The forgotten cars of the 1980s

Ring any bells? Well there was also plenty of this in the 1980s as well, which is why in this feature we’re celebrating the cars from that decade – or cars from slightly earlier that made their name in the decade – that you may have completely forgotten:

You might not have heard of it, but Ronald Reagan owned one for 20 years on his Californian ranch. This rugged, harebrained, poundshop Lancia-lookalike was sold by the Japanese giant from 1977-1994 and attracted clientele you’d expect to see in a Mercedes S-Class. With 100,000 examples sold over its life, the Brat was Marketed in America as ‘Fun on Wheels’. Later versions used a gutsy turbocharged 1.8 and proved so popular it cemented Subaru’s reputation for reliability and set the company up for major success in the US in the past couple of decades.

Business ventures constantly give customers an offer they can’t refuse. Mitsubishi’s contract with Chrysler birthed a car that appeared to offer it all, from extravagant options to economy that impresses by today’s standards. You got bucket seats with lumbar support, tinted glass and power-adjustable mirrors. Naming the others would simply take up too much room.

On top of the features, it promised a 40mpg thirst and performance to keep most of the 70,000 buyers entertained. Why, then, was it forgotten? The relationship between the two companies changed, and Mitsubishi began selling the Conquest; the new offer customers couldn’t refuse.

Harold Dermott’s Midas outfit could so easily have become a world-beater in the affordable sports car market. However, a devastating factory fire in 1989 put paid to that and the company folded shortly afterwards in 1989 despite huge acclaim for its compact cars.

The Bronze was launched in 1978 with a glassfibre monocoque body and was the first car with this construction to pass contemporary crash tests. With neat styling by Richard Oakes and aerodynamic design input from Gordon Murray, the later Gold was just getting into its sales stride when that fire destroyed all of the tooling. In all, 500 Bronze and Gold models were produced and they are slowly gaining recognition for their ground-breaking design.

Alfa Romeo’s plans to introduce the 6 in 1973 derailed when the oil crisis made the idea of driving a big, fuel-thirsty sedan unpalatable to all but the wealthiest European motorists. Executives consigned the project to the automotive attic until the late 1970s, when the oil market had seemingly settled. Alfa Romeo made several changes before launching production but the first 6 that drove off the line already looked dated.

The carburetted, 2.5-liter V6 was a real gem of an engine but its high fuel consumption raised eyebrows even in 1979. 1983 brought styling revisions (pictured), Bosch fuel-injection and an available turbodiesel but the improvements were too little, too late. 6 production ended in 1987 after Alfa Romeo built approximately 12,000 units.

How do you attract young buyers? If a book existed detailing the answer, Buick read it cover to cover. Their Century Turbo was an impressive offering produced by the same company making the Indianapolis 500 pace car. Talk about motorsport pedigree.  The Turbo Coupe used a 175bhp 2.8-litre turbocharged V6 which had around as much torque as the then Corvette. With looks not dissimilar to a Saab 900, Buick boasted ‘European-influenced’ styling. But it simply wasn’t enough to lure young buyers and after two years of production and less than 2000 sold, it was dropped. 

When almost everyone else was abandoning the sports car market amid fears the USA would legislate them out of existence, Professor Anthony Stevens came up with the superb Cipher. Light and compact, it used a simple chassis, glassfibre body and 850cc Reliant engine. Autocar’s Steve Cropley praised it when he drove one and the Cipher helped inspire the Mazda MX-5.

Despite all of this, Stevens could not raise the funds to take the Cipher into production and only seven were ever completed. It’s the UK car industry’s loss the Cipher didn’t get the backing it deserved as was the right car at the right time.

The X-11 was, to Chevrolet, what Polestar is to Volvo. It didn’t set out to become the ultra-rare brother of the ordinary Chevrolet Citation, but with 20,000 X-11’s sold out of 1.54 million ordinary Citation’s, that’s exactly what happened. The X-11 was a performance offering which featured a fizzy 2.8-litre V6 and a bulge in the bonnet to exercise its sporting credentials. As a result, the X-11 drove Chevrolet to racing championships in competitions held in 1982 and 1984. Just as Polestar has done for Volvo.

Nothing says 80s chic like the Mirada – born for the V8 engine and adorning whitewall tyres. This car was ideal as a comfortable motorway cruiser, but developed to have a sporting edge. This would become its main problem, with customers disappointed in its performance and poor driving manners for a vehicle with such sporting intentions.  Just 52,000 were sold over three years, a piffling amount compared with rivals, and the car was dropped.  Still, it lives on as a lesson in tasteful American motoring.

