1982 Lamborghini Countach 5000S coupe

“… a technical evolution …”

Midway through the 1982 model year, the Lamborghini Countach received a larger version of its V12. With that, the model designation changed from LP400 S to 5000S. Just because (why not?), this version was also sometimes called the LP500 S.

The engine requires some more detail. The 4.8 liter/291 ci V12 came with six Weber carburetors and made 325 bhp in North American form. With the standard five-speed manual, the 0-60 time was 5.7 seconds. As might be expected, fuel economy by the day’s standards was not impressive—12 city/18 highway (10/13 by 2025 measures). At least the two 15.4-gallon gas tanks allowed a range of 320 to 370 miles before a 5000S driver had to search for more premium fuel.

Photo of 1985 Lamborghini Countach 5000S coupe
1985 Lamborghini Countach 5000S coupe at the Peterson Museum

I saw Countachs of various types at the wonderful Petersen Automotive Museum in Los Angeles in late 2025, and it was a great reminder of how vertically short these cars are—the spec for the 5000S was 42.1 inches. When Lamborghini released the Countach LPI 800-4 homage for the 2022 model year, it was actually 2.7 inches taller.

The 1982 Countach 5000S‘s base price was an eye-watering $99,500—about $342,000 in today’s dollars, or about 14% less than what a 2026 Lamborghini Temerario coupe goes for (Lamborghinis have gotten no cheaper in the last forty years) . Standard exterior and mechanical equipment included rack-and-pinion steering, ventilated disc brakes, and 205/50ZR15 front tires and 345/35ZR15 rear tires (both Pirelli P7s) on 15-inch wheels. Inside, leather bucket seats, a tilt-and-telescoping steering wheel, and air conditioning were included.

Options & Production Numbers

Options included a rear wing ($5,500), a sports exhaust, gold wheels, and a series of stereos (including a $3,000 one from Alpine).

Lamborghini built 321 5000S Countachs from March 1982 through March 1985. At that point, the Countach Quattrovalvole took over.

The View From 2025

The view from 2025 is just fine, thank you—according to Hagerty’s valuation tools, all the money for a 1982 Countach 5000S in #1/Concours condition is an astounding $676,000. A more “normal” #3/Good condition example is valued at $407,000. 5000Ss frequently appear for sale in the Hemmings Motor News classifieds, on Bring a Trailer, and at in-person auctions.

Make mine Black, please.

The 5000S is the first Lamborghini I have written about in Eighties Cars. Another 1985 exotic I have written about is the Ferrari Testarossa coupe.

1986 Jeep CJ-7 SUV

“Only in a Jeep.”

1986 was the final model year for the Jeep CJ-7, which had debuted in 1976. Because of this, there were only minor trim and detail changes.

The CJ-7’s standard powertrain was an AMC 86 bhp 2.5 liter/150 ci inline four with electronic fuel injection paired with a four-speed manual transmission and part-time four wheel drive. An AMC 102 bhp 4.2 liter/258 ci inline six with a two-barrel carburetor was a $361 option. Both engines could be had with a five-speed manual ($250), but only the inline six could be paired with a Torque-flite automatic ($495).

Jeep CJs were neither economical nor fast—but most Jeep fanciers would have and do argue that isn’t the point. The spriteliest powertrain combination (inline six/five-speed) came in with fuel economy ratings of 17 city/21 highway by the day’s standards (15/20 by modern measures). With the standard 15.1-gallon gas tank, a CJ-7’s presumably happy owner could expect a range of 240 to 255 miles with a 10% fuel reserve. It’s no wonder many went for the $57 20-gallon extra capacity fuel tank, which promised ranges of over 300 miles.

Front cover of the 1986 Jeep CJ brochure
Front cover of the 1986 Jeep CJ brochure

The 1986 CJ-7’s base price was $7,500—about $22,400 in today’s dollars. Standard exterior and mechanical equipment included a roll bar, a moveable tailgate, a swing away spare tire carrier, a front stabilizer bar, manual front disc brakes, and free-wheeling hubs. Inside, linen-grain vinyl high back bucket seats, a padded instrument panel, a day/night mirror, an electric washer and 2-speed wipers, a cigarette lighter, and a heater and defroster were included.

