Ford or Chevy: Can You Identify These Cars From the ’70s and ’80s?

AUTO

Jacqueline Samaroo

6 Min Quiz

Image: Dennis Gerbeckx / Moment / Getty IMages

About This Quiz

You can't afford to pass up this quiz!

The period from the beginning of the 1970s to the end of the 1980s was extremely significant in terms of growth and development in the global automotive industry. When it comes to the United States, we were no exception, and this period in time was also very important for the country's automotive industry as well. The "pony car" trend that had been born in the mid-'60s was still in full swing in the early '70s, and numerous American manufacturers were still capitalizing on the phenomenon. Still, the '70s and '80s were not without their fair share of negatives as well, with both the 1973 and 1979 oil crises affecting the way manufacturers would design their vehicles for years to come. 

During these decades, names like Ford and Chevrolet expanded their reach within the U.S. automotive industry, solidifying the dominance that they would have in the country for decades to come. In this quiz, we're going to take a look at these two monoliths in the industry and a selection of some of their most notable cars from this era! So how well do you know Ford from Chevy? Let's find out!

Is the iconic Corvette sports car a Ford or a Chevy?

The Corvette is notable for being one of Chevrolet's most recognizable vehicles and is also widely regarded as the most popular American sports car. The third generation of the car featured one of the most iconic designs and ran from 1968 to 1982.

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The Mustang was the very first "pony car", but was it created by Chevy or Ford?

The iconic Ford Mustang had its first three generations run throughout the '70s and '80s. It's one of the most distinguished American automobiles and was responsible for the birth of the pony car class.

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Named after a city in California, is the Malibu a Ford or Chevrolet creation?

While in the '60s, the Malibu was nothing more than a trim-level of the Chevelle, in the late '70s, it eventually evolved into its own model line. Production initially ended in 1983, but the nameplate was subsequently revived in 1997.

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Was the Impala, a car that shares its name with an African antelope, created by Chevrolet or Ford?

The Impala is without a doubt one of Chevrolet's most iconic flagship cars. It was produced throughout all of the '70s and up to the mid-'80s but was discontinued before being revived in the mid-'90s.

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Did Ford or Chevy manufacture this car that was also rebadged as the Mercury Bobcat?

The Pinto is a popular Ford vehicle produced from 1970 to 1980. The Pinto holds the distinction of being the very first subcompact that was produced in North America by Ford.

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Did Chevrolet or Ford manufacture the Camaro to directly compete with the Mustang?

When Chevrolet introduced the Camaro in the late '60s, they intended for it to be a direct competitor to the Ford Mustang. The Camaro was an undeniable success in the decades that followed until it was eventually discontinued in 2002; however, it was later revived for a fifth generation in 2010.

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The Taurus was introduced in the mid-'80s, but was it created by Ford or Chevrolet?

The Taurus is a mid-size car that was introduced by Ford in 1985. It's notable for being closely related to the Mercury Sable.

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Was it Chevy or Ford that introduced the Australian-made Fairlane?

The Ford Fairlane is an Australian automobile produced from 1959 to 2007. It was a full-size luxury car that came in a simple 4-door sedan body style.

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Is it Ford or Chevy that is responsible for giving us the Chevelle Laguna?

The Chevelle Laguna was produced from 1972 to 1976 and is a member of Chevrolet's Chevelle family of vehicles. It's perhaps most notable for helping Cale Yarborough win two Winston Cup championships.

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Did Chevrolet or Ford introduce the Granada in an effort to replace the Maverick?

The Granada is a mid-size sedan produced by Ford from 1975 to 1982. Over two million units were produced, and it was eventually succeeded by the Ford LTD.

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Was it Ford or Chevrolet that created the El Camino in response to the Ranchero?

Developed by Chevrolet, the El Camino was a coupe utility vehicle that featured a front engine, rear-wheel drive layout. It's closely related to the GMC Sprint, and production finally ended in 1987.

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Who introduced the Elite in the '70s? Was it Chevy or Ford?

The Elite is a relatively short-lived luxury car that was produced from 1974 to 1976. During the first year of its production, it was known as the Ford Gran Torino Elite.

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The Monza was a small and speedy car produced by which brand, Chevrolet or Ford?

The Monza is a subcompact car introduced by Chevrolet in 1974 with production ending in 1980. It was eventually succeeded by the Chevrolet Cavalier, which started production in 1981.

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Did the European branch of Ford or Chevrolet produce the Capri?

In 1968, Ford introduced the Capri, a fastback coupe that would remain in production until 1986. During this time, the company managed to sell almost 1.9 million units of the car.

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Was it Chevrolet or Ford that manufactured the luxury car known as the Thunderbird?

The Thunderbird is a longstanding nameplate first introduced by Ford in 1955 and last used in 2005. It had eleven design generations, with four generations (from the 6th to 9th) occurring in the '70s and '80s.

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The Caprice was actually the most popular American car in the early '70s, but is Ford or Chevrolet responsible for its introduction?

The Caprice is a nameplate that was first produced from 1965 to 1996 in North America by Chevrolet. It was reintroduced for a short period a few years later, from 2011 to 2017.

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Is the short-lived Durango a Chevy or Ford?

The Durango is a 2-door coupe utility produced from 1979 to 1982. It was actually the product of a collaboration between National Coach Works and Ford.

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Did Chevrolet or Ford produce the highly successful LTD?

