Home Cars 10 1970s Sports Cars Actually Worth Buying & 20 As Bad As You Remember

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10 1970s Sports Cars Actually Worth Buying & 20 As Bad As You Remember

Cameron Eittreim April 26, 2022

10: Opel GT

This is a sports car that you don’t see often anymore and there are a few reasons for that. The first of which being that the design wasn’t very practical, and most sports car enthusiasts found the car to be a tough proposition. The off-the-line performance wasn’t that great, although the handling of the Opel GT is unmatched (via Car Gurus).

Nevertheless, this is another car that has been seemingly caught up in the bubble. You’ll never get the money you spent on this car back, and that is a problem when it comes to making such a costly investment. Opel isn’t a brand that has earned a lot of loyalty in the sports car segment, and this car should be avoided altogether.

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9: Ford Ranchero

Ford tends to copy GM when it comes to a popular product and the Ranchero was their version of the El Camino. Unfortunately, if the El Camino was bad then the Ranchero was especially bad. The design of the car was a sole rip-off of the El Camino and this was not an original design in any way (via Car Survey).

The performance of the Ranchero was also questionable and doesn’t justify the money you’ll have to dump into it. Even with modern upgrades and modifications, the Ranchero isn’t worth it. Unless you’re a diehard Ford fan, there are much better cars from this era that will provide more excitement.

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8: Cadillac Coupe DeVille

In the 1970s, the Cadillac brand was still synonymous with high-class luxury, but the company wanted to attract younger buyers. Thus, the Cadillac Coupe DeVille was born. This was a luxurious sports car that provided decent performance for the period, but in recent years the value of this car has risen to obscene levels (via Notorious Luxury).

The Cadillac Coupe DeVille is something that should be reserved for true enthusiasts of the brand. This isn’t a car that will provide a lot of excitement, and the price will probably break the bank. There were other vehicles built on this platform that provided better value for money.

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7: BMW E3 3.0Si

The BMW E3 is often highly regarded when it comes to the sports car segment from this period. Released in a wagon version as well this was one of the original sports wagons that you could buy. But, the value of classic BMW models has gone to new heights, and this car is way overpriced for what it is (via Car Review).

Getting a BMW from this era or even the years that followed is problematic, because parts are hard to find, and a trustworthy repair shop is even more difficult to find. The E3 should be avoided if you want a sports wagon from this era, at least until prices start to stabilize.

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6: Plymouth Arrow

The Plymouth Arrow was one of the first sports-themed trucks to be sold on the market and most people don’t even know about it. But the little truck only provided excitement that was skin deep, because the engine was lethargic at best. The Arrow was based on the Mitsubishi trucks of the same era, and thus there wasn’t much to offer (via Barn Finds).

With a little bit of work, the Arrow can be an exciting truck to drive, but the resale values on the thing have ballooned to obscene levels. This was a bargain-basement truck when it was new, and now it’s being priced as if it were a real collectors car. The sports model is even rarer with its two-tone paint job and painted wheels.

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1972 CitroÃ«n SM — Photo Credit: Bring A Trailer

5: CitroÃ«n SM

This car has recently come into the limelight because Jay Leno is the proud owner of one. This was one of the first mainstream French sports cars to hit the market, but that is about all that was good about it. The design of the CitroÃ«n SM was questionable at best and it didn’t catch on with many consumers (via Hagerty).

There were some interesting features of this car, but nothing worth the high price tag it commands today. The CitroÃ«n SM is one of the most overrated sports cars from this era. This is also one of the least common sports cars from this period, and if you see one on the road, it stands out.

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4: 1978 Oldsmobile Omega Coupe

The Oldsmobile brand was once a major part of the automotive industry, but nowadays it’s just a relic. However, there were some sports cars that the brand released that have become forgotten. The 1978 Oldsmobile Omega Coupe is one of these cars released during the rising fuel prices of the 1970s (via Hagerty).

The Omega was not popular by any stretch of the imagination, and nowadays the car is worth avoiding. This was just one of the many cars that GM built on this same platform.

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3: 1972 Lombardi Grand Prix

What exactly was the Lombardi Grand Prix? It was a very limited production sports car with an even more limited appeal. Many of the stylings were in line with what you’d expect from this era in automotive design. Pop-up headlights were one of the most noteworthy features of this car, and they helped it stand out (via Hagerty).

The appeal of the car doesn’t justify the high price tag that these are going for on the used market. You can get better performance from many sports cars that won’t break the bank.

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2: 1970 Marcos Mantis

There are quite a few sports cars that came out in the 1970s that didn’t deserve to see the light of day. The 1970 Marcos Mantis is one of these cars. The design of the car is bad enough, but performance was also lackluster at best. There was nothing remotely appealing about this car (via Hagerty).

Just the naming of the Mantis should have been enough to send drivers running for the hills. The car was perhaps one of the worst planned sports cars of the decade. Car enthusiasts who know their stuff try to avoid this thing at all costs. There is no value in the Mantis.

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1: 1975 Bricklin SV-1

Gull-winged sports cars are all the rage. There is just something about these cars that invoke your inner spirit. But the 1975 Bricklin SV-1 is nowhere near as cool as the famous gull-wing sporting cars you’re used to seeing. This was a concept car that went into production way too fast and didn’t offer anything in the way of value (via Hagerty).

While the styling of the car was alright, it just didn’t attract consumers enough to justify the price tag. The car sold poorly, and you’ll seldom see one around anymore. There were much better sports cars from this era.

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