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1970s Cars That Deserve More Credit Than They Get

Cameron Eittreim June 9, 2023

One of the most forgotten and overlooked decades of the automotive industry was the 1970s. With the fuel embargo and the fact that automakers had to downsize cars in size and power, the decade didn’t have very many hits overall. For the most part, it wasn’t a very exciting time in automotive design. But there were still quite a few well-known cars that came out of the decade. And some of these hidden gems have come to light recently.

Indeed, car enthusiasts are starting to experience more and more of what the decade had to offer. Cars like the AMC Gremlin that were once considered obsolete have now become classics. Even the Pinto-based Mustang has started to gain a decent following these days. It could even be said that the decade wasn’t as bad as most enthusiasts remember it being. Many of the cars had their own unique style, whether it was the velour interiors or the move toward digital dashboards there was a lot to like about the decade in general. We looked back at some 1970s cars that deserve more credit than they get.

AMC Gremlin

If there’s one car that’s synonymous with cheap ’70s hatchbacks, it was no doubt the Gremlin. The car was designed and sold by cash-strapped AMC in an attempt to jump on the economy car craze of the decade. With stiff new competition from Honda and Toyota, domestic automakers had to come up with a plan. AMC recycled a lot of parts from their existing vehicle line and it showed in the quality of the car (via Motor Trend).

While the Gremlin wasn’t the most technologically advanced car, it did have a unique design. The interior of the Gremlin was a lot larger than other compact cars at the time, and that was one of the best-selling features. The Gremlin had a 304 V8 engine, which was unheard of in a compact. Its body was widely used in NASCAR and dirt track racing. There’s no denying that the Gremlin was one of the most underrated cars of the decade.

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Chevrolet Vega

What happens when you build a bite-sized Camaro? You get the Vega. At least, that’s what it seems like GM was attempting with the Vega’s design. The Vega was every bit a bite-sized Camaro in every aspect but quality and performance. The car is often referred to as one of the worst Chevys ever built, but that couldn’t be further from the truth. When it comes to potential the car has a whole lot of it, especially for hot rod builders (via Auto Blog).

The Vega was available in several different trim packages at the time and was positioned as a value-oriented car. The most common modification with the Vega these days is upgrading to a V8 power plant. When you first take a look at the car you can’t help but notice the Camaro styling cues. The car is every bit a 1970s GM creation and it was one of the most underrated cars from Chevrolet during that decade.

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Ford Pinto

Photo Credit: Edmunds

Who could forget the Pinto? It was the car that almost bankrupted Ford in the 1970s. The Pinto was the car that was involved in thousands of crashes, due to the placement of its fuel tank. Aside from that the fault in the design of the Pinto had a lot of positive attributes that were overlooked. Most drivers were afraid of owning one and the sales numbers dipped dramatically (via Car Gurus).

However, the Pinto is a very fun car from that decade that’s often overlooked because of its troublesome past. There are a lot of upgrades that can be done to the Pinto to make it stand out from the crowd. Upgrading to a Coyote V8 isn’t hard to do and the car also has a lot of potential as a drag car. The Pinto is also one of the few cars from this decade that can be found for a reasonable price.

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AMC Pacer

No one can deny the fact that the 1970s were a time of weird-shaped hatchbacks. The Pacer was another weird-shaped hatchback that made its way onto the market. The Pacer shared a lot of its design and underpinnings with the Gremlin, but the sales pitch with this one was the fishbowl design. AMC touted how large the interior of the car was, and the optional V8 engine was a rather unique feature as well (via Go Motors).

The car didn’t fare very well on the market although the initial sales were quite promising. AMC was in bad shape as a company at the time and wasn’t able to invest in proper R&D for the car. The Pacer became infamous in the 1990s after it was featured in the movies Wayne’s World and the Good Burger. These are definitely worth a look as an affordable collector’s car that has a lot of potential.

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Ford Mustang Cobra II

The Mustang II is probably the most overlooked and under-appreciated Mustang ever built. The Pinto-based Mustang suffered the wrath of being associated with such a lackluster car. The dramatic downsizing of the vehicle was also a sore point for enthusiasts. But there were a few special editions of the car that were worth noting such as the Cobra II, which is quite the collector’s car (via Motor Trend).

The Mustang II was very similar in size and design to the Chevy Vega, although the two cars were competing in different segments. The V8 engine and the compact size were overlooked at the time it was new, but the Mustang II is one of the most notable cars from the era. With a little bit of work, the Mustang II can be made into a stellar classic car that has a lot of potential and a cool-looking aesthetic.

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Plymouth Sapporo

In the ’70s, Chrysler started selling vehicles that were called “captive imports” to the general market. These imports were built via a partnership with Mitsubishi. The Sapporo and its Dodge cousin the Challenger were both built using Mitsubishi underpinnings. Although the sales numbers for the Sapporo were agonizingly low, the car was a solid little cruiser. The rarity of the Sapporo makes it something worth collecting (via Hemmings).

The driving characteristics of the Sapporo were very strong, and the reliability wasn’t that bad either. The automotive press praised the reasonably appointed interior and the Mitsubishi engineering. Unfortunately, the car was never a sales success which has made it quite a rarity. Plymouth was one of the most recognizable brands on the road at one point in time and the Sapporo was simply underrated.

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Chevy Chevette

The Chevette is a nameplate that makes most people cringe. But the Chevette wasn’t actually as bad of a car as you might think it was. The times were different, and GM needed a compact car to compete with Honda and Toyota. Gone were the days of the big and burly V8-powered cars. The lowly little Chevette was positioned as a gas saver and a value-oriented ride, and although it was vastly underrated the Chevette has a special place in automotive history (via The Truth About Cars).

