Sure, in the long run, it might have been for the best, as we couldn't have kept running hundreds of thousands of big block V8's that averaged 8 miles per gallon on the roads, or we might already be completely out of oil by now. But automobile manufacturers were completely handcuffed by these sudden changes and as a result, took many years, and even decades, to get back on the right track. As such, if the sixties were the golden age of cars, then the late seventies and all of the eighties were easily the dark ages (making our current time period the renaissance - which fits the analogy pretty nicely).
The problem was, that unlike today, where engineers can figure out ways to not only increase fuel economy but even boost horsepower while doing so, in the seventies, the only idea that they could come up with to meet emissions regulations was to lower compression. And as the compression dropped, so too did the horsepower. If you take Corvette as an example, here's how the horsepower figures of their base 350 cu in. engines rated over the decade:
1970: 300 bhp*
1971: 270 bhp*
1972: 200 bhp
1973: 190 bhp
1974: 195 bhp
1975: 165 bhp
1976: 180 bhp
1977: 180 bhp
1978: 185 bhp
1979: 195 bhp
1980: 190 bhp
(*prior to 1972, horsepower was listed via the SAE gross standard rather than the SAE net figure that has been used ever since. As such, the drop in power from '71 to '72 isn't as dramatic as the numbers suggest.)
That's a lot of sub-200 horsepower cars. And 1975, are you kidding me? I would be so sad to arrive home with a 165 horsepower Corvette. Today's base model Toyota Camry makes 169 bhp, for crying out loud.
But, that was just the era it was. Since all cars were being stripped of their manhood at the time, the Corvette was still one of the fastest and most powerful being made. Luckily, in spite of this, the early seventies were still able to produce some classic models, from which I could formulate this week's list.
1970 Plymouth Road Runner
Layout: Mid Engine, Rear Wheel Drive
Engine: 7.2 L V8
Horsepower: 385 bhp
Torque: 490 ft lbs
Curb Weight: 3475 lbs
Top Speed: 118 mph
Zero to Sixty: 6.6 seconds
The Road Runner may have looked a little ridiculous in Superbird trim, but ridiculous was sort of the name of the game in the early seventies. How else would you explain them buying the rights to a Warner Brother's cartoon character for $50,000 and spending another ten grand to develop a horn that made that character's famous 'beep-beep' sound? Ok, that's actually kind of cool. Things can be both cool and ridiculous at the same time, right?
1970 Maserati Ghibli Spyder SS
Layout: Front Engine, Rear Wheel Drive
Engine: 4.9 L V8
Horsepower: 350 bhp
Torque: 355 ft lbs
Curb Weight: 3681 lbs
Top Speed: 177 mph
Zero to Sixty: 6.8 seconds
It wouldn't be right to go an entire decade without a sexy little Italian roadster. Sure, I'm usually first and foremost a Ferrari guy, but they didn't really do anything in the 70's to knock my socks off. Therefore the burden fell on it's often overlooked fellow countryman, Maserati, to provide us with the goods. And per usual, they didn't disappoint.
1975 TVR 3000M Turbo
Layout: Front Engine, Rear Wheel Drive
Engine: 3.0 L V6
Horsepower: 230 bhp
Torque: 273 ft lbs
Curb Weight: 2250 lbs
Top Speed: 140 mph
Zero to Sixty: 5.7 seconds
TVR has a very unique and interesting history. One almost as crazy as some of the cars that they produced over the years. And it pretty much all started here. Sure, they had been making cars since 1947, but the 'M' series cars were probably the genesis of what the company would eventually become, and forever be known for.
1973 De Tomaso Pantera GTS
Layout: Mid Engine, Rear Wheel Drive
Engine: 5.8 L V8
Horsepower: 335 bhp
Torque: 345 ft lbs
Curb Weight: 3123 lbs
Top Speed: 159 mph
Zero to Sixty: 5.5 seconds
This car might be more famous for the time Elvis shot his after it wouldn't start than for anything it ever did on a street or racetrack. But that's all a part of it's mystique. Much too good looking to be ignored, people bought it up for it's entire 21-year run, despite it's legendary reputation for being less than unreliable. When discussing a car's good looks, I don't know if there's a bigger compliment that you can pay it than that.