Automotive niches inspire some of the oddest creations. The Reliant Robin. The Mercedes R63. And in America, the AMC Eagle Kammback - a niche within a niche. It was a compact car with an interchangeable four-wheel drive system. The owner, typically a first-time buyer or a fleet driver, had to stop at the side of the road to switch between its four and rear wheel drive modes. These days, to get an interchangeable drivetrain you have to buy a BMW M5. However, it wasn’t enough and sales diminished after just one year, despite being 34,000 strong in year one. Like every other niche, it’s only interesting once it’s gone.

The Jeep CJ-8 was a CJ-7 with 10 additional inches of sheet metal between the axles. It retained the CJ-7’s legendary off-road capacity, but it was unique in its segment because it was more of a leisure-oriented model than a workhorse. Jeep didn’t replace the CJ-8 until it introduced the Unlimited variant of the TJ-series Wrangler in 2004, and it returned to the pickup segment with the Wrangler-based Gladiator in 2019.

It was just about to be axed from production, but engineers stepped in to save its life. The Ford EXP was introduced in 1982 as a sportier alternative to the Escort, albeit with a more intricate design that seemed to be missing a front grille. Despite 225,000 being sold, the cult following from the EXP’s life wasn’t found on the road, but in the factory. At the end of the first version’s life, workers took a new Escort, restyled it and showed it to their approving boss. The resultant EXP lived on in the Escort family, saved by its human family.

Although the Continental is one of Lincoln’s best-known models, the European-flavoured diesel-powered variant is remembered as an obscure footnote in the nameplate’s decades-long history. Mercedes-Benz sold every diesel it imported into the United States, much to Lincoln’s annoyance, and even some it didn’t bring – the grey market was booming in the early 1980s. Cadillac had jumped on the diesel bandwagon, too, though its models were not nearly as successful. Decision-makers decided the best way to keep customers in the fold was to offer the diesel engine they were leaving to find.

For the 1984 model year, Continental buyers could choose between a 4.9-liter, 140bhp V8 and a 2.4-liter turbodiesel straight-six built by BMW and tuned to 115bhp; it was the same unit that powered the 524td. Lincoln charged $1235 (around $3100 today) for the German engine. As it turned out, Mercedes-Benz buyers didn’t want a Lincoln and Lincoln buyers didn’t want a diesel. The option disappeared after 1985.

Cutesy but slender. Powerful but delicate.  None of these are words anyone would associate with an Isuzu. But judging by the marketing campaign that read “It screams when you step on it” with a dark, moonlit background denoted something of menacing proportions. Styled by Giorgetto Giugiaro and bearing suspension developed by Lotus, the Suzuki was far ahead of its time.

Perhaps too ahead of its time, as those eye-catching looks and delicate personality weren’t enough to secure its success. Even in its best year, Isuzu only just managed to sell 40,000 and the Impulse was dropped after 6 years.  

Every Marcos is a rare machine, but most have achieved a small but loyal and vocal following. However, the Mantula and its Mantara and Mantaray derivatives are too easily ignored. That’s a shame when they offer much of the thrills of contemporary TVRs, helped by using the same Rover V8 engine for propulsion. Offered in fully-built or kit form, the Mantula never quite shook off those kit car connotations for some potential buyers, even though the body, chassis and running gear were all very well made. Marcos made 289 Mantulas, so they do still appear for sale and deserve fair consideration for the performance and driving enjoyment they offer.

Paul Zimmer set up the Zimmer Motorcars Corporation in 1978, to build luxury cars. His first model was the neo-classic Golden Spirit, but in 1984 the Pontiac Fiero-based Quicksilver came along. Each second-hand Fiero chassis was stretched by 16 inches, on to which a glassfiber bodyshell was bolted, while the interior was spruced up with leather and wood. Production ran until 1988.

Two versions of this car would eventually come to market, in 1984 and 1986 respectively. Both variants of the Alter were near-perfect embodiments of function-over-form design, with drivers given as much space as possible. Durability, however, was the Alter II’s claim to fame, even finishing the 1989 Paris-Dakar rally. UMM also sold civilian-friendly variants of the Alter II (including some with bright, beach-friendly decals on both sides) but they remained too basic for their own good, even compared to a Lada Niva. Most examples consequently ended up in the hands of government agencies – one was even turned into a Popemobile when Pope John Paul II visited Portugal in 1992.

