Ricardo Montalban touted the “soft Corinthian leather” for the Chrysler Cordoba in the 1970s. Though, the one we owned came with soft “corduroy seats.” Wouldn’t you know it, the above picture came from the ListVerse selection: “Top Ten Tacky Automotive Features of the 1970’s.”

Carmakers in the 70’s were less concerned about quality issues than they were in introducing “stuff” that we thought were the cat’s meow.

ListVerse says, “In many ways, the 1970s was a time of both transition and decline. This is especially true with regard to the American automotive industry, which began to struggle under the weight of increasing fuel costs, strict government emission and safety regulations, as well as a deluge of fuel-efficient foreign competitors.

“While American automakers tried their best at producing small, fuel-efficient cars such as the AMC Gremlin or Ford Pinto, they were never really good at it. Rather, most vehicles rolling off Detroit assembly lines remained large, and simply traded their muscle for more luxurious appointments. As the decade progressed, this focus on luxury trickled down even to lower-priced intermediates. By the late 1970s, a sort of pseudo-luxury car was left with emission system-choked small blocks, thick velour interiors and tacky chrome-on-plastic accents.

“Here’s a look at some of the tacky appointments domestic luxury cars of the 1970s received, listed subjectively from the somewhat useful to the less-so. Some are not exclusive to the 1970s, but were still widely used at the time.”

If you remember the ’70s, you’ll get a kick out ListVerse’s List … and you’ll remember why the 70s are blurry. These clunkers were such a disappointment from the “muscle cars” of the 60s.

And here is Ricardo’s pitch: