Oh well, the line drying can be had for the most part,but all those innovations by the likes of Frigidaire/GM, Norge, General Electric, et all when they were all competing in the white goods market; and new models rolled out like automobiles is gone for top loaders as we knew.
Even without government energy restrictions, top loaders were becoming an endangered species in the United States. Laundry appliances have moved from being an luxury item that consumers would pay dear for, to a common thing. General Motors saw the trend early on as did others that sold off their laundry appliance divisions; people no longer were going to pay vast sums for what they considered an every day appliance.
As the market matured, along with designs, there really wasn't much left to do with top loaders. Aside from perhaps higher spin speeds, most everything else had been tried en masse and done; various dispensers, variable washing actions, variable washing and spin speeds and so forth. What was left basically was design and durability, and increasingly consumers weren't willing to pay for either. Maytag could have continued their Dependable Care line, but consumers were balking at the price for all that legendary quality. So Maytag chucked that line, and the rest is one more tale of appliance woe and misery.
In a way the "HE" market opens the doors for American appliance makers to once again strive for innovation. However since H-Axis washers have long been the staple in Europe/UK, much of what is crossing the pond is rejiggered European models adapted for Americans.
