Sometimes, reporting errors escape the close scrutiny of the RustyButTrusty editorial review board. That was the case with today’s story on the Opel GT, which said there were no truly modern sports cars sold as the same time as the Opel GT. This glaring oversight is unforgivable, and as such, this will be the last article posted here. Or not. In any case, let’s take a quick look at this 1972 Porsche 914 for sale for $2500 in Mendocino County, CA.
In 1970, you could get any number of compact sports cars that were based on designs and platforms from the 50s and 60s – look at any product from Triumph or MG, and while Fiat and Alfa were definitely more modern, the basic twin-cam 4/live rear axle roadster setup had its roots firmly in earlier cars. Even though those are fun machines in their own right, it was only later in the 1970s that automakers started releasing truly modern sports cars like the Fiat X1/9 and Triumph TR7. But while the concept of the Opel GT dated back to the early 1960s, the actual car came out in 1968. Check out this 1970 Opel GT for sale for $2500 in Portland, OR.
Volvos are not obviously sporty cars, nor are they really oddballs, but there’s something appealing about their spartan, durable design. There are plenty of cars known for a 3-box design, like the 2002, but this car defines the word boxy (too bad about the round headlights). The only thing that comes as close is the Fiat 131. It’s a little bit like driving an old pickup or a Jeep – they’re not sporty by a traditional, handling-numbers-based definition, but the simplicity and unfiltered mechanical-ness of the experience makes it fun in its own way. Check out this 1972 Volvo 142E for sale for $3500 in Portland, OR.
Rusty But Trusty 