While models produced by European giants such as Porsche, Ferrari, and Lamborghini in the '60s went on to become icons in the car world, the decade was also central to the development of the status and names of many other sports car manufacturers that are still popular today.

Related: 10 Extremely Rare Sports Cars Anyone Can Afford 

Unfortunately, for the majority of their time on the market, some classic sports cars produced by these less-established brands were severely underrated and had to fight for attention and recognition. While everyone is getting used to the fact that sports cars should obliterate every other car on the road, many newer sports cars of the '60s didn't have the performance to match a Ferrari or Lamborghini.

Nevertheless, six decades later, these forgotten classic sports cars are incredibly cool pieces to collect and worship, and due to their low status, plenty of these cars are available for enthusiasts with taste to enjoy for cheap.

10 Lancia Fulvia

Lancia Fulvia
Via: Modern Classic Autos

The Lancia Fulvia originally launched in 1963, and it soon became a hit among fans. The fantastic handling of the Fulvia was highly regarded thanks to the clever FWD system, and the vehicle won many rallies as it won every single Italian Rally Championship, bar one, between 1965 and 1973 which is definitely amazing.

 1966 Lancia Fulvia
Coys

However, the car has recently been very underrated, thanks to the rallying success of other Lancias like the Stratos, 037, and the Delta Integrale. The Fulvia is still popular among Italian car enthusiasts, but it has never reached the same heights of desirability even though it was one of the most attractive sports cars of the '60s.

9 BMW 1800TI

BMW 1800TI
Via: Classic.com

The BMW 1800TI was a part of the BMW New Class range. The 'TI' in the name stood for 'Turismo Internazionale' and it was tuned by the Alpina company. Higher compression pistons helped boost power to 110 hp, making it quite the sports sedan. At the time of release, the car was a hit among BMW fans and it was decent to drive, albeit it's a little difficult to handle when it's raining.

BMW 1800TI
Via Bonhams

The main reason this car is so underrated is because of the cult classic status attained by its successor, the 2002TI. This car was better to drive, more refined, and still retained the classic good looks meaning that it is far more collectible these days. However, we'd definitely still buy one because of this, and since it was a generally outstanding touring car, and because it is incredibly cheap compared to many classic BMWs.

8 Lotus Europa

Lotus Europa
via Lotus

The Lotus Europa was one of the first production mid-engined sports cars. It was released in 1966 and came with a Renault engine which produced 82 bhp, more than enough for the low curb weight of 1570 lbs. Not only this, but the car had balanced handling while being incredibly well built.

Related: These Are The 10 Coolest Cars Built By Lotus 

Lotus Europa
via Lotus

The Europa was quite underrated however as the engine didn't produce as much power as most would have liked. There were improvements in the '70s, but the '60s editions definitely struggled in terms of power. However, we would still buy one because of the fantastic engineering and quality of the Europa, and because it was a very interesting car.

7 Alfa Romeo Giulia TI

Alfa Romeo Giulia TI
Via Bonhams

The Alfa Romeo Giulia TI launched in 1962. It made use of the infamous Alfa Romeo twin-cam engine that produced 91 bhp, which made it one of the sweetest handling and nippiest sports sedans on the market. It was good-looking too, which enhanced the attractiveness of the car to the public.

Alfa romeo Giulia TI
Via motorsport.me

With this in mind, part of the reason why the TI is so underrated now is that many enthusiasts often opt for the later editions of the car. As the car was updated (the Giulia TI Super being one example), power was increased and the car became more competitive in racing. However, we would still buy the TI as it is so iconic in itself, and it would be brilliant to own a first edition of the Giulia family. For a name that still lives on, it is interesting to see how far the car has come.

6 Triumph TR5

triumph tr5
via pinterest.com

The Triumph TR5 was launched in 1967 and was much more powerful than the previous TR4. There was a less powerful version available in North America due to emissions regulations, and the car was marketed as the Triumph TR250. Coming with just 104 bhp in the US market, it wasn't exactly impressive, but it sold well.

Related: 15 Astonishing Cars That Were Only Made For One Year  

Triumph TR5
Via H&H Classics

Obviously, the car is very underrated because of its low power, but the car was actually pretty good. It was better than the TR6, while the TR5 versions in Europe were considerably powerful with 150 bhp on tap. While the quicker TR5 can now be imported to America, the TR250 is still worth considering.

