Good, bad or ugly? The new cars of 1970

It's not just the Range Rover that's celebrating its 50th birthday this year…

Car makers had a busy year in 1970, with dozens of new models launched around the globe. Here we pick 50 cars that are 50 years old this year – some of which enjoyed a far higher profile than others. Which can you remember?

Alfa Romeo Montreal

First seen in concept form at the Montreal-based Expo 67, the Alfa Romeo Montreal arrived in production form three years later at the 1970 Geneva motor show. Designed by Bertone and powered by a front-mounted 2.6-litre V8 engine, production lasted right the way through to 1977, by which point just 3907 had been built, 180 of which were right-hand drive.

AMC Gremlin

The Volkswagen Beetle sold well in the US throughout the 1960s, making it clear that there was an appetite for economy cars. As a result American Motors Corporation (AMC) introduced its own take on the cheap car formula; the Gremlin hatchback which initially came only with a 3.3-litre six-cylinder engine, later upgraded to a 3.8-litre unit.

A 2.0-litre VW-built four-pot was introduced for the truly economy-minded, but not until 1977. Production ended two years later, with 671,475 Gremlins made – making it AMC's most popular car ever.

Austin Kimberley & Tasman

While European buyers got the Austin/Morris 1800 and 2200 (nicknamed the Landcrab), for Australia and New Zealand the bodywork was redesigned and the car was sold as the Tasman or Kimberley.

While the former model was the entry-level edition, the latter was more plush but both came with a 2.2-litre six-cylinder engine, mounted transversely in the nose to drive the front wheels via a four-speed manual or three-speed automatic transmission.

Bond Bug

British firm Sharps Commercials set up shop in 1922 before changing its name to Bond in 1963. The company was best known for its three-wheelers, much like Reliant which bought Bond in 1969. When Reliant launched the bonkers wedge-shaped Bug in 1970 it decided to retain the Bond name in case it proved to be a sales disaster.

In the event the Bug sold reasonably well with 2270 shifted in four years, but when the Bug was axed in 1974 it took the Bond name with it.

Buick Riviera

One of the all-time great car designs, the boat-tailed third-generation Buick Riviera - which arrived in 1970 for the 1971 model year - was a masterpiece courtesy of GM stylist Jerry Hirshberg (1940-2019).

The Riviera was Buick's personal luxury car, from its arrival in 1963 until it was axed in 1999, which is why it was powered by a 7.5-litre (455ci) V8 that was as unstressed as they came – it was tuned to produce just 255bhp. Despite now being very collectible, in period the Riviera wasn't as popular as GM had hoped it would be.

Cadillac Eldorado

The original Cadillac Eldorado appeared in 1953; in 1970 the ninth-generation Eldorado made its debut. The big change had come with the introduction of the eighth-generation Eldorado, when it switched from rear- to front-wheel drive; the Mk9 built on this with even more of everything and it proved a winner, which is why almost 350,000 examples were sold in a seven-year production run.

Chevrolet Camaro

First seen in 1967 to take on Ford's all-conquering Mustang, the Chevrolet Camaro got a complete overhaul for 1970, with further significant updates coming throughout the 1970s. Launched with a choice of six- and eight-cylinder engines, power outputs were well down on the heady days of the sixties muscle car era – thanks to emissions regulations the 5.7-litre V8 was rated at just 145bhp in 1975.

Chrysler 160, 180 & 2-litre

You could be forgiven for not even realising that this car ever existed, such is its invisibility. Yet the Chrysler 160, 180 and 2-Litre was in production for a full decade and was sold in Europe in both Chrysler and Simca forms. It was also sold in Australia as the Chrysler Centura.

There were 1.6-, 1.8- and 2.0-litre engines available, along with a 1.9-litre diesel – if more than a couple of dozen have survived globally we'd be amazed.

Citroën SM

Citroën bought Maserati in 1968, and one of the many fruits of this association was the SM, a grand tourer par excellence. Powered by a 2.7-litre V6 (later a 3.0-litre unit), the SM's engine was essentially three-quarters of a Maserati V8.

There was way-out styling, hydropneumatic suspension and front-wheel drive, so it was all typically Citroën. Production ran until 1975, by which point 12,920 Citroën SMs had been made.

