PARTS FOR THE EXHAUST

[UTn_boy]

Oh they sure did.  They all had secondary air pumps, lower compression engines, and de-tuned carburetors.  The 1970's were very anemic for cars in the U.S.

[floyd111]

I've always been under the impression that the U.S. exerted very high standards for emissions requirements to tease overseas car manufacturers.  Basically, they were saying "look how far we've come.  If you can catch up with us, then you can sell your cars over here".  So yeah, there was likely a deliberate attempt in trying to kill overseas sales from time to time, and it looks like the picked on the cars that they knew would be the hardest to tame for emissions.  :/

I am sure that emissions-rules were used/are used as a weapon, but not because of emissions, just because it was a weapon. like the stance that the Citroen's suspension was too dangerous for US roads, just like MB and Volvo head lights, Euro bumpers and what not, ensuring not only that the French's beyond excellent carpet ride was made illegal, after which they ensured to also ruin the looks of successfully designed imported cars, while decimating their superior engine's HP/CC. At the same time, no such rules were applied in Europe for US cars, even though they were deemed poorly designed, overly heavy, pedestrian-and driver-killing, gas-guzzling monstrosities. Guess they trusted the general population to be intelligent enough not to order one, even though cheap. And it has alsways worked. You can't give away an American non-classic US car in Europe. It is nearly unthinkable to have to explain such a purchase to your VW-driving neighbor.

[Squiggle Dog]

Oh, don't forget the fact that the USA-spec cars didn't come with trunk-mounted reflective triangles because they weren't up to DOT specifications. Somehow they figured having none at all was safer than one not up to spec.