Small cars made great strides in the 1970s. Hatchback bodies were used almost universally, making little cars more useful and adaptable than they had ever been before. Many manufacturers adopted front-wheel drive, which brought with it improvements in space utilization, allowing for more passenger and luggage space within compact overall dimensions. Front-drive also delivered safe, stable handling that was ideal for mainstream motoring. However, some held out against the trend—generally because they were reusing rear-drive platforms left over from previous-generation models that were at least well-suited to pocket-sized performance cars.