The 1970s were marked by jaw-dropping wedge-shaped cars and more aerodynamic designs. Consequently, this also meant higher top speeds than ever before. The old muscle car recipe of putting a massive engine in an everyday car was no longer enough to make the world's fastest cars. And lighter, more aerodynamic sports cars were the ones who pushed the speedometer to the highest numbers.
Interestingly, all these innovations came about amid world recession coupled with an oil embargo that almost crippled the production of major automakers worldwide. In fact, the problems experienced in the motor industry helped inspire the production of fuel-efficient and environmentally-friendly cars. Many of the radical car design elements of that decade have spilled over through the years and are still seen in some of today's models.
For those of you who weren't born to witness this era or are just curious about the cars that ruled the streets in the '70s, here's a list of the fastest and most competent sports cars of that generation.
15 1970 Porsche 917: 225 MPH
The long-tail Porsche 917 proved unbeatable during the Le Mans championship of the '70s. The car became synonymous with speed, with the carmaker subsequently producing multiple variants of the 917.
The 917/30 Can-Am variants sported 5-liter engines pushing the cars to 60 mph in 5.3 seconds. Overall-tested top speed clocked 225 mph, which was absolutely ridiculous for that time.
14 1970 Ferrari GT4 Berlinetta Boxer: 186 MPH
Without the Berniletta Boxer, perhaps Ferrari wouldn’t be what it is today. The GT4 Boxer can be credited with many firsts, and so it was the very first Ferrari to wrench a 12-Cylinder engine at the vehicle’s mid-body position. Although the carmaker hoped to devour the 200 mph mark with the Boxer, it could only manage 186 mph at best. And that was terrific in the '70s.
13 1970 Monteverdi Hai 450 SS: 185 MPH
No, it's not a Ferrari, but it's just as beautiful. The stance you see featured here is based on Italian styling while the sturdy body frame was built to match German quality. The Hai (German: Shark) 450 SS was field-proven with a 426 V8 under the hood. The car could make a 0-60 mph dash in a mind-boggling 4.7 seconds, thus making it the quickest among the pack of that decade.
12 1974 Lamborghini Countach LP400: 179 MPH
Present-day race cars largely owe their design nomenclature to Lamborghini’s platform. The street-legal Lambo comes laden with a protective frame of high impact material that hooks securely to the Countach's iconic polygonal styling.
Designer Bertone, in conjunction with the carmaker, crafted this awesome Lambo sport and gifted it with a V12 engine. Under the hood was a 3929cc, 370 hp arsenal that gave this Lambo the much-needed 179 mph on the street.
11 1977 Aston Martin V8 Vantage: 170 MPH
A V8 Vantage engine, inlet manifolds, air-box, assorted plugs, upgraded camshafts, all formed the core of a machine to perform wonders on the road. This Aston could sprint at 170 miles an hour.
10 1970 BMW M1 Procar: 164 MPH
The M1 was conceptualized right from the drawing board for the race track but the carmaker later trimmed its specs to comply with street-legal rules. The one on this list was the 31st roll-out among the only 40 units built by BMW. The carmaker later tuned the M1 to accept an 850 turbo engine (273 hp) that could crank 164 mph. This rare gem is up for grabs in the US for $500,000.
9 1975 Jaguar XJS: 162 MPH
Jaguar entered the competitive auto-sports world in 1975 bringing with it not only the stunning appearance on the scene but a powerful V-12, naturally aspirated engine. This coupe could accelerate stunningly as well, covering 0-62 mph in 6.8 seconds while its maximum ever recorded speed redlined at 162 mph. The XJS model was dogged with reliability issues over its lifetime and is now an affordable classic to collect.
8 1979 Ferrari 308 GTS: 157 MPH
The 1979 Ferrari 308 GTS was yet another Italian two-door model. It really was a head-turner of the '70s. The V-8, 224-hp engine packed a respectable powertrain wit a five-speed manual gearbox. The GTS, though manufactured in Italy, found most of its customers in North America and Britain.
7 1970 Ferrari 365 GT (2+2): 156 MPH
The Italian-made Ferrari 365 GT debuted as a two-door coupe with a characteristic fastback body design. Like most other car engines of the time, the 365 was mated to a five-speed manually-operated transmission. And with a net horsepower of 315, the model could sweep 0-60 mph in 6.2 seconds.
6 1971 De Tomaso Mangusta: 155 MPH
The lesser-known Mangusta was first launched in 1966 and thereafter many more were rolled out by Lamborghini. With bare similarity with its earlier sibling; the Vallelunga, the 1971 Mangusta model was configured with mid-engine specs. After a while, the Mangusta’s 4-cylinder engine was replaced by the more powerful V8. Not only could it do 0-60 mph in under seven seconds, but the model also became one of Italy’s iconic supercars.
5 1970 Chrysler Hemi: 155 MPH
Among the V8 gasoline engines that Chrysler built in the '70s, this one came with a Hemi. Chrysler designed Hemi’s combustion chambers with hemispherical topology with one goal in mind - to create monstrous firepower.
Chrysler had been producing Hemi (trademark) engines since 1951 which performed quite well during those decades. To describe how lethal the Chrysler's Hemi of the '70s was, we're talking figures such as 425 hp, 490 lb/ft of torque, and a top speed of 155 MPH.
4 1971 Chevrolet Corvette ZR2: 152 MPH
The Corvette ZR2 also came standard with an 8-cylinder (7.4-liter) engine and also came in a two-door convertible version. The original versions had their engines naturally aspirated while pumping power to the rear wheels. Although the overhead valves looked somewhat badass, the output performance far outweighed the looks with an impressive sprint of 0-60 mph in 5.3 seconds.
3 1970 Dodge Challenger: 146 MPH
Mopar’s E-body styling was the new buzzword among the fans who liked the Barracuda and the Dodge Challenger at the time. They featured a wider, long-truncated body design. The two models had some body parts that could inter-changeably be fitted to each other. Most owners were satisfied with its 383-ci V8 engine that could register 0 to 60 miles per hour at below six seconds. And that was super-quick indeed for the '70s.
2 1971 Plymouth GTX 440: 145 MPH
Although it came standard with a 440 V8, a 426 Hemi was an option. The GTX was a little pricey compared to its Mopar cousins and so was short of popularity. Before exiting the auto stage in 1971, the GTX did perform respectably with its 440-ci; V8 engine that could handle 0-60 mph in 6.5 seconds. This was impressive considering that this was 1970.
1 1970 Chevrolet Chevelle SS LS6: 142 mph
The Chevelle was by no means attractive, despite its intimidating posture. From its package to its performance, the Chevy Chevelle did not just meet the standards of a muscle car at the time; it set an entirely new one, producing an insane dose of 450 horsepower (at least). Media houses rated the Chevelle SS LS6 among the 10 best muscle cars of the '70s.