From Model T to Model 3: How Driving Changed Over a Century

A century of four-wheeled mobility.

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Michael Stillwell

The automotive landscape of any given year is truly a snapshot of the time period. Cars are excellent barometers of trends, styles and shifts in American culture. Curious about what cars were the big deal the year you were born? Read on.

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1918: Ford Model T

The very first Ford Model T rolled off a very new automotive assembly line in 1908 and truly gave America its first affordable wheels. A decade later, only 1 and 13 families owned a car, but it’s very likely that car was Ford’s wildly successful Model T.

The 20 hp engine was modest with a top speed of around 45 mph. But speed mattered little to Model T buyers because the car was almost half of all cars sold in the U.S. The Model T got less expensive as it got older and continued to be a strong seller with 15 million finding homes until 1927 when the car was replaced by the Model A.

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1919: Dodge Brothers Model 30

The Dodge Brothers, Horace and John, were a force in the early automotive industry, supplying engines for Oldsmobile and actually building complete cars for Ford. Their first car arrived in 1915 with a modest 35 hp four-cylinder engine. In 1919, the company introduced its first four-door enclosed steel roofed sedan. Sadly, both Dodge brothers died just one year later. And in 1928, the company was sold to the Chrysler Corporation.

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1920: Detroit Electric

Detroit Electric produced some of the earliest EVs and could travel about 80 miles between charges. One modified Detroit set a record, traveling 241 miles on a charge. These EVs only had a top speed of around 20 mph, so they were mainly used as dependable inner city transportation. Sales of the Detroit Electric would slide throughout the 1920s thanks to improved internal combustion engines. By the time the company finally ceased operations in 1939, it had produced around 13,000 EVs.

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1921: Lincoln L-Series

After spending its earliest years producing Lincoln aircraft engines for WWI, the company began automobile production. The very first Lincoln, the L Series, rode on a long 130-inch wheelbase and was powered by an 81 horsepower V8. Although this was a brand-new car company and a brand-new car, the design was dated as soon as it hit dealers and sales weren’t strong. Just one year later, the company was in rough shape financially and was sold to Ford who turned it into a luxury car powerhouse, including this coupe designed by Brunn & Company in 1923.

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1922: Doble Steam Car

In the 1920s, America was flirting with alternative fuels—and steam was one of them. The Doble Steam Motors Corporation began production of their cars in 1922, but just 36 were built through 1931. One of them is owned by Jay Leno.

There’s no need for a transmission thanks to the steam engine’s incredible torque. Leno once wrote in PM, “Open the hand throttle and acceleration from a dead stop is smooth and continuous. The Doble just continues to pull all the way. It only has about 150 hp, but the torque output is huge: 2200 lb-ft at the rear wheels.”

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1923: Lancia Lambda

The new Lambda was a technical masterpiece for Lancia. Most notably, the Italian sports tourer pioneered the use of monocoque construction instead of the heavier body-on-frame designs that were the norm at the time. The Lambda was the first with this weight-saving engineering and decades ahead of other carmakers. The Lambda also broke new ground with its independent front suspension system, and was the first automaker to use a V4 engine. Lancia would use V4 engines in cars through the 1960s.

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1924: Oakland 6-54

Oakland, part of the GM empire at the time, was one notch up from Chevy and was a strong seller. Oakland received updated bodywork for 1924 as well as some technical innovations like a new quick-drying paint from Dupont and four-wheel brakes—very rare at the time. Oakland’s new six-cylinder was less “advanced” than the one it replaced but offered greater reliability.

The first Pontiac was actually an Oakland model. And the strong sales of those earliest Pontiacs convinced GM it should become its own brand. That eventually led to Oakland ceasing production.

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1925: Rolls-Royce Phantom I

The Phantom replaced the legendary Rolls Royce 40/50 (Silver Ghost) which had been in service for almost 20 years and had a well-deserved reputation for luxury as well as reliability. The new Phantom was elegant, modern and had an improved 7.7-liter six-cylinder engine as well as disc brakes. A Springfield, Massachusetts factory had been building Rolls Royce cars since 1921 and produced the new Phantom. However British built Phantoms had unique equipment and options compared to their American counterparts.

