1970s coupés with flair
The 1970s might be remembered for fashion such as flared trousers, but there were plenty of classic coupés with flair that arrived in this decade.
As the rounded style of the 1960s gave way to a bolder, sharper look in the ’70s, coupés often led the way for more humble models to follow.
And these two-door fastbacks were not just the preserve of exotic manufacturers, as many mainstream car makers included a coupé or two to add some glamour to their forecourts.
Here’s a selection of stylish 1970s coupés, which are listed alphabetically.
1. Alfa Romeo Alfetta GT
Alfa Romeo’s pert 105-series coupés gave way to the sharper-edged Alfetta fastbacks in the 1970s, starting with the GT in 1974.
Based on the mid-sized Alfetta saloon, the GT came with rear-drive and a perky, 1.8-litre, twin-cam engine to begin with.
This was superseded by a 1.6-litre motor in 1976, and a 2-litre engine was the most potent standard version of this decade – the V6 didn’t arrive until 1981.
Alfa’s Autodelta competition arm offered a turbocharged model in 1979 and 400 were made to homologate the car for racing.
One of the most distinctive features of the Alfetta was the oddball dashboard design of early models. This placed the rev counter directly in front of the driver’s line of sight, but all other gauges were huddled in a central binnacle.
2. Alfa Romeo Montreal
Alfa Romeo hit the decade running with the launch of the Montreal in 1970.
Based on the concept car that was shown at Expo 67 in Montreal, Canada, this was a bold move by Alfa to take on the likes of Maserati and Porsche.
Beneath the svelte Marcello Gandini-styled lines of the coupé, which included eyebrow covers for the headlights, was a 2.6-litre V8 engine, a detuned version of the T33 racing car’s engine, which gave mechanics nightmares when working on it.
Even so, with around 200bhp, the Montreal was good for 137mph and 0-60mph in 7.4 secs, which was good, but not enough to tempt sufficient buyers away from its rivals.
As a consequence, only 3925 Montreals were built up to the car’s demise in 1977.
3. Aston Martin V8
In Aston Martin-speak, this model is the V8 saloon, yet it was clearly a coupé in profile and intent.
Based closely on the DBS V8 Saloon, the new V8 model that arrived in 1972 had a cleaner, less fussy, front-end style, which went on to serve the company throughout the 1980s and into the ’90s.
When Aston Martin introduced the V8 Vantage in 1977, it was the fastest production car in the world, with a top speed of 170mph. It was also hailed as the UK’s first true supercar.
4. Audi 100 Coupé S
It may not have had the performance to match its graceful looks, but the Audi 100 Coupé S could carry four people, plus luggage, in considerable comfort.
Based on the 100 saloon, the Coupé S received a stylish makeover by Ruprecht Neuner and went on to be a steady seller in Audi’s range up to 1976.
Power for the 100 Coupé S came from the same 1.9-litre petrol engine as the saloon. This was enough to power it to 112mph, but the S was more about travelling in style than outright speed.
A measure of how much Audi wanted this car to stand out from its four-door counterpart is that the Coupé S shares almost no body parts with the saloon, which made it expensive to build.
This also explains why production reached only 30,687 in total.
5. BMW 6 Series
BMW needed something special to replace the much-loved CS coupé range and it hit a bullseye with the Paul-Bracq-styled 6 Series.
Much more than a two-door version of the 7 Series luxury saloon that would arrive a year after the 6’s 1976 launch, this new coupé mixed sporting dynamics with effortless style.
There was also enough room in the cabin for four, plus a big boot.
Power for the 6 Series was shared with its saloon sibling, so you had an initial choice of 3- and 3.2-litre engines in the 628CSi and 633CSi.
However, it was the 3.5-litre motor in the 635CSi available from 1978 that really captured buyers’ hearts and wallets.
Production of this coupé, code numbered E24 by BMW, was originally by Karmann, but it was quickly taken in-house. BMW eventually sold 86,216 of the long-running 6 Series up to 1989.
6. Buick Riviera
While many felt the Buick Riviera lost its styling mojo in the second half of the 1960s, the new model launched in 1970 was a welcome return to form.
Designed by Jerry Hirshberg, the third-generation Riviera brought back the trademark ‘boat-tail’, rear-end look.
