Popular Mechanics, of all publications, recently published an interesting automotive compilation. It’s entitled “Great ’80s Car that Time Forgot.” A car from 1980 is now 30 years old and a car from 1889 is 21 years old.
Neither age makes the respective car ancient. Nevertheless, article offers unique insight and states that the 1980s was a far superior decade for cars than the 1970s.
AUTOMOTIVE RESOURCES
Auto Shipping Quote, Car Financing, Car Insurance Quotes, Car Loans, Online Car Insurance, Rental Cars, Used Cars
The article’s premise is that the 1980s was great decade for prominent, groundbreaking cars—the BMW 5 Series, Honda Civic CRX and Ferrari F40.
Writer John Pearley Huffman also offers: “A few machines have somehow faded from our collective consciousness. They’re essentially unappreciated, but their innovations or performance mean they deserve more prominence.”
In his description of the 1983 BMW 5 Series, Huffman writes: “Luxury machines like the 1983 BMW 5 Series changed what the world expected from a sports sedan.
And he adds: “But a few eighties machines were good cars when new and have somehow faded, for whatever reasons, from our collective consciousness. They’re essentially unappreciated, but their innovations or performance mean they deserve more prominence.”
Here’s the top-10 of the Great ’80s Cars That Time Forgot.”
1985-1992 Chevrolet Camaro IROC-Z
1984-1991 Audi 5000 and 100
1981-1992 Toyota Cressida
1981-1984 Nissan Maxima (810)
1984-1985 Ferrari 288 GTO
1984-1996 Chevrolet Corvette (C4)
1983-1988 Ford Thunderbird
1984-1993 Mercedes-Benz 190E
1986-1989 Hyundai Excel
1986-1992 Mazda RX-7
To read the complete article visit: Popular Mechanics/Forgotten Cars
Article Last Updated: August 13, 2010.
- About the Author
- Latest Posts
A sports, travel and business journalist for more than 45 years, James has written the new car review column The Weekly Driver since 2004.
In addition to founding this site in 2004, James writes a Sunday automotive column for The San Jose Mercury and East Bay Times in Walnut Creek, Calif., and monthly auto review and wellness columns for Gulfshore Business, a magazine in Southwest Florida.
An author and contributor to many newspapers, magazines and online publications, co-hosted The Weekly Driver Podcast from 2017 to 2024.