Fuel Economy in 1977

Fuel Economy 1977 Shorter sleeker lighter New cars designed for more fuel efficiency. The domestic auto industry is reshaping its cars so that by 1980 they'll be shorter lighter and more fuel efficient in order to meet government fuel economy dictates. As the cars get smaller there's no for the or 500 cubic inch engines that have powered the pound autos of recent years. In 1977 the big Cadillac’s lost nearly pounds and in the process went the 500 cubic inch engine as standard equipment to the more economical 425 cubic inch Cadillac owners might not care about saving a mile or two a gallon but General Motors GM wanted the smaller engine because it saved on pounds and materials and therefore dollars on the assembly end. Not only will consumers see entirely new cars by the end of the decade the result of a nearly billion industry investment but they'll see new families of smaller lighter engines designed to fit into the smaller engine compartments of these cars The key to these new engines isn't radical design. They'll be of smaller cubic inch displacement and lighter overall to fit better into the smaller engine compartments The 1977 Buick shed about 800 pounds from its 1976 counterpart and so a new 403-cubic inch engine gives it the same if not better performance and acceleration than a model powered by a 455 cubic inch engine. The change to what is happening to engines is evident in the 1977 models. Six cylinder engines replace as the standard power plant in many cars and several of the bigger engines have been discontinued GM signaled its intentions for the future when it resurrected the 231 cubic inch V-6 engine for its subcompact and then made it an option in the big Buick in 1976. The car didn't accelerate so well but that same in the lighter weight 1977 model is much more responsive Sharing engines presents a big plus for the automaker when it comes to the mile Environmental Protection. READ MORE