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1926: Chrysler Imperial 80

Imperial models were the pinnacle of Chrysler’s lineup and aimed to compete with luxury marques like Cadillac and Lincoln. The first Imperials were available as a roadster, sedan, a four-door convertible Phaeton and a limousine. They were powered by a 92 hp (very strong at the time) six-cylinder engine. Chrysler “guaranteed” these cars could cruise at a steady 80 mph—hence the car’s name. The Imperial 80 was selected to be the pace car for the 14th running of the Indy 500 in 1926. Imperial officially became its own brand from 1955-1975.

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1927: LaSalle

In the 1920s, General Motors attempted to woo price-sensitive car buyers with new marques that filled the space in-between the company’s existing brands. LaSalle was born to attract customers looking for a more upscale car than Buick offered but one that was also less expensive than a Cadillac. LaSalles were downright gorgeous machines and the very first one was designed by Harley Earl who would go on to direct GM design for decades. LaSalles shared many parts and assemblies with Cadillac. So, in many ways these cars were more stylish Cadillacs at a less expensive price point. LaSalle lasted until 1940.

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1928: Duesenberg Model J

The elegant Duesenberg Model J was an exotic sports car and fashion statement all wrapped up in one. The standard eight-cylinder engine produced an astonishing 265 hp. But with the supercharger, optional on later cars, that number rose to a staggering 320 hp. A supercharged Duesy was quick.

The car’s bodywork came from a variety of custom coachbuilders around the world, so no two were exactly alike. The most expensive ones touched $25,000 at the time and were so exquisitely crafted they drew movie stars and industry moguls as owners.

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1929: Chevrolet Series AC International

By the close of the decade, 4 out of 5 families now owned a car. And low-priced cars were the backbone of the auto industry. Chevy launched into this market the AC International with a new “Stovebolt” six-cylinder engine upstaging Ford’s four-cylinder models. The Stovebolt nickname came from the bolts on the inline-six’s cylinder head that resembled those on a wood-burning stove and offered smoother, quieter operation than its four-cylinder rivals.

Still, Ford dominated sales in 1929 pushing the new Chevy slightly behind to the number 2 spot.

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1930: Bentley 8 Litre

The 8 Litre was the last car designed by company founder W.O. Bentley and it was the final car launched before Bentley was purchased by Rolls-Royce. The 8 litre’s massive 7.9-liter straight-six engine was a beast, delivering approximately 230 hp and a top speed of just over 100 mph in this luxurious grand tourer. In fact, Bentley promised every 8-Litre would hit 100 mph no matter what bodywork the car wore. At the time Bentley himself claimed the car was “dead silent” at 100 mph.

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1931: Marmon Sixteen

Marmon’s reputation for speed came from its 1911 win of the inaugural Indy 500 with the Wasp roadster. Throughout the teens and early 1920s, the aluminum-intensive Model 34 was the sports-tourer of choice for those that were attracted to style and performance.

But the pinnacle of speed and prestige came when the company built the Sixteen. The V16 engine was nearly 500 cubic-inches and delivered a solid 200 hp. It was as beautiful as it was expensive and by 1933 Marmon had only moved 400 of them. That year, the company produced its final cars.

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1932: Ford Roadster

This is the car that started Americans down the path to hot rodding, land speed racing and drag racing. The “Deuce” had an immeasurable impact on car culture. What made it so popular? The little Ford not only had handsome lines and a cheap pricetag but had an optional flathead V8, which made them quicker than the competition. And that encouraged backyard mechanics to tinker, modify and race these cars. Even today, 1932 Fords are the mainstay at any hot rod meet.

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1933: Pierce Arrow Silver Arrow

In the early 1930s, production cars were beginning to wear sheetmetal influenced by aerodynamics. The Silver Arrow’s fully enclosed fenders and streamlined bodywork looked like the future. The big V12 engines packed 160 hp and could take the slippery Silver Arrow to a top speed north of 115 mph. Only a handful of these $10,000 machines were ever built. Considering the country was ravaged by the Great Depression—it’s no surprise why.

