1980 Mercury Bobcat

The Bobcat was Mercury's version of the Pinto, and, along with the Comet (the 70s one), was one of the worst Mercury rebadges. Before the seventies, Mercuries were always a little special, but from then on they became Fords with a different grill. The Bobcat/Pinto was intended to compete with the small Japanese hatches, popular during the fuel crisis, but the Pinto's reputation for bursting into flames did it no favors. This Bobcat is in fantastic condition, and the "sport" wheels look great.

 

 

1983 Mazda GLC Deluxe Sedan

The 4th-gen GLC/323 was introduced in 1980, and was a modern and worthy competitor to the other basic economy cars of the early eighties. This generation GLC (which stood for Great Little Car) looks extremely similar to the 323 that followed it, but is much less common. The design is about as basic as it comes, but the slatted grill and non-flush lights bring some style to the car.

 

 

1983 Chevrolet Chevette

The Chevette, introduced in 1976, was Chevy's small compact through the seventies and eighties. The Chevette was available as a 3 or 5 door, and even a two seater Scooter model. Though it is now remembered as a lemon, it was popular at the time, and was a somewhat-worthy competitor to the Japanese. This Chevette is a sweet specimen, with its roof rack and dog-dish hubcaps.

  

 

 

 

1985 Datsun Nissan 200SX Turbo

The 3rd gen 200SX made its debut in 1984, and lasted until 1988. Like its predecessor, it was available as a fastback or a notchback. These 200SXs always seemed surprisingly large to me, based on their looks and competitors of the time. This car has a 1.8 turbo, which calls for a spoiler, hood bulge, and lots of badges to identify it as such.

 

 

 

 

1987 Toyota Cressida

The Cressida was Toyota's big luxury car before being replaced by Lexus. The third generation shown here was arrived in 1985, and featured a modern and smooth design. Available as a sedan or wagon, the Cressida was fairly popular throughout its lifetime. This car is in great condition, and the aftermarket rims look absolutely fantastic.

 

 

 

1987 Hyundai Excel GL

Okay, it's a late '80s Hyundai, and doesn't exactly have beautiful, or even interesting, styling. And being remembered for being a horrible, unreliable car doesn't exactly boost the appeal. Introduced in 1985, the low price and modern styling led to good sales, but mechanical problems emerged a few years later. Still, look at those body color bumpers, and those sweet black mesh rims. And, hey, the design by Giugiaro is actually pretty modern.

 

 

 

1982 Toyota Celica GT

The 3rd gen Celica was introduced in 1981 with a very angular body, the style at the time. Like the Corolla AE86 of later years, it was available in both notchback and fastback/liftback body styles, and the styling was similar as well. Earlier cars had the exposed, though slanted, headlights, while later cars' headlights were fully hidden. Performance was okay, but a GT-S model was added for those who wanted a sporty Celica. This one looks great with the fender flares, 4-spoke rims, and pre-facelift headlights.

 

 

 

 

1981 Datsun 210

The 210 replaced the B210 as Datsun's basic economy car. It was reliable,got good gas mileage, and was practical: all it needed to be. For 1980, the 210 received the recognizable grill design shown here. Personally, I think the lights in the grill are a cool styling feature, and freshen up an otherwise mundane design. This 2-door sedan's chrome and paint still shine, and the gold pinstripe is a great accent on this car.