10 Underrated '70s American Classic Cars That Could Skyrocket In Value

While many '70s American classic cars come under-powered, choked by emission control, there are a few overlooked gems in there too.

When it comes to the American automobile industry of the ‘70s, underrated is the first word that comes to mind. Most ‘70s American classic cars, post-1973-74, came deliberately underpowered to tide over falling prices, the gasoline crisis, and stricter emission control. All in all, this brought malaise to the muscle car trend, and it seemed that back then, the world wanted economy cars, but in muscle car dressing.

Many of the ‘70s American cars were sheep in wolf’s clothing, milking their muscle car legacy for better sales. That said, they jetted a lot less power and performance than their ‘60s counterparts and brethren but even among the many pieces of shiny glass, there were some true diamonds. So here go 10 underrated American classic cars from the ‘70s malaise era that could cost a pretty penny in the coming future and be totally worth it.

We collated the pricing information from Classic.com, J.D. Power and Hemmings to bring you the best in '70s American classic cars as value-adds for your garage,

Model

Top Sale

Original MSRP

1970-1978 AMC Gremlin

$49,500

$2,000-$3,000

Given the success of the Hornet, Detroit’s smallest automobile maker, AMC, decided to chop off a bit of the back and debuted the two-door hatchback, the Gremlin. While it mostly ran on inline-six mills, there were a few V8-powered models in there too, especially the Gremlin 401-XR, a rare dealer-built 6.6-liter, V8-powered piece of insane speed.

Despite many dubbing it ugly, the AMC Gremlin went on to become a cult classic with more than 670,000 units made till production ceased in 1983. It never reached the heights of success as its rivals (remember the Ford Pinto and the Chevy Vega?), but it did have its set of loyal buyers and today, it’s gaining grounds as an unrecognized ‘70s hero when it comes to American classics.

Model

Top Sale

Original MSRP

1972 Oldsmobile Cutlass 442

$132,000

$2,975

What makes the Oldsmobile Cutlass 442 an underrated American classic from the ‘70s is that its maker, the Oldsmobile division is long gone from General Motors’ repertoire. Unlike the Ford Mustang and Dodge Chargers/Challengers of its time, the retro and somewhat stately looks of the Cutlass never got the limelight.

That said, its name, so derived from its components, (4-barrel carburetor, 4-gear transmission, and 2-tipped exhaust system), along with the stunning 6.6-liter V8 made it a powerful muscle car. Sadly, Oldsmobile stretched it out to the ‘90s, long past its prime and that tarnished its image, which is why the classic car market does not recognize this car as the gem it was. That said, those who read its specs and performance know its true value.

RELATED: These Oldsmobile Classics Are Now Worth A Fortune (5 That Are Worth Nothing)

Model

Top Sale

Original MSRP

1971-1972 Dodge Dart Demon

$165,000

$2,721

So most classic car aficionados think Charger or Challenger when it comes to ‘70s Dodge cars. Frankly, they are right, given that these two cars have received plenty of love onscreen, like the Charger in Steve McQueen’s Bullitt, or the Challenger in Vanishing Point, and Deathproof. That said, the Dodge Dart Demon, with a 275-hp V8 on a three-speed manual deserved some of that love too.

This was a true pony car, small and stuffed with a V8 and the closest thing to what the Ford Mustang was, even if the Challenger and Charger ended up overshadowing it all its life. You can get this for a fraction of the price of a Charger or Challenger, and it will still give you many thrills, and plenty of eyeballs as well.

Model

Top Sale

Original MSRP

1970 Chevrolet Camaro Z/28

$110,000

$3,411

In 1970, just before automakers stripped down their muscle cars into near caricatures, Chevrolet brought out the Z/28 Camaro, a far cry from the latter Iron Duke version. Of course, the Camaro Z/28 was not a model line but a special trim, which carried the LT-1 engine of the Corvette. Retuned, this V8 cranked out 360 horsepower and 380 lb-ft of torque in the Camaro, as a last muscle car hurrah before things went south for the next decade or so.

For a ‘70s American classic car, the Camaro Z/28 is still a less-talked-about gem in the market, given its average selling price of roughly $50,000. Things do seem to be on an upward trend for this stunning piece of automobile history, as they should.

RELATED: 10 Reasons Why The Chevrolet Camaro Z28 Is A Classic Muscle Car That Still Delivers Thrills Today

Model

Top Sale

Original MSRP

1978-79 Dodge Li'l Red Express

$61,250

$7,400

Much before Ford even dreamed of a performance truck, and even before GMC debuted the Syclone, there was the Dodge Li’l Red Express. A rather loony-looking pickup, Dodge managed to make the Li’l Red Express the fastest vehicle for 1978, exploiting a loophole in emission control. In bold red with gold accents and exhaust stacks, this truck screamed performance with its HiPo 5.9-liter V8, jetting 225 horsepower, officially.

