1970s supercars
Thu, 10 Jul 2008
By Tim Pollard and Ben Oliver
10 July 2008 16:02
Supercars in the Seventies
Lamborghini continued to define the supercar in the ’70s, building on the success of the dramatic Miura with the brutal and startling silhouette of the Countach. But Lambo’s nemesis Ferrari was never far behind, and the two Italian thoroughbreds dominated the market, with a succession of beautiful supercars throughout the decade. Despite the threat of the global oil crisis, the Germans started to muscle in on supercar territory with the rare BMW M1 and Porsche's upstart sports car, the 911 Turbo.
Browse our GBU-style pick of the decade's landmarks below – and vote for your favourite supercar decade in our poll
Make and model
Year
Price
Engine
0-60mph
Top speed
1973
£14,610
4390cc flat 12, 360bhp, 311lb ft
5.4sec
175mph
For
Pininfarina's styling set the look for Ferraris until well
into the 1980s
Against
Ferrari's answer to the Miura arrived seven years late
Verdict
A seminal Ferrari for styling and engineering, too often overlooked
Ferrari's first mid-engined V12 was good enough to stay in production for nine years, bridging the huge gap between the Sixties Daytona and the Testarossa of the Eighties
Related Articles: Other Ferrari stories
Make and model
Year
Price
Engine
0-60mph
Top speed
Porsche 911 Turbo
1974
£14,749
2994cc flat six, 260bhp, 253lb ft
6.0sec
155mph
For
The car that took the 911 into supercar territory; a legend was born
Against
Everything you've heard about the handling of early cars is an
understatement. A rollercoaster drive
Verdict
Is it a true supercar? Drive one and try to deny it
What a transformation: the first 911 Turbos had terrifying handling, evil turbo-lag but only around 260bhp. Modern 997 iteration has power and grip in spades – but it's taken 33 years of development
Related Articles: News | Car reviews | Other Porsche stories
Make and model
Year
Price
Engine
0-60mph
Top speed
1974
£16,134
3929cc V12, 375bhp, 286lb ft
5.6sec
174mph
For
In production for 16 years, and still gob-smacking now
Against
It took them most of that time to make it driveable and reliable
Verdict
Say supercar and you picture a Countach
How did Lambo top the revolutionary Miura? By slotting the engine and gearbox not just transversely, but backwards into its successor, and getting Gandini to produce an even more extraordinary shape. Adorned many a bedroom wall to keep Athena profits sky-high
Related Articles: Other Lamborghini stories
Make and model
Year
Price
Engine
0-60mph
Top speed
1978
£26,810
3453cc straight six, 277bhp, 239lb ft
5.8sec
161mph
For
Spawned the Procar F1 support races: often better than the main event
Against
'Only' 277bhp in road trim
Verdict
There's been a supercar-shaped hole in BMW's range ever since
BMW's only mid-engined supercar nearly never happened: Lamborghini was asked to develop it, then almost went bust. Built in tiny numbers (fewer than 500), but the glorious straight-six lived on in the first M5 and M6
Related Articles: News | Other BMW stories
By Tim Pollard and Ben Oliver