10 Iconic Cars From The 60s And 70s That Still Inspire Automotive Design Today

Automotive design is a combination of fine art and engineering that conspires to create the perfect blend of form and function. There have certainly been some radically styled vehicles over the years, like the Duesenberg SJ Mormon Meteor, that look really cool but never inspired imitators. On the other hand, some car designs are so amazing that they elicit copycats and are so timeless that they continue to exert influence to this day. It’s not hard to see the styling cues of classic Porsche, Ferrari, and Lamborghini sports cars in modern rides.

The muscle cars of Chevrolet, Dodge, and Ford are also still influencing the new generation of performance vehicles. Many of these cars, introduced half a century ago, simply got it right from the beginning, and automakers are recognizing that classic perfection never goes out of style. Retro style is big, not because of nostalgia, but rather due to the fact that hot styling doesn’t come with an expiration date. The 1960s and 1970s produced some of the most iconic rides that are still influencing car design in the modern era.

10 Alpine A110

The Alpine Is As A110 As It’s Ever Been

Not many Americans know about the Alpine A110 because it was made by an obscure French Automaker, but it was a cool little rear-engine sports car that was produced between 1963 and 1977. It was essentially Frankensteined together using Renault parts, but it looked a thousand times cooler than anything Renault has ever made. It only weighed 1,556 pounds, so even with a puny inline-four-cylinder engine, it had some zip.

Power And Performance Comparison

At some point during the 70s, Renault acquired Alpine and built some rather weird-looking and forgettable rides, but in 2017, they relaunched the A110. As a testament to how gorgeous this car was, the rebooted version came with almost identical styling. The only real difference was in the performance, as the new version more than tripled the power, which cut the 0-60 time in half and shaved almost 5 seconds off the quarter-mile time.

9 Second-Gen Dodge Charger

Second-Gen Charger Becomes Next-Gen EV Muscle

The second-generation Dodge Charger was the defining ride of the classic muscle car era, especially when equipped with the 426 Street Hemi V-8. The sexy curves were juxtaposed with the car’s aggressive stance, creating one of the most beautifully brutal cars ever designed. When Dodge rebooted the Charger in 2006, it bore little resemblance to the 1968–1970 Chargers, and even had a couple of extra doors.

Power And Performance Comparison

Dodge discontinued the seventh-gen Charger in 2023, with an announced EV replacement that was somehow more shocking than a four-door. It turns out, there are two new Chargers to continue the legacy: an all-electric Charger Daytona, and a turbo I-6 Charger Six-Pack. They both have the same design, and yes there is a four-door version, but the two-door is the spitting image of a second Charger R/T. Actually, it captures the classic “Coke Bottle” body shape with some modern styling touches.

8 First-Gen Honda Civic

Honda e Does Its Civic Duty

The original Honda Civic is the top-five least kick-butt car of all time, but it was never meant to be anything but an efficient, affordable compact ride. Looking back on it now, however, it’s hard not to appreciate its adorable utilitarian design, especially with the hatchback version. The car was introduced in 1972, and literally put Honda on the map as a global success. In 1974, the 1200 “performance” model came out, inventing the hot hatch segment, though it was only sold in Japan.

Power And Performance Comparison

In 2020, when the Japanese automaker was looking for design inspiration for their super-subcompact, EV the Honda e, they went back to the original Civic hatchback. While the Honda e looks like a scale model of the Civic, it actually has an 11-inch longer wheelbase, but eerily similar styling. Like the first Civic hot hatch, this one was never sold in the U.S., and it must not have been very successful, because Honda discontinued it in 2024. Chances are it was the EV part, and not the Civic style, that made it unpopular.

7 1968 Ferrari Daytona 365 GTB/4

The Daytona Has Always Been Superfast

Ferrari had been producing front-engine/rear-drive grand tourers for decades, and in 1966 came out with the 365. It wasn’t the coolest-looking thing, nor was it ugly, but it definitely wasn’t special. Then, in 1968, they unleashed a two-seat sporty variant known as the Daytona, which is one of the hottest designs the Italian automaker ever conceived. In reality, every sports car made since its introduction has been stealing style from it.

Power And Performance Comparison

Ferrari owns it, so there is no larceny there, but they definitely used the classic Daytona as a blueprint for every front-engine they have made in the past two decades. The two+two 456 and 612 Scaglietti owe their existence to the Daytona and the 599, F12berlinetta, and 812 Superfast wouldn’t be the same without them. It’s hard to improve upon perfection, but one area where Ferrari found room was in performance. The Daytona was fast for its day, but the 2024 812 Superfast, and its variants, have literal supercar power.

6 C2 Chevrolet Corvette Sting Ray

A Mako Shark Evolves Into An Apex Predator

Even though the C8 Chevrolet Corvette is a mid-engine American supercar, it is still possible to see design elements from the C2 ‘Vette that launched in 1963. The original Corvette, released in 1956, was a fun two-seater, but didn’t have much in the way of performance. With the second-gen, Chevy started getting serious about making the Corvette into the most badass thing on the road, with slicker styling and killer V-8 options. This was the generation that established the Corvette as the most iconic American performance vehicle.

