The most popular 70s cars

Ford Cortina

This is the first Ford on our list but it won’t be our last – the American manufacturer dominated car sales in the 70s, and the Cortina was no exception. The Cortina had various styles throughout the decade but what remained was the chrome detailing and the powerful profile. The closest successor to this model today is probably the Mazda6.​

Vauxhall Viva

​Vauxhall, like Ford, manufactured its cars in the UK but was owned by an American company, General Motors. As such, it followed similar principles of perfecting a sturdy engine and switching the skins to keep it current. The Vauxhall Viva is a prime example of this and was a stylish set of wheels that maintained its prevalence as a 70s car right up until it was discontinued in 1979. It’s successor, the Vauxhall Astra, may not have that retro 70s skin, but it definitely has the​ reliable engine. 

The Mini

The Mini is inexorably tied to 60s Brit pop culture, but the result of all that exposure meant that it was one of the bestselling cars throughout the 1970s. By this time, the Austin and Morris labels were dropped and the model was just known as ‘The Mini’. Between now and then, BMW overtook the brand, and this car model underwent a radical overhaul, to become the new MINI series that we know today.​

Ford Escort

Our second Ford on the list is the Ford Escort, which sold over a million models over the decade, and went on to become the bestselling car in the UK at several points in the 80s and 90s.If you were alive in the UK in the 1970s, chances are you saw Escorts flocking the streets of Britain. Whilst the model was eventually discontinued in 2002, it was replaced by the reliable Ford Focus.

Ford Capri

We told you this list would be Ford-heavy. The third to make our list is the Ford Capri, which blended a sports car aesthetic with family practicality - that is to say it was a four-seater coupe that looked super cool. There aren’t any obvious successors to this vehicle, though the Ford Probe effectively replaced the model, but the closest you’ll find nowadays to the Capri’s crown in Ford modelsis the trusty Mustang.

Love 70s cars? We have a range of used and new models that became the natural successors to these classics - browse our selections online or come visit us at one of our Scottish locations.