LTD is a Ford nameplate that encompassed both full-size and mid-size cars. It was initially introduced in 1965 and production finally ended in 1986.

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Which of these brands is responsible for the Vega, a car that notably received equal amounts of praise and criticism?

The Vega is a Chevrolet subcompact car that was introduced in 1970. It notably had a relatively high amount of praise upon its release, but over the years it gradually began to receive negative attention due to engineering problems and other issues.

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Was the Nomad station wagon a Chevy or a Ford vehicle?

The Nomad nameplate is primarily attributed to a station wagon produced by Chevrolet. The Nomad had two production periods: one that spanned from 1955 to 1961 and another that started in 1968 and ended in the early '70s.

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The Executive is a luxury car that was manufactured by the British division of which of these brands?

The Ford Executive is a luxury car that was produced from 1966 to 1972 by Ford of Britain. The Executive is actually a luxury variant of the popular Ford Zephyr.

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The Custom 500, a car featuring a combination of affordability and style, was introduced by which brand?

The Custom 500 is a Ford automobile that was produced from 1964 to 1981. It was essentially still an affordable car like the rest of the Custom series, but it notably had a better aesthetic quality.

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Did Ford or Chevy produce the Citation, which managed to be the best-selling American car in 1980?

The Citation is a Chevrolet automobile that was introduced in 1979 and had production ending in 1985. It was initially produced with the intent of being a replacement for the Nova.

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The Fiesta is one of the top three best-selling marques of which brand?

The Fiesta is a subcompact car initially introduced by Ford in 1976. It's currently still in production, with its seventh design generation having started in 2017.

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Who introduced the compact car known as the Nova, Chevrolet or Ford?

In 1961, the Nova was introduced by Chevrolet, and this initial production lasted until 1979. In 1985, the nameplate was then subsequently revived for a few more years, before finally being retired in 1988.

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Did Ford or Chevrolet produce the Bel Air, which was eventually replaced by the Impala?

The Bel Air is a full-size car that endured for three successful decades, after being introduced by Chevrolet in 1950. While production in the U.S. concluded in 1975, in Canada production ended a few years later in 1981.

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Is it Chevrolet or Ford that introduced the compact car named after the Corsica region in France?

The Corsica is a compact car developed by the Chevrolet division of General Motors. It debuted in 1987 and had its production finally end in 1996.

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Was Ford or Chevy responsible for producing the Torino?

The Torino is a mid-size car that debuted in 1968 and was produced up until 1976. It was also marketed under the Fairlane nameplate in Venezuela.

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Which brand chose to produce a car that was named after the city of Monte Carlo, Ford or Chevrolet?

Initially produced by Chevrolet from 1969 to 1987, the Monte Carlo was relatively successful during this time. It was eventually revived in 1994 and then finally retired in 2007.

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Who had production of their car the Maverick occurring in both North America and Brazil?

The Maverick is a compact car that was produced by Ford from 1969 to 1981. It was also known as the Ford Falcon Maverick when it was marketed in Mexico.

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Was Chevy or Ford inspired by space exploration to give the name Galaxie to one of their cars?

The Galaxie nameplate is used to refer to Ford vehicles that were produced in the United States, Australia and Brazil. Production in the U.S. ended in 1974, while in Brazil it continued until 1983.

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The Tempo was very closely related to the Mercury Topaz. Was it created by Chevrolet or Ford?

The Tempo is a compact car first produced in 1983 and eventually retired in 1994. It's notable for serving as a significant design influence for the Ford Taurus.

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Is Ford or Chevrolet responsible for the highly praised Cavalier?

Chevrolet introduced the compact car known as the Cavalier in 1981. It initially had a run of three generations that ended in 2005; however, the nameplate was revived in 2016 as a Chinese exclusive.

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The Brazilian division of which of these brands is responsible for producing the Opala?

The Opala is an executive car that was manufactured by Chevrolet for the South American market. It had a relatively successful production run that lasted from 1969 to 1992.

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The Escort was a best-selling car for a large portion of the 80s, but is Chevy or Ford responsible for that success?

The Escort is an automobile that was manufactured by Ford from 1980 to 2003. The Escort is notable for helping to significantly define the automotive style of the '80s, and the model even managed to experience significant success in later decades as well.

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Was it Chevrolet or Ford that spawned the Ranchero, which eventually led to competitors like the El Camino?

Throughout its lifespan, the Ranchero held the distinction of being one of the most iconic coupe utility vehicles. Over half a million units were produced between 1957 and 1979.

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While Jerry Palmer designed the Beretta, was it released under the Ford or Chevy brand?

The Beretta is a compact car that was introduced by Chevrolet in 1987. It's notably related to the Chevrolet Corsica and was produced in a 2-door coupe body style.

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Was the internationally successful Festiva marketed by Ford or Chevrolet?

Ford introduced the Festiva in 1986, a subcompact car that was initially designed by Mazda. It was sold in several markets, including North America, Japan, South America and Australasia.

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This "Celebrity" car that didn't fully live up to its famous name was manufactured by which of these companies?

The Chevrolet Celebrity is a mid-size automobile that was produced from 1981 to 1990. It experienced moderate success but was eventually replaced by the Chevrolet Lumina.

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The Chevette was the best-selling U.S. small car in 1979 and 1980. Is Chevrolet or Ford responsible for this success?

Introduced in 1976, the Chevette is a subcompact car that was manufactured by Chevrolet. It notably sold approximately 2.8 million units in its 12-year production run.

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