No matter what your considerations are, one thing all car enthusiasts can agree on is that classic sports cars are gorgeous. Following the oil crises in the US and the increasing enforcement of emissions laws worldwide, the end of the '70s and '80s ushered in the era of engine tuning and turbocharging. The iconic '70s sports cars were exceptional for their styling—unhinged, fearless, and timeless, making them desirable collectibles and widely sought after even today.

While America is the home of muscle cars, Europe has certainly produced the most iconic sports cars in automotive history. With names brands like Porsche, Alfa Romeo, Mercedes Benz, and others of such remarkable pedigree and caliber flexing their muscles in the '70s, this period produced many iconic sports cars that have captured the imagination of the automotive world since. Here are 9 cool '70s European sports cars that are still cheap and one that’s priceless.

10 1976 Mercedes Benz 450SL ($9,000)

Mercedes Benz 450SL

The Mercedes Benz 450SL is a very important car in the history of European automobiles. It was one of the first European cars built with drastically reduced emissions and improved safety from the preceding 280SL. Perhaps more importantly for car enthusiasts, these results were achieved without an exorbitant increase in price. The 450SL is a timeless piece that is simply styled and has managed to remain classy through the decades.

Mercedes Benz 450SL

The 450SL comes with a 4.5-liter V8 engine capable of delivering 220 hp and accelerating the vehicle from 0 to 62 mph in 8.8 seconds. With a top speed of 130 mph, the 450 SL can hold its own against many modern sports cars both on the road and in our hearts without costing an arm and a leg.

Related: 5 Mercedes-Benz Sports Cars That Are Worth Buying Used (5 To Steer Clear Of)

9 1971 Lotus Elan (+2) ($15,000)

Lotus Elan +2

The Lotus Elan +2 was the improved version of the original Lotus Elan. While the Lotus Elan in itself was a formidable contender in the 70s sports car scene, the +2 was a revised extraordinary piece. The original Lotus Elan was a 2-seater coupé and the most obvious change to the +2 was the longer wheelbase due to the addition of two small seats at the back (hence the “+2”).

Lotus Elan +2

The +2’s 120 hp was supplied by a Lotus Twincam inline-4 1.5-liter engine and a 4-Speed transmission, which was replaced by a 5-speed transmission in the later +2S version. The +2 is good-looking but also a capable performance car with a top speed of 120 mph and takes just about 8 seconds to get to 62 mph from rest.

8 1972 BMW E3 3.0 ($18,000)

BMW E3

BMW’s reputation as a maker of trusted sporting luxury salon cars resumed with the E3 in 1968 after a break of 5 years from producing for the segment.

BMW E3 3.0Si
Via: nakhon100, Wikimedia Commons - https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0

Nicknamed the “New Six,” the E3 was a forerunner to the incredible M series which draws a lot of inspiration from the former. The 1972 E3 carries the BMW M60 straight-6 engine; this 2.5-liter engine produces 170 hp and a maximum torque of 156 lb-ft. With a maximum speed of 118 mph, the E3 can go from 0 to 62 mph in just under 10 seconds.

Related: Ranking The 10 Best BMW "M" Models To Buy Used

7 1978 Porsche 928 ($8,000)

1978 Porsche 928

The Porsche 928 is a fine blend of the agility and power of a sports car and the style and class of a luxury sedan. 1978 was the first of the Porsche 928 and is recognizable for its distinct feature of lacking a spoiler. Improved fuel economy was at the heart of the design of the 928, hence it features weight-saving parts such at the doors, the front wing, and bonnets which were made of aluminum instead of steel customary to the time.

1978 Porsche 928

The ‘78 928 features a 4.5-liter V8 generating 240 hp. It also features pop-up headlights and the absence of spoilers give the vehicle a larger rear window view. The 928 handles well making it a lot of fun to drive and this classic can still be acquired for a modest sum if you look hard enough.

6 Triumph Stag ($15,000)

Triumph Stag
Triumph

The Triumph Stag was produced by the Triumph Motor Company, a branch of the British Leyland conglomerate in the 70s. The incredible styling of the Stag was done by the Italian designer Giovanni Michelotti, and Harry Webster - an automotive engineer for Triumph liked Michelotti’s design so much he pitched it to the Board and got it made. However, the car’s impressive styling wasn't matched by the engineering as the Stag got a reputation of being unreliable over its life mostly due to recurring engine troubles caused by overheating.

