Beginning in the early 1970s, Japan’s influence on the American automobile market started to become more and more widespread. During the decade, the US went through two Gas Crises, forcing fuel prices to rise and demand to far outweigh supply. Because the vast majority of American cars were, at the time, powered by large, thirsty V8s, folks were looking for ways to save money on gas. The situation meant that the small Japanese cars available at the time became more and more popular.
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