In the 1970's the western world became increasingly aware of the fact that the earth's reserves of fossil fuels were not limitless. Political pressures from environmental groups and, much more significantly, the pressures brought about by the Middle Eastern countries upon the economies of their consumers during the 'Oil Crisis', caused many governments to campaign for the merits of saving energy The motor manufacturers were put under increasing pressure from the consumer to design vehicles that not only cost less than their competitors for a similar specification, but also returned better fuel consumption figures.