Although the Geo Metro is the most well-known GM subcompact car the Chevette was actually one of the first. The significance of the Chevette is overlooked by most modern automotive enthusiasts. But there is a certain segment of the automotive industry that the Chevette was responsible for helping to grow.

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Volvo 262C

Volvo is a car company that is world-renowned for its safety and innovation. The 262C was one of the most influential Volvo vehicles of the 1970s. The main thing that separated the 262C from other Volvos of the same period was the fact that it was a performance car. The slick lines of the coupe still look great even after all these years, and at the time it was a very underrated car (via Hemmings).

But a lot of the design and technology that was used in the 262C was adopted later on. Volvo stayed with the squared-off design for quite some time. The 262C is by far one of the most iconic Volvos for a reason, because there just aren’t a lot of cars from this era like it.

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Mercury Bobcat

The Ford Pinto is a well-known subcompact, but there was also a Mercury version of the car as well. The Bobcat was the Mercury variant that Ford sold during the 1970s and it was marketed as a luxury version. The signature waterfall grill and a lot of chrome accents were the most obvious improvements over the Pinto. The Bobcat isn’t as fondly remembered, but it is one car from the ’70s that never got a fair shake (via Motorcities).

With a little bit of work, the Bobcat is a great classic car that can be made into a cool-looking hot rod. The design of the car wasn’t ugly by any stretch of the word, especially when you compared it to cars like the Pacer. The Mercury brand was always the more upmarket version of Ford so the Bobcat had its place in the lineup.

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Stutz Blackhawk

Stutz was a luxury car maker that sold coach-built cars, these were cars that were based on an existing platform. The Blackhawk was a very upmarket-looking coupe, targeted toward a very high-end clientele. The performance of the car was also quite impressive, however, it was the styling that set the bar high. Whether it was the gold spokes or the white wall tires there was nothing normal about the Blackhawk (via Below The Radar).

The car has recently gained a lot of popularity in the aftermarket world thanks to the unique styling and the rarity of the car. You just don’t see these very often, which is why a lot of drivers are starting to notice it. The Blackhawk was severely underrated and will set you back a pretty penny today.

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Chrysler Cordoba

Chrysler had a lot of unique-looking cars during the 1970s but the Cordoba stood out. The two-door styling was right there in line with cars like the Monte Carlo, and it had the luxury that you’d expect from a Chrysler. The Cordoba didn’t have a very successful run and the sales were disappointing. You’ll seldom see one of these on the road but it wasn’t a bad car at all (via Medium).

Chrysler Cordoba — Photo Credit: Hot Rod

With the upscale styling and the reasonable performance the Cordoba was a car that gave you a great deal of satisfaction every time you got behind the wheel of it. Chrysler did a great job designing the car and giving it enough comfort and performance to rival the best coupes, it just didn’t connect with car shoppers at the time.

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AMC Hornet 360

AMC was one of the most important automotive brands at one point in time. But the 1970s were not a comfortable time for the company even if a few great cars that came out of it. The Hornet 360 is one car that broke the mold in terms of performance and style. The V8 was one of the best engines that ever came out of an AMC factory, and the styling of the car isn’t bad either (via Curbside Classic).

AMC Hornet SC/360 — Photo Credit: Car Domain

The Hornet 360 was one of the most impressive cars on the market from that decade. The bulldog styling and the performance were both overlooked because of the competition. AMC was a dominant brand that redefined the American automotive market and the Hornet was definitely underrated.

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1970 Dodge Dart Swinger

The Dart is one of those nameplates that has stood the test of time, but it is often overshadowed when compared to other notable nameplates in the Dodge lineup. You might ordinarily think of the Charger or the Challenger when it comes to a classic Dodge performance car. But the Dodge Dart Swinger was an exceptional muscle car that was overlooked at the time. The performance was great and the engine was one of the best that Chrysler used (via Barn Finds).

It came with some of the most unique-looking paint jobs that you’ve seen come out of a Dodge factory. The Dart Swinger was a limited edition car so you’ll seldom see it around, but you can find them at auto shows and MOPAR meets. With a name like the Swinger, you can only guess that this car was built for doing donuts.

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Volkswagen Type 181

By the 1970s, the Volkswagen Bug was still one of the most popular cars on the road. Yet the company was looking to diversify the lineup. The Type 181 was released to the market to offer a unique type of off-road vehicle. A lot of the underpinnings were shared with the bug but there were off-road pieces added to it. The styling is unconventional but that’s why it was one of the most underrated cars of the 1970s (via Hagerty).

It is such a special-looking car and you don’t see them very often. The Type 181 was not just a concept vehicle, this one actually went into production. The 181 had a reasonable amount of off-road appeal and the open-air feeling ended up being popular decades later.

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Subaru Brat

The Subaru Brat was the first Subaru pickup truck that was sold in America. It was like the El Camino but it was a much more fuel-efficient option. Cars like the Brat are popular in Australia, but over here not so much. It didn’t sell very well and it ended up being discontinued. Nowadays, the Brat has become quite the collector’s item (via Subaru Car Blog).

With the unique design of the engine and the versatility, the Brat was a pretty unique ride. These types of car/truck combos were big in the 1970s. Although the Brat isn’t as iconic as some pickup trucks it has a following. The 4WD design was one of the best even during that era.

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