Sixty diverse cars, sixty fascinating stories, sixty contrasting specifications, just one uniting factor: they’re all forgotten, neglected or misunderstood classics.

In Lost Cars of the 1970s, the casualties and sideshows of motoring history from around the world finally get the recognition they deserve. Revisit a motoring decade when fuel economy was top priority, the rotary engine rose and fell, and car buyers wanted a hatchback and the latest styling and safety features. Those that made the grade found global popularity – now meet the cars left behind.

Italy’s clever plan to update the Mini; the French GT coupé with an extra seat; America’s electric runabout that paved the way for Tesla; Britain’s stylish, homespun sports cars; the Japanese limo intended to do 25mph; the ‘safety car’ turned into a Polish workhorse … each one enjoys a detailed review that gives the context and thinking around them. Featuring archive images that highlight thirty design specials and one-offs, award-winning author Giles Chapman showcases both the cars that predicted what was to come, and those that pointed to a future that never quite came true.