Without question, the 70s was a decade to forget for British gearheads, save for a few rare exceptions most dealer showrooms were packed with bland, badly built, and slow cars that did little to create a buzz.
We'd like to believe in some dark corner in 80s Britain, some automotive executives saw the light, gearheads didn't want boring, slow, and practical cars, instead, power and performance were firmly at the top of most owners' wishlists. What followed was a mini-explosion of creativity with the single goal of speedy sports cars.
Even standard production cars given a few tweaks can be fast, Ford especially gave everyday gearheads a chance to go a lot faster.
9 Aston Martin Ford Capri Tickford Turbo (1983-86) - 140mph
The blue-collar worker's favorite sports car resulted in dozens of special editions over its life, none quite as enticing as the badge-engineered Aston Martin Tickford model from 1983. Ford's buy-out of Aston Martin brought on-board tuning specialist Tickford, who produced the most insane version of Ford's coupe.
External changes were quite subtle, most of the modifications are under the hood, Ford's Cologne V6 augmented by a single IHI turbocharger boosted output to 205hp, gains that by modern standards were quite modest resulted in a maximum speed of 140mph.
8 TVR V8S (1986-94) - 149mph
While every gearhead will have heard of TVR's V8-powered wedges, most will be unaware that the UK-based carmaker also produced a range of softer-styled retro sports cars that are seriously overlooked
In true TVR fashion, this lightweight sports car packed a serious punch capable of shaming all but the very fastest sports cars, storming to 60mph in 5.2 seconds, going on to a top speed of 149mph.
7 Ford Sierra RS500 Cosworth (1987) - 149mph
Fast Fords were pretty common in the 80s, each new production car later evolving into some track-based monster for the rods, but even these specials would spawn their own special edition.
Equipping the already fast Cosworth with a more powerful engine delivered the results Ford had hoped for, a stronger engine block and larger turbocharger increased power output to 224hp and raised the top speed to 149mph.
6 Aston Martin Virage (1989-93) - 158mph
There comes a time when old designs need to be phased out, the Virage from 1989 marked a radical departure from older models, sporting a cleaner modern image many believed to be long overdue. However, we think the Virage is still unmistakably an Aston.
A much-touted all-new design came with its downfalls, budget constraints meant using borrowed cheaper components from other brands, not the sort of thing you expect from a premium brand. Fortunately, cost-cutting didn't affect the 5.3-liter V8 engine, Callaway designed heads and fuel injection combined to deliver 300hp and a maximum speed of 158mph.
5 Jaguar XJR-S (1988-93) - 160mph
Flawed from its launch, Jaguar's XJ-S wasn't the sports car success the Jaguar had hoped for, weight and fuel consumption deterred all but the most dedicated enthusiasts. A revised V12 engine design with higher-efficiency (HE) cylinder heads promised more power and improved fuel consumption, the XJ -S was beginning to come good.
With more power, it would only be natural to launch a more performance-focused edition, turning to unofficial racing partner TWR to build the ultimate Jaguar GT. Subtle changes not only resulted in a 160mph top speed but also changed the fortunes of Jaguar's big coupe for years to come.
4 TVR 420SEAC (1986-88) - 165mph
For serious performance junkies, no other brand will deliver the same thrills as TVR. Any TVR model will suffice, a no-gimmicks approach to sports cars makes the 80s era wedge one of the most rewarding drivers cars ever.
A case of less is more, TVR's 420SEAC uses an exotic blend of composite materials for its body, saving weight and allowing a smaller engine. Under the hood, a potent 4.2-liter V8 engine produces 300hp, owners with enough courage and road could expect a top speed of 165mph.
3 Lotus Esprit Turbo SE (1988-94) - 168mph
The Lotus Esprit might be dead, but its reputation for sublime handling and performance lives on, fueling many gearheads' hope that the iconic name returns sooner rather than later.
Forced induction transformed the Esprit from sports cars to a supercar, the tiny 2.2-liter four-pot motor reaching a peak in the 1988 SE edition, producing 264hp and topping out at 168mph. However, a custom-designed chargecooler did allow brief bursts of increased power, reaching as much as 300hp under the right conditions.
2 Ford RS200 Evolution (1984-86) - 169mph
A factory-built rally car for the streets, Ford's Rs200 legally only needed to exist in limited numbers, one fully built car or a run of 200 kits for public use, either way, motorsports gave gearheads the ultimate 80s fast Ford.
Originally advertised as being based on Ford's Escort, nothing could be further from the truth, using a custom-built mid-engine chassis and all-wheel-drive, the RS200 was nothing like Ford's road cars. Equipped with a 2.1-liter turbocharged four-cylinder engine road cars made do with just 250hp or around half of the rally-spec examples, even so, these "de-tuned" customer cars could still reach 169mph.
1 Aston Martin Vantage Zagato (1986-90) - 186mph
The world's fastest cars during the 80s all pretty much stemmed from Italy or Germany, there was however an unusual rival from Aston Martin. The Vantage Zagato proved Britain's car industry wasn't entirely dead.
Despite wearing an Italian-designed body, the Vantage Zagato is a typically British GT under the skin, Aston Martin sticking to what it does best, a big-engined rear-wheel-drive chassis. Surprisingly, engine modifications are quite sparse, larger carburetors and mild tuning resulted in 420hp and a top speed of 186mph.