There was also a much more pronounced kick in the side of the body, where it popped up over the rear wheelarch, to emphasise its coupé credentials.
The Riviera still offered enough cabin space for up to six people to fit inside, while power was more than ample to pull them along thanks to a 455cu in (7.5-litre) V8.
When this Riviera was replaced in 1974 by the brick-shaped, fourth-generation model, 101,618 third-generation Buick Rivieras had found homes.
7. Chevrolet Camaro
The 1970s was not the happiest period for US muscle cars, yet the Chevrolet Camaro still found plenty of willing buyers thanks to its good looks.
This second-generation Camaro enjoyed a long life from its introduction in 1970 all the way through to 1981, so it was doing something right.
Much of that was down to the clean-cut styling by Henry Haga that gave the Camaro a classic long nose and pert rear.
It wasn’t the sharpest coupé to drive, but the Chevrolet Camaro had a range of engines, up to the potent Z28 model, which was the rarest of the lot.
Even so, Chevrolet shifted around 250,000 Z28s during this Camaro’s lifetime, from a total production run of 1,811,973.
8. Citroën SM
The Citroën SM enjoys a reputation and place in the company’s history that is completely disproportionate to its sales tally of 12,920 cars between 1970 and 1975.
Why the SM has such an esteemed place in Citroën lore has a lot to do with its lines by Robert Opron.
It looks like nothing else, yet is instantly recognisable as a Citroën, and there was plenty of the company’s usual technical sophistication underneath, too.
Details such as headlights that moved with the steering and the hydropneumatic suspension were advanced for the time.
Powering the SM was a Maserati-sourced, 2.7-litre V6, a result of the French firm buying the Italian company.
This engine gave the Citroën SM a 135mph top speed, which was not bad in 1970.
9. Fiat 124 Coupé
For 1970, Fiat updated its handsome 124 Coupé with a facelift. This brought a quad-headlight front end, while a boxier grille arrived in 1972 with the third-generation model that saw the Italian coupé through to its end in 1975.
Some regard the 1970s cars as less appealing in their looks than the earlier 1960s model, but the later versions of the 124 Coupé sold strongly.
By the end of the car’s life, Fiat had made 279,672 – not bad for a model pitched against the Ford Capri.
It helped the Fiat came with the company’s eager 1.6- and 1.8-litre twin-cam engines.
This meant 110mph flat out and plenty of verve at lower speeds, which was enhanced by a five-speed manual gearbox that was an unusual feature for a car at this price point.
10. Fiat 130 Coupé
There was something very grand about the Fiat 130 Coupé, and not just its Pininfarina looks.
Based on the 130 saloon, the Coupé was 3in longer overall, yet masked this effortlessly to put it in contention with more exotically badged and expensive rivals.
Fiat didn’t stint on the Coupé’s mechanical specification, either, with a smooth, 3.2-litre V6 engine.
This propelled the 130 to a top speed of 115mph and 0-60mph took a sprightly 10.6 secs, if you chose the five-speed manual gearbox rather than the three-speed auto.
The straight-edged styling influence of the Fiat 130 Coupé could also be seen later in the decade when Pininfarina came up with the Camargue for Rolls-Royce.
When 130 Coupé production ended, Fiat had sold 4491 examples.
11. Ford Falcon
The Australian take on the Ford Falcon centred mostly on a range of four-door saloons.
What was called a Coupé Utility in the Australian market was a pick-up, so the actual fastback was known as a two-door hardtop.
With that distinction understood, the rest of the Falcon fastback’s 1970s history is easier to comprehend.
Launched in XA form in 1972, there were subsequent XB and XC models in 1973 and 1976, respectively.
Power came from a variety of straight-six and V8 engines, and the most desirable is the XC Cobra version.
It was built to use up 400 unused bodyshells at the end of production, and Ford decided on a white-with-blue-stripes livery much like its Shelby cars in the US.
The first 200 came with a 5.8-litre V8, while the second half of production used a 4.9-litre V8 motor. Among this run were 30 Bathurst versions created to homologate the Falcon fastback for racing in Australia.
12. Ford Granada Coupé
Ford made a concerted effort to distinguish its Granada Coupé from the four-door saloon it was based on.
For the fastback, there was a bespoke look and a more prominent ‘Coke bottle’ appearance to the side profile.