Citroën GS

At the opposite end of the spectrum from the SM was the more wallet-friendly Citroën GS, a family saloon powered by an all-new air-cooled four-cylinder engine that gave performance with economy thanks to the wind-cheating bodywork. Great to drive, refined and practical, the GS was voted European Car of the Year in 1971.

Production lasted until 1986, with the GS having been facelifted to become the GSA hatchback and estate in 1979.

Costin Amigo

Frank Costin (1920-1995) designed cars for British firms Marcos and TVR in the 1960s, then decided to branch out on his own with the Amigo in 1970. Featuring a wooden chassis and glassfibre bodywork, the Amigo was aerodynamic which is why its 1975cc engine could take it all the way to 137mph.

But the Amigo was too costly to compete with more mainstream alternatives and just eight were made before Costin shut up shop in 1972.

Datsun Cherry

The Cherry 100A was a turning point for Datsun, because until its arrival the Japanese company was a bit player globally. The Cherry was Datsun's first front-wheel drive model and as a compact car it was aimed very much at the budget end of the market.

Despite this it came with all-independent suspension and disc brakes up front; power came from 988cc or 1171cc engines. Between 1970 and 1974 a healthy 389,807 Cherrys were made, benefitting from the oil crisis of 1971 when fuel prices soared; most rusted away years ago though.

De Tomaso Deauville

Introduced at the 1970 Turin motor show, the De Tomaso Deauville is one of those cars that failed to make much of an impact despite a production run that lasted 14 years. With just 244 examples made in that time it didn't exactly set the sales charts alight.

Power came from a 351cu in (5763cc) Ford-sourced V8 while styling seemed to resemble future Jaguars.

De Tomaso Pantera

De Tomaso had a busy year in 1970 as this was also when it introduced its biggest-selling model, the Pantera. A healthy 7260 Panteras were made over 22 years, all but one powered by a mid-mounted V8 engine; a 2.7-litre V6 was produced in 1973 in response to the fuel crisis.

The original Pantera was designed by Tom Tjaarda (1934-2017) but in 1992 a heavily revised car was launched, the Pantera SI, styled by Marcello Gandini (born 1938). Just 38 of these were made however – or 41 depending on who you listen to.

Technical Exponents TX Tripper

Fairthorpe produced a series of niche glassfibre-bodied cars from 1954. All sold in small numbers but in the company's final years (it shut up shop in 1976 having changed its name to Technical Exponents) its cars were wackier than ever.

The TX Tripper was a cross between a beach buggy and a sports car, powered by Ford or Triumph engines. About 20 were made.

Ford Cortina Mk3

There was a time when Ford of Europe's big family cars dominated the sales charts, typified by the Cortina. The first iteration arrived in 1962 and was heavily facelifted in 1966 when the Cortina Mk2 made its debut.

The Cortina Mk3 embraced a completely different design with its Coke-bottle lines imported from the US. Available in saloon and estate forms with a wide variety of engines and trims, there was a Cortina Mk3 for everyone.

Ford Escort Mexico, RS2000 & RS1600

We've enjoyed almost six decades of fast Fords, but it wasn't until the launch of a series of sporting Mk1 Escorts that the Blue Oval really got into its stride. In 1970 Ford launched two of them; the very rare (and valuable) RS1600 with a Cosworth-developed 16-valve engine, plus a more mainstream Mexico with a 1.6-litre Kent powerplant.

Three years later the RS2000 would arrive, completing the hat-trick.

Ford Falcon

The Ford Falcon was introduced in 1960 for buyers wanting a car that was more compact than the gargantuan full-size options that proliferated back then. Originally launched for US and Australian markets, by 1970 the Falcon had been axed in America so it remained solely for buyers in Oz.

While the regular Falcon has a certain following, the GTHO Phase III that also arrived in 1970 is now a true collector's classic, with its 351ci Cleveland V8.

Ford GT70

Here's one that didn’t make it. Ford built four prototypes, each powered by a mid-mounted 2.7-litre V6 engine, and featuring a steel platform with a plastic bodyshell. The GT70 was intended to be Ford's answer to the Lancia Stratos but the company didn't have the cash to develop it so the project was axed and instead the more conventional Escort RS1600 was developed.