The story of the Sunbird is one of adaptation. The first generation car was dreary and sales weren’t much better. But when the Sunbird GT was introduced, all was transformed. It had a turbocharger and sporty styling cues worthy of the GT badge. Following the addition of a convertible, sales more than doubled in the first year. The final car even had a 3.0-litre V6. But the bestseller was a 165bhp 2.0-litre four cylinder, a formula that proved so successful it wasn’t changed for three years – a record for Pontiac’s laws of evolution.

Did you love the 80s? If not, here’s some convincing. The Chrysler Laser was marketed with retro-purple sunsets and had digital dials that looked as wackily trapezoidal as its air vents. It was clearly a car that looked to the future for inspiration, and its competitors. Its 0-62 time matched the likes of Porsche’s 944 and Nissan’s 300ZX Turbo, all while delivering 35mpg. And if that wasn’t enough, the Laser used a turbo boost gauge so its 150,000-strong customer base could regulate its turbo pressures.

Believe it or not, ‘GLH’ doesn’t refer to this car’s mechanics, or its history. It simply means “Goes Like Hell”. With development overseen by Carol Shelby, this should come as no surprise. What does surprise is the fact that only 13,000 GLH’s were sold. The performance of these cars, particularly the Turbo variant, was impressive even by today’s standards. The Turbo managed 0-62 in 7.5 seconds, just one second slower than a new Volkswagen Golf GTI. And it wasn’t even the quickest one. The Omni GLHS was as quick as a new GTI, whose acronym aptly stood for “Goes Like Hell, Shelby”.

Although it looks similar to the Renault Alpine A610, the MVS 260 and its Atlantique 300 sister were entirely independent products. Built by Manufacture de Voitures de Sport, they did use the Renault V6 engine in 260- and 302 hp forms but the motor was mid-mounted in the MVS. Performance was strong, but the MVS never made the Ferrari-rivalling impact the firm hoped for, even in its native France. The 260 was made from 1984 to 1994, then superseded by the Atlantique that lasted until 2000. While quick, the handling wasn’t in the same league as that of a Porsche 911, which cost almost exactly the same as the MVS.

The Fiero was the most European of American sports cars. Under its rust-proof body law a mid-mounted 2.5-litre four-cylinder engine with drive sent to the back wheels. Unfortunately, the European similarities all but end there. Cost saving meant the Fiero didn’t drive as well as it could, and issues with oil leaking onto the exhaust manifold meant cars caught alight, prompting a recall.

Pontiac spent $30 million trying to save the Fiero for the second generation, but it was too late. Sales halved between 1986 and 1987, and the wannabe Lotus was axed after 370,000 units produced.

Citroën unceremoniously left the American market in 1974 and hasn’t returned since. Although the NHTSA regulated hydropneumatically-suspended cars like the CX (pictured) out of the United States, Dutch businessmen Andre Pol and Malcolm Langman gave the model a chance to shine when they formed CX Automotive (CXA) in the early 1980s. Their team carried out numerous modifications (like installing side-marker lights and sealed-beam headlights) to make Citroën’s flagship compliant with American regulations.

Upmarket features like real wood trim were sometimes added as well. The cost of buying a CX, modifying it and shipping it to America was extremely high so CXA charged about $30,000 (around $73,000 today) for a legal, homologated model in the United States. It sold a handful of examples and turned its attention to the XM when CX production finally ended in 1991.

Volvo renewed its ties with Italian coachbuilder Bertone to transform the 760 into a coupe named 780. Unveiled at the 1985 Geneva motor show, its proportions were easier on the eyes than the 262C’s and it was not available with a vinyl top. It wore sharp, sporty lines that fit in well with the rest of the Volvo range and fell in line with what buyers expected in that era.

Inside, leather and wood trim helped it live up to its flagship positioning. It stood proud as one of the most exotic cars ever released by Volvo. Globally, engine options included a V6, a turbodiesel and a turbocharged four-cylinder. Historians disagree about the number of 780s built; Volvo pegs the total output at 8518 cars but some claim the accurate number lies in the vicinity of 10,000 units. Regardless, 780 production ended in 1990 and it wasn’t replaced until the first-generation C70 – which Bertone played no part in – arrived in 1996.

Naylor had built an enviable reputation for high quality restorations of classic MGs, so the idea of building its own MG TF with modern engine, gearbox and electrics seemed like a good idea. There was no faulting the high standards of the Naylor TF, though choosing a 78 hp British Leyland O-Series engine and four-speed manual gearbox didn’t inspire many buyers. The real problem for Naylor, however, was cost as the TF was offered for £14,950 (around $28,000) in 1985 when a Toyota MR2 was cheaper, better to drive and more practical. Not even a test drive from Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher could drum up enough patriotic support to boost sales beyond 100 cars in total.

