The 1980s were fantastic. Hair metal, synth-wave, action movies featuring Stallone and Schwarzenegger, and denim outerwear reigned supreme. If your jeans didn't have a zillion holes in them, you were just not cool. We weren't taking part in any titanic wars, so the kids could relax and enjoy themselves at home. Driving a fast car was part of the thrill.
The automobiles of the 1980s were a mix of hard-hitting cult vehicles, all-time automotive classics, and many neglected jewels from boutique firms and the burgeoning tuner culture. Let's have a look at some cool classic automobiles from this iconic era that you could buy with the kind of money you'll save from working part-time.
10 Renault GTA Turbo - $11,000-20,000
In its birthplace, France, the GTA was marketed as the Alpine A610. These days, a nice GTA Turbo with history can be had for roughly £15,000 in Europe. For a lot less, you can get a 160 hp naturally aspirated engine, which is an incredible value for something so unique.
Why you would want one: It's one of the most affordable and livable supercars in the market, as well as one of the most peculiar. This GTA Turbo is on auction for a bid of $16,511.
9 Alfa Romeo 164 3.0 V6 $5,000-12,000
They introduced the Alfa Romeo 164 in 1987 as the successor of the Alfa Romeo 90. The 164 was Alfa Romeo's executive sedan, constructed on a Type Four front-wheel-drive basis developed in collaboration with Saab, Fiat, and Lancia. V6 is the best choice: it's nicer, cheaper, and as speedy as a Thema 8.32 for a lot less money.
The 164 was Alfa Romeo's last car as a standalone firm; it has been a part of the Fiat company since 1986. You might have to import this beauty, but they are cheap all over the world, ranging from $5,000 to $12,000.
8 Vauxhall Carlton GSi 3000 $3,000-14,000
The Vauxhall Carlton was named 'European Car of the Year' when it debuted in 1986. The original 1986 Carlton GSi3000 could exceed 135 mph and did so all day long, thanks to a 3-liter straight-six engine producing 177 hp and 183 lb-ft of torque. A truly underrated car, in our opinion.
From late 1989 until the early summer of 1990, Vauxhall was the affordable market for 24v "executive express" because of the BMW M5's high price and scarcity. You will have to look a bit harder for this rare piece of gem, maybe even in auction houses. But once you do, you can find one for around $8,500.
7 Mercedes-Benz 300CE $5,000-15,000
The 124 Series coupes were members of the first iteration of the Mercedes-Benz family to be recognized as E-Class and were made in limited numbers, making them potential collector classics for the future.
From behind the steering, the W124 vintage coupe is a pleasant, dependable, and great illustration of Mercedes-Benz design from the 1980s. They are clearly "youngtimer" classic automobiles that will be loved in the future, and they remain useful for everyday use. A 1988-1989 Merc 300CE will cost you only $9,000 on average.
6 Mazda MX-5 Miata $10,000- 17,000
It has a four-cylinder engine in the front, two seats between the axles, and a convertible top. It's a straightforward, enjoyable, and inexpensive sports vehicle, which helped it become the best-selling roadster of all time a few years ago.
The MX-5 Miata comes only with a five-speed manual transmission and is powered by a 1.6-liter engine with 116 horsepower. The Miata is incredibly light by today's standards, regardless of how it is outfitted. You can have the first Gen Miata for as low as $10,000.
5 Volkswagen Golf GTI $3,000- 10,000
The Volkswagen Golf GTI is a must-have for any list of fantastic vehicles from the 1980s. In the late 1970s and early 1980s, the Mk1 and Mk2Golf GTI popularised the concept of the hot hatchback.
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The concept was simple: take a family car and add a performance engine and sports design. It was supposed to be a car that had the same functionality as the Golf but was aimed at a younger demographic. It's a pure fun-to-drive car for very cheap.
4 Mazda RX-7 $5,000- 30,000
You might recognize it from the Fast & Furious movies or Gran Turismo. The world's first mass-produced consecutively turbocharged engine was used in the RX-7. Without a question, the Mazda RX-7 is the most popular rotary-powered vehicle in existence.
A high-revving rotary engine powers an ultra-light sports car with pop-up headlights and mechanical parts that are dead simple. The antique cars are a blast to drive and cost a fraction of what today's cars do. Some of the many examples can be found here.
3 Pontiac Firebird $7,000- 30,000
While most muscle vehicles were being committed to the history books in the early 1980s, Pontiac demonstrated they could meet stringent new emission rules. For muscle car fans, the 1980-81 Pontiac Trans Am Turbo is the most famous illustration of General Motors' engineering optimism. And let's not forget K.I.T.T. from Knight Rider. It was one of the coolest cars of every teenager at that time.
This Firebird began life in 1980 as a base model powered by GM's economical 4.9-liter V8, which only produced 150 hp. The black and gold Pontiac is quite the display and attracts respect. A Firebird Trans Am similar to the one used in Knight Rider can be found for as low as $7,000. But a mint-condition unit or a heavily maintained/worked on can go up to $30,000. You can find one for anywhere in between.
2 Bentley Turbo R $13,000-40,000
The Turbo R was simply a refined and upgraded version of the Mulsanne Turbo resulting in ’85’s Turbo R. which was itself little more than a terrifyingly fast Rolls-Royce Silver Spirit. It weighed 5270 pounds, was seventeen feet long, and had 297 hp.
However, the Turbo R debuted in a period when Rolls-Royce was experiencing a transformation. Only purchase a Turbo R with complete service history, including all basic, intermediate, and major maintenance, or one that has had a significant overhaul by experts. Hagerty evaluates a 1989 Turbo R to be around $13,500.
1 BMW M5 E34 $20,000
Following the success of the first generation, the BMW M5 E34 series had even great aspirations. It didn't take long for everyone to notice that the M5's second-generation far exceeded their hopes. Its free-induction inline 6-cylinder engine produced 315 and subsequently 340 horsepower, which is unheard of in this class.
They produced the BMW M5 E34 Touring in small numbers, with only 1,000 units leaving the BMW M facility. Here's what Hagerty has to show.