Stylish Coupes
The flamboyance of the 1950s and curvaceousness of the 1960s had gone: With the 1970s came wedge profiles, straight lines, and angular shapes. Some cars looked better than others; as so often, it was the Italian stylists who seemed to have the best eye for producing a stunning car—though for the first time, Japanese stylists showed they could do it just as well.
Ford Capri RS 3100, 1973
| Origin | UK |
| Engine | 3,093 cc, V6 |
| Top speed | 123 mph (198 km/h) |
With its image kept exciting by wild racing cars like this one, the roadgoing Ford Capris continued to notch up healthy sales-around 750,000 in the 1970s.
Opel Manta GT/E, 1970
| Origin | Germany |
| Engine | 1,897 cc, straight-four |
| Top speed | 116 mph (187 km/h) |
Despite attractive styling and almost a half-million made, most Mantas have rusted away-a shame, as they were civilized touring cars with engines from 1.2 to 1.9 liters.
Ford Mustang III, 1978
| Origin | USA |
| Engine | 4,942 cc, V8 |
| Top speed | 140 mph (225 km/h) |
The third-generation Mustang was a full four-seater for the first time, as a larger car based on Ford’s “Fox” platform. It continued, with revisions, until 1994.
Jaguar XJ12C, 1975
| Origin | UK |
| Engine | 5,343 cc, V12 |
| Top speed | 148 mph (238 km/h) |
To draw sporting kudos for its XJ6/12-derived coupe, British Leyland campaigned this car-the first factory-backed racing activity since 1956. Prepared by Broadspeed, it took pole at Silverstone in 1975.
Chevrolet Monte Carlo, 1970
| Origin | USA |
| Engine | 5,735 cc, V8 |
| Top speed | 115 mph (185 km/h) |
Chevrolet launched a new coupé for the 1970s, bigger than a Chevelle and more luxurious, but still with a useful turn of speed for stock-car racing.
Rolls-Royce Corniche, 1971
| Origin | UK |
| Engine | 6,750 cc, V8 |
| Top speed | 120 mph (193 km/h) |
The Silver Shadow was a monocoque but this did not stop Rolls-Royce from adapting the structure into this two-door coupe. The Corniche looked very elegant, too.
Datsun 260Z, 1973
| Origin | Japan |
| Engine | 2,565 cc, straight-six |
| Top speed | 125 mph (201 km/h) |
The 240-280Z series was the world’s best-selling sports car in the 1970s, from what, at the time, seemed a most unlikely source. Japanese cars were about to conquer the globe.
Volkswagen Scirocco GTI, 1974
| Origin | Germany |
| Engine | 1,588 cc, straight-four |
| Top speed | 115 mph (185 km/h) |
This car was styled by Giorgetto Giugiaro and built by Karmann on the VW Golf floorpan. The Scirocco was a hit, selling 504,200 in seven years, with three engine specs: from 1.4- to 1.6-liter GTI.
Buick Riviera, 1971
| Origin | USA |
| Engine | 7,458 cc, V8 |
| Top speed | 125 mph (201 km/h) |
Buick’s status symbol coupé had a stunning new look for the 1970s, with a centrally divided wraparound rear window and accentuated rear “hips.”
Alfa Romeo Junior Zagato, 1970
| Origin | Italy |
| Engine | 1,290 cc, straight-four |
| Top speed | 105 mph (169 km/h) |
Ercole Spada at Zagato achieved the impossible: He took an Alfa Romeo GT Junior and turned it into something even more arresting to look at. Only the cost held back sales.
Maserati Kyalami 4.9, 1976
| Origin | Italy |
| Engine | 4,930 cc, V8 |
| Top speed | 160 mph (257 km/h) |
When Alejandro De Tomaso took over Maserati, he developed his 1972 Ghia-designed Longchamp model into the Kyalami, with a choice of potent Maserati V8 engines.
Lancia Gamma Coupé, 1976
| Origin | Italy |
| Engine | 2,484 cc, flat-four |
| Top speed | 125 mph (201 km/h) |
A striking two-door body by Pininfarina transformed Lancia’s big Gamma sedan. Mechanically sophisticated too, it soon became a desirable machine.
Porsche 911S 2.2, 1970
| Origin | Germany |
| Engine | 2,195 cc, flat-six |
| Top speed | 144 mph (232 km/h) |
The 911 gained improved handling for the 1970s by moving the rear wheels back by 2.2 in (5.5 cm) and the fuel-injected S took full advantage, becoming a junior supercar.
Mazda RX-7, 1978
| Origin | Japan |
| Engine | 2,292 cc, two-rotor Wankel |
| Top speed | 117 mph (188 km/h) |
Mazda succeeded where German manufacturer NSU had failed: in persuading the world to accept the rotary engine as a serious option. 570,500 were sold in seven years
Porsche 924, 1976
| Origin | Germany |
| Engine | 1,984 cc, straight-four |
| Top speed | 125 mph (201 km/h) |
Purists disapprove of the VW van engine, but the front-engined 924 was a best-seller for Porsche and expanded its market beyond the dedicated sporting driver.
Porsche 911T 2.4 Targa, 1972
| Origin | Germany |
| Engine | 2,341 cc, flat-six |
| Top speed | 128 mph (206 km/h) |
Porsche introduced the Targa to offer fresh-air driving with rollover protection; it was heavier and less sporting than the 911 Coupé, but found a ready market.
Suzuki SC100 Coupé, 1978
| Origin | Japan |
| Engine | 970 cc, straight-four |
| Top speed | 76 mph (122 km/h) |
Suzuki sold 894,000 rear-engined “Whizzkids,” mainly on looks-they were cramped for four and had poor performance. The Mini was roomier and more nimble.
It is a quote. The Definitive Visual History Of The Automobile 2011
