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.

 

 

1979 VW Dasher 5-Door

The VW Dasher was the U.S. version of the Passat, itself a slightly modified Audi Fox. It was available as the fastback sedan shown here, and a wagon. In 1978, it was redesigned with quad headlights and larger bumpers. The Dasher was replaced by the Quantum in 1981. This 5-door has interesting silhouette, and the pink, white, and orange stripes down the side are straight out of the '70s.

 

 

 

 

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.

  

 

 

 

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.

 

 

 

1977 Mercury Capri II S

The 1st generation Mercury Capri, a European Ford Capri, was available throughout the seventies. The first variations were known simply as the Capri, while a redesign in the mid 70s created the Capri II. 1977 was the final year of the European Capri; the name was used in the 80s on a rebadged Mustang, and in the nineties on a small convertible. The original Capris are great-looking, unique, and were respectable performance cars. This "S" looks great in the classic 70s black and gold.

 

 

 

 

 

 

1989 VW Golf GTI 16V

When was the last time you saw a Mk2 GTI this stock, and this clean? The VW GTI was the sporty version of the standard Golf, and is basically looked upon as the classic, definitive hot hatch. The 16V version was introduced in 1987, and lasted until 1992, putting this '89 right in the middle of the run. This one's stock alloys and shiny silver look great, especially with the red GTI accents.

 

 

 

 

1972 BMW 2000 Touring

The BMW 2000 touring was introduced in 1971 as a hatchback version of the 2002. BMW tried to combine the sportiness of the original 2002 with the practically of a economy hatchback or wagon. Although 2002s are a relatively common sight on streets today, the Touring 2000 is a lot rarer, especially in the U.S. This one really pops with its bright red paint, and BMW alloys.