Packages, Options, & Production Numbers

Jeep offered two packages for the 1986 CJ-7:

  • The $1,253 Renegade package included special Renegade exterior graphics, rocker panel protection moldings, and 15 x 7 white styled steel wheels. Inside, a denim-look vinyl rear seat, a soft feel 3-spoke Sport steering wheel, and intermittent wipers were included.
  • The $3,304 Laredo package included a chrome grille panel with pinstripe, a hard top, a Laredo hood decal, and 15 x 7 chrome styled steel wheels. Inside, a leather-wrapped 3-spoke steering wheel, a console, a rear seat, courtesy lights, a tachometer and clock, and intermittent wipers were included. A Laredo with no other options came to $10,804—about $32,300 in 2025 dollars, or about 10% less than a 2026 Jeep Wrangler Sport 2-door goes for.

Individual options included heavy duty engine cooling ($57), power steering ($274), power disc brakes ($125), a rear Trac-lok differential ($255), a conventional spare tire ($94), and a tilt steering wheel ($118). Many CJ-7s exited dealer showrooms with stickers that were about twice the base price.

Jeep produced 25,929 CJ-7s in the 1986 model year. They marked the final version of the original Civilian Jeep from 1945, whose total production measured over 1.5 million units.

The View From 2025

CJ-7s have a devoted fanbase, and their values reflect that. According to Hagerty’s valuation tools, a 1986 CJ-7 Renegade with the inline six in #1/Concours condition is $48,800, while a more typical #3/Good condition example goes for $24,500. CJ-7s frequently show up for sale in the Hemmings Motor News classifieds, on eBay Motors, and on Bring a Trailer.

Make mine Garnet Metallic, please.

Other Jeeps I have written about include the 1982 CJ-8 Scrambler pickup truck and the 1983 Wagoneer Limited SUV.

1987 Chevrolet Cavalier RS convertible

Recently, a near-perfect low-mileage 1987 Chevrolet Cavalier RS convertible came up for auction on Bring a Trailer. This event made me painfully aware that I’d written about the Cavalier sedan and coupe, but somehow not the convertible—time to fix that.

“Sporty performance”

The Chevrolet Cavalier first came to market for the 1982 model year, initially available as a notchback coupe, a hatchback coupe, a notchback sedan, and a station wagon. In the middle of 1983, Chevrolet introduced a convertible version, initially available as the top-of-the-line CS. In 1984, the convertible transitioned to the sporty Type 10. The RS replaced the Type 10 in the 1986 model year, and the convertible went with it. From 1983 through 1987, Cavalier convertible conversions were done by ASC.

The RS convertible’s standard powertrain was the 90 bhp LL8 2.0 liter/121 ci inline four with electronic fuel injection and a four-speed manual. Optional power was the 125 bhp LB6 2.8 liter/173 ci V6 with multiport fuel injection ($660). Both a new-for-1987 Getrag-designed five-speed manual transmission ($75) and a three-speed automatic transmission ($490) were available.

Road tests of the first-generation Cavalier convertible are hard to come by, but 0-60 likely came in a little over 9 seconds with the five-speed/V6 combination. Fuel economy ratings for the same combination were 20 city/26 highway by the day’s standards. With a 14-gallon gas tank, a Cavalier convertible’s enthusiastic new owner could expect a range of 265 to 285 miles with a 10% fuel reserve.

Front cover of the 1987 Chevrolet full line brochure
Front cover of the 1987 Chevrolet full line brochure

The 1987 Cavalier RS convertible’s base price was $13,466—about $39,700 in 2025 dollars. Standard exterior and mechanical equipment included a power operated convertible top, tinted glass, left hand remote and right hand manual Sport mirrors, the F41 sport suspension, a front stabilizer bar, power steering, power front disc/rear drum brakes, and P195/70R13 all season radial ply blackwall tires (a size no longer readily available) on 13-inch Rally wheels with trim rings. Inside, Custom Cloth front bucket seats with recliners, a console, a Sport steering wheel, power windows, and an AM radio with dual front speakers were included.

Options & Production Numbers

Individual options available with the RS convertible included aluminum wheels ($212), air conditioning ($675), the Comfortilt steering wheel ($125), electronic speed control with resume speed ($175), an intermittent windshield wiper system ($55), and a power door lock system ($145). A series of four optional audio systems, ranging up to an ETR AM/FM stereo radio with seek and scan, a cassette player, a graphic equalizer, and a clock ($449), was available.

Chevrolet sold 5,826 Cavalier convertibles in the 1987 model year, making that the best production total for any year of the first-generation Cavalier convertible.

