These days, everything is faster, smarter, bigger, and better, especially when it comes to cars. Even the cheapest cars are getting loaded up with options and more horsepower, with obvious exceptions for the Lotus Elise, etc.

If we look back at cars over the years (http://i.imgur.com/LOU2IbH.png) we can see that the 80s marked a sharp decline in horsepower and weight (size) of cars. How was this marketed to the consumer? Was gas efficiency highlighted? Were older more powerful cars simply no longer produced and new names introduced? How did car manufacturer's pull this off? Did they?

Image courtesy of Streets.mn http://streets.mn/2014/11/14/chart-of-the-day-3/#lightbox/1/