D
aily Dirt for Wednesday, Aug. 20, 2025
A blue Corvette has always been my ideal vehicle. Indeed, it still is. Welcome to The Daily Dirt’s Vol. 1,379, which consists of three thoughts for today.
1. From a car lover s standpoint, the 1970s might just be the most fascinating decade of them all.
According to historyfacts.com, the 1970s were a crazy time for politics, music, fashion, and yes, automobiles. The most iconic cars of the decade reflected the times, as petrol prices rose and preferences changed from large and aggressive to small and efficient. The 1970s featured a vehicle for everyone, regardless of your preferences for speed, style, or just saving gas.
I’m fairly certain that you will completely concur with that evaluation if you were alive during the 1970s. Here are several medal-winning automobile models from that ten-year span that attracted attention, generated headlines, influenced our culture, and withstood two energy crises.
Pontiac Firebird Trans Am: Gold medal.In the 1970s, this well-liked vehicle came to represent American strength and spirit. In a time when many muscle cars were becoming obsolete due to stricter emissions regulations and increased insurance premiums, the Trans Am stood out thanks to its aggressive styling, T-top (removable roof panels), shaker hood scoop (engine-mounted air intake that protruded through the hood), and iconic screaming chicken hood decal. Early in the decade, sales were comparatively low, but in the late 1970s, they skyrocketed, particularly when the 1977 movie Smokey and the Bandit made a black-and-gold Trans Am a cultural icon. In 1979, the model’s best year ever, Pontiac sold over 117,000 Trans Ams, solidifying this muscle car’s status as one of the decade’s most recognizable automobiles. Around this time, one of my closest pals from my time back in Ohio got a Trans Am, and trust me, it was a really fun ride.
Chevrolet Corvette, silver medal.As performance standards and consumer preferences changed in the 1970s, the Corvette may have maintained its position as America’s top sports car despite the Pontiac Trans Am’s ascent. The Corvette was able to maintain its relevance by focusing on style, comfort, and driveability even when increased petrol prices, insurance premiums, and new safety regulations reduced horsepower. The 1978 movie Corvette Summer, which starred a young Mark Hamill pursuing his stolen custom Stingray, helped increase its pop culture visibility. Over the course of the decade, sales stayed strong, surpassing 500,000 globally.
AMC Gremlin took home the bronze.Anyone who was alive in the 1970s would undoubtedly recall the Gremlin’s debut on April Fool’s Day in 1970, which was ironic. The Gremlin was the first subcompact automobile manufactured in the United States, arriving on the market many months ahead of the Ford Pinto. It gained a cult following thanks to its unique stump-tailed appearance (a tapering roofline and truncated rear), colorful paint options ranging from butterscotch gold to wild plum, and reasonable price. Between 1970 and 1978, AMC produced 671,000 vehicles, making it the second-best-selling model for the brand during that time. The Gremlin’s unorthodox appearance helped prepare the way for the Pacer, which in the late 1970s overtook it in terms of sales.
Particular recognition
- Volkswagen Beetle
- Chevrolet Monte Carlo (NASCAR greatly helped popularize this model)
- Datsun 240Z
- Oldsmobile Cutlass
2. Did you know (Part 462)
- That it s estimated that the typical pencil has enough graphite to draw a line 35 miles long, or 20 about times the length of the Golden Gate Bridge.
- That the scientific term for brain freeze is sphenopalatine ganglioneuralgia.
- That the 10 highest mountain summits in the United States are all located in Alaska.
- That Iceland does not have any sort of a railway system.
- That German chocolate cake is named after an American baker by the name of Samuel German.
3. Appalachian Word O The Day: Fascinate.
I feel like I’m putting on too much weight. I can only fascinate; I have nine buttons.
Steve’s Daily ThoughtI would frequently get a ride from the friend who had a Trans Ams, as I said earlier. Assume for the moment that we frequently got close to 100 mph.
Every day, Steve Eighinger contributes to Muddy River News. Gremlin, Trans Am, and Corvette?