The View From 2025

People do collect these small convertibles. They maintain a reasonable presence in the Hemmings Motor News classifieds, on eBay Motors, and on Bring a Trailer.

Make mine Red—I think.

Other Cavaliers I have written about include the 1983 CS sedan and the 1986 Z24 coupe. The other J platform cars I have written about are the 1982 Cadillac Cimarron sedan, the 1984 Buick Skyhawk coupe, the 1984 Pontiac 2000 Sunbird S/E hatchback coupe, the 1985 Oldsmobile Firenza ES sedan, and the 1988 Cadillac Cimarron sedan.

1989 Ford Probe hatchback coupe

“A performance you won’t forget.”

Ford’s sporty Probe hatchback coupe was all-new for 1989, adding another model line to Dearborn’s expansive list of offerings.

Few eighties cars came to market with as much of a backstory as the Probe. Most enthusiasts at the time knew that Ford’s original intention had been to make the new Mazda-based front-wheel-drive car the next-generation Mustang, replacing the beloved but aging rear-wheel-drive Fox-platform version. Autoweek magazine’s April 13, 1987 issue was the first to publicly reveal these plans in a cover story titled “Exclusive: The ’89 Mustang.” The response from Mustang traditionalists was visceral, and later in 1987, Ford decided to bring the new design to market as a separate model.

The Probe’s engine depended on the version. GL and LX models received a Mazda F2 110 bhp 2.2 liter/133 ci inline four with three valves per cylinder and multi-port electronic fuel injection. The top-of-the-line GT received the same engine, but with a turbocharger and an intercooler, resulting in 145 bhp and the designation of F2T. All Probes came standard with a five-speed manual transmission, but only the GL and the LX offered an electronically-controlled four-speed automatic with overdrive as an option.

Car and Driver recorded a 0-60 time of 6.7 seconds in the 1989 Probe GT—really fast for a car with a supposed 145 bhp (many period reviews believed the rating to be very conservative) and a 2,940-pound curb weight. Fuel economy for the GT was rated at 21 city/27 highway by the day’s standards (19/25 by today’s measures). With a 15.1-gallon gas tank, a Probe GT‘s owner could expect a range of 300 to 325 miles with a 10% fuel reserve.

Rear cover of the 1989 Ford Probe brochure
Rear cover of the 1989 Ford Probe brochure

The GL‘s base price was $10,459—about $28,300 in today’s dollars. Standard exterior and mechanical equipment included concealed/retractable halogen headlamps, power rack-and-pinion steering, power front disc/rear drum brakes, and P185/70SR14 steel-belted black sidewall radial tires (a size still readily available) on 14-inch wheels with standard Deluxe wheel covers. Inside, front bucket seats, 50/50 split fold-down rear seats, Deluxe cloth seat trim, full analog instrumentation with a tachometer, and an electronic AM/FM stereo radio were included.

The LX ($11,443) added complete tinted glass, Luxury wheel covers, all-cloth multi-adjustable front bucket seats, Luxury floor carpeting, a full console with a folding armrest and a storage bin, a rear window defroster, a remote liftgate release, a remote inside fuel filler release, and the Light Group.

Exterior and mechanical changes or additions with the GT ($13,593) included a unique front fascia with fog lamps, a unique rear end treatment with a two-tone spoiler, variable-assist power rack-and-pinion steering, power 4-wheel disc brakes, and P195/60VR15 Goodyear Eagle speed-rated performance steel-belted radial tires on 15-inch aluminum wheels. Inside, the GT included Sport cloth seat trim.

Packages, Individual Options, & Production Numbers

By 1989, Ford was delivering much of its optional equipment in Preferred Equipment Packages.

  • GL Preferred Equipment Package 250A was the base GL package.
  • GL Preferred Equipment Package 251A ($334) added complete tinted glass, dual electric remote mirrors, a tilt steering column/instrument cluster, interval windshield wipers and mist function, a rear window defroster, and the Light Group.
  • LX Preferred Equipment Package 252A was the base LX package.
  • LX Preferred Equipment Package 253A ($2,214) added a 6-way power driver seat adjustment, a leather-wrapped steering wheel and shift knob, an illuminated entry system, an electronic instrument cluster, speed control, an electronic air conditioner with push button controls, power windows, power door locks, a rear wiper/washer, a trip computer, and an electronic AM/FM stereo radio with a cassette tape player, premium sound system, and a power antenna.
  • GT Preferred Equipment Package 260A was the base GT package.
  • GT Preferred Equipment Package 261A ($2,621) added an anti-lock brake system, a 6-way power driver seat adjustment, a leather-wrapped steering wheel and shift knob, an illuminated entry system, speed control, and an electronic air conditioner with push button controls, power windows, power door locks, a trip computer, and an electronic AM/FM stereo radio with a cassette tape player, premium sound system, and a power antenna.