Only 2000 wore the 1978 badge. Another 5000 came in 1979 but by then, Dodge had to cull power with a catalytic converter given the feds found the said loophole and corrected it. Given that the ’78 model went a 118 mph top speed, we expect it to take its prices along for the ride shortly.

Average Selling Price: $49,849

Model

Top Sale

Original MSRP

1970 Ford Torino

$236,500

$3,105

We can best describe the Ford Torino as a plusher and more comfortable version of the Ford Mustang, even as it first debuted as a trim on the Fairlane. By 1968, possibly looking at the success of the ‘Stang, Ford launched the Torino as a separate line and the engines ranged from 201-hp 5.0-liter V8s to 360-hp 7.0-liter RAM Air mills.

Most tended to go for the Torino GT and Cobra series, with only 3,939 Torino GT convertibles made. These came more stylish than the other muscle cars of their times and yet have achieved only modest success on the collector’s market. With enough ‘Stangs around, it’s time buyers looked at the Torino.

RELATED: Ford Torino Cobra And 9 More Extremely Underrated American Muscle Cars

Model

Top Sale

Original MSRP

1970 Buick Gran Sport

$209,000

$3,100

Buick introduced the Gran Sport to take on the popularity of the GTO in the ‘60s, and by 1970, it housed a powerful 340-hp 7.4-liter, running quarter-miles in 13.79 seconds, at a top speed of more than 104 mph. Then there was a 1970 350-hp GSX as well, packaged rather adventurously in yellow or white with black stripes, with only 678 made.

On the classic car market, the Buick Gran Sport remains a majorly underrated American ride, given that somehow, even in its heydays, it never connected with buyers as much as its sibling, the Pontiac did. Despite being rather lowly priced on the collector’s shelves, we can see a gradual rise in its value in recent years, so this might be the right time to finally buy this muscular American classic before it shoots up in price.

Average Selling Price: $70,296

Model

Top Sale

Original MSRP

1977 Pontiac Trans Am

$495,000

$5,456

When we talk about the 1977 Pontiac Trans Am, we do so with utmost respect. This is the last of the true muscle cars that tried to keep giving as much performance as it could, despite getting choked by emission control and a market that was fast spiraling down. Even so, Pontiac tried to keep the biggest engine it could in the Firebird Trans Am, even as the earlier models came better powered.

This was also the model year used in the sleeper hit, Smokey and the Bandit, although, in all honesty, the series used 1976 models altered to look like 1977 ones. Pontiac put in a 6.6-liter engine, rated at only 200 horsepower, a far cry from the 1969 examples but even so, this Trans Am was one of the most popular classic cars of its time and worth every cent.

RELATED: 10 Reasons Why The Pontiac Firebird Trans Am Is An Iconic American Muscle Car

Average Selling Price: $12,291

Model

Top Sale

Original MSRP

1971-1978 Oldsmobile Toronado

$22,550

$5,500

By 1971, a redesign of the original Toronado made it a near-luxury car like its E-Body cousins, the Cadillac Eldorado and Buick Riviera. That said, since Oldsmobile has been a defunct brand since 2004, the market for its classics is somewhat muted, perhaps lacking in aftermarket or mechanical support. Its front-drive layout is also another turn-off for most classic car buyers.

That said, its full-frame chassis and rather long wheelbase had several fans, and it’s good to remember that this was a cool car of its time, and should be a cooler classic today. Plus an acquisition like this makes you stand apart from the usual Mustang-buying classic collector crowd.

Average Selling Price: $54,151

Model

Top Sale

Original MSRP

1970 Mercury Cyclone Spoiler

$115,500

$3,530

Mercury’s Cyclone remained overshadowed by Ford Mustangs all its life, and even now, in its afterlife as a classic car. That said, its sleeper status makes it the perfect buy, if you plan to make jaws drop by gunning it when the lights go green, leaving other classics biting the dust. The array of V8s it shared with the Mustang and Torinos of the day make it a viable track beast, especially if you go for the Cyclone Spoiler.

Take a big V8 that snorts horsepower and a stunning, near-futuristic design of the Mercury Cyclone Spoiler and you get a classic car few know about but once they do, can never quite forget, with good reason.

Arun Singh Pundir has been a longtime media crackerjack having worked with big names like The Times of India and The Indian Express. He is a car and motorcycle freak and currently writes News, Features, and Lists for HotCars on anything that has any number or kind of wheels. For now, he considers his Isuzu D-Max V-Cross, Suzuki Ciaz, and Royal Enfield Classic 500, the current flames of his life. His dream is to drive around the world; even if it takes more than eighty days.