That style was changed in 1974 for a more straight-lined design, which was what was offered in the UK with 2-litre four-cylinder and 3-litre V6 engines.
Elsewhere, the Granada Coupé was sold with the same range of engines and trims as the saloon, while the UK only received the top-line Ghia spec.
South African customers also had the option of the Perana version that came with a 302cu in (5-litre) V8 under the bonnet. This model was made by Basil Green Motors and sold through Ford dealers.
13. Ford Thunderbird
Beauty is in the eye of the beholder with any car, but Ford did its best to convince buyers the sixth generation of its Thunderbird was attractive.
Launched in 1972, this Ford Thunderbird was billed as a personal luxury coupé and this was underlined by the intimate little opera window in the C-pillar.
It was almost useless as an aid to vision for the driver or rear-seat passengers, but it did give the Ford a standout look.
Throughout its production span, this generation of Thunderbird was refined and revised each year.
The most notable change was when the earlier 429cu in (7-litre) V8 was replaced by the more powerful 760cu in (7.5-litre) V8 for 1974.
When Ford replaced this Thunderbird in 1976 with the square-rigged, seventh-generation model, a total of 299,146 sixth-gen cars had rolled off the line.
14. Honda Prelude
During the mid-to-late 1970s, Honda had focused on solidly uninspiring but strong-selling saloons and hatches.
By 1978, it was ready to try something more adventurous and this was the first Prelude coupé.
Based on the Civic’s floorpan, the two-door Prelude had a style all its own, and looked fresh and appealing.
Inside, it was fine for those in the front, but anyone in the rear seat quickly discovered the near total lack of legroom.
No matter, the Honda Prelude had a peppy, 1.6-litre engine and was very well equipped.
This drew in buyers, resulting in sales of 264,842 globally, and the Prelude paved the way for Honda to shift its cars a little further upmarket from its mainstream rivals.
15. Jaguar XJC
It seems hard to credit now why Jaguar introduced not one but two coupé models in the same year – 1975.
The reason was the XJC, a two-door version of the XJ saloon, was originally planned for sale in 1973.
Problems with the window seal of the pillarless design held up the XJC’s launch, so it ended up clashing with the XJ-S.
Luckily for Jaguar, the two cars appealed to very different buyers and the XJC was much more a cruiser than a sports car.
The XJC was offered with the same 5.3-litre V12 as the original XJ-S, but buyers could also opt for the 4.2-litre straight-six engine.
The 4.2 was the bigger seller, finding 6487 customers to the V12’s 1855. However, it was all over for the XJC in 1977, whereas the XJ-S carried on through to the 1990s.
16. Jaguar XJ-S
Has any car had a tougher act to follow than the Jaguar XJ-S?
Tasked with taking over from the hallowed E-type, this new coupé took a bold new direction when it was launched in 1975.
While some remarked on the XJ-S not being as sporting as the E-type, it found its own way as a grand routier that devoured long trips and encapsulated a jet-set lifestyle.
This was helped by V12 power for the XJ-S in its earlier versions – a six-cylinder model didn’t arrive until 1983.
Jaguar also refined the XJ-S and made it better with every update. From 1991, it was known as ‘XJS’, rather than ‘XJ-S’.
By the end of its production life in 1996, the XJ-S/XJS had evolved into a much-loved coupé member of the Jaguar line-up, and the company had sold a total of 115,413 of all types in 21 years.
17. Lamborghini Jarama
Before Lamborghini launched the fully fledged wedge with the Countach, it offered the Jarama from 1970.
It came with angular styling courtesy of Bertone and offered customers a marginally more affordable route into supercar ownership than the Espada.
There were no half measures with the Lamborghini Jarama, however, because it had a shortened chassis from the Espada and a 4-litre V12.
While not universally admired in its day, the Jarama was a very modern take on a Lamborghini coupé, plus it was the final front-engined, V12 model the company produced.
18. Lancia Gamma Coupé
If the Gamma Berlina failed to fire buyers’ imaginations and chequebooks, the Coupé had them itching to sign on the line.
Pininfarina pulled off a masterstroke of styling this two-door car for Lancia, which is routinely hailed as one of the most striking cars of its decade.
The Lancia Gamma Coupé arrived in 1976, though it didn’t go on sale in the UK until 1978.
