5 Cars That Were Unpopular In The ’70s, But Now Sell For Serious Cash

There may be no higher instance of the automobile market being mad than the collector worth of vehicles that no person needed once they had been new. You see, logic would counsel {that a} automobile that sellers modified en masse simply to do away with, that sat on heaps gathering mud, that consumers prevented when new, could be unloved perpetually. Logic, nevertheless, couldn’t probably be extra improper. Most of the vehicles on this record had manufacturing numbers within the low 4 (and in a single case, three) digits, and promote for tens and even tons of of 1000’s of {dollars} as we speak. 

In our opinion, it’s the very qualities of the vehicles right here that made them borderline unsaleable within the Seventies — terrifying turbo lag, oddball styling, an enormous, impractical wing — that make these rides collector’s gadgets as we speak. When you add within the rarity we talked about and the autos’ newly rehabilitated rep, you’ve the basic components for auction-record-breaking costs. Also, it is price mentioning that each single automobile on this record was thought of a “mistake” of some variety. The vehicles had been too bizarre, too expensive, too thirsty, or badly timed towards the horsepower-killing gas crisis of the 1970s, when efficiency was not the highest precedence. Buyers stayed away in droves, and seller endurance most likely dropped quick. But, for those who grew up in the 1970s, certain cars were always special. Here are 5 that solely turned particular to collectors lengthy after the last decade ended.

While it might sound counterintuitive, the (comparatively) least expensive automobile on our record is the Porsche 914. Specifically, we’re speaking concerning the Porsche 914/6 — for the reason that regular Porsche 914/4 is still quite affordable for many consumers. As the names counsel, the 914/6 was powered by a 2.0-liter six-cylinder engine making about 110 hp, whereas the bottom 914/4 got here with a 1.7-liter four-banger motor making 80 hp. The 914 mannequin line was launched in 1969, and the 914/6 particularly was fairly overpriced. A 1970 mannequin had a prompt retail value of $6,114, whereas for $6,430 consumers may improve their journey to the 1970 Porsche 911T — so there aren’t any prizes for guessing which was the extra well-liked selection.

 Only an estimated 3,332 items of the Porsche 914/6 had been produced in complete, and as we speak, when one comes up on the market, you’ll be able to count on it to go within the vary of $60,000 to $80,000. Interestingly, Porsche additionally constructed a hyper-limited run of 12 manufacturing unit racecars referred to as the 914/6 R, considered one of which carried an estimate of $900,000 to $1.1 million however did not promote at an RM Sotheby’s Arizona public sale in 2026. Note that the common Porsche 914/4 sells for lower than half the 914/6’s value as we speak, most likely as a result of the 914/4 had the smaller engine and there have been extra items — over 110,000 extra, actually.

Next up, we have now the Maserati Bora, which was arguably a trailblazer, no less than for the corporate. First of all, it was each the primary mid-engined Maserati road-going automobile ever made and the primary Maserati developed after Citroen purchased the corporate. Note that Maserati’s racing vehicles had been mid-engined for some time, although. And the automobile had all of the bells and whistles that one would count on of a high-end sports activities automobile: issues like absolutely impartial suspension and air-con, which earlier Maseratis did not truly include, surprisingly. 

There had been two engines out there — a 4.7-liter V8 making 310 hp and a 4.9-liter V8 making 330 hp. However, the automobile debuted in 1971, shortly after which something greater than an econobox noticed its gross sales plummet as a result of hovering gasoline costs of the period. As such — although that’s actually not the one issue — solely 564 Maserati Bora items left meeting strains, of which 314 had the 4.7-liter engine and 250 had the 4.9-liter. 

Here, widespread logic truly holds up in terms of value — the Bora, being the rarest automobile on our record, instructions one of many highest costs of the bunch. With solely 564 items produced, you’d count on the worth as we speak to be six figures minimal, and you would be proper. When one comes up on the market or public sale, a Maserati Bora will fetch between $120,000 and $250,000.

