Malaise era

The malaise era was a period in the U.S. automotive industry from roughly the early 1970s to the early to mid 1980s, characterized by malaise, i.e., poor products and a generalized industry unease.

Around this time, the U.S. federal government introduced, in quick succession, a triumvirate of increasingly strict and comprehensive emissions, fuel efficiency and safety standards, — severely challenging the industry's ability to adapt, requiring massive diversion of spending and leading to a marked drop in vehicle performance, ambitious product downsizing and ill-resolved styling adaptations.