Ford believed selling the Sierra XR4i in America would help it fend off competition from brands like BMW, Mercedes-Benz and Audi. It chose to market the car under a new brand called Merkur, a name presumably chosen because it sounded more German. The US-spec model received a turbocharged 2.3-litre four-cylinder engine instead of a V6, which explains the “T” in its name. Too esoteric, the XR4Ti retired in in 1989 after Ford imported about 42,000 examples from Germany. The bigger Merkur Scorpio suffered the same fate.

When the world was going crazy for roadgoing versions of World Rally Championship cars like the Mitsubishi Evo and Subaru Impreza, Daihatsu offered its take on the theme: the Cuore Avanzato TR-XX R4. However, it was more a product of the fertile Kei car market in Japan than stage victories in the WRC.

The tiny Cuore came with four-wheel drive and a turbocharged engine like its more illustrious compatriot, but with 659cc on hand it was somewhat less powerful. The four-cylinder engine corralled 64bhp to offer 0-60mph in 8.5 seconds and, if you were determined, it could hit 101mph. Doesn’t sound much but the way the Cuore had to be driven hard made it a surprisingly entertaining and unusual way to brighten any journey.

The UVA Fugitive F33 Can-Am was born out of the earlier F30 that set the template for this minimalist vehicle with mid-mounted Rover V8 engine. Pre-dating the likes of the Ariel Atom by more than a decade, the F33 had some bare bones bodywork over a chassis inspired by UVA’s off-road sand rail buggies. The result was supercar pace when it was unveiled in 1986. However, even the Ferrari Testarossa-style side intakes and rapid performance were not enough to convince more than 12 people to part with their cash for this slice of 1980s excess.

The idea that these cars were inherently unstable sits in the minds of everyone born after its launch. It’s so engrained it could actually be considered local legend. Unfortunately, it resulted in a turbulent lifespan for the Samurai in the United States. Sitting as a cheaper alternative to the Jeep Wrangler, the Samurai was designed to appeal to younger drivers who looked for fun and off-road competence. True enough, around 200,000 examples were sold over its life. However, after a lawsuit against the magazine who wrote about the car’s instability, sales became as allegedly unstable as the car.

For a car that sold 8000 units in period, the BMW Z1 loiters in the shadows of BMW history. At its launch in 1988, it was expensive at around $50,000 – more than twice the price of a contemporary 325i Sport on which it was based – but many were drawn in by its sleek looks and trademark drop-down doors. The intervening years have witnesses the Z1 being somewhat overshadowed by its Z3M and Z4M descendants, not helped by the Z1’s slightly unfair reputation for stodgy handling and mild performance. Even so, it has a small but dedicated following to compensate for its overlooked stature.

Ever wondered what an American version of the MK1 Golf GTI would be like? Wonder no further. The Beretta GTU was borne out of Chevrolet’s recent racing success, and used a 130bhp 2.8-litre V6 capable of reaching 60mph in 9.2 seconds, just two tenths of a second off a Golf GTI.

What set the Beretta apart was its departure from other sporty versions of normal cars. Chevrolet didn’t simply fit a bodykit, they fettled with the suspension and fitted performance tyres. What’s more, it was understated in the way it portrayed its GTU heritage. Much like the Golf GTI.

Offered as a coupe and as a convertible, the Reatta sat at the very top of the Buick lineup in the late 1980s. It was built largely by hand in a special facility located in Lansing, Michigan, and it was a relatively advanced car for its era. Buyers could order 16-way adjustable seats, automatic headlights and even a touch screen, though the forward-thinking feature was phased out before the end of production. Buick built nearly 22,000 examples of the Reatta between 1988 and 1991. It was hardly a success; executives predicted they could sell about 20,000 cars annually. Having learned its lesson, Buick hasn’t sold a two-seater model since.

This compact SUV was also known as the Rugger in Japan and Fourtrack in the UK. While it worked reasonably well in its home market and UK, it was far too small for America where they expect their SUVs to be big boned. Nor did the engine line-up impress: four-cylinder engines that couldn’t quite crack 100bhp, delivering predictably lethargic performance. Handling was awful too, and generally did nothing for the company’s image stateside; it withdrew from the US altogether in 1992.

