Glad you only went back to 1972 !
1971 MotorTrend's Car Of The Year
Chevy Vega ... :-)
Which was actually a pretty nice car until it rusted away. My Dad had
one--he really enjoyed driving it.
I had one as a teenager - my second car - it was ~ 4 years old
& I paid $ 450. for it - I needed wheels fast for a job transfer -
- the rust-repairs were already failing badly ;
it burned oil ; noisy ; no trunk space ; uncomfortable seats ;
terrible rear wheel drive traction ; etc
I can't think of a single plus that I could grant it.

$450

Which was still a lot of money in the seventies.


Nope. Not for a fully certified car in Niagara Falls
in 1975. It was as cheap-as-it-goes - legally.
John T.