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Automotive Lifestyle
AUTOS: 1970s Rides Rally At Barrett-Jackson
VIDEO: Thursday saw a host of 1970s cars sell at Barrett-Jackson in Las Vegas, Nevada...
Bob Golfen  |  Posted September 24, 2010   Las Vegas, NV
This slightly customized 1972 Chevrolet Camaro fetched $30,250 on Thursday at Barrett-Jackson in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo: Courtesy of Barrett-Jackson)
Hang around long enough, and almost anything that was uncool when it was new eventually becomes quirky and collectible.

Such is the case with 1970s-era U.S. automobiles, which are just now starting to trickle into the consciousness of automotive collectors.

The ‘70s, the era of disco music, leisure suits, big hair and arena rock, spawned some of what at the time were the least-loved American cars of all time.

The U.S. auto industry at the time was going through a huge transition from the classic cars of the 1950s and ‘60s, to the vastly improved cars that started to get better in the late 1990s. The first gas crisis, quality control problems and emissions issues all conspired against the 70s cars. So did the styling, in many cases.

But now, 1970s cars are hip, and there were a mess of them that went across the auction block in Thursday’s opening day of the Barrett Jackson Las Vegas Collector Car Event. Best of all, they are still low enough in value that they are affordable for most buyers.
















Here are five 1970s classics that sold on Thursday at Barrett-Jackson Las Vegas. (All prices include 10 percent buyer’s premium).

1974 VOLKSWAGEN THING, $8,250 — Quirky, iconoclastic and quasi-military, the Thing was part Beetle, part convertible and part sport-utility vehicle. It was a huge hit with the back-to-nature types, but barely had enough power to get down the road.
The Volkswagen Thing was part Beetle, part convertible and part sport-utility vehicle. (Photo: Courtesy of Barrett-Jackson)

1978 CADILLAC ELDORADO BIARRITZ, $8,470 — This pimpilicious behemoth was nearly solely responsible for the booming white-patent-leather-belt-and-shoes industry that enjoyed its heyday in the apocalyptic last days of disco. Big, soft, cushy and slow, it made a huge statement.

1974 CHEVROLET CAPRICE CONVERTIBLE, $7,425 — This one was what’s known in the business as “triple white,” with white paint, white interior and white convertible top. Call it the Great White Shark — the Caprice was GM’s least expensive full-sized luxury convertible back in the day. And it’s still a good way to get a tan.

1972 CHEVROLET CAMARO, $30,250 — The second-generation Chevy muscle car is gaining in popularity, almost by the day. This one was slightly customized, with upgraded suspension, brakes, air conditioning and other modern amenities that greatly improved its utility without compromising its basic personality.

1970 AMERICAN MOTORS REBEL “THE MACHINE, $19,800 — Actually more of a holdover from the ‘60s, The tri-color Rebel was AMC’s mid-sized muscle car, meant to be fast, but even more, meant to be impossible to miss, which it was. It made a bold, if somewhat gauche, statement.

Bob Golfen, Automotive Editor for SPEED.com, is a veteran auto writer based in Phoenix, Arizona, who has driven and evaluated essentially every new vehicle sold in the United States. A lifelong car enthusiast with a passion for collector cars, car culture and the automotive lifestyle, he annually attends and writes about Arizona's famous January collector-car auctions, focusing on Scottsdale’s monumental Barrett-Jackson Collector Car Event and other Barrett-Jackson auctions. SPEED.com fans email Automotive Editor Bob Golfen at

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