What did you drive in the 80s?

[longblackcoat]

205 GTI 1.9 with Skip Brown suspension. Completely awesome!

[C350]

Tamiya grasshopper

[Russ T Bolt]

The ones I remember


Datsun 160J SSS
Saab 99 Turbo
Opel Manta
Astra mk1 GTE
Cavalier CDi
Daihatsu Fourtrak

[B3ALP]

Datsun 120Y
XR3
Fuego
Talbot Sunbeam
Chevette
XR3i
Wizard Roadster Beetle
GT Turbo Phase 1
XR2 (Terrible car kept it 8 days)
GT Turbo Phase 2

[AC43]

Between 1981 when I passed my test and 1989 I owned the following;

Mini 850
Mini 1275
Fiat 128 3P
Alfasud 1.5 SC
Alfasud Sprint
Alfa Spider
Alfa 33 Green Cloverleaf

....and drove the following which I liked

Alfasud 1.3
Alfasud Sprint Veloce
Alfa 33 1.5
Alfa 33 Gold Cloverleaf
Alfetta GT 1.8
Alfetta GT 2.0
GTV6
Guilietta 1.8
Lancia Beta
Lancia Beta HPE
Lancia Beta HPE injection
Fiat Mirafiori
XR2
MR2
205 GTI 1.9

.....and drove the following which I didn't

Wolsley Landcrab 2.2 Auto (antique)
Cortina Mk 3 auto (utterly st)
Cortina Mk IV (even worse)
Capri 2.0 GLS (Cortina cross dresser)
Escort Mk III (cynical rubbish)
Morris Minor (is the war still on?)
Beetle (is it supposed to be this bad?)

[ChrisnChris]

Austin 1100(I passed my test in it. It went to the crusher in 1980)
Citroen GS
MGB GT V8
Lotus +2 S1305
Volvo 245 Estate
Volvo 740 Estate

[Peanut130]

escort mk1 1100 1974
escort mk1 van 1970
cortina mk2 1600 1969
escort mk 1 estate 1300 1973
granada mk 1 ghia 3000 1977

[hadaporsche]

1302S VW Beetle
1200 VW Beetle
Rover 3500 SD1 Manual (Ex Police Unmarked)
Morris Marina Coupe
Audi 80 GL
BMW 530i Manual

[motco]

From 1980 a Princess 2200 HLS Auto for 70,000 miles (never a day without a fault)



1983 a 5 speed 2.8 Capri for 72,000 miles (hairy in its day)



1985 a Capri 2.8i Special for 85,000 miles



1987 on a Granada auto for 170,000 miles - I bought it from the company and ran it until 1995



All company cars

At Home for my Good Lady a Fiat 128 Panorama (very chuckable and fun)



later... her now-blind Uncle's Vauxhall Nova Pearl (horrid car!)

[anonymous-user]

B3ALP said:

XR2 (Terrible car kept it 8 days)

They get a bad rep on here, at the time a lot of people were very complimentary about them, never owned one myself.

[Wooda80]

1976 Golf 1600 LS
1981 X1/9 1500
1977 Spitfire 1500 - stopgap for 1 summer!
1984 Alfasud Sprint QV
1982 Alfetta GTV 2.0L

[Etypephil]

One of several XJ convertibles built in my garage.

[ARHarh]

!981 to 1982 - 1967 Viva hb
1982 to 1984 - 1971 mini 1000 which grew into a 1380cc beast
1983 for a month or so till the mot ran out 1967 mini 998cc cooper
1984 to 1985 - opel ascona 2.0 sr
1986 to 1998 - 1974 mg midget
1985 to 1987 - 1985 MG metro turbo
1986 to 1989 - 1967 mini 998
1987 to 1988 - austin metro 1300 (bought first house so had no cash
1988 to 1991 - 1991 Cavalier 1600

I also bought a few cars when i could buy them cheap enough and sold them on, or scrappers and stripped them for parts.

[raceboy]

Didn't actually pass my driving test until November 1990 but then I was let loose in this beast....



Not massively surprised there are only 4 left taxed in the country, but then there were probably less than a thousand in 1990.

[LordGrover]

motco said:

From 1980 a Princess 2200 HLS Auto for 70,000 miles (never a day without a fault)

Heresy! My mother had one of those, though a manual. Don't remember any issues with it, apart from the gear lever being a little 'vague'. Actually a pretty smooth ride IIRC - comfy dralon seats too.

[cerb4.5lee]

motco said:

1987 on a Granada auto for 170,000 miles - I bought it from the company and ran it until 1995

I'd forgot that you could get the 2.9 engine in the Granada so early on, and that engine wasn't available in the Sierra until 1989. I do have a soft spot for the Granada. Love your Capri's too.

[TR4man]

Mini was girlfriend's and the TR6 was mine.

The TR was bought in 83 and was my daily driver.

[Pinkie15]

Mostly a silver Eddy Mercyx racer
That got destroyed under the Mk 2 Escort that ran me over and replaced with a white Raleigh 'Milk Race' racer


1.0 Micra (driving instructor's car, mad Spaniard with 4 X 100 spots on the front; took so much from the alternator could barely get the car over 40 with them on)

Otherwise parents car:
Citroën Visa 1.0 L
Cavalier Commander (1.6 with basically SRi wheels, spoiler & Recaros (or a good facsimile thereof))

[aaron_2000]

cerb4.5lee said:

motco said:

1987 on a Granada auto for 170,000 miles - I bought it from the company and ran it until 1995

I'd forgot that you could get the 2.9 engine in the Granada so early on, and that engine wasn't available in the Sierra until 1989. I do have a soft spot for the Granada. Love your Capri's too.

They look cutting edge for an early 80's car IMO.

[TameRacingDriver]