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1934: Chrysler Airflow

Most of the country’s automotive production took a dive during the Great Depression. But Chrysler not only saw an uptick in 1933 but was ready to unveil its radical and inspiring Airflow. The Airlflow’s design was not only shaped by the wind tunnel but it showed the way cars would look in the decade to come.

The Airflow wasn’t a hit with the public, many buyers at the time preferred a more traditional look.

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1935: Chevy Suburban Carryall

Today’s SUV and crossover craze owes its very existence to the Suburban. Plus, this Chevy is the oldest continuously produced automotive nameplate in America. The original 8-passenger enclosed wagon was built upon a light truck chassis as it is today. However, the first ones only had two doors and a tailgate. The 90 hp six-cylinder engine certainly didn’t have an easy time moving the heft but that didn’t hamper the Suburban’s capability. And through eleven different bodystyles the ‘Burban thrived for the next 83 years.

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1936: Bugatti Type 57 SC Atlantic

It’s easy to see why the Type 57 Atlantic always occupies a top spot on every “World’s Most Beautiful Cars” list. It’s a stunner and worth north of $40 million. Only four of them were ever built, so it’s unlikely your great grandparents ever saw one of these cruising through town. The aluminum-bodied car was light and fast, thanks to its 210 hp supercharged straight-eight. Many consider this Bugatti to be the very first “supercar”.

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1937: Cord 812 Phaeton

The front-drive Cord 810/812s were innovative high-performance cars in their day. When equipped with the optional Lycoming supercharger, the Cord boasted 170 hp (although some say that number is closer to 195 hp) and went on to set a 24-hour speed record of 80 mph at Indy. Even today, the Cord’s sleek bodywork with covered headlamps look like nothing else on the road. Sadly, this gorgeous car was only produced from 1936 to 1937, when Cord went out of business.

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1938: Cadillac V16

Cadillac led the world with a V16 engine in 1930, and the engine and car itself received thorough redesign in 1938. Horsepower rose to a very healthy 185. These massive cars hit the scales with an SUV-like 5,700 pounds but were still some of the quickest of their time. The big sixteen cylinder engines were known for their smoothness as was the ride of the Cadillac’ chassis.

Sadly “sixteen” production ended in 1940 as did the La Salle sub-brand. From that point until the 1980s, all Cadillacs used V8s.

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1939: Packard 120

This second generation of Packard’s mid-range luxury car line, named “120” after it’s wheelbase, was redesigned for 1939 but lost none of the original’s rugged reliability. Packard’s 120 hp straight-eight provided solid performance, especially with the new “Econo-drive”, a primitive electronic overdrive supplied by Borg Warner. The transmission shifter itself was moved to the steering column, freeing up floorspace. Engineers also used a “fifth” shock absorber mounted in the center of the chassis to damp out unruly road conditions.

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1940: Graham “Spirit of Motion”

The Graham “Sharknose” models were in their final year by 1940 but still looked radical. The forward cant of the car’s frontend made them appear fast and aggressive, even while parked. The plain-vanilla models had 90 hp but supercharged six-cylinder cars offered 120 hp. The car’s original and avant-garde design didn’t resonate with mainstream buyers. So, it was replaced for a more traditional (boring) style. Today, these are rare cars—even at the biggest collector car shows.

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1941: Buick Century

Though the captivating Century already had a reputation as a stylish performance car, the Buick gained more power for 1941. The Fireball straight eight-cylinder engine made 165 hp thanks to “compound carburetion” (dual carbs), and that meant this Buick was one of America’s most powerful cars. It could top out at over 100 mph and cruise comfortably at 80 mph, which was certainly impressive for the time. The Century helped establish Buick as a performance brand for GM.

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1942: Lincoln Continental

The 1942 model was the Continental’s last year before automakers halted production to supply parts and vehicles for WWII. But this Lincoln was one of the few that year that saw some minor design revisions, including redesigned frontend sheetmetal. Under the hood, Lincolns big 292 cid, 130 hp V12 remained. It’s estimated that just 136 of these beautiful Continentals were built in 1942.

