1973Reputable sourceWell documented
The Oil Crisis and the Small-Car Revolution
On the timeline · around 1973 ·
What happened
In October 1973, Arab oil-producing states declared an embargo that sent fuel prices soaring and left American drivers waiting in long lines at gas stations. Overnight, the big, thirsty cars Detroit had built for decades looked like liabilities. Fuel-efficient Japanese imports from Toyota, Honda, and Datsun surged in popularity, and Congress soon mandated corporate fuel-economy standards.
Why it matters
The oil shock permanently changed the automobile. It made fuel economy a central concern, opened the American market to Japanese carmakers who would come to dominate it, and forced the industry toward smaller, more efficient designs.
Sources
- U.S. Department of State, Office of the Historian. Oil Embargo, 1973–1974 · Reputable source