5 Iso Rivolta GT

Iso Rivolta GT
Via Wikimedia Commons

Launched in 1962, the Iso Rivolta GT was a very impressive car by a brand that initially only built motor scooters. Interestingly, the chassis of the car was designed by Ferrari's Giotti Bizzarrini, and many considered it to be as beautiful as a contemporary Ferrari while costing less. It featured a GM-sourced V8 engine and could achieve 140 mph.

Iso Rivolta GT
Via Mecum

However, the car has remained heavily underrated. While it shared a lot of similarities to Ferrari cars without the cost or look of one, the car was still overshadowed by the Ferrari brand. As such, while sales were good back in the day (797 were made), the car doesn't garner as much interest now. While this is the case, we would still buy a Rivolta GT if it were in a good condition because it was truly a fantastic car that deserves accolades.

4 Fiat Dino Coupe

 Fiat Dino Coupe
Silodrome

The Fiat Dino Coupe launched in 1967, and it was designed by Bertone. It came with a Ferrari V6 engine too — the same as was fitted in the Dino 246. It produced 160 bhp and allowed the car to achieve a 124 mph top speed. Later 2400 models were even assembled in the Ferrari factory.

Related: A Detailed Look Back At The Fiat Dino 

 Fiat Dino coupe
wikipedia.org

However, the Coupe version of the Dino was overshadowed massively by the Dino Spider. The Spider was designed by Pininfarina, but still came with the same engine used by the Coupe - and both cars received the 2.4-liter engine in 1969 too. While the design of the Spider was more of a hit, the Coupe was still a fantastic car that certainly deserves more recognition. As such, we'd love to give one a go nowadays. The Coupe isn't exactly cheap, but it costs a lot less than buying a Fiat Dino Spider - sometimes by $100,000.

3 Volvo P1800

 volvo P1800
Hagerty

Released in 1961, the P1800 was stylish and reliable, yet not very powerful. Many were unimpressed with the lack of power as it came with 96 bhp and a top speed of 107 mph. As such, the car didn't live up to the sports car name. The engine's power may have been updated in the P1800E, but the initial P1800 remains underrated when you think about how reliable and stylish it was.

The Heart Of Volvo P1800 Was The B18 Engine, A 1.8-Liter Inline-Four That Managed To Make 100 Horses, Mated To A Manual Transmission
via Hagerty

While many have stayed away from investing in a P1800, the cars are actually quite easy to tune and update. Its long-lasting build quality isn't often taken into account, and buyers should definitely consider this when looking for a car, while also remembering that on the whole buying a P1800 is cheap.

2 TVR Grantura

TVR Grantura Mk III
Via Hagerty

The remaining final 4 editions of the TVR Grantura launched between 1962 and 1967. These editions came with a range of engines, including the 1800CC MGB which produced 95 bhp. There was also an emphasis on lightness, with the car weighing 1904 lbs. The Grantura chassis was used on the more popular Griffith, which was much more powerful.

TVR Grantura Mk4
Via TVR Blog

Any of these generations were extremely underrated because even though values are fairly good, the TVRs do not have the same reputation as the British sports cars of the same era like the Austin Healey 3000 and the Jaguar E-Type. While the TVR was in many ways quicker and better to drive, it remains underrated because it doesn't have the same popularity.

1 NSU Spider

NSU WANkel spider
Via Dyler

The NSU Spider was the first Western production car to be powered by a rotary engine, and the body was also designed by Bertone, making the car interesting in terms of engineering but also in terms of styling. It was never designed to be released for a lot of people, and there were only around 2400 ever made.

NSU wankel rotary first sports car
Via Pinterest

It wasn't that practical as a sports car, which made it quite undesirable for many. The rotary engine was not the best, but the car was actually incredibly well balanced and the gearbox was fantastic. For this reason, we would still pick up an NSU Spider. The car may not have made as much of an impressive use of the rotary engine as Mazda's models, but we still like it and would like to give one a go.

Next: 10 Most Underrated And Forgotten Sports Cars