It was launched with a 2-litre, four-cylinder engine or a 2.5 V6 – the latter made it into a 120mph cruiser with space for four in the stylish cabin.
Even with these attributes, Lancia’s Gamma Coupé was a rare machine when new and only 6789 were made between its 1976 introduction and 1984, when it went off sale.
19. Lincoln Continental MkIV
Lincoln might have become a subsidiary of Ford by the 1970s, but that didn’t stop the badge being affixed to the arresting Continental MkIV.
This vast machine was longer, lower, wider and heftier than its predecessor, giving its 7.5-litre V8 plenty of work to do.
Even so, few would have worried about that, because the MkIV looked every inch the luxury coupé it was designed to be.
This Lincoln oozed presence thanks to its scale and details such as the hidden headlights, chromed grille and part or fully covered vinyl roof.
Plenty of buyers thought this was the acme of style and Ford sold 278,599 MkIVs.
20. Lotus Éclat
The first truly new Lotus coupé for the 1970s was the Elite that arrived in 1974.
However, its slightly awkward, sporting-estate looks were not to all tastes and the Hethel firm introduced the Éclat a year later with a more obviously coupé profile.
The more sloping rear window of the Éclat meant a little less headroom for those in the rear, but it was deemed a worthwhile sacrifice for the better lines of this Oliver Winterbottom design.
As well as being easier on the eye for many buyers, the Éclat was notably cheaper to buy than its Elite sibling, which helped the Éclat sell well by Lotus standards.
When it ended production in 1980, a total of 1299 Lotus Éclats had been built.
21. Maserati Khamsin
The Maserati Khamsin embraced the sharp-edged look of the new decade at its 1973 launch.
Marcello Gandini at Bertone was responsible for the Khamsin’s appearance, but the car retained the same 4.9-litre V8 as its predecessor.
While the front suspension and brakes were similar to the Ghibli’s, the Khamsin did have some of its new Citroën parent’s technology included with its power-assisted steering.
Even by Maserati’s modest numbers, the Khamsin was not a huge seller and only 421 were built between its launch and the end of production in 1982.
22. Matra Bagheera
Despite selling 47,802 cars during its lifetime between 1973 and 1980, the Matra Bagheera is a coupé that arguably deserved better results.
The stylish French machine sold well in its homeland, but found little trade elsewhere.
This was largely due to the Bagheera not being fitted with more powerful engines to make the most of its able handling, thanks to its mid-engined design.
When it was launched, the Matra Bagheera had a modest 1.3-litre engine – and even the larger 1.5 that arrived in 1975 didn’t improve matters much.
If you could look past that, the Bagheera’s innovative, three-abreast seating made it more practical than a Fiat X1/9 and it was keenly priced.
23. Mazda RX-7
The first Mazda RX-7 didn’t rock the boat in the styling stakes with its simple, clean coupé profile, but it was handsome enough to find favour with 474,565 buyers.
Where the RX-7 was radical was under the bonnet, where Mazda used a twin-rotor Wankel rotary engine.
Each rotor had a 573cc capacity, yet the 1146cc capacity gave it enough power to put it on a par with the much-larger engines in the Ford Capri or Porsche 924.
It was sufficient to get the Mazda from 0-60mph in 8.7 secs and on to 125mph, though fuel economy was a topic best avoided.
The RX-7 also endeared itself with superb handling, thanks in part to the lightweight engine giving the car perfect 50:50 front-to-rear weight distribution.
24. Mercedes-Benz SLC
Launched a few months after its open-top SL sibling, the Mercedes-Benz SLC was the German firm’s first all-new coupé for the 1970s.
It used the same platform as the two-seat roadster, but with a substantial 14in (36cm) added to the wheelbase so it could accommodate two rear passengers in some degree of comfort.
The stretch also added 110lb (50kg) to the weight, but the V8 engines used initially shrugged that off with refined ease.
The 280SLC ‘six’ was added to the line-up in 1974, but this model didn’t make it to the UK until 1980.
With the launch of the new S-Class-based SEC for 1981 due, Mercedes dropped the SLC from the range in 1980, yet the SL roadster carried on all the way to 1989.
25. Opel Monza
With the Manta doing battle with the Ford Capri and the Granada Coupé no longer on sale, Opel (and Vauxhall) saw an opening for a big, reasonably priced, executive fastback.