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1943-1945: Willys MB/CJ-2A

Since the world was at war, global new vehicle production for civilians was paused. And certainly, the most significant new vehicle to come out of this period was built for the U.S. military— the Willys MB. Of course, the “Jeep” was central to the success of the allied war effort. But post war, 1945 Willys production shifted to the civilian CJ2A which became popular with farmers and ranchers. The first CJ models retailed for just over $1,000 and of course went on to become the granddaddy of all 4x4s and the genesis for the Jeep brand we know today.

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1946: Chrysler Town and Country Convertible

Before the nameplate was synonymous with 1980s minivans, Town and Country meant “woodie”. The Town and Country was a steel-roofed station wagon prior to WWII with real wood siding and a third row of seats. But when the Town and Country returned for ’46, it was launched as a stylish convertible using white ash wood and mahogany. In 1947, some of that wood trim was replaced with a faux material. The last woodies of this era hit the road in 1950.

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1947: Chevrolet Fleetmaster

The Chevrolet Fleetmaster didn’t change for the 1947 model year and this mainsteam sedan carried styling that really echoed the late 1930s. But the country just didn’t care that it looked old. Car buyers were eager for new cars and surprisingly, this Chevy was America’s best-selling car for 1947. General motors moved a whopping 684,145 of them.

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1948: Tucker 48

The revolutionary Tucker Torpedo was short-lived (just one year and only 51 cars produced) but it was packed with promise and innovation. The car had an aero bodyshell, a rear-mounted flat six-cylinder engine and a four-wheel independent suspension. The Tucker was brimming with safety tech too: a third headlight pivoted when you turned, disc brakes were standard and almost unheard of at that time, a padded dash as well as a pop-out windshield were there to protect occupants’ heads during a collision. Today these rare Tuckers can sell for upwards of $3 million.

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1949: Mercury 8

Few cars were embraced more strongly into custom car culture than the 1949 Merc. The streamlined sedan was a radical break from the previous year’s model, which still had pronounced fenders and a large, peaked hood. The smooth new Merc had an upsized Flathead V8 and that helped it triple the sales of the old model. This Merc is still popular for the hot rodders that modify them today.

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1953: Chevrolet Corvette

The birth of a legend. The Corvette was a stunner the moment it hit the road in 1953. It was America’s first sports car and would remain unchallenged for many years. The Corvette engineers of course wanted V8 power for the Vette but had to settle for the “Blue Flame Six” until 1955. Every ’53 Vette was a softop convertible with a fiberglass body and detachable side windows. Only three hundred of these first-year Corvettes were built and every one of them was painted Polo White.

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1954: Mercedes-Benz 300 SL Gullwing

The 300SL is a sports car icon and was pretty wild for the 1950s. Those swing-up Gullwing doors dropped jaws then as they do today. Under the hood was a fuel-injected six-cylinder with a stout 240 hp. Thanks to the lightweight space-frame construction, the Gullwing was quick, too.

The four-wheel independent suspension meant it handled very well. Racing versions dominated nearly all the road races of the day. Mercedes-Benz produced just 167 of these famous cars in this very first year of production, and today they are typically worth over $1 million.

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1955: Citroen DS

The futuristic-looking Citroen DS was more like a U.F.O. than a conventional sedan. The French four-door used tech that was very uncommon for the day and Citroen proclaimed it was the most advanced car in the world. The front-drive machine had a hydro-pneumatic suspension that provided one of the smoothest rides of any car in the day. And the advanced twin-clutch semi-automatic transmission sounds like a feature that would be home on any car today. In fact, the DS was so forward-looking, production continued until 1975.

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1956: Continental Mark II

Ford’s Continental luxury brand created a true design masterpiece when it launched the Mark II personal luxury coupe. It was also hideously expensive, costing over $10,000 at the time if you opted for air conditioning. The 285 hp V8 powered coupe weighed nearly 5,000 pounds so it wasn’t exactly quick. But it was luxurious and assembled with the care and craftsmanship on par with the best in the world at that time. Less than 3,000 of them were built before production ended in 1957.

