.

Thanks for the idea!

 

[PantsAndPencils]

"No" on the VW and Vega towing a trailer. I have firsthand accounts of U-Haul lot managers discouraging if not refusing to rent to customers with under-powered subcompacts. Especially anything with a manual transmission, which were still common in that era and most common on subcompacts.

I'm with Shakespeare - Malibu 4-door would be perfect if we're talking about a young person (U-Haul sort of implies that) or couple. An inexpensive mid-size like a Malibu or a Ford Maverick (ugly!) would fit the bill. Plymouth Valiant if they were struggling with money.

Signed, Car Guy in the Early '70s.

Hmm. Being warned against using a specific model to pull a trailer, then doing so anyway, could provide an interesting bit of characterization. If I was writing something longer, it could even provide a plot point of the car breaking down on the drive…. For now though, I’m leaning towards a more dependable vehicle.

Thanks for the info!!

 

[PantsAndPencils]

Wowza, I’m surprised and delighted about the amount of input I’ve gotten. Thanks for the help everyone!

 

[Sinstories]

https://davidsclassiccars.com/images/full/1974-ford-gran-torino-4-door-28693-miles-yellow-4-dr-sedan-not-specified-automa-1.jpg
This is your car then....

 

[Beth_Anne90]

Big Ford wagons seem to be a common thing. I had my first ride home at 3 days old in one of those monsters. I'm not sure of the year but it was white with that wood grain on the sides. Dad drove it well into the late 80's and it was a rust bucket by then. We did take it to Florida once with a camper in tow.