I have always been partial to British bikes because they just looked damned "smart" in that British way. The Club bikes of the '40s and '50s were simply gorgeous in a rainbow of cutting edge colours and transfers. All dash and flair with that essential dignity still intact.
But I must say Raleigh in the 1970s just had odd colours for racing bikes... browns, champagnes, coppers etc. All very '70s but somehow too subtle. One of the reasons I bought a Peugeot UE-8 in '74 was that compared to the Raleighs of the same price, it looked really fantastic and racy in that classic white and black. Just like a "real" racing bike should. The best looking Raleigh of the era in my eyes and most under-rated was the Gran Sport in its crisp white and medium blue. Lovely.
The other horror of '70s bikes, both British and French, were those yucky "chrome" finish decal stickers. Many makers, Gitane, Carlton and Falcon especially, just plastered these all over including the seat tube. One visit to the shop and the clamp stand had ruined this into a sticky, marred mess. And there's nothing one can do to restore these nowadays.
Peter Kohler
Washington DC USA