The 7 Best Cars of the 80s

Whether you’re a car enthusiast or someone who craves the nostalgia of the 80s, these 7 cars will give you a dose of the 80s.

Mercedez Benz 300TD Wagon

The 300TD was the perfect combination of luxury, elegance, and space for families looking to pack big for a picnic on the weekend. While it didn’t offer much when it came to aesthetics, the 300TD was created to stay, and stay it did.

Ford Mustang – 1987

The quintessential muscle car. If you prize muscle cars, then the Ford Mustang convertible is a must have. It gives you the right jolt of the 80s nostalgia, but it also holds its own against contemporary Mustang models.

Chevy Corvette – 1984

When the Chevy first hit the market in 1984, it became an instant sensation with automobile enthusiasts countrywide. It was a sleek, fast ride that had the perfect balance of agility and aesthetics rooting for it. The Chevy featured all-independent suspension with lightweight wheels brakes studded with aluminum calipers.

Nissan Maxima – 1984

The Nissan Maxima is important for several reasons. For starters, it is the last of the rear wheel drive Maximas, and secondly, it is the last Maxima to come equipped with a warning system powered by a phonograph. 1984 is closely related to the Z-car, which gave owners independent rear suspension, four-wheel disc brake, and high-end electronic gadgetry. The Nissan was built for durability, and it isn’t unheard of for owners to rack up more than 200,000 miles. What an accomplishment, given that it is an 80s car.

Audi 5000

The Audi 5000 has been on the receiving end of a lot of flak from the automobile enthusiast community, particularly on account of the segment on CBS’s 60 minutes show. It went something along the lines of ‘sudden unintended acceleration’, which in hindsight was just a bunch of tomfoolery. The Audi 5000 was marred by a flood of lawsuits on account of moms who experienced ‘failed brakes’, which resulted in running over their children.

All the bad publicity almost resulted in the displacement of the Audi brand before its name was exonerated by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), which implicated ‘foreign mistakes’ for the accident.

Acura Integra – 1986

The Acura is a rare gem. It is built for both serious drivers and street racers. It has a sunroof and a fully tunable equalizer cassette deck. The Acura had a dual overhead cam and a 16 valve inline four engine that weighed only 207 pounds to give drivers 113 hp when the power is maxed out at 6250 rpm. Street racers, in particular, would force more juice out of the Acura by making modifications to the intake and exhaust. These days Craigslist is chock full of Acura cars.

Lincoln Mark VI Continental

In the 1980s, those with the money to slump down on automobiles sought the Lincoln’s bold two-door design. The full-size Lincoln Mark VI was outfitted as a dream car, faring at the time for $20,000+. It was known for its great seat comfort, ride quality, and reasonable fuel economy at 22 mpg overall. Despite being a large car, it handled surprisingly well.