The unfortunate “Malaise Era” in automotive history was the decade between 1973 and 1983. It was the so-called Dark Age of Cars and the period in which the performance market was killed by safety and environmental standards. During those forgettable years, car manufacturers fought tough battles between buyers’ expectations, foreign competitors, and government propositions.
The result obviously could have been better. Indeed some of the cars from the era might look imposing, but they needed to be faster, more dependable, and powerful. American cars are the best examples of this period but Europeans suffered as well. In fact, very few of these ’70s cars are worth owning and most should be forgotten. Find out why here.
AMC Pacer X
In a desperate attempt to draw the performance-oriented crowd, AMC introduced the Pacer X, a high-performance version of their legendary compact car. Equipped with a VAM package for 1979, the Pacer X featured a 4.6-liter straight-six engine with a raised compression ratio and more power (via Truth About Cars).
The output was around 150 horsepower, and even though it sounds funny today, this was a serious performing car for late ’70s standards. Of course, with added power, AMC provided customers with a special appearance package to make the X stand out from regular Pacers.