1987 is the best automotive year ever

"BadMotorScooter" (badmotorscooter) 03/14/2014 at 16:10 • Filed to: 1987

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The 1980s might not be a decade that you consider when thinking of 'good' things in the automotive universe. Generally, the 80s are thought to be only slightly better than the 70s for delivering automotive crap. However, if you take a close look at the 80s you can see some gems.

The automotive malaise period that is notorious for producing so many crapcans started about 1972 with new emissions regulations and ended about 1987. 15 years of mostly automotive trash. By 1987, auto manufacturers began to deliver vehicles that solved the emissions challenges and return real performance. 1987 was an inflection point in auto engineering and design. Electronic fuel injection, turbocharging, and multi-valve heads were finally real and reliable solutions that were beginning to become available in mass produced cars. The path out of the malaise period became clear and manufacturers began to deliver product that actually worked.

Look at some of the gems that were available in 1987. These cars retained mechanical simplicity but added the technology to deliver performance. They also did not have the extra weight that came from later safety regulations. 1987 has a few landmark cars like Ferrari F40 and Porsche 959, but also many noteworthy cars from mainstream manufacturers. The 944S and 928S4 debuted in 1987 with 4-valve heads for the first time. Toyota released the first Supra Turbo in 1987. BMW had the E28 M5, E30 M3, and E24 M6 all available in 1987. Your friendly Dodge/Chrysler/Plymouth dealer would sell you a 1987 Shelby CSX, Omni or Charger GLHS (landmark hot hatches). Down the street the local Buick dealer may have had a 1987 Buick Grand National or GNX on the lot. You could walk into your local Chevy dealer and order a C4 Corvette with option code B2K (the option cost $20k in 1987) and get a twin-turbo Callaway C4 with 345HP. Or maybe you just cashed in on the Microsoft IPO and bought yourself a 1987 Countach 5000QV, arguably the best Countach ever made.

Everything in this list is either important or interesting, and valuable today. All of these are from 1987.

Ferrari F40 (landmark car)

Porsche 959 (landmark car)

Porsche 944S (first year for 944S and 4-valve heads in 944)

Porsche 928 S4 (first year for S4 and 4-valve heads in 928)

Countach 5000QV (fuel injected, 4-valve heads, perhaps the best Countach)

Callaway Corvette (factory ordered, twin-turbo, 345HP)

Shelby CSX (variable vane turbocharging)

Dodge Omni GLHS and Charger GLHS (turbo and intercooled)

Buick Grand National and GNX (big turbo and intercooled)

Pontiac Fiero GT (America's only homegrown modern mid-engine sports car)

BMW M5 E28

BMW M3 E30

BMW M6 E24 (1987 was one of only a couple years that you could buy all three BMWs)

Honda CRX Si 3rd gen (3rd gen car available in 87 calendar year)

Toyota Supra Turbo (debut year for the turbo in the Supra)

Mitsubishi Starion ESi/Chrysler Conquest TSi (first year for the widebody)

VW Golf GTI 16v (first year for 4-valve GTI)

VW Scirocco 16v (first year for 4-valve Scirocco)

Oldsmobile 442 (one of the last years for the old-school carb 5.0 V8)

Mercedes 300D (noted as one of the most reliable Mercedes, or any car, ever)

Mercedes AMG Hammer (the one and only real Hammer)

Lotus Esprit 4th gen car (first year of the best Esprit generation)

Mazda RX-7 Turbo II (first year for the 2nd gen turbo)

Ford Mustang GT 5.0 (first year of the 87-93 model with 225HP 5.0)

I am sure there are many I am overlooking. There were many important firsts in 1987. 1987 was an intersection of simple mechanical engineering and reliable new technology. Cars today are faster, safer, more powerful and overall better than almost anything here, but you can see the path forward that really started in 1987. This was the beginning of the horsepower wars that continue today.

Brian Silvestro > BadMotorScooter 03/14/2014 at 16:15

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(America's only homegrown modern mid-engine sports car)

We had it Roman, we had it.

For Sweden > BadMotorScooter 03/14/2014 at 16:15

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You forgot third-gen F-bodies

daender > BadMotorScooter 03/14/2014 at 16:19

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1987 was also the last year for the R31, the last RWD inline-6 Skyline. It's also the only year of the GTS-R, a swansong 800-unit homologation model with 210 turbocharged horsepower.

With-a-G is back to not having anything written after his username > BadMotorScooter 03/14/2014 at 16:20

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That's like saying "2 B.C. is the best Christian year ever," because 1989=Miata.

crowmolly > BadMotorScooter 03/14/2014 at 16:21

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1987 was the return of the 350 in the Camaro. IROC-Z only IIRC.

jmart > crowmolly 03/14/2014 at 16:26

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but you couldn't have a 350 and a 5 speed

Goshen, formerly Darkcode > With-a-G is back to not having anything written after his username 03/14/2014 at 16:26

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So a rerun of old ideas should be considered the birth of great motoring? Do you realize how stupid your idea is?