1970 Oldsmobile 442 W-30
Layout: Front Engine, Rear Wheel Drive
Engine: 7.5 L V8
Horsepower: 370 bhp
Torque: 500 ft lbs
Curb Weight: 3713 lbs
Top Speed: unknown
Zero to Sixty: 5.7 seconds
GM abandoned their 'nothing over 400 cu in.' mandate in 1970, and they did it with flare. Ford was stuffing a 428 cu in. into the Mustang, and Chrysler had a massive 440 cu in. available for all of it's cars. Corvette and Chevelle each got a 454 cu in. but apparently it wasn't enough, as Oldmobile rolled out the 455 cu in. for the mighty 442, easily winning the engine-displacement arms race for GM.
1973 Porsche 911 Carrera RS 2.7
Layout: Rear Engine, Rear Wheel Drive
Engine: 2.7 L Flat-6
Horsepower: 210 bhp
Torque: 188 ft lbs
Curb Weight: 2370 lbs
Top Speed: 149 mph
Zero to Sixty: 5.2 seconds
The 911 has been around for the past 48 years, with very few significant changes having been made over that time. Obviously, performance-wise, today's 911's would leave the old school ones for dust, but I still have a soft spot for the style that these classic 911's possessed. Sure, the rear engine made the back end slide out almost uncontrollably, but still, not everything is about pure performance. The old 911's had character. And I like a car with a little personality.
1973 Lancia Stratos HF
Layout: Mid Engine, Rear Wheel Drive
Engine: 2.4 L V6
Horsepower: 280 bhp
Torque: 203 ft lbs
Curb Weight: 1940 lbs
Top Speed: 144 mph
Zero to Sixty: 4.9 seconds
The Stratos was dominant in rally racing, winning the World Rally Championship in 1974, 75 and 76. It's one of the few cars ever to have been designed from the ground up solely for the purpose of rally racing. And as far as rally cars go, it is by far the best looking one ever produced. The much tamer road-going version wasn't much to write home about in terms of performance, but dressed up in it's famous Alitalia paint scheme, with the rally-tuned engine under the hood, the Stratos has become one of the most popular replica cars in history.
1970 Plymouth 'Cuda (Hemi)
Layout: Front Engine, Rear Wheel Drive
Engine: 7.0 L V8
Horsepower: 425 bhp
Torque: 490 ft lbs
Curb Weight: 3620 lbs
Top Speed: 117 mph
Zero to Sixty: 5.8 seconds
The mighty 'Cuda continues the Mopar dominance of the muscle car era. Ford had the Mustang, the Torino and the Cougar; GM had the Camaro, the GTO, the Chevelle and the 422; and even AMC threw it's hat into the ring. But with a stable featuring the 'Cuda, the Charger, the Challenger, the Road Runner and the GTX, no one was coming out ahead of Chrysler when it came to having the best muscle.
1970 Dodge Challenger R/T
Layout: Front Engine, Rear Wheel Drive
Engine: 7.2 L V8
Horsepower: 390 bhp
Torque: 490 ft lbs
Curb Weight: 3880 lbs
Top Speed: 120 mph
Zero to Sixty: 6.2 seconds
I love the Challenger. It's easily my favourite muscle car ever to come off the assembly lines in Detroit. Give me a pistol grip shifter and a shaker hood, and you've got the perfect car. It may have been a bit lazy on the designer's part, but you can't argue with the idea of bringing back this classic look on the new model. It gives me great pause when I consider how I might spend my money should my mighty Cavalier ever bite the dust.
1971 Lamborghini Miura SV
Layout: Mid Engine, Rear Wheel Drive
Engine: 3.9 L V12
Horsepower: 385 bhp
Torque: 295 ft lbs
Curb Weight: 2900 lbs
Top Speed: 170 mph
Zero to Sixty: 5.8 seconds
The Miura is pretty much the forefather of the modern supercar. The styling alone still influences cars to this day. But more importantly, it brought the mid-engine layout off of the race track and onto the street. And anyone worth their weight in carbon fibre will tell you that there's no more an ideal place to put an engine than right in the middle. This car would have finished in the top three on looks and performance alone, but throw in the historical significance, and there's no way it wasn't going to finish in first place.
Honourable Mentions:
1971 Pontiac Firebird Trans Am
1974 Maserati Bora
1970 Volve 1800E
1970 Datsun 240Z
