rear safety standards requiring the license plate to be moved up to a position between the taillights. The design of these bumpers has been evaluated as not detracting from the Hornet's styling compared to some used by the competition. New inertial-reel seat/shoulder belts were standard. Additionally, the NHTSA required all new cars to include an inexpensive technology called a "seat belt interlock mechanism" for front-seat passengers to buckle up before the engine would start. However, Congress quickly passed a law killing the interlock mechanism and ordering that the warning sound indicating an unsecured front seat passenger could last no more than eight seconds. A review by Popular Science of the 1974 cars and achieving fuel economy described the Hornet Sportabout as the only domestically built compact station wagon and they "give it our highest recommendation." Marketing of the 1974 Hornet included placement as a lead vehicle in a James Bond movie The Man With The Golden Gun which included a chase scene with a red hatchback jumping a broken bridge. All Hornet body styles saw sales gains compared to the previous year. 1974 production: 2-door: 29,950 4-door: 29,754 Wagon: 71,413 Hatchback: 55,158 1975 Focusing on the new Pacer, AMC kept the Hornet mostly the same. A new grille with vertical grating was the primary change. A new "Touring Package" included special upholstery and luxury features. In a return to its philosophy of economical compact cars, AMC emphasized its comprehensive "Buyer Protection Plan" warranty in marketing the Hornets. Six-cylinder Hornets could be ordered with a new British-supplied Laycock de Normanville "J-type" overdrive. Optional on cars with a manual three-speed transmission, the unit was controlled by a pushbutton at the end of the turn signal stalk. The overdrive unit engages automatically at speeds above and drops out at . It also included an accelerator pedal kick-down switch for faster passing. All U.S. market Hornets featured catalytic converters and now required gasoline without tetraethyl lead. "Unleaded Fuel Only" warnings were displayed on both the fuel gauge and on a decal by the fuel filler. Consumers complained loudly about the 1974 "mandatory seat belt" system, and it was replaced in 1975 with a simple reminder buzzer and light. The U.S. economy was experiencing inflation, and new car sales fell for all automakers. The industry sold 8.2 million units, a drop of more than 2.5 million from the record pace in 1973. Sales of the