6. Buick Grand National
Nothing signaled the end of the oil crisis like the popularity of the Buick Grand National. A big muscle car with terrible mileage, nothing like it would have sold during the energy crisis. However, it fit right into the world of the 1980s.
5. Volvo 760 Turbo Wagon
Nothing says a 1980s childhood like a station wagon. The Volvo Turbo Wagon was a total workhouse, using 182 horsepower to haul nuclear American families across suburbs and on vacations all over the country.
4. The 1983 Ford Thunderbird
No car of the 1980s had the same magnetic power, the same envy-inspiring flash, the same teenage-dream qualities as the Ford Thunderbird. The Thunderbird’s beauty came from one thing: curves. Although the underlying frame of the car was the same blocky Ford chassis as classic late 70s car, the actual auto body was rounded as much as possible. This changed automobiles forever, from looking like boxy yachts to looking like sleek airplanes.
3. Alfa Romeo GTV6
Various Alfa Romeo models first made a splash on American culture by appearing in Moonraker in 1979. However, they became a major force in America in 1981, when one was driven by Bond in a thrilling car chase in Octopussy. This was the start of a new trend in Bond cars, changing from flashy coupes with more frills than muscle, to well-designed speedsters just retired from the European racing circuit.
2. Mazda FC RX-7
The Mazda RX-7, while outshone by the later fame of the FD models in the 1990s, was still one of the greatest cars of the time. From the fold-out headlights to the ultra-streamlined design, it was an ode to high technology and high prices.
1. The Delorean
The only car ever mass-produced by Delorean Motor Company, the Delorean DMC-12 is an icon of the 1980s. Not only was it in the cheesy oh-so-80s movie series Back to the Future, but also, it symbolizes all the features of the 1980s as a decade. It had a high front end, a meaningless feature that wrecked the handling capabilities, making the car more of a status symbol for the “me” generation than a true sports car. In an attempt to be futuristic, it ended up being wildly impractical, with gull doors that are just asking for a class-action lawsuit by concussion victims.