Ford Pinto

A car that would cause its maker enormous problems over the safety of its fuel tank, the Pinto was also Ford's smallest vehicle when it went on sale, and Ford’s first ‘subcompact’. Later also sold as the Mercury Bobcat, the Pinto came with engines as small as a 1.6-litre four-cylinder unit – even the largest powerplant was merely a 2.8-litre V6.

Despite its problems, the Pinto was a smash hit during a period when fuel prices were generally much higher than Americans were used to; a cool 3.2 million were sold up to 1980.

Ginetta G21

Just 80 or so Ginetta G21s were built between 1970 and 1978, most powered by a 1725cc four-cylinder engine taken from the Rootes parts bin – a handful of cars were made with a Ford 3.0-litre Essex V6 however.

The G21 was a neatly designed 2+2 with a glassfibre body on a steel backbone chassis with all cars sold ready to go rather than as kits.

Hillman Avenger

Uninspiring family cars were often the order of the day in the 1970s. Step forward the Hillman Avenger which was also sold in North America and Canada as the Plymouth Cricket. Offered in saloon and estate forms, the Avenger remained in production for 20 years, during which time it was sold in Chrysler, Talbot, Sunbeam, Dodge and even Volkswagen forms.

Honda Z coupé

One of the cutest little buzzboxes ever to come out of Japan's kei car legislation, the Honda Z featured a 354cc two-cylinder air-cooled engine in its home market, whereas export models got a thundering great 598cc powerplant delivering a throbbing 36bhp. Usually fitted with a four-speed manual gearbox, a five-speed transmission was available, while the diminutive Honda was also the first kei car to be offered in automatic form.

Lada 1200

Fiat launched the 124 in 1966 to enormous critical acclaim, which is why it was the 1967 European Car of the Year. In 1970 the 124 went into production Russia as the 2101, licensed by VAZ and later sold in Britain, Australia and Japan as the Lada 1200.

Later would come the 2101 estate as well as 1300, 1500 and 1600 editions – along with a rotary-engined model made for the Soviet police only.

Lamborghini Jarama

A low-profile Lamborghini might seem like a contradiction in terms but that's what the Jarama was. With just 328 examples made between 1970 and 1976, the Jarama 2+2 picked up where the Islero grand tourer left off.

Designed by Marcello Gandini (born 1938), the Jarama featured Lamborghini's V12 engine in 3.9-litre form, mounted up front.

Lamborghini Urraco

Lamborghini whisked the covers off the Urraco at the 1970 Turin motor show, starting a new chapter in the company's life. From its emergence in 1963 Lamborghini had built cars only with V12 power, but the Urraco 2+2 featured a mid-mounted V8 in 2.0-, 2.5- or 3.0-litre forms.

A hefty facelift in 1976 turned the Urraco into the targa-topped Silhouette which then morphed into the Jalpa in 1981.

Lotus Seven S4

Few cars are as revered as the Lotus Seven, the sports car that launched 1000 replicas. But few (if any) are of this final iteration before production passed to Caterham in 1973. While the Series 1, 2 and 3 were pretty, the Series 4 was ungainly with its glassfibre bodyshell and more generous proportions.

Vaguely more comfortable and practical than earlier Sevens, the S4 was still light, agile and hence a hoot to drive, and quick too with its 1.3- or 1.6-litre Ford engines.

Marcos 3-litre

Marcos introduced its 1800 in 1964, with a 1.8-litre Volvo engine; two years later the GT took over with a 1.5-litre Ford four-cylinder engine. Two years later, in 1968, came the first six-cylinder Marcos GT, with a Ford 3.0-litre V6 Essex powerplant – but for the US market, from the start of 1970, a Volvo 3.0-litre straight-six was offered instead.

Marcos would go on to offer this powerplant in other markets around the world – until the company went out of business in 1972.

Marcos Mantis

Throughout the 1960s Marcos gained itself quite a following with its sharply styled two-seaters, then for the arrival of a new decade it lost its head and decided to launch this ungainly four-seater that looked terrible from every angle.

Powered by a fuel-injected 2.5-litre Triumph-sourced straight-six, just 32 copies of the Mantis were made before Marcos went down in 1972. The Mantis was revived in the 1980s though, as the Autotune Mirage.