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1957: Chevrolet 150/210/Bel Air

The ’57 Chevy is one of the world’s most recognizable classic cars and an icon of the 1950s. It was the final year of the “tri-five” Chevys and to many, the most attractive. The classic fins reached their largest on this model and the Bel Air Trim, especially convertible models, were the swankiest. The top engine was a fuel injected V8 with 283 hp making the ’57 qualify as a muscle car before the term existed. The rarest? A ’57 Nomad wagon. Less than 7,000 were built.

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1958: Ford Edsel

To fill the white space in the company’s branding between Ford and Mercury, Ford created the Edsel—named after Henry Ford’s son. Edsel was a funky name for a car to be sure, and it didn’t resonate with fifties folks. Neither did the car’s odd styling, most notably, that oval grill.

The Edsel models did have interesting tech like a Rolling Dome speedo and a push button transmission. Only 116,000 of them were built by 1960, which was not enough to break even on the investment. Today, Edsels have become collectible with top models valued at $30,000.

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1959: BMC Mini

While American car giants were still obsessing over tailfins, the British Motor Company (BMC) Mini hit the road and surprised the world with its tidy proportions. The Mini was cute, but it also had a surprising amount of room inside thanks to a transverse engine and wide track. It handled well and became a very unlikely but very successful rally racer.

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1960: Chevrolet Corvair

The Corvair was a wildly different car for GM. It had a flat-six engine mounted in the rear like a VW. And that freed up load of interior space. There was even a turbo model that came later for improved performance. But the Corvair’s reputation was famously blackened by Ralph Nader’s 1965 book “Unsafe at Any Speed”. The fallout from the book encouraged a redesign of the rear suspension for more predictable handling.

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1961: Jaguar E-Type

Few could argue that the E-Type Jaguar is one of the most beautiful cars ever produced. And when it landed at the beginning of the 1960s, it was a stunner. The strong 265 hp straight six engine helped push this machine to nearly 150 mph. That was an astonishing number in 1961. The design evolved through the 1970s. But these earliest ones are the style icons.

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1962: Studebaker Avanti

This eccentric-looking performance luxury coupe from Studebaker only lasted a year or so and just under 4,500 of them were built. But the fiberglass body’s design was heralded as such a masterpiece that others continued to produce versions of the car under various owners, billed as the Avanti II (with all variety of chassis and engines) all the way up to 2006.

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1963: Buick Riviera

The Buick Riviera was one of the most elegant American cars to come from the 1960s. The styling was unlike anything else GM or Buick had at the time and under the hood the 325 hp V8 made for strong acceleration. The Riv had a beautifully trimmed interior with four bucket-type seats, gleaming metal, and real wood. The Riviera was respected around the world for its design and performance.

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1964: Pontiac GTO

Most credit the birth of the American muscle car era with the launch of the GTO. The formula for the GTO was simple: cram big horsepower into a small package and watch the young buyers line up to buy one. The Tempest-bodied GTO not only had a massive 389 cid V8 with up to 348 hp, but a firmer suspension, special tires, and even a pair of hood scoops (although in this generation they didn’t actually scoop air into the engine).

The GTO was a quick machine. Automakers rushed to get their own performance models into production.

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1965: Porsche 911

The Porsche 911 typified the cool and stylish 1960s sports car. And ’65 was the first full year of the car’s production. The earliest flat-six cylinder engines weren’t particularly strong. But as the 911 itself and its engines grew in size, so too did the horsepower and a racing pedigree was established. The 911 became a performance powerhouse for Porsche on road or track and certainly remains so to this day.

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1966: Lamborghini Miura

The impossibly gorgeous Lamborghini Miura essentially kick-started the modern supercar era. This car must have looked otherworldly parked on the street in the 1960s. The 350 hp, four cam V12 and 5-speed manual were mounted sideways just behind the driver for optimal balance. Even Ferraris at the time were still mounting their motors up front. The best ones today can cost more than $1 million.

