USA 1975: Oldsmobile Cutlass and Ford Granada on top
Oldsmobile Cutlass
* See ‘Read more’ for the Top 80 best-selling models! Thanks DC for the data *
We continue to travel through time to land in the USA in 1975. I can share with you the 80 best-selling American passenger cars for that year: the Oldsmobile Cutlass is up 8 spots and 20% to grab the pole position with 324,610 sales, followed by the Ford Granada at #2 for its first full year of sales in the country at 291,140 units.
Ford Granada
The Chevrolet Chevelle is down 17% but stays 3rd with 276,206 sales, ahead of the Ford Pinto, last year’s #1, down 25% to 271,880 units and the Chevrolet Monte Carlo, down 3% but up 3 spots to #5 and 267,803 units. The Chevrolet Nova stays #6 with 256,438 sales while the Plymouth Valiant goes from #2 in 1974 to #7 this year at -33%.
Chevrolet Chevelle
AMC Pacer
Further down the ranking, notice the Chevrolet Cordoba up 55 spots to #16, the Chevrolet Monza up 64 spots to #19 and the Ford Elite up 33 spots to #21. The best-selling newcomer in 1975 is the very original AMC Pacer landing directly in 28th position with 88,641 units sold – there are no other newcomers in the Top 50.
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Full Year 1975 Top 80 Ranking Tables below.
USA Full Year 1975:
| Pos | Model | 1975 | /74 | 1974 | Pos |
| 1 | Oldsmobile Cutlass | 324,610 | 20% | 271,324 | 9 |
| 2 | Ford Granada | 291,140 | 516% | 47,265 | 42 |
| 3 | Chevrolet Chevelle | 276,206 | -17% | 333,405 | 3 |
| 4 | Ford Pinto | 271,880 | -25% | 360,688 | 1 |
| 5 | Chevrolet Monte Carlo | 267,803 | -3% | 275,450 | 8 |
| 6 | Chevrolet Nova | 256,438 | -15% | 302,811 | 6 |
| 7 | Plymouth Valiant | 225,379 | -33% | 337,585 | 2 |
| 8 | Chevrolet Vega | 212,876 | -35% | 326,307 | 4 |
| 9 | Ford LT D | 201,180 | -12% | 228,323 | 12 |
| 10 | Ford Mustang II | 193,273 | -30% | 277,075 | 7 |
| 11 | Chevrolet Impala | 189,067 | -39% | 311,696 | 5 |
| 12 | Buick Century | 183,666 | 21% | 152,101 | 15 |
| 13 | Dodge Dart | 163,639 | -30% | 232,848 | 11 |
| 14 | Cadillac DeVille | 161,179 | 2% | 158,703 | 14 |
| 15 | Ford Maverick | 140,645 | -35% | 217,580 | 13 |
| 16 | Chrysler Cordoba | 140,573 | 1017% | 12,590 | 71 |
| 17 | Chevrolet Camaro | 138,679 | 6% | 130,446 | 18 |
| 18 | Chevrolet Caprice | 115,812 | -16% | 137,370 | 16 |
| 19 | Chevrolet Monza | 113,946 | 2671% | 4,112 | 83 |
| 20 | Plymouth Fury | 103,500 | -22% | 132,875 | 17 |
| 21 | Ford Elite | 96,848 | 278% | 25,592 | 54 |
| 22 | AMC Hornet | 94,522 | -20% | 118,006 | 20 |
| 23 | Pontiac Grand Prix | 94,363 | 16% | 81,547 | 31 |
| 24 | Buick LeSabre | 94,206 | -8% | 102,432 | 24 |
| 25 | Buick Electra 225 | 92,427 | 1% | 91,701 | 27 |
| 26 | Mercury Monarch | 90,429 | 436% | 16,878 | 68 |
| 27 | Pontiac Le Mans | 90,418 | -30% | 129,922 | 19 |
| 28 | AMC Pacer | 88,641 | new | 0 | - |
| 29 | Pontiac Firebird | 77,607 | 19% | 65,303 | 34 |
| 30 | Oldsmobile 98 | 76,616 | 19% | 64,461 | 35 |
| 31 | Oldsmobile Delta Royale | 74,297 | 17% | 63,686 | 37 |
| 32 | Ford Gran Torino | 73,320 | -71% | 248,819 | 10 |
| 33 | Ford Torino | 70,079 | -33% | 105,296 | 22 |
| 34 | Chevrolet Station Wagon | 66,963 | -19% | 82,787 | 29 |
| 35 | Dodge Coronet | 66,654 | -40% | 110,981 | 21 |
| 36 | AMC Gremlin | 63,937 | -38% | 102,648 | 23 |
| 37 | Buick Apollo | 63,630 | 34% | 47,413 | 41 |
| 38 | AMC Matador | 59,268 | -18% | 72,233 | 33 |
| 39 | Ford Station Wagon | 59,016 | -38% | 94,811 | 25 |
| 40 | Mercury Marquis | 56,856 | 25% | 45,586 | 44 |
| 41 | Pontiac Catalina | 53,775 | -42% | 92,412 | 26 |
| 42 | Pontiac Astre | 51,536 | 946% | 4,925 | 81 |
| 43 | Plymouth Gran Fury | 51,209 | -43% | 89,615 | 28 |
| 44 | Lincoln Continental | 50,068 | 35% | 37,050 | 49 |
| 45 | Pontiac Ventura | 49,943 | -16% | 59,280 | 39 |
| 46 | Chrysler Newport | 46,194 | -22% | 59,518 | 38 |
| 47 | Mercury Montego | 45,991 | -41% | 77,421 | 32 |
| 48 | Cadillac Eldorado | 44,363 | 22% | 36,360 | 50 |
