I agree.
The 71 is so collectable now because of what it still had under the hood. If 70 had been the last year of big muscle, they would by far be THE most collectable Mopars.
And maybe if the 75 (or the 77) had a hemi, or at least a powerful 440 available in it, things would have been different.
The muscle is what really made the muscle car look good!