13 Iconic Cars Turning 50 Years Old
The industry has come an impressively long way since the 1970s oil crisis forced automakers to downsize their portfolios into smaller, more fuel-efficient economy cars. That era coincided with the rise of Japanese brands like Datsun (Nissan), Toyota, and Honda in the global market. They came armed with affordable, fuel-efficient compact cars that demonstrated unprecedented reliability.
As Nissan celebrates 55 years of the Z car with a limited-production Heritage Edition in 2024, we remember other icons, many of which are no longer with us like the Z, that are and will be celebrating their Golden Jubilees this year and the next.
It’s easy to forget this remarkable cohort of cars that first captured our hearts, wallets, and roads half a century ago.
Volkswagen Golf
- 1974–Present
The Golf’s fame was instant and strong enough to sustain the nameplate’s presence on the global scene with an unbroken production run since 1974. It is in its 8th generation (Mk8) since 2019, boasting incredible technological, design, and engineering advancements.
Volkswagen introduced the Golf in May 1974, making it 50 years old today. It was offered as a more progressive version of the iconic Beetle since the Bug was too popular to be withdrawn or radically redesigned. This explains why the Golf was free to use a front-engine layout paired with an RWD configuration.
Ford Mustang II
- 1974–1978
The Mustang II was produced in 1973 as a 1974 model year, making it just fine to call this year or the next its 50th birthday. There’s probably not a Mustang as controversial as the II, although it was one of the bestselling ‘Stangs in the nameplate’s history, shifting over a million units by the time it was over in 1978.
The controversy stems from the fact the 2nd-gen Mustang was built not as the American pony car it was born for but as a fuel-efficient family car in response to the oil crisis. Ford was smart to listen to enthusiasts and returned the Mustang to a larger, performance-oriented muscle car in 1979.
Chevrolet Monza
- 1974–1980
The Monza would be 50 years old today if it hadn’t been discontinued in 1980. General Motors planned to seed the Monza with a Wankel rotary engine but shelved the idea due to the 1973 Arab Oil Embargo and tightening emissions regulations.
Instead of the Wankel, Monza used a series of straight-4, V6, and V8 engines, including the famous Iron Duke, and the 2.3-liter inline-4 shared with the highly controversial Chevrolet Vega. Like the Mustang II, the Chevy Monza’s production started in 1973 for the 1974 model year. It served as a sporty economy car during the oil crisis.
Datsun 710
- 1973–1977
It was known in the U.S. as the Datsun 710, the Datsun 140J (or 160J) in other markets outside Japan, and the Nissan Violet in Japan. It was a smaller version of the Nissan Bluebird-U sold outside Japan as the Datsun Bluebird 610. The 610 series came in various body styles, including sedans, coupes, and wagons.
The 710 was more compact, a bit sportier, and offered the needed efficiency during the ‘70s heightened demand for fuel-efficient cars. In 1978, Nissan replaced it with the Stanza (Datsun 510), also known as the Auster.
AMC Matador Coupe (Full-Size)
- 1974–1978
The initial midsize Matador would be older than 50 years in 2024 and 2025, having been introduced to the market in 1971 and sold until 1973. However, the second generation (starting in 1974) was full-size models, available in 2- and 4-door body styles.
It stood out with its radical styling and NASCAR racing exploits, particularly with driver Mark Donohue. The car’s unique design earned it a role in the 1974 James Bond film The Man with the Golden Gun, where it could transform into an airplane. Changing market trends and declining sales eventually brought the Matador’s production to a halt in 1978.
Chrysler Cordoba (Midsize)
- 1975–1983
The Cordoba would be 50 years old in 2025, having been “re-launched” for the 1975 model year. Actually, Chrysler first introduced the car for the 1970 model year as a full-size model but ‘relaunched’ it as a midsize coupe in 1975.
It was sold in this form in two generations, lasting until the 1983 model year. Named after the Spanish city of Cordoba, it was an entry-level luxury car Chrysler aimed at Chevy’s Monte Carlo and others in the luxury segment, such as the Ford Thunderbird and GM’s Pontiac Grand Prix.