The Ferrari Dino 308 was by no means alleged to be a Ferrari. The 308 GT4 launched beneath the “Dino” model, whereas the 308 GTB initially was made from fiberglass, with a swap to metal in 1977. The GT4 was all the time made from metal. The engine on this factor was a 3-liter V8 motor that made greater than 230 hp, which may push sure fashions to a high pace of 140 mph. U.S. market variations of the 308 tended to make barely much less energy than the European variations; an early American 308 GT4 would make about 240 hp from a 3-liter V8 motor. A key distinction was within the styling, with the GTB/GTS coming from Pininfarina, with basic Italian curves, whereas the GT4 got here from design home Bertone, with far blockier, wedge-ish seems to be. 

Design variations apart, the GT4 wasn’t highly regarded, with solely 2,826 items shifting. In reality, it’s broadly believed that the 1975 fashions had been being delivered as late as 1977, owing to the truth that consumers simply did not appear to need the issues. In a last-ditch try to bump the gross sales figures, Ferrari stepped in and added its badging to the vehicles, which had been now referred to as the Ferrari Dino 308 GT4s — however the vehicles did not precisely promote like hotcakes, even so. When one comes up on the market nowadays, nevertheless, you’ll be able to count on the sale value to land between $60,000 and $75,000, with some fashions climbing even larger, relying on provenance and situation.

Don’t let the 2002 within the title confuse you — the BMW 2002 Turbo was launched in 1973 and shipped with a 2-liter inline four-cylinder motor making 170 hp. The 2002 Turbo was additionally believed to be the primary ever (manufacturing) European automobile that had turbocharging. This energy was routed to the wheels through a four- or five-speed gearbox, and the powertrain as a complete managed to push the automobile to a high pace of round 131 mph, or 211 kmph. Unfortunately, as a result of gasoline disaster, a brief pace restrict of 100 kmph (62 mph) was in place on the German Autobahn on the time, so homeowners could not mash the accelerator on the legendary freeway for just a few months.

According to a report from Top Gear, the 2002 Turbo “bought in a trickle when new and was broadly seen as flawed” — which isn’t precisely excessive reward. An estimated 1,672 items of the 2002 Turbo had been bought, and searching on the asking value for a 1975 mannequin — 18,720 Deutsche Marks, or $7,625 on the time — it is not precisely exhausting to see why. That was Porsche 914/4 cash, and, again then, that Porsche was arguably extra fascinating than a Bimmer. Anyway, quick ahead about half a century, and the tables have utterly turned. Today, concours-level examples of the BMW 2002 Turbo simply fetch north of $100,000, and even the shabbier items would not fall a lot beneath the $45,000 mark at worst. It’s a reasonably excessive comeback story for a automobile that did not have a lot preliminary gross sales success.

Perhaps probably the most shocking entrant on this record is the 1970 Plymouth Superbird, which was the company cousin to the legendary Dodge Charger Daytona of the identical period. Yes, the exact same mannequin that carried veteran driver Richard Petty to a NASCAR season so dominant that NASCAR essentially banned the Superbird the next year did not promote that effectively at sellers. This was attributed to a mixture of the styling placing individuals off and the excessive insurance coverage charges for the automobile — it was constructed for racing, in spite of everything. In reality, there are quite a few experiences that sellers across the nation had been eradicating the nostril cones and the aero wings on the Superbirds and Daytonas of the day in an try to maneuver them. In no less than one case, a 1970 Superbird remained and not using a title — that means it was unsold from new — till 1989, which is absurd. 

The base value for a 1970 Plymouth Superbird was round $4,298, which wasn’t precisely low cost for the time. For that cash, consumers received all of the NASCAR seems to be, and energy from a 440-cubic-inch V8 motor making 375 hp. The automobile’s aerodynamic bodywork, together with the non-compulsory 390-hp 440 Six-Barrel engine, may famously push the Superbird to a high pace of 142 mph and provides it a standing quarter-mile time of 13.5 seconds and a zero to 60 mph time of 5.5 seconds. Today, collectors adore the automobile — it may be thought of a grail automobile for anybody into American muscle — and values virtually by no means dip beneath the $200,000 mark when one comes up on the market.