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1967: Chevrolet Camaro

Chevrolet finally answered Ford in 1967 when it launched the Camaro to battle the Mustang. The Chevy could be optioned with engines as large as the massive 396 cid V8 with 375 hp. But it was the handling of the Z28, that went on to make history. The freely-revving 290 hp V8 and stiff suspension of the Z28 made the Camaro a backcountry hustler and a very competitive race machine.

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1968: Dodge Charger

The musclecar movement was peaking in the late 1960s and the new Charger with its swoopy styling was one of the best-looking of the period. It’s design made the Charger very competitive in NASCAR racing, too. Top models could be optioned with the legendary 426 cid Hemi V8 or the more streetable 440 cid “six-pack” V8.

This Charger bodystyle is probably most famous found for its role as the “General Lee” on the Dukes of Hazzard TV show of the late 1970s and early 1980s.

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1969: Ford Mustang Boss 429

The top Mustang model of the 1960s and 1970s was the Boss 429. This Boss was built solely to legalize the 429 cid V8 for NASCAR racing. The Boss 429 was conservatively rated at 385 hp but some say the real number was way higher. The motors were built with tough components which allowed them to rev up to 8,000 rpm and sound, well, like race engines while doing it. The rare Boss 429s of 1969-1970 are some of the most valuable Mustangs of all time.

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1970: Datsun 240-Z

Datsun had the perfect formula for a sports car when it launched the 240Z. The two seater was handsome to look at (and still is) borrowing a little of that scooped headlight bucket look from Jaguar’s gorgeous E-Type. But the Z was its own animal and it was one that performed well too thanks to the 151 hp straight six under that long hood and feathery 2,300 pound weight. The Z became an icon for Datsun (Nissan) and inspiration from those first ones can be seen in today’s 370Z.

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1971: Stutz Blackhawk

Could there be a better car to ring in the 1970s? The Stutz Blackhawk was a limited-production, Italian bodied car riding on a large American car chassis. The design was…very 1970s. And the Blackhawk was expensive ($30,000-$70,000 depending on options) but these over-the-top lux-mobiles were the choice of celebrities throughout the 1970s including Jonny Cash, Lucile Ball, and Elvis.

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1972: Ford Ranchero

Before the mini trucks of the mid-70s grabbed a big chunk of the market, GM and Ford developed car-base pickup trucks based on large rear-drive car chassis. The sixth-generation of the Ford Ranchero shared some metal with the sporty Torino coupe. The car-truck mashup had grown in size and horsepower was down somewhat but you could still option up a 429 cid big block V8.

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1973: Chevrolet Monte Carlo

The Monte Carlo received a stem-to-stern remodel for 1973 with improvements in structure, performance and safety. But most importantly to coupe buyers—it had long, flowing fender lines and handsome, athletic profile. The car was a huge hit for GM, and that’s impressive considering designers had to cope with integrating the new federally mandated 5 mph bumpers.

Even with stringent emissions standards, you could still get a big block 454 cid V8. At the time, the Monte Carlo was praised for its athletic handling, a trait John DeLorean mandated before leaving GM to form his own DeLorean Motor Company.

Land vehicle, Vehicle, Car, Sports car, Supercar, Lamborghini countach, Lamborghini, Automotive design, Model car, Coupé,
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1974: Lamborghini Countach LP400

The Lamborghini Countach is associated more closely to the 1980s when it grew wide flares and a huge wing. But the wild-looking wedge with scissor doors first debuted in 1974. And for many, its these earliest cars that are the prettiest and purest form of the design. They are also the most valuable.

The 375 hp V12 is magic to hear rev near its 8,000 rpm redline. Thanks to its tiny window openings, The Lambo gets hot inside even at freeway speeds. The incredibly cool Countach looks completely alien, even on today’s roads.

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1975: Volvo 242/244/245

The Volvo 240 series, also known as the Swedish brick due to its boxy design and stout construction, ran from 1975 all the way until 1993. The useful station wagon version (245) became an icon of 1980s suburban transportation and cemented Volvo’s reputation for safety. However the rear-drive 240 was coolest when optioned with a turbo and intercooler from the mid 1980s.