Honda Civic CVCC
- 1975–1983
This version of the 1st-gen Civic featured the CVCC (Compound Vortex Controlled Combustion) engine developed to meet current emissions standards without a catalytic converter. It was an innovative Honda technology pioneered by the Civic and later introduced in other Honda models.
The first-gen Civic, introduced in Japan in 1972, was already a groundbreaking model in Honda’s automotive history. It ditched the previous Honda 1300’s air-cooled engineering and expanded its size beyond the N-series’ tiny proportions. The result was a winning blend that set the standard for all Honda models to this day.
Ferrari 365 GT4 BB
- 1973–1976
Ferrari explained that the 365 GT4 BB followed the Prancing Horse’s naming convention, with the number “365″ referring to the swept volume of a single cylinder, the number “4″ relating to the total number of camshafts, and the “BB” suffix stood for “Berlinetta Boxer.” Only 387 examples were made.
As the first mid-engine road-going Ferrari, the BB (short for Berlinetta Boxer) is one of the most iconic cars from the famous Maranello factory. Unveiled at the 1973 Paris Motor Show, the BB was the Lamborghini Miura and later the Lamborghini Countach’s direct rival.
Peugeot 604
- 1975–1985
The 604 was a luxury sedan that Peugeot introduced in 1975, although Kia would later assemble it in South Korea between 1979 and 1981. The styling was the handiwork of Pininfarina, featuring a long wheelbase, uncluttered body lines, and a roomy interior. The 604 ended production in 1985.
Peugeot released it to compete with Mercedes-Benz’s E-Class and the BMW 5 Series. It used the PRV (Peugeot-Renault-Volvo) 2.7-liter V6, making it the first passenger car in Europe with a turbo-diesel unit. Peugeot paired the engine with a 4-speed manual or a 3-speed automatic transmission, producing up to 144 hp in the 1980 STI spec.
Lancia Beta Montecarlo
- 1975–1978
The Beta Montecarlo (also called Lancia Scorpion in the US) was a mid-engine sports car that would hit its Golden Jubilee in 2025. The Scorpion was specifically modified to meet the tighter U.S. emissions laws, making it significantly unique from the Montecarlo.
Like the Peugeot 604, the Montecarlo’s wedge-shaped design and low body profile with sharp lines were Pininfarina’s handiwork. It had a targa-style convertible model designed for customers who craved an open-top driving experience in the Montecarlo.
The car performed admirably in the World Rally Championship (WRC) and sports car racing competitions, especially the Group 5 racing version.
Porsche 911 Carrera RS 3.0
- 1973/1974
The Porsche 911 Carrera RS 3.0’s production took off in late 1973 and ended in mid-1974, making it technically a “one-shot” model that should be celebrating its 50th birthday in 2024. The RS 3.0’s production ran from October 1973 to June 1974, with just 50 units produced, excluding the six right-hand-drive models.
As a high-performance variant of the 911 developed primarily for racing, the RS 3.0 benefited from a 3.0-liter flat-six mated to a 5-speed manual gearbox to produce approximately 230 hp. It succeeded the iconic 911 Carrera RS 2.7 and was offered as a homologation special for Group 4, emphasizing performance and driving dynamics.
Mazda Rotary Pickup
- 1974–1977
The REPU was the first and only production rotary-powered pickup truck ever made. It was introduced in 1974 and targeted at the North American market. Mazda hoped to use this truck to corner the large demographic of shoppers looking for an efficient yet powerful pickup truck.
The formula for this conquest was rooted in Mazda’s 110-hp 1.3-liter 13B rotary engine mated to a 4-speed manual transmission. A 3-speed automatic was available in later years. Despite the rotary’s smooth and high-revving character, it wasn’t a runaway market success, with around 15,000 units sold in total.
Opel Ascona B
- 1975–1981
The Ascona B was a successful midsize Opel that sold approximately 1.2 million units in six years. Comparatively, the first-gen Ascona A moved around 692,000 vehicles between 1970 and 1975. The Ascona B spawned a high-performance variant called the Ascona 400, designed to meet rally homologation requirements with a 144-hp 2.4-liter engine.
The racing trim was more powerful, while the most powerful standard Ascona B featured a 100-hp 2.0-liter unit. The Ascona series were small family cars that fought the Volkswagen Passat, Ford Taurus, and Peugeot 305 for the midsize market.
