There were some amazing performance cars in the 1970s. Classic cars like the Porsche 911 2.7 RS and the BMW 3.0 CSL are perfect examples of some brilliant performance cars that were produced in a decade mostly associated with malaise. Their performance and power were top-notch, and many remember them as iconic classics.
However, there are some performance cars from the 1970s that were also brilliant, but get nowhere near the same amount of interest or following that the examples above have. Sometimes these cars just weren't well received or overshadowed by other models. This list will explore some of the most underrated performance cars from the 1970s and show why they deserve a lot more recognition.
8 BMW 2002 Tii
The BMW 2002 was definitely a heavily underrated vehicle at the time of its release and is still often overlooked nowadays too. However, the car is really quite fantastic. The BMW 2002 Tii came equipped with a fuel-injected engine that produced 128 bhp. Its sporting status was soon made clear through its top speed of 115 mph.
The car is fast and quite agile too. The 2002 Tii should be driven with care, but the handling is generally very good. This car is very undervalued at the minute, and it is definitely surprising considering its abilities.
7 Autobianchi A112 Abarth
The Autobianchi A112 was a great little car. Autobianchi was a great way for Fiat to look at how new technology would work out, and they didn't have to rely on sales figures being a risk in regards to success. The A112 Abarth was a perfect reflection of this. It was fantastically engineered and is considered by some to be the first hot hatch.
Being the 'tester' for the Fiat 127, the A112 is often overlooked since it was basically the prototype version. However, the excellent handling capabilities really exemplify how underrated the A112 was. They were popular on the European roads, but sadly most have rusted away.
6 Triumph Dolomite Sprint
The Triumph Dolomite Sprint was launched in 1973. The car made a pretty big claim in being the world's first mass-produced multi-valve car'. It used a 16 valve cylinder head and its top speed just under 120 mph, making it brilliantly fast.
Also, the Dolomite Sprint was cheap. It was a great-priced sedan that was accessible to many, whereas plenty of fast cars around the same time came with the high price tag. It did however lack the build quality of rivals and pushed aside as another rubbish car from British Leyland.
5 AMC AMX
Muscle cars peaked in the late 1960s but the early '70s still churned out some icons (Mustang Mach 1 for example) before the 1973 emissions crisis left US cars producing next to no power. One forgotten US sports car is the AMC AMX.
The AMX introduced in 1970 featured a new 5.9-liter V8 and produced 290 bhp. The suspension was upgraded and offered an advanced double-wishbone unit for the front. It blended muscle car performance with sports car handling but still is underrated today.
4 VW Beetle GSR
The VW Beetle is iconic itself. However, the GSR version that was released in the 1970s was also brilliant, even if it is relatively unknown. The car underwent multiple design changes in the GSR edition, including new tire fittings and some hefty tweaks to the engine. Inside there were updates too, with corduroy seats being added.
It was more of a sporting vehicle than previous launches in the Beetle family. In fact, 'GSR' actually stands for 'Gelb Schwarzer Renner', meaning 'Yellow and Black Racer'. And despite power only being increased to 50 bhp, it was definitely quite strong for a Beetle. It was a good car and it remains heavily underrated because it wasn't sold in the US, and the German government didn't take to the car.
3 Ford Escort Mexico
The Mexico mark of the Ford Escort was introduced in 1970. It was in the 1970 London to Mexico World Cup Rally in which it gained notoriety. There were over 10,000 of the road edition Mexico Escort's launched.
With 85 bhp, there wasn't an extreme amount of power in the car, but it was reliable and many really enjoyed its performance. While other performance Escorts get the fame (like the RS200, Cosworth, and RS Turbo), Mexico arguably had the best racing pedigree even if it doesn't command the most money.
2 Dodge Lil' Red Express
Released in 1978, the Dodge Lil' Red Express is definitely one of the most underrated cars on this list. Despite its outward appearance, the Lil' Red Express was one of the fastest trucks on the road upon its release. Coming with a modified 360 V8 police engine, the Lil' Red Express was fantastically powerful.
Being such a unique pickup, the Lil' Red Express was an innovation coming out of Dodge and it certainly is a great car, especially when you look at the state of other American performance cars from the late '70s.
1 Ford GT70
The Ford GT70 was designed and intended for the World Rally Championship. There were just 6 of the GT70 produced and it was designed to rival against the Porsche 911 rally cars at the time. The car came with a V6 engine and outputted 240 bhp.
Despite its great performance, the GT70 didn't have much success. There were issues with the center of gravity in the engine and the GT70 platform ended with the changes to the rules in the World Rally Championship. This is disappointing because, given a longer chance, it looked like the GT70 would have been quite an interesting car to see racing.