Power And Performance Comparison

The C2 ‘Vette’s styling was inspired, in part, by the Mako shark, which is appropriate since it’s a killer. By the time the Corvette got to the C8 generation, it had evolved into an apex predator, with an insanely powerful naturally-aspirated V-8, that hunts European supercars that cost five times as much for sport. Starting with the amazing-looking C2 Corvette, it is possible to chart this evolution through each successive generation, to arrive at the equally amazing 2024 Corvette Z01.

5 Jeep CJ-7

If It Ain’t Broke, Don’t Fix It

The basic design of the Jeep Wrangler has been virtually unchanged since the Willys MB of WWII. The Jeep brand has been bought and sold more than any other make, and in 1970, the American Motors Corporation (AMC) purchased the off-road icon. In 1976, they came out with the Jeep CJ-7, which was really the first tweaking of the design, transforming it from a military-style vehicle to the legendary 4×4 adult toy we know today.

Power And Performance

The Renegade trim of the CJ-7 was essentially an appearance package, but it fit so well with all the off-roading options that they almost always went together. A look at a 1978 CJ-7 Renegade isn’t that far off from a 2024 Wrangler Rubicon 392. The newer Jeep has a couple of extra doors and a slightly different grille, but the overall design and feel are the same. There is no need for a radical restyling of the Jeep, because it was perfect from the beginning, and the subtle changes over the decades haven’t strayed from its pure essence.

4 1967 Lamborghini Miura P400

The Miura Rocks You Like a Huracán

The Lamborghini Miura was the archetype for the modern supercar, and it began its influence way back in 1966. The mid-engine sports car was really the first to feature the “Italian Wedge” body style that is the basis for, not just Lamborghinis, but all European exotics. Riding low and hitting insane speeds all began with this glorious sports car, and it is remembered as the finest vehicle the Italian automaker has ever produced.

Power And Performance Comparison

Much like the Corvette, the Miura’s influence on modern design is best appreciated by looking at its family tree. It was replaced by the Countach in 1974, which gave birth to the Diablo in 1990, which passed the torch to the Gallardo in 2003, and then to the Aventador in 2011, leading to the current Huracán. A direct line can be drawn from 1966 to the modern day with Lamborghini halo sports cars, which shows how inspiring the Miura actually was.

3 1967 Toyota 2000GT

2000GT Leads The Way For 2020s GR Supra

Prior to 1967, the world looked at Japanese cars as reliable, but utterly uninspiring budget rides. Then, Toyota unleashed the 2000GT sports car, which shifted global perceptions and established the Japanese automaker as a real player in performance vehicles. With a sleek fastback design, the 2000GT was the most beautiful thing to come from the entire continent of Asia, and continued its influence on car design well into the 2000s.

Power And Performance Comparison

The Toyota Supra started out as a glorified Celica and was not the coolest-looking thing, but in 1986, for its third A70 gen, designers went back to the 2000GT for inspiration. Suddenly, the Supra was every bit as hot as its spiritual ancestor. The Supra would stray a bit in the 1990s from that winning style, and it was eventually discontinued. When Toyota gave it a reboot in 2019, they made sure the GR Supra paid proper tribute to the 1966 2000GT, with an updated, yet familiar styling.

2 1969 Ford Mustang Mach 1

From Pony Car To Dark Horse

When the Ford Mustang was first introduced in 1964½, it was a smashing success due to its design, which had fun written all over it. It, however, wasn’t until the late 60s that the playful pony car became a true muscle car with updated styling and some much-needed performance options. Though still in the first generation, the 1969 Mustang was redesigned with more heft, and in the case of the Mach 1 SportsRoof fastback model, got decidedly more badass looking. The available 428ci Cobra Jet V-8 engine was also a plus.

Power And Performance Comparison

In 1971, the Mustang began a journey of curious design choices from Ford, beginning with the long hood first-gen models. The second-gen Mustang IIs of the 70s were basically Pintos with weak engines, and remain the worst run of the fabled pony car. The Fox Body ‘Stangs of the ’80s were cool, but didn’t look much like the original, and it’s hard to say what was going on with the ’90s versions. In 2005, Ford wised up and returned to the classic design and hasn’t strayed since. The 2024 Mustang Dark Horse is a modern interpretation of the ’69 Mach 1 in both style and attitude.

1 1964 Porsche 911

The Timeless Styling Of The 911

Conventional thinking in the auto industry says that models have to be constantly updated or refreshed to keep the car-buying public excited about their cars. Sometimes this is good, like the design coup d’état of the second-gen Charger, but often it results in disappointing eyesores like the Mustang II. Porsche, on the other hand, recognized they hit a design grand slam with the 911 in 1964 and haven’t altered it much in the 60 years since its introduction. They even still make them with flat-six engines.

Power And Performance Comparison

Porsche has assigned a lot of different numbers to the car, like 930, 964, and the present-day 992, but they are all 911 variants, and still retain that gorgeous, iconic style. From the beginning, the 911 was a high-performance sports car and that tradition carries on into the modern age. The only difference is, performance has been redefined, which is why a 2024 911 GTS is four times as powerful as its 1964 grandparent. It’s been over a half century and car designers are still trying to come up with something as perfect as the Porsche 911.