Cars turning 50 in 2025: part 1 | GRR – Goodwood Road and Racing

BMW 3-Series (E21)

Designed to replace the landmark BMW 02 series, the very first BMW 3-Series was introduced fifty years ago in two-door and four-cylinder (316, 318) forms only, with the seminal M60 small six-cylinder motor introduced two years later. The E21 began a legacy that continues today as the mainstay for the BMW family, the 3-Series now on its seventh generation. Although the compact executive 3-Series replaced the popular 02 models, BMW also introduced a new base but short-lived 1502 as its more affordable entry model in 1975.

Austin-Morris 18-22 Series (Princess)

In March 1975, the dependable but dull BMC/BL 1800 ‘Landcrab’ range was replaced with a new and daringly wedged modern Austin-Morris 18-22 series saloon, with the top model being marketed as the plush Wolseley Six. Styled by British Leyland’s in-house designer Harris Mann (the author of the Austin Allegro!), the 18-22 wedge range was mysteriously rebranded just six months after its launch as the Princess family, this bringing the long-lived Wolseley brand to an end after a 76-year car building career.

The reformed Princess survived until being updated as the Austin Ambassador in 1982, but failed to sell in the numbers this spacious car deserved as BL’s rotten quality control cursed any chances of success for the Princess. 

Jaguar XJ-S

British Leyland controversially replaced the legendary Jaguar E-Type with the plump XJ-S V12 grand tourer coupé in 1975. Blessed with a fine engine, but otherwise questionable styling and patchy quality, the new XJ-S was a lardy 2+2 coupé that lacked the grace and sporting esprit de corps of the original E-Type.

Widely criticised at launch as an unworthy successor to the E-Type, early sales of the 5.3 V12 XJ-S took time to hit their stride, although ultimately the large Jaguar coupé did gain acceptance, plus a range of small and more economical engines, with the model enjoying a record 21-year production run. The more elegant two-door coupé version of the acclaimed XJ6 and XJ12 saloons also finally went into production in 1975, some time after this derivative was first previewed in 1973.

Triumph TR7

First revealed in January 1975, the dramatic wedged Triumph TR7 Coupé was intended to replace the ‘old school’ TR6. Very different in character to all previous Triumph TR sports cars, the new TR7 was first aimed at the lucrative American market, before UK sales began 18 months later in summer 1976. This gave traditional TR fans time to get used to this radical new model in Britain, and British Leyland also had enough common sense to keep building the out-going TR6 for longer than initially planned to meet with a late upsurge in demand from these traditionalists.

Initially only offered as a fixed head coupé (due to the threat of pending North American safety regulations), a soft top TR7 convertible did eventually join the fold in late 1979, though by which time it was sadly too late; the model’s reputation had already been blighted by the lousy build quality and frequent strikes that impacted negatively on the Harris Mann-designed Triumph.  

Chrysler Alpine/Simca 1308

Developed and designed by the ex-Rootes engineering team in Coventry, the Chrysler Alpine was initially built by Simca in France, where it was sold as the 1307/1308 range with a practical five-door hatch configuration mated to proven Simca 1100 running gear. Never as strong a seller as Chrysler had hoped, British Alpine production began in 1976, with the car taking the European Car Of The Year title that same year.

Ferrari 308 GTB/GTS

The true replacement to the infamous mid-engined Dino 246 GT, the new Ferrari 308 GTB coupé and later targa-topped GTS became an instant classic. With its stunning Pininfarina-styled coachwork, early examples were made in GRP fibreglass. The 155mph (241 km/h) 308 GTB/GTB employed a new four-cam V8 engine, mounted midships, as per its Dino 246 predecessor. The V8 was fuel injected from 1981, with this 308 also providing the basis for the collectable 288 GTO in the mid-80s.

Ford Escort MK 2

The square cut replacement to the very successful 1968-75 Escort MK 1, the new MK2 was given a pleasing yet slightly anonymous design that used carry over mechanicals from its predecessor. As well as frequently topping the UK sales charts, the Escort MK2 was available as a two and four-door saloon and three-door estate, using the rear body panels of the MK1.

The MK2 continued the MK1s rally success, too, especially in sporting homologation RS1800 form, which also debuted in 1975 and is highly sought after and valuable today. The RS1800 was later joined by the RS2000 with a quad headlamp droop-snoot nose section.

Lotus Esprit & Eclat

Fifty years ago, the remaining two models in Colin Chapman’s move upmarket with a range of ‘New Generation’ Lotus models was completed, with the introduction of the Eclat – a more affordable fastback coupé version of the new-generation Lotus Elite of 1974, plus the more exotic mid-engined Esprit that was originally previewed in 1972 as a Lotus Europa-based ItalDesign prototype. The Eclat morphed into the Lotus Excel in time, with the Esprit continuing well into the late 1990s. 

Notable mentions

AMC Pacer: Looking like a goldfish bowl on wheels, the glassy Pacer was AMC’s distinctive response to its domestic American Ford Pinto and Chevrolet Vega compact rivals. Originally designed to use a rotary Wankel engine and sold as the USA’s first wide compact car, the Pacer later enjoyed fame in the Wayne’s World movie franchise. The globular AMC was a commercial flop, but has now achieved cut status.

Cadillac Seville: The new Seville was the smallest Cadillac for 50 years, reflecting demands for a more affordable junior luxury sedan. Aping the luxury but not quality of the sector-defining Rolls-Royce Silver Shadow and Mercedes-Benz S-Class, the Seville was loosely based around the humbler Chevrolet Nova, but at a premium price. Officially imported into the UK for a while, but with few sold.  

Bristol 412 Zagato: The first new-shaped Bristol for decades, the targa-roofed 412 revived the long connection between the bespoke West Country prestige car maker and the Milanese coachbuilder, Zagato. The 412 evolved into the Beaufighter in 1980 to become Britain’s first prestige turbocharged car.

Jensen GT: The short-lived GT was a more practical Reliant Scimitar GTE-inspired three-door shooting break version of the failed Jensen-Healey convertible. The 2+2 GT was just getting into its stride when Jensen’s overall business failed in 1976.

Lancia Beta HPE & Monte Carlo (+Fiat 128 3P): For 1975, the large Fiat Group introduced a trio of new sporting models: the Lancia Beta-based HPE 3-door estate version of the neat Beta Coupe, a mini-exotic mid-engined Monte Carlo, as well as an updated version of the pleasing Fiat 128 Coupé as the 3P sports hatch. 

So, this was the first look back at some of the new model highlights first seen 50 years ago. Check back in next week for part two, to learn more about those cars celebrating a golden jubilee in 2025.

Chrysler Alpine/Simca 1308 image courtesy of Getty Images.