1970s Supercars

	Abarth 2000 Pininfarina The 1969 Abarth 2000 Pininfarina		Giacobbi Sinthesis 2000 The 1970 Giacobbi Sinthesis by Tom Tjaarda.
	Alfa Romeo Carabo The 1968 Alfa Romeo Carabo, designed by Gandini.		Holden Hurricane The 1969 Holden Hurricane research vehicle.
	Alfa Romeo Iguana The 1969 Alfa Romeo Iguana prototype.		Iso Rivolta Varedo The 1972 Iso Rivolta Varedo by Ercole Spada.
	Alfa Romeo 33-2 Pininfarina The 1969 Alfa Romeo 33-2 concept car by Pininfarina.		Lamborghini Athon The Bertone designed Lamborghini Athon from 1980
	Alfa Pininfarina P33 Roadster The 1968 Alfa Romeo Pininfarina P33 Roadser.		Lamborghini Bravo The Bertone designed Lamborghini Bravo, concept car.
	Alfasud Caimano The 1971 Concept car designed by Giugiaro.		Lamborghini Countach The Lamborghini Countach prototype and LP400.
	AMX-II The AMC AMX-2 prototype from 1969.		Lamborghini Marzal The 1967 Lamborghini Marzal saloon car.
	AMX-III The AMC AMX-3 prototype from 1970.		Lamborghini Miura SV The 1971 Lamborghini Miura SV Supercar.
	Aston Martin Bulldog The Aston Martin Bulldog from 1980		Lamborghini Urraco The 1970 Lamborghini Prototype
	Audi 100S Mittelmotor The Frua designed Audi concept car.		Lancia Stratos Zero The 1970 Lancia Stratos Zero concept car.
	Autobianchi Runabout The Autobianchi Runabout prototype, from 1969.		Lancia Stratos HF The Lancia Stratos HF Prototype
	Bertone Trapezio The 1973 NSU Trapezio.		Lombardi FL1 The 1972 FL1 designed by Francise Lombardi.
	Bizzarrini Manta The Ital designed 1968 Bizzarrini Manta.		Lotus Esprit M70 The 1972 M70 Lotus Esprit concept car.
	BMW Turbo The 1972 E25 BMW Turbo.		Lotus Etna The 1984 Lotus Etna concept car, design by Giugiaro.
	BMW M1 The 1978 production car		Maserati 124 Coupe The 1974 Maserati 124 concept car.
	Chevrolet XP-880 The 1968 Chevrolet Astro II		Maserati Boomerang The 1972 Maserati Boomerang supercar.
	Chevrolet XP-882 The Chevrolet XP-882 from 1970.		Maserati Bora The 1971 Maserati Bora production supercar.
	Chevrolet XP-898 The Chevrolet XP-898 from 1973.		Maserati Khamsin The 1972 Maserati Khamsin production car.
	Chevrolet Corvette XP-897GT The Chevrolet XP-897 GT from 1973.		Mazda RX 500 The Mazda RX500 supercar, from Toyo Kogyo.
	Chevrolet Ramarro The 1984 Bertone Concept car		MG EX-E The 1985 MG EX-E concept car
	Citroen SM Frua The Frua designed concept car from 1972.		Mercedes C111 The 1970 Mercedes C111 supercar and research vehicle.
	De Tomaso Pantera The mid-engined production supercar		Michelotti Matra Laser The 1971 Matra Laser, designed by Michelotti.
	De Tomaso Mangusta The 1966 DeTomaso Mangusta production car.		Monteverdi Hai The Monteverdi Hai 450SS supercar, by Fissore.
	De Tomaso Zonda The 1971 De Tomaso Zonda by Ghia.		Oldsmobile Thor The Oldsmobile Thor designed by Ghia from 1967.
	Dino Ginevra The 1968 Dino Ginevra concept car.		Opel CD The 1969 Opel CD Prototype.
	Dome Zero The 1978 Japanese Concept car		Opel Geneve The Opel Geneve styling exercise.
	Ferrari Modulo The 1970 Ferrari Modulo concept car.		Pontiac Banshee II The 1968 Pontiac Banshee.
	Ferrari 512S Pininfarina The Ferrari 512S concept car from 1969.		Porsche Tapiro The Porsche Tapiro, from Ital Design.
	Ferrari P5 Pininfarina The 1968 Ferrari P5 by Pininfarina.		Renault Alpine A310 The 1971 Alpine A310 production car.
	Ferrari P6 Pininfarina The Ferrari P6 Pininfarina from 1968.		Sbarro Stash The 1974 production car.
	Ferrari 365BB The 1971 Ferrari 365 Berlinetta Boxer.		Serenissima Ghia The 1969 Ghia concept car.
	Ferrari Studio CR 25 The 1974 Ferrari CR25 by Pininfarina.		Toyota EX-3 The 1969 Toyota EX-III concept car.
	Ford GT70 The Ford GT70 Sports Prototype, designed by Ghia.		Vauxhall XVR The 1966 Vauxhall XVR concept car.
	Ford Mach 2 The 1970 Ford Mach II designed by Larry Shinoda.		Vauxhall SRV The 1970 Vauxhall SRV development car.
	Ford Maya The 1984 Ford Maya Supercar

Supercars and Concept cars of the late 1960s and early 1970s.

The late 1960s was an exciting time for car design, with car manufacturers developing supercars and concept cars that utilised the new mid-engine car layout. The mid-mounted engine had been developed in the late 1950's and early 1960's, through design developments in Formula 1, by the racing team Cooper. Many car manufacturers were aware of the handling advantages the new layout had over front engine sports cars and consequently wanted to utilise this new technology.

There were further developments in car aerodynamics too. By the mid 1960's, smoother, flatter profiles in car design were found to reduce drag, allowing cars to cut through the air more efficiently and travel faster. The mid-engine layout did away with the need for cars to have long bonnets. By integrating the angle of a shorter bonnet with the windscreen (forming a wedge shape), aerodynamic improvements were made. In the late 1960s, Designers such as Giorgetto Giugiaro and Marcello Gandini were instrumental in this development, designing such legendary supercar concepts as the Bizzarinni Manta and Alfa Romeo Carabo.

Alfa Romeo Carabo 1968 - Click to enlarge

With both the new mid-engine layout and the aerodynamic improvements, sports cars took on a new futuristic form, showing people a glimpse into the future. Cars such as the Lancia Stratos Concept car exemplified this forward thinking and paved the way for supercars as we know them today. The oil crisis and economic down turn of the mid 1970s put a halt to the development of supercars. Only in the mid 1980's would we see a resurgence of interest, with supercar concepts like the Ford Maya and Lotus Etna. By the late 1980s, supercars were again being developed and produced, such as the Ferrari F40, Jaguar XJ220 and Mclaren F1.

Other Supercars Lancia Stratos

Lancia Stratos Zero 1970

Todays supercars feature the same mid engine layout and wedge shaped designs, evident in cars such as the Lamborghini Gallardo and Murcielago. Above are some examples of supercar concepts from the late 1960s and early 1970s.