Triumph Stag

Nevertheless, this incredible-looking car has garnered a loyal fan base over the years and any working Triumph Stag you will come across now would most likely have had a lot of attention, freeing it of most mechanical issues that plagued the original.

5 1976 Alfa Romeo Spider ($13,000)

alis-alfa-romeo-spyder-1

If you want a car styled properly, give the job to the Italians. This is a tradition that has been maintained by the Italian carmaker Alfa Romeo since 1910, and the Alfa Romeo Spider is a testament to that. The Spider was solid on its own, but its popularity was further helped by its adoption by some major celebrities like Dustin Hoffman in the movie “The Graduate” and the legendary former heavyweight boxing champion Muhammed Ali.

alfa-romeo-spider-1600-duetto-108033

The Spider came with a 1.6-liter Twin Cam I4 engine delivering up to 132 hp coupled with a 5-speed manual transmission. The interior was kept simple with nothing over the top to compliment the gorgeous exterior, nevertheless, the Spider was desirable in its day and we dare say it remains so till today.

4 1978 Alfa Romeo Spider Niki Lauda Special edition ($20,000)

niki lauda

On the back of winning the 1977 F1 season, legendary Austrian driver Niki Lauda ended his relationship with Ferrari and signed on to Brabham-Alfa Romeo. In commemoration of this momentous addition to its team, Alfa Romeo created a special edition of the Spider to bear the name of the legend himself – the Alfa Romeo Spider “Niki Lauda” Edition. The combination of an already popular car with a respected motorsports legend was epic.

niki

Only about 350 of the cars are said to be around today making a special one to have. The subtle difference between the special edition and the regular include a special badge, a plaque showing the edition number adorned the dashboard, and a fiberglass spoiler amongst others.

Related: T.50s Supercar Gets Track-Focused Version Named After Three-Time F1 Champ Niki Lauda

3 1979 Porsche 924 ($9,500)

924

The Porsche 924 was developed by a partnership between Porsche and Volkswagen at a trying time in the company’s history caused by the slump in sales due to the oil crises of the 70s. The car is powered by an Audi engine and this added to the criticism of fans, who derisively refer to the 924 as “not a real Porsche.”

Porsche-924-GTS
Via ElferSpot

However, the P24 appears to have won over enthusiasts due to its undeniable fine styling and reliability. It remains one the most affordable Porsches on the market, but still with a lot of prestige.

2 Jaguar XJS ($11,000)

XJS

The Jaguar XJS was another car that was met with mixed reviews upon its release. The main complaint against the XJS was its unusual styling which critics viewed as being too “rectangular” in an era where flowing curves dominated car styling. The XJS however turned out to be popular as car enthusiasts embraced its difference and looked beyond the surface to see the quality that laid beneath.

XJS_2

At a time when V12s were scarce in production cars, the XJS proudly bore one – a 5.3-liter Jaguar V12 capable of up to 242 hp in power output. Not surprising that the XJS has a top speed of 143 mph and can attain a speed of 60 mph in less than 8 seconds.

1 Priceless: Lamborghini Miura ($3,000,000)

Miura_1971-1972_P400SV_1-1030x773

Like most Lambourginis, the Miura is named after a Bull—in this case, a Spanish fighting bull. Its name, however, is far from being the most interesting thing about the Miura. At a time when Lamborghini was focused on powerful grand tourers, three of the company’s engineers took up the challenge of developing a supercar that was capable of racing along with the very best of the time. The design was presented to Ferruccio Lambougini himself and it was approved for production.

miura

The Miura claims the honor of starting a new breed of supercars capable of feats beyond the imagination of most car enthusiasts of the day. It was the first mid-sized car ever fitted with a V12 engine producing 345 hp. Unsurprisingly, upon its release, the Miura was the fastest production car in the world reaching speeds up to 175 mph and only needed 6.7 seconds to go from rest to 62 mph. The Miura’s legend makes it a very difficult car to acquire and should you be lucky to find one for sale, be ready to part with upwards of a million dollars to have it in your collection.