Mazda Capella

The Mazda Capella was an utterly conventional mid-sized family saloon or coupé that came with pushrod engines, rear-wheel drive and a solid beam rear axle. Aside from being better equipped and more reliable than its contemporary European rivals there was little to recommend it, but for those who wanted something different the RX-2 arrived in the same year. This was a Capella with a 130bhp twin-rotor Wankel rotary engine to give 115mph. We’d love to know if any survive today.

Mercedes C-111

Mercedes produced no fewer than 16 C111s across four distinct iterations. The first was shown at the 1969 Frankfurt motor show, the second appeared six months later at the 1970 Geneva show.

Both cars featured Wankel rotary engines, supercar styling and lightweight construction; a glassfibre bodyshell was riveted and bonded to a steel frame. This second edition of the C111 featured a four-rotor engine rated at 350bhp, which was enough to take the car all the way to a verified 186mph, so it was no static show car.

Mercury Cougar

Mercury was introduced by Ford as a premium brand that was still relatively affordable; above that was Lincoln for those with the real money. Buoyed by the tremendous success of the Mustang, in 1967 Ford gave Mercury its own pony car in the form of the Cougar, which arrived in second-generation form in 1970 for the 1971 model year.

Buyers could choose between a coupé or convertible, initially with up to 370bhp – although by 1972 the standard 351ci V8 was rated at just 163bhp. PICTURE: 1972 Cougar XR-7

Monteverdi Hai 450

Swiss businessman Peter Monteverdi (1934-1998) set up his own car brand in 1967, to build luxury grand tourers. However, in 1970 he introduced the Hai, a fully fledged two-seater supercar.

Just two Monteverdi Hais were built, with another couple made later on from spare parts. Power came from a 7.0-litre Chrysler Hemi V8, tuned to give 450bhp and 180mph. With air-con and power everything, this was one luxurious supercar – but build quality wasn’t up to scratch and buyers stayed away.

Opel Ascona

Slotting into Opel's range between the Kadett and the Rekord, the Ascona was a mid-sized family car that came in saloon or estate flavours with a choice of 1.2-, 1.6- or 1.9-litre engines.

While the first two offered little in the way of excitement, the 1.9-litre engine allowed the Ascona to be successful in competition, especially in the hands of Walter Rohrl (born 1947) who won the 1974 European Rally Championship in one.

Opel Manta

The astonishing success of the Ford Mustang in the US led to a raft of coupés based on family cars, on both sides of the Atlantic. The first in Europe was the Ford Capri; hot on its heels was the Opel Manta which came in 1.2-litre (in Europe only) and 1.9-litre forms.

Stylish and fun, the Manta remained in production until 1988, by which point it had received two hefty overhauls.

Peugeot 304 convertible

Peugeot introduced the 304 saloon late in 1969 and very worthy though it was, it was the convertible that arrived a year later that was the most alluring model in the range, which also featured a saloon, estate, coupé and van.

Strictly a two-seater, the 304 convertible came with a 65bhp (later 75bhp) 1288cc four-pot so it was no ball of fire, but it looked superb and over five years more than 18,000 of them were made. Try finding one now…

Pontiac Firebird

General Motors introduced two rivals to the Ford Mustang in 1967: the Chevrolet Camaro and the Pontiac Firebird. And just like its cousin, a second-generation Firebird appeared in 1970 with mainly V8 engines although a six-pot was offered.

As with the Camaro, things went downhill from there, the low point being a 100bhp straight-six option in 1974, although things got better after that with production continuing until a third-generation Firebird reached the market in 1982. PICTURE: 1971 Firebird

Range Rover

It wasn't the first luxury SUV as the Jeep Wagoneer beat it by seven years – and the original Range Rover wasn't even all that luxurious. But the Range Rover was a true go-anywhere vehicle that was far less agricultural than its forebears or rivals, and over time it would become ever more plush.

Production lasted until 1996 – two years after its successor had gone on sale, such was its popularity, and survivors are valuable.

Saab Sonett III

Saab's forgotten sports car, the Sonett III (this was the third take on the formula) featured Ford V4 engines in either 1.5- or 1.7-litre forms which powered the front wheels via a four-speed manual gearbox.

Developed for the US market, sales were too low for Saab to be able to justify further expense on meeting legislation and the Sonett was axed in 1974 after 8368 had been built.

Simca 1204 Special

When Simca launched its 1100 in 1967 it was one of the world's first front-wheel drive hatchbacks, but the 1204 Special that came three years later was even more innovative as it was arguably the world's first hot hatch.

