Trimming over 900 pounds from its full-size 1977 car line wasn’t enough to match foreign competition or turn the tables on North America’s economic downturn. In 1980 GM embarked on a multimillion-dollar revamping to design new, more competitive cars from the ground up. By 1982, a third of GM’s models were brand new. They combined compact exterior dimensions and clean, aerodynamic lines with spacious interiors. The company’s overhaul included an ambitious, multimillion-dollar expansion program that outstripped even the exploits of GM founder Billy Durant. Acquisitions, joint ventures, and new ventures included Saab, Geo, Volvo, GM Heavy Truck, and Saturn (the first GM division to be started from scratch), as well as Electronic Data Systems and Hughes Aircraft.

In the 1970s, the Chevrolet Vega had been the first American car to be manufactured using robots. Now computer technology began to make more of an impact on car design. GM tested computer models of cars to see what areas of the body were under stress, and adjusted the type of body material accordingly. Its Computer Command Control system went standard on all gasoline-powered models. The system’s heart was an on-board computer that continuously monitored and adjusted the air-to-fuel ratio and spark timing, controlling exhaust emissions and improving fuel economy.

In the mid `80s, the North American economy made a comeback, and so did convertibles. As gasoline prices stabilized and fuel supplies seemed assured, consumers put performance and luxury back on their shopping lists –though without scratching off fuel efficiency.