| 49 | Mercury Comet | 42,613 | -48% | 82,565 | 30 |
| 50 | Lincoln Mark IV | 41,428 | -13% | 47,643 | 40 |
| 51 | Chevrolet Corvette | 39,493 | 36% | 29,114 | 52 |
| 52 | Dodge Sportsman | 38,469 | -3% | 39,698 | 46 |
| 53 | Oldsmobile Omega | 37,672 | -10% | 41,979 | 45 |
| 54 | Chevrolet Chevette | 35,924 | new | 0 | - |
| 55 | Mercury Bobcat | 35,205 | new | 0 | - |
| 56 | Ford Thunderbird | 34,908 | -25% | 46,365 | 43 |
| 57 | Dodge Charger SE | 32,685 | 432% | 6,143 | 80 |
| 58 | Oldsmobile Delta 88 | 28,954 | -22% | 37,060 | 48 |
| 59 | Buick Skyhawk | 28,642 | 862% | 2,976 | 84 |
| 60 | Oldsmobile Starfire | 28,072 | 868% | 2,900 | 85 |
| 61 | Ford Club Wagon | 26,450 | 33% | 19,939 | 61 |
| 62 | Dodge Royal Monaco | 24,803 | -36% | 38,800 | 47 |
| 63 | Pontiac Grand Ville | 24,739 | -21% | 31,461 | 51 |
| 64 | Chevrolet Sportvan | 23,665 | 18% | 20,010 | 60 |
| 65 | Cadillac Seville | 22,738 | new | 0 | - |
| 66 | Ford Custom 500 | 21,192 | -1% | 21,349 | 57 |
| 67 | Chrysler New Yorker | 21,115 | -25% | 28,334 | 53 |
| 68 | Cadillac Fleetwood | 19,783 | 6% | 18,608 | 65 |
| 69 | Oldsmobile Toronado | 19,601 | -17% | 23,582 | 55 |
| 70 | Pontiac Bonneville | 17,611 | -14% | 20,434 | 58 |
| 71 | Oldsmobile Station Wagon | 15,050 | 7% | 14,090 | 69 |
| 72 | Pontiac Station Wagon | 14,805 | -21% | 18,797 | 64 |
| 73 | Buick Riviera | 14,094 | -23% | 18,310 | 66 |
| 74 | Chevrolet Bel Air | 13,005 | -36% | 20,198 | 59 |
| 75 | Buick Station Wagon | 12,625 | -5% | 13,261 | 70 |
| 76 | Plymouth Voyager | 12,468 | 8% | 11,537 | 74 |
| 77 | Mercury Station Wagon | 11,233 | -10% | 12,489 | 72 |
| 78 | Plymouth Station Wagon | 10,770 | -43% | 19,016 | 62 |
| 79 | Cadillac Calais | 8,072 | 28% | 6,322 | 79 |
| 80 | Dodge Station Wagon | 6,020 | -34% | 9,082 | 76 |
Source: Auto Katalog, DC from www.autoweek.nl
Found these on the web
Toyota Corolla 151,177
Volkswagen Rabbit 98,215
@Max
It was Fabio, very strong in the U.S.A in the seventies; more than several Japanese marques in the start of their way in the other side of the Atlantic like Mazda or Mitsubishi (sold by Chrysler/Plymouth in that time). In fact Fiat sold almost 60.000 cars in 1977! In the seventies the 128 Sedan, 128 Coupé, 128 3 P, 124 Sedan, 124 Coupé, Spider, X1/9 Sport, 131, (called Brava and Superbrava there) were a huge success. In the eigthies only the Ritmo called Strada there and sold in 3 or 5 door 1,5L the X1/9 and the Sport Spider 2000 were sold. Fiat gave up of the american market in 1983. A 4 door version of the Uno (called Duna in Brazil) was near to be introduced there in 1984 but the company was not in good shape and gave up of some markets such as the American one.
Thank you very much, Miguel !
I didn’t think Fiat was so strong.
@MFabio83
You´re welcome Fabio!
@Miguel
thanks!!!
Sales of imported cars in the U.S.A in 1975:
1 – TOYOTA
2 – DATSUN
3 – FIAT
4 – VOLVO
5 – LEYLAND CARS
6 -MAZDA
7 -BMW
8 -MERCEDES
10 – ALFA ROMEO
@MFabio83
In the seventies the imported best selling cars in the U.S.A were Japonese in the whole majority. Toyota was the first one following by Datsun. Fiat had a very comfortable place and sold a large number of cars mainly 128, 124, 131 and sport models like the X1/9, 128 Coupé 3 P. and Sport Spider. Another European marque with great sales in that time was Volvo with the 144,164 and 240 range. BMW sold some numbers of the 2002 and Alfa sold about 6.000 unities mainly Sports Sedan (Alfetta), Giulia, Giulia GTV 2.0, 2000 Berlina Fuel injection, and Sprint Veloce (Alfetta Coupé). Saab and British cars like the MG, Triumph and jaguar had significant numbers too.
it’s a very pity for Oldsmobile… a great brand with a good sales and now there isn’t more. The same for Plymouth and Pontiac.
I’m interesting too like “Max” for the first foreign car. It must be a japanese or a premium car from Germany, i thought about Jetta, but the first generation of the sedan by VW was built since 1979.
What about of the first foreign car ? A Toyota ?