Goshen, formerly Darkcode > BadMotorScooter 03/14/2014 at 16:27

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Most of those American cars actually came out in late 1986.

Textured Soy Protein > BadMotorScooter 03/14/2014 at 16:27

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Other notable 1987 debuts I can think of:

BMW 7-series E32 - first BMW V12, and had options including a phone, fax, wine cooler, and traction control

Mercedes 190E 2.6 - first 190 with an I6

With-a-G is back to not having anything written after his username > Goshen, formerly Darkcode 03/14/2014 at 16:28

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Do you realize it was tongue-in-cheek, based on the "answer is always Miata" thing?

crowmolly > jmart 03/14/2014 at 16:29

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Nope, you couldn't. But it was a turning of the tide as far as malaise/power goes.

Goshen, formerly Darkcode > With-a-G is back to not having anything written after his username 03/14/2014 at 16:32

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Answer =/= Beginning

Cebu > BadMotorScooter 03/14/2014 at 16:49

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I hate to disagree with you, but you're wrong. 2014 is the best automotive year ever. Why?

-McLaren P1 (Jennifer's favorite righteous hybrid)

-Porsche 918(Quite possibly the best track hybrid every made)

-Ferrari TheFerrari (Quite possibly the ballsiest car name ever)

-Alfa Romeo 4C

- Carrozeria Touring Disco Volante

-Nissan GT-R Nismo ( the best track car)

-Lamborghini Gallardo LP700-4 Squadra Corse (Lamborghini finally makes the final Gallardo)

-Ferrari 458 Speciale (the prettiest car I have ever seen, now more special)

-Jaguar F-Coupe Type R (Jaaaag just got sexy and less poserish)

-Corvette C7 Stingray (America makes an excellent car and gets noticed doing it)

-Aston Martin Vanquish Volante (the bluest press car Aston's ever made, and also one of the prettiest)

-BMW M4 (Brilliant M(3+1))

-Kia ProCee'd_GT (Kia makes a schporty car, more noted for its paving the way for the bite-your-fist gorgeous Kia Stinger than performance or price)

-Golf GTI mark...what is it...42? (Volkswagen continues to up the ante on the most polished hot hatch in existence, giving it a new magic diff)

-Caddilac CTS (COTY '13)

-Ferrari California (Schportier but also more aggressively styled, and a fast Fezza makes everybody happy)

BadMotorScooter > crowmolly 03/14/2014 at 16:57

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Exactly, and that was my point. 1987 was a huge turning of the tide in the automotive world. 350 IROC should be on the list...

BadMotorScooter > Cebu 03/14/2014 at 16:59

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All these cars are better, true. But there were more dramatically new and better cars in 1987. That was the year the tide turned and product became widely available. The path was set in 1987 and we are now just further down the road.

BadMotorScooter > daender 03/14/2014 at 17:00

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Wow, good catch. More to the point!

BadMotorScooter > For Sweden 03/14/2014 at 17:01

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I did, and they should be included! It was mentioned above that the 350ci returned in the 1987 IROC.

BadMotorScooter > Textured Soy Protein 03/14/2014 at 17:02

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Thanks, good catches!

BadMotorScooter > Goshen, formerly Darkcode 03/14/2014 at 17:03

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True, but were 1987 model years. The 3rd gen CRX Si was a 1988 model year but available in calendar 1987.

Textured Soy Protein > daender 03/14/2014 at 17:05

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Um, there were plenty of RWD I6 versions of the R32, R33 & R34.

Or do you mean the last RWD I6 top-of-the-line Skyline?

Gabor Vajda (@Gabor_V) > BadMotorScooter 03/14/2014 at 17:10

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It was the best year for metal music, too.

BadMotorScooter > Gabor Vajda (@Gabor_V) 03/14/2014 at 17:11

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Maybe there's a connection.....

McLarry > Goshen, formerly Darkcode 03/14/2014 at 17:41

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Easy there, killer...save the rage for the front page.

daender > Textured Soy Protein 03/14/2014 at 18:03

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The later, sorry.

Axial > BadMotorScooter 03/14/2014 at 21:20

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The base C4 also got a power boost, the 4+3 transmission had all of its bugs worked out, the seats are still the good early seats, and aluminum heads came standard across the entire model year. 1987 was boss.

Cebu > BadMotorScooter 03/16/2014 at 19:36

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Hmm, I'd say using hybrid tech in a way that doesn't make you fat and angry is pretty important.

BadMotorScooter > Cebu 03/16/2014 at 20:06

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True, the new super hybrids are important, but I'd say these new cars are following the same trajectory that was set in 1987. Prior to that point, we were trying to do the same thing (big cubes and carbs) and expecting the same results we had before emissions regs. But about 1987, we saw technology applied to do things differently (EFI, turbos, multi-valve heads), which made it better. Today, we are still applying technology to do things differently and better.