Chrysler and Maserati parent company De Tomaso agreed to jointly build a sports car in the mid-1980s. The idea was brilliant on paper: Chrysler would leverage the prestige associated with the Maserati name to build a flagship model capable of taking on some of the finest two-doors on the American market. Production was delayed as the TC would be assembled in Milan, however engine options included a 2.2-litre four-cylinder with a Cosworth-designed 16-valve head and a V6 from Mitsubishi. Chrysler pulled the plug on the project after importing about 7300 cars to America. In hindsight, using a true Maserati engine could have prolonged the TC’s life.

Toyota initially envisioned the original Lexus LS as its flagship model. Executives decided it deserved its own brand after looking at the results of market research, especially in the United States, but they didn’t want it to stand on its own so they Lexus-ified a Camry into the ES, and to give its dealers a larger sales volume. It made its debut alongside the LS at the 1989 Detroit motor show and it was positioned as a smaller, cheaper alternative to the LS. Lexus began selling the ES in September 1989, a month after it received the first 1000 examples of the LS. Both models were popular and the newly-minted firm had logged 16,000 sales by the end of 1989. The second-generation ES arrived in 1991 with a Lexus-specific design inside and out.

The 4x4 segment underwent a profound transformation during the 1980s. Models like the Jeep Grand Wagoneer and Land Rover’s Range Rover that were once purchased as tools had become a status symbol. Bertone saw this transformation as an opportunity.

It took a Daihatsu Rocky, gave it a much nicer interior, made a handful of design tweaks and, significantly, replaced the original engine with smoother, more powerful BMW units. It sold its creation as the Freeclimber starting in 1989. Bertone made about 2800 units of the original Freeclimber between 1989 and 1992. This number wasn’t stellar but it was high enough to warrant the development of a second-generation model based on the updated version of the Rocky. Sales of the Freeclimber II (pictured) started in 1992 and Bertone built an additional 2800 units until 1995, when it canceled the model to free up production capacity for other projects.

Introduced in 1989, the LaForza 5-litre looked familiar to anyone who had taken a trip to Italy in the late 1980s. It was based on the Rayton-Fissore Magnum built on Iveco bones for the Italian military, police and Carabinieri. Tom Tjaarda (1934-2017) designed the Magnum, which looked a little like a Fiat Uno on steroids, and was asked to turn it into a luxurious SUV positioned as an alternative to the Range Rover.

The 5-litre was powered by a 4.9-litre V8 provided by Ford and a four-speed automatic transmission that spun the four wheels. It offered a posh cabin with leather upholstery and real wood trim. It sold well at first, especially in California, but early cars were plagued by various problems that took their toll on the firm’s American division. It filed for bankruptcy in 1990 and made a comeback after Saudi Arabia-based Badrahn Enterprises purchased its assets (and started distributing the 5-litre in its home country).

Buyers met the Dodge Dakota Sport Convertible with a collective “wait, what?” followed by a “why?” when it broke cover in 1989. As its name clearly implies, it was a Dakota trucklet with a manual soft top, though the “Sport” part of the moniker was highly debatable. It didn’t exist for long, and it never spawned competition from Ford or Chevrolet, but it remains one of the most unique pickups in the 1980s. Could this have been the predecessor to the Range Rover Evoque Convertible?

Updating the original 1960s Lotus Elan worked brilliantly for Mazda, but it proved a harder task for Vegantune boss George Robinson when he set up Evante. Based around a backbone chassis very similar to the Elan’s, the Evante Mk2 was powered by a Vegantune 1.7-litre engine built around a Ford block with 142 hp. Performance was better than the original Lotus’ and so was build quality. What did for the Evante was launching a pricey two-seater that looked like a classic Lotus at the height of the early ‘90s recession.

Few showed interest and even less coughed up the money, so Evante only ever produced six of these hand-built machines in Mk2 form; the company was sold to another firm called Fleur De Lys which then produced 12 further cars, powered by Ford Zetec engines. There is an active owners club for the car who are apparently in close touch.

The tale of the Cimarron reads as one of half-heartedness. Introduced in 1982 it was a product of pressure. Cadillac, concerned about overseas manufacturers stealing sales, insisted GM give them a car to develop using an existing platform. The problem was, they had just one year to do it.

The solution was to fully spec-up the Chevrolet Cavalier, rebadge it, and market it as “The Cimarron by Cadillac” for a $4000 premium. Despite selling a steady 20,000 cars per year, customers saw through this poor disguise and sales of the Cimarron slowly burned to the ground after 6 years.

PICTURE: 1983 model