Autoexpress lists 10 legendary cars of the 1970s

The decade that many call “a time when beautiful cars were rare” actually produced many innovative, charismatic and technically advanced cars. Experts have identified 35 models, but the first ten from the Autoexpress list deserve special attention.

Opening the list is the Saab 99 Turbo, a car that in 1978 proved that turbocharging could not only increase power, but also maintain the efficiency of a four-cylinder engine, delivering the smooth torque of a larger engine.

Second on the list is the Porsche 911 Carrera RS 2.7. It weighed less than a ton thanks to thin steel, lightweight glass and carbon bumpers, and its 210-horsepower engine accelerated the car to hundreds in 5.8 seconds. It was on this model that the legendary “duck tail” first appeared – a wing that reduces lift on the rear axle.

Third place was taken by the Renault 5, a French bestseller with a circulation of 5.5 million copies, which, despite its compact size, offered a spacious interior and subsequently acquired hot versions Alpine and Turbo.

The fourth was the Volvo 240, a car that became a symbol of the middle class and defined the brand’s image for a generation thanks to its boxy design, practical solutions like a removable boot cover and revolutionary safety systems for its time, including an intrusive audible warning for unfastened seat belts.

Rounding out the top five is the Porsche 928, launched in 1977. It’s a front-engine V8 coupe with four seats. It has painted plastic bumpers and a transmission in the rear for a perfect 50:50 weight distribution.

Sixth in the ranking is the Mercedes G-Wagen, which first entered the civilian market in 1979. Originally created for the German military, it later became a legend, especially after AMG installed a 5.5-liter V8 under its hood.

The seventh position was taken by the Citroen SM, the flagship of the French brand, equipped with a V6 engine from Maserati, a unique hydropneumatic suspension and a design that stood out even against the background of much more expensive cars. However, the complexity of the design made it unreliable without careful maintenance, leading to the model being discontinued after just five years.

Eighth was the Honda Civic Mk1 – the car that paved the way for Japanese brands in Europe. It is reliable, cheap to maintain, has an attractive design and a spacious interior.

Ninth place went to the BMW E9 3.0 CSL “Batmobile”. With thin panels, plexiglass glass and no sound insulation, its inline six produced 206 hp, and customers received the famous rear wing separately and installed it themselves due to German bureaucratic restrictions.

Rounding out the top ten is the Alfa Romeo Alfasud, a front-wheel drive compact sedan designed by the legendary Giorgetto Giugiaro. Thanks to its boxer engine with a low center of gravity and sharp rack and pinion steering, the Alfasud was considered the best-handling compact car of its time, although its reputation was tarnished by the terrible quality of the steel, which caused the bodies to literally crumble from corrosion.

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