The Monza, and the Vauxhall Royale, were the result of this thinking. The Royale was quietly dropped in 1982, but the Monza carried on until 1987 and sold 43,812 cars in that time.
Power was originally supplied by 2.5- and 3-litre straight-six engines, but it was the 2.8-litre ‘six’ that turned the Monza into a 133mph autobahn express.
The earlier Monza from the 1970s didn’t have the fancy digital dashboard of the later GSE, but it offered plenty of space, comfort and refinement for its owners.
26. Porsche 928
It was supposed to be the car that replaced the 911, but the Porsche 928 took a different path and ended up as one of the most coveted coupés of its time.
It even won the 1978 European Car of the Year award.
Like the 924 that preceded it, the Porsche 928 was water-cooled and front-engined, but it had a 4.5-litre V8 pushing out 237bhp to begin with. The 1979 (1980 model year) 928S improved that to 296bhp and increased the top speed to 155mph – and then 306bhp from model year 1984 and (with the catalytic converter) 284bhp from model year 1986. But that’s straying outside our chosen decade.
The Porsche 928 became the effortless, high-speed express for the well-heeled driver.
Impeccable roadholding, superb refinement, and even some usable rear-seat space and luggage room made the 928 a brilliant GT.
Never ones to let an idea go until they’d got the most from it, Porsche kept the 928 in production until 1995, by which time 61,056 had been made.
27. Toyota Celica
The first Toyota Celica may have used humble Carina saloon bits under the skin, but it was a sensation to look at.
The first notchback coupé version had all the attitude of a Ford Mustang in a more compact shell.
A liftback version with a rear hatch arrived in 1973 to add greater practicality and take on the Ford Capri at its own game.
Assistance in this aim was provided by the Celica’s revvy, twin-cam engines that varied in size from 1.6 to 2 litres, depending on which market it was sold in.
Even with Carina underpinnings, the Celica handled well and earned its spurs in motorsport, and it started a long-lasting line of Toyota coupés that spanned seven generations up to 2006.
28. Triumph TR7
For all those who complained the Triumph TR7 wasn’t a ‘proper’ sports car, the numbers tell the real story.
Between 1975 and 1981, the TR7 sold 112,368 units compared with the previous TR6’s 94,619 tally.
A large number of those sales were made up of the coupé, largely due to British Leyland not launching the convertible model until 1979.
Regardless of this, the Harris Mann design brought the British brand into the modern age and offered a practical, two-seat coupé at a keen price.
While Triumph never did offer the engine from the Dolomite Sprint in the TR7, the company did shoehorn the 3.5-litre Rover V8 in to create the TR8 and make it into a fearsome rally car in the process.
29. Volkswagen Scirocco
While its rivals stuck with rear-wheel drive, the Volkswagen Scirocco pointed towards the future with its front-drive platform based on the soon-to-arrive Golf Mk1.
The Scirocco was introduced a few months ahead of the Golf and instantly won plaudits for its nimble handling, as well as neat styling that was thanks to Giorgetto Giugiaro.
Volkswagen gave the Scirocco as broad an appeal as possible with engines that started with a 1.1-litre motor, rising through 1.3- and 1.5-litre units, to a 1.6-litre option – best of the lot was the 108bhp 1.6 shared with the Golf GTI, which was badged GLi in the UK.
British buyers also had to wait until 1979 for the Scirocco to arrive with the steering wheel on the right-hand side.
Not that this hindered the first-generation VW Scirocco, because it went on to notch up 504,200 sales by the time it was replaced in 1981.
30. Volvo 262C
One of the most unusual yet curiously stylish coupés of the 1970s is the Volvo 262C.
The usually sensible, reserved Swedish company had made two-door sporty cars before, but the 262C was nothing like the P1800.
Based on the 260 saloon, the C was much the same up to its waistline and mechanically.
However, the upper half had a pillbox-style roof, often clad in vinyl to make it stand out even more.
On the rear pillars were Bertone badges, but this was because the Italian firm built all 5622 262Cs rather than styled it. The looks of this car were down to Volvo’s own Jan Wilsgaard.
The dynamics were much the same as the saloon’s, so comfort took precedence over handling.
That suited the relaxed power of the V6 engine and the automatic gearbox, as well as the ambience of the sumptuously appointed cabin.
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