Can someone explain what was the "Gas Crunch of the 70s"?

Question

I heard this period is when American car companies got worst hit, whereas the clever Japanese used it as a platform to take off into success.

Please explain...

Answer 1

American cars were big cars that were called "gas guzzlers". The Japanese were producing smaller, fuel efficient cars. There was a shortage of gas and cars were lined up for hours waiting for gas, it was even rationed so one person could only buy so much. This was the "gas crunch". This increased the demand for smaller, fuel-efficient cars, but the Americans had none in the works. Datsun (Nissan) came in with some small, inexpensive, fuel-efficient cars that sold like hotcakes. This made the little gas you had go a lot further.

Answer 2

The Japanese weren't smart, just cheap (as in price an quality). The U.S. made small cars in the '60s that got 65 mpg, but customers didn't want them. The Japanase made small cars, because Japan is very crowded. When the gas crunch hit, small cars (including the volkswagon) were all the rage and it was non American companies that were making these vehicals and suddenly there was a demand for them.

The gas crunch was caused by Arab countries cutting off oil to Western countries (mostly over Israel). Also U.S. oil production was declining while more people were using more fuel (many vehicals were 8 mpg or less). It got so bad that the last digit of your liscense plate determined what day you could get gas.

Answer 3

WOW - back to high school for this question when gas hit $1.40 a gallon. American cars were BIG in the late 70s and Datsun and Toyota were small companies with inexpensive tiny cars. Honda barely existed (they looked like roller-skates too). My first new car was a 76 Datsun B210 that I paid $4300 for out the door where a new American car would have been twice that price. Also, American cars were considered worn out at about 55000 miles and these new foreign cars were actually getting up to 100K Twice the mileage for half the price and better fuel economy. It started a revolution for sure!

Answer 4

OPEC (Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries) cut back on oil production, this caused a oil shortage. A big part of the reason was of our inflation was spiraling out of control, (from the cost of the Vietnam War) which made our dollars not worth as much to the oil producing countries. Gas rose from 35-40 cents a gallon to over a dollar in a very short time.The US auto makers were producing gas gusseling cars and Japan had cars with good gas mileage, the Japanese were ready for high gas prices and the U.S. auto makers were not.

Answer 5

It hit a peak while Iran took US hostages. We boycotted them but they were sending us 35% of our fuel. Supply and demand brought gasoline prices to over $1 a gallon.

In cities, long lines formed at the pumps resulting from limited supply to the dealers and limited amount of gas rations to customers.

Both Japan and Germany had been exporting smaller cars for over a decade by then but most car sales went to either full size or mid-size cars. People wanted real steel around them as they flew down the road at 65-75 mph without a seat belt.

Eventually, American car makers could see that their lots were full while the Nissan, Toyota, VW bug, Mazda and Honda models were selling.

EPA standards also had a part in the decline of the road boats.
But as usual, we figured out that we could sidestep the rules by buying a van and getting seats installed. Later, the SUV was thought up as an upscale reason for guzzling gas.

Answer 6

A previous poster said we had no small cars in those days. YES we did. We had the Vega, the Pinto, and others, but they were second best compared to the Japanese cars.

The early Novas weighed only about 2600lbs, and could be equipped with a "iron duke" four cyl eng. that would get 30MPG.

Most Americans though, still wanted their big Caddies, Impalas, Ford LTD's, and Chryslers.

Answer 7

Yeah, prices went up and people were waiting in line for HOURS. They finally made it a law in some palces that you could only get gas on MWF in your license plate was an even number, and vice versa. I remember it, it was crazy. So President Carter said we need to tighten up. Then good ol' windbag criminal Reagan came in and threw that shi** right out the window.

Answer 8

everyone got hurt.i was going to work,and i couldnt find gas stations that wasnt sold out.we had long lines and here in pa.,we had odd and even numbers we had to go by,like you couldnt get gas if you had a odd nomber on your licence plate and it was an even day on the calendar.yes i remember those days,it was when jimmy carter was in office.

Answer 9

do you desire own journey? Or normally? normally: On a wooded pew at church. own journey: i grew to become into pregnant and having a gathering at church with the Pastor and my niece and sister in regulation, nicely..... infant shifted and interestingly there grew to become right into a considerable gasoline bubble in my colon and that i enable one rip. i did no longer attempt to try this!!! the child in simple terms moved. i grew to become into mortified. It does no longer have been undesirable if it grew to become into silent, yet NOOOOO!!!! It had to be loud! :P for sure, we moved and located a sparkling church. Hee hee hee......

Answer 10

It was a big gasoline shortage. People waited in line for hours to get gasoline.