The wagon bodystyle combined with that potent turbo motor and a manual transmission is the holy grail many Volvo fans pine for today.

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1976: Oldsmobile Cutlass Supreme Coupe

The Cutlass wasn’t all-new for 1976 but a mild freshening helped make this car line America’s best-seller for the year. Oldsmobile sold nearly half a million of these cars that year, and the coupe was the most popular model. The personal luxury coupe trend was big in the 1970s and this might have been its peak year.

Land vehicle, Vehicle, Car, Automotive design, Motor vehicle, Coupé, Personal luxury car, Classic car, Sedan, Full-size car,
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1977: Pontiac Trans AM

Perhaps no other vehicle sums up the 1970s better than a black and gold Trans Am with a giant “Screaming Chicken” on the hood. The Trans Am was quick with the T/A option that packed a 200 hp 6.6-liter V8 and it handled better than a Corvette. The hit 1977 film movie Smokey and the Bandit (which famously starred a Trans Am alongside Burt Reynolds, Jackie Gleason, and Sally Field) helped push Trans Am sales to record levels the next year.

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1978: Subaru BRAT

The 1970s was a strange decade—especially for cars. And the Subaru BRAT (Bi-drive Recreational All-terrain Transporter) might be one of the weirdest. The BRAT came at a time when small pickups were very popular. So, combining the 4WD experience of a Subaru car with a pickup body, sort of made sense. The Subaru was inexpensive too because the two (slightly frightening) rear-facing seats in the bed which helped it to avoid the tax on imported trucks.

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1979: Saab 900 Turbo

The nimble Saab 900 was born in a year filled with American land yachts and custom vans. The quirky, fun, and practical front-drive Saab 900 was a wildly different machine. The 900 Turbo model was not only swift but delivered performance technology way sooner than other automakers. The 900’s unpretentious European driving experience made it a hit with those that didn’t want or need the prestige of a Mercedes-Benz or BMW.

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1980: AMC Eagle

The AMC Eagle wagon might have seemed odd back in 1980 but in many ways, it was one of very first crossovers. That’s because the Eagle combined four-wheel drive capability with a car-like driving experience. Since AMC owned Jeep, the folks developing the Eagle had plenty of off-road expertise to draw from. So the wagon really did have the chops for mild off-roading. The high-riding Eagle even came as a sporty two-door SX/4 coupe model.

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Delorean Motor Company
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1981: DeLorean

Its starring role in the movie Back to the Future secured the DeLorean’s prominence in 1980s pop culture. But four years earlier, the gorgeous but expensive gullwing machine had a tough time competing with Ferrari, Lotus, and Porsche to attract sports car fans. The DeLorean had just 130 hp so it wasn’t exactly quick. But it was incredible to look at and few cars represent this decade better than this stainless steel supercar.

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1982: Buick Grand National

Buick was a powerhouse in NASCAR racing by the early 1980s. Darrel Waltrip’s Regal won the Grand National championship win in 1981. So to capitalize, Buick built a limited number of special edition Regal “Grand Nationals” for 1982. Some of these first year Grand Nationals (GN) were powered by a turbocharged V6, an engine Buick had been improving since the late-70s. By the mid 80s, the GN was a powerhouse dressed in all black and pounding out over 200 hp from that turbo V6.

For the Grand National’s turbocharged finale in 1987, Buick boosted the engine to 276 hp and created the limited production GNX. The GNX was one of the quickest machines of the year hitting 60 mph in less than 5 seconds.

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Andrew Sacks/The LIFE Image CollectionGetty Images
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1983: VW GTI

The GTI was the first hot hatchback—the sporty compact that started it all. In 1983, the less-than $10,000 GTI was affordable German fun. Modifications to the original Rabbit, like the firmer suspension and larger 14-inch wheels and tires delivered moves on the road that made everyone that drove one smile. But with only 90 hp, that first GTI certainly wasn’t the machine to win drag races.

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