Most Influential Cars: The '70s

The original Z established a foothold in America for Datsun, now Nissan, as a serious sports-car builder. The Z featured a fully independent suspension, front disc brakes and a robust 2.4 liter 151-horsepower inline-6 engine. A fierce racer in its day, the Z is still a go-to player for enthusiasts with big expectations but blue-collar budgets.

Most Influential Cars: The '60s
Most Influential Cars: The '80s

The muscle-car party was still raging in 1970 when Dodge dropped the Challenger on the scene, but not for long. The Challenger was Chrysler's version of the pony car, and the 1970 model is the car at its performance zenith, Hemi engine and all. Hemi-powered Challengers are some of the most collectible of all Mopars. The muscle-car movement and the Challenger were both history by 1974.

Most Influential Cars: The '60s
Most Influential Cars: The '80s

The Vega could have been called the Torpedo, because many think it nearly sank General Motors. The Vega became synonymous with poor build quality and engineering. It would rust at the sight of dark clouds and make a hitchhiker out of you due to its susceptibility to overheating, and parts would fall from its undercarriage because of substandard build quality. It was just poorly executed overall, a disaster.

Most Influential Cars: The '60s
Most Influential Cars: The '80s

Hastened by the success of other subcompacts from Datsun, Toyota and VW, the Pinto was Ford's first subcompact. It wasn't a bad car, per se, but it had a tendency to erupt into flames during rear-end collisions. Ford was forced to recall the car and correct the flaws after losing a long court battle, during which the infamous "Ford Pinto memo" was revealed, which ruthlessly calculated the cost of reinforcing the rear end ($121 million) versus the potential payout to victims ($50 million).

Most Influential Cars: The '60s
Most Influential Cars: The '80s

Based on the Pinto, the Mustang II was conceived as a fuel-efficient muscle car. Can you say "contradiction in terms"? Its existence trampled on both the style and substance of the once-proud pony car. However, while it was a disappointment on every front, Ford sold more than 1 million of them during its four-year run, allowing the Mustang nameplate to survive the oil crisis.

Most Influential Cars: The '60s
Most Influential Cars: The '80s

The first Civic was equipped with a 1,169cc 50-horsepower engine that delivered 40 mpg and was peppier than its domestic foes, the Ford Pinto and Chevrolet Vega. But even more important than fuel economy, it was built to last and was more reliable than anything coming out of Detroit at the time. Within two years, Honda was moving 100,000 Civics a year. Today, it is the poster child for value, reliability and economy.

Most Influential Cars: The '60s
Most Influential Cars: The '80s

The Countach was a groundbreaker. The vehicle's audacious styling made trapezoids cool and still influences supercar design today. The first Countach was powered by a 4.0-liter 375-horsepower V12 engine, whose roar made jaws drop and hearts pump faster. Scissor doors, a cabin-forward design to accommodate the big engine, and trademark NACA ducts are among the car's most notable visual attributes.

Most Influential Cars: The '60s
Most Influential Cars: The '80s

Volvos are famous for being safe cars and the 240 is why. It was the first in a series of square-but-safe Volvo cars. Its innovations included an impact-absorbing steering column and crush zones in the front and rear body panels. The 240 was so safe that the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration used it as the benchmark for safety. The 240 had longevity, ceasing production in 1993 after 25 years.

Most Influential Cars: The '60s
Most Influential Cars: The '80s

Infamous for all the wrong reasons, the Pacer has become the poster child for ugly cars. Many experts call it the ugliest of all time. The car was out of proportion — big, wide and bulbous. Ironically, it lacked cargo room when full of passengers. In addition, it was remarkably underpowered; the 3,000-pound fish bowl's standard inline-6 engine produced a mere 100 horsepower.

Most Influential Cars: The '60s
Most Influential Cars: The '80s

The 911 appears on our list of influential cars of the 1960s, but because the Turbo model was the first factory-turbocharged Porsche and because its aggressive lines were such a leap in the model's evolution, it makes our list for the '70s as well. The '75 911 Turbo was easy to spot, with its wide fenders and signature "whale tail." The car debuted with a 3.0-liter turbo boxer-6 engine rated at 260 horsepower. It was a terror on and off the track.

Most Influential Cars: The '60s
Most Influential Cars: The '80s

Evan Griffey served as an editor of Turbo & High Tech Performance, a pioneering publication about sport-compacttuning. Today Griffey freelances for Import Tuner, Sport Compact Car, Car Audio and Siphon.

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