The 1980's - what a decade for cars!

"Berang" (berang) 01/29/2018 at 00:00 • Filed to: None

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People who actually had to drive through the 80's have little to be genuinely nostalgic about... they do however have lots of hilarious magazine covers to remember.

pip bip - choose Corrour > Berang 01/29/2018 at 00:09

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I’d rather have the Renault 5 than the Cadillac

WilliamsSW > Berang 01/29/2018 at 00:10

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Got my license in 1984.

Wanted NOTHING to do with any car less than 12 years old.

Steve in Manhattan > Berang 01/29/2018 at 00:15

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At one point in time, that very issue was sitting in my mailbox.

lone_liberal > Berang 01/29/2018 at 00:15

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It’s almost as good as the raisin wannabe cover.

HPoz - I like Honda Fits and I cannot lie > lone_liberal 01/29/2018 at 00:29

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The Reatta is everything I want in a roadster - front-wheel drive, auto-only, built on the GM E-Body, weighing nearly 2 tons,

HPoz - I like Honda Fits and I cannot lie > HPoz - I like Honda Fits and I cannot lie 01/29/2018 at 00:31

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I guess in all fairness the Miata was first revealed in the (exact!) month of that issue’s publication so maybe C&D at that point was just resigned to having roadsters never get better than the Reatta.

Chariotoflove > Berang 01/29/2018 at 01:04

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It wasn’t all bad. My mom got an RX-7 in ‘86.

Shift24 > Berang 01/29/2018 at 02:32

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Man how disappointing was the late 70s and 80s for auto journalists? To see the gold era of the big three come down them pushing out shit like that. Man that’s depressing, German cars helped buy I feel they were often over looked as too high end and under estimated. There were glimpses of hope, GNX, omni GLHS, and Taurus SHO. But a hand full of cars for 15+ years of shit is rough. As a 90s kid we got to see the rise of Japanese imports, the power and sophistication of German engineering (not reliability), hyper car wars, and now the power wars of the big 3. A lot happened in the malaise era that shaped what we see today but man that had to be tough

duurtlang > Berang 01/29/2018 at 03:19

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The 80s was a great era for cars outside of the US though.

RT > Berang 01/29/2018 at 04:58

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The 80s is my favourite era for cars, fight me.

RT > duurtlang 01/29/2018 at 05:02

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Heck, even then the US got the Buick Grand National, a Mustang that wasn’t based on a Pinto anymore, an all-new Corvette, Turbo K-cars plus the Fiero and F-bodies - which were much-improved by the end of their run.

So even though the US was not as well-off as the rest of the world around this time, even they were successfully recovering from the fuel-crisis years from earlier on.

WilliamsSW > pip bip - choose Corrour 01/29/2018 at 08:00

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I’d rather have to walk than the Cadillac

fintail > RT 01/29/2018 at 09:49

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Europe had plenty of crapcans too, it’s just that the good cars were really really good.

MINIGTI > Berang 01/29/2018 at 13:12

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I love 80s BMWs, Volvos, Saabs and Jaguars. Everything else, not so much.

Berang > RT 01/29/2018 at 14:31

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There were some pretty cool cars (outside of the U.S.).

Berang > RT 01/29/2018 at 14:34

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Except of course that Mustang was literally the ugliest thing ever committed to sheet metal, and made by comparison, even a Renault Alliance look like a genius masterwork of automotive proportions.

RT > fintail 01/29/2018 at 16:11

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Examples? I’m convinced this was the golden age for European cars.

fintail > RT 01/29/2018 at 17:45

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I think the base engine versions (the ones that made up much sales volume) of many revered cars were penalty boxes. A lovely 205 or Mk2 Golf with the penny pincher engine wouldn’t be the most fun.

Cars like a Ritmo/Strada, Metro, or Orion or even fancier cars like a Biturbo weren’t the most beloved either, off the top of my head. In my eyes anyway, aworst, many top sellers like a Sierra or Cavalier weren’t much better than their softer slushbox American counterparts.