Engineered as a high-performance version of a mainstream family car, the Simca 1204 Special featured a twin-carb 1204cc engine rated at 75bhp to give 100mph. That might seem tame now, but back then it was pretty racy…

Skoda 110R

The rear-engined Skoda 1000MB of 1964 marked the start of a new era for this Czech company, with its modern design. The 1000MB was superseded by the 1.0-litre Skoda 100 saloon in 1969; a year later the 1.1-litre 110 arrived, along with a smart-looking coupé called the 110R.

Produced for a whole decade, the 110R could top 90mph despite being powered by a mere 1107cc four-cylinder engine. Few are left but in period these distinctive coupés were giant killers in rallying.

Sunbeam Vogue

The Sunbeam Vogue must qualify for having the shortest ever production run of a mainstream family car – just six months. Introduced in 1966 as the Singer Vogue, when the Singer marque was axed by Britain’s Rootes Group in 1970, the car carried on – albeit only very briefly – as a Sunbeam, with a 1725cc engine to give a top speed of around 90mph.

Suzuki Jimny

The Suzuki Jimny is still with us, but here's where it all started, four generations ago. The Suzuki Jimny has always been an off-roader for the impecunious but the original model that launched in 1970 took this to extremes with its 359cc engine to fit in with kei car regulations.

The two-cylinder two-stroke unit generated just 25bhp to give a 47mph top speed.

Toyota Carina

A year after Toyota unveiled the Corona (and no, there was no Virus special edition), it released the slightly smaller Carina saloon. Offered with two doors or four and powered by 1407cc or 1588cc engines, the Carina was utterly conventional but well equipped and reliable – characteristics which would win Toyota a lot of loyal followers.

Not that the Carina sold very well – but it did lay the foundations for future domination.

Toyota Celica

Few people took Japan's car industry seriously at the start of the seventies. The country had started to export its products just a few years earlier and they were mainly economy cars – then along came this smartly styled coupé which aped the Ford Mustang's design. In 1.4-litre form it wasn't all that sporty but export models were quicker, especially in 1600 twin-cam or 2.0-litre forms. Production lasted until 1977, with another six generations of Celica following.

Toyota Corolla E20

The biggest-selling nameplate in the history of motoring, the second-generation Toyota Corolla was pitched squarely at the contemporary Ford Escort Mk1 which had appeared in 1968. Whereas UK buyers had to settle for an 1166cc engine, Americans could choose between 1407cc and 1588cc units, the latter also offered in twin-cam form for a bit of added sportiness.

Triumph Stag

Known as the Triumph Snag in period because of its many reliability issues, the Stag had plenty to recommend it. After all, it was an affordable V8-powered four-seat convertible that sounded sensational. It looked pretty smart too, with its Michelotti styling. But its unique-to-the-Stag 3.0-litre V8 engine proved very unreliable and in a seven-year production run just 25,939 Stags were built.

Triumph Toledo

Triumph had the most confusing range imaginable in the seventies. There were the front-wheel drive 1300 and 1500 along with the rear-wheel drive Toledo, Dolomite and 1500TC – all four-door compact saloons.

However, unlike the other models the Toledo was also offered in two-door form with either a 1296cc or 1493cc engine, the latter for export only. With tidy handling and a relatively luxurious interior the Toledo was a cut above most small family saloons, but it's now largely forgotten.

Vauxhall Viva HC

When it comes to automotive grey porridge, few contenders are as nondescript as the rear-wheel drive Vauxhall Viva HC, the third and final iteration of a small family car that started with the Viva HA in 1963.

After the rather stylish Viva HB the HC was rather bland stylistically and it was utterly conventional mechanically. But it still sold well up until 1979 when it gave way to the front-wheel drive Vauxhall Astra and Opel Kadett hatchbacks.

Volkswagen K70

The wankel-engined – and very technically advanced – Ro80 bankrupted NSU, which was bought for a song by Volkswagen in 1969. NSU had been working on a more conventional family car than the Ro80, with a water-cooled piston engine which drove the front wheels.

The plan was to launch the new saloon at the 1969 Geneva motor show as an NSU; in the event it made its debut a year later as a Volkswagen. Production ran until 1975 with 211,127 K70s made.

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