Individual options included a flip-up open air roof ($355), an air conditioner with manual controls ($927), power door locks ($155), and three optional stereos.

The 1989 Probe was a smash hit for Ford, with 162,889 made. Combining those numbers with the Mustang’s 206,789 produced definitely validated Ford’s decision to proceed with two separate models.

The View From 2025

I haven’t seen a Probe on the road in years. They’re gone from the Hemmings Motor News classifieds and eBay Motors, but Bring a Trailer has sold three of this generation of Probe in the last six years.

Make mine Deep Titanium Clearcoat Metallic, please.

Other late eighties Ford coupes I have written about include the 1987 Mustang LX and the 1987 Thunderbird.

1981 Chrysler LeBaron coupe

“A personal car with classic style.”

1981 was the final model year for the coupe version of Chrysler’s M body, which had been around since 1977. For Chrysler, that last coupe would be the LeBaron.

The LeBaron’s standard engine was the 85 bhp Slant Six 3.7 liter/225 ci inline six with a one-barrel carburetor. Optional power was provided by the LA 130 bhp 5.2 liter/318 ci V8 with a two-barrel carburetor—an upcharge of $62. No matter what engine the buyer selected, the transmission was a three-speed TorqueFlite automatic.

For no apparent reason, both engines had higher horsepower ratings in California. The reason is more evident for the V8—California got a four-barrel carburetor (along with 35 more horsepower), while the other 49 states only rated a two-barrel. However, the Slant Six got a one-barrel carburetor in all fifty states, but five more horsepower in California. All of this meant that the California V8 version of the LeBaron was a relative screamer—almost two seconds faster in the 0-60 sprint than the 49 states version.

For 1981, the coupe was available in Special, Salon, and Medallion versions. Standard mechanical equipment on the $6,672 Special (about $25,600 in today’s dollars) included power steering, power front disc/rear drum brakes, and P195/75R15 glass-belted radial-ply white sidewall tires (a size still available in whitewall thanks to Coker Tire) on 15-inch Safety-Rim wheels with Deluxe wheel covers. Inside, a cloth and vinyl front bench seat and a glove box lock were included. Individual totals for the Special coupe and sedan are unknown, but the combined total was 11,980.

Coupe page from the 1981 Chrysler LeBaron brochure
Salon coupe page from the 1981 Chrysler LeBaron brochure

The $7,263 Salon added body-side accent stripes, dual horns, a left outside remote mirror, a day/night inside mirror, and a cloth and vinyl front seat with a center armrest. Chrysler built 17,485 LeBaron Salon coupes and sedans in the 1981 model year.

The $7,768 Medallion added a padded vinyl Landau roof, sill molding extensions, a rear deck accent stripe, Premier wheel covers, a trunk dress-up, a 60/40 cloth front seat, and a Luxury steering wheel. Only 7,635 1981 LeBaron Medallion coupes and sedans were produced.

Groups, Packages, & Individual Options

Many groups and packages were available with the LeBaron, and their pricing varied depending on whether you were starting with a Special, a Salon, or a Medallion.

  • The Deluxe Wiper/Washer Package included Deluxe windshield wipers with intermittent wipe and a windshield washer fluid level indicator.
  • The Light Package ($85-$99) included map/dome reading lights, a glove box light, an ash receiver light, fuel, temperature, and alternator warning lights, and a trunk light.
  • The Basic Group ($937-$1125) included tinted glass on all windows, a padded vinyl Landau roof, dual horns, manual air conditioning, and an AM radio. It also included both the Deluxe Wiper/Washer Package and the Light Package.
  • The Sport Appearance Package ($154-$258) included color-keyed styled steel road wheels, dual sport-styled remote control mirrors (painted or chromed), and a Luxury two-spoke steering wheel.
  • The Two-Tone Paint Package ($158) included a choice of two two-tone exterior paint combinations and color-break body accent stripes.
  • The Handling Package ($163) included special Firm-Feel power steering, heavy-duty shock absorbers, heavy-duty rear springs, a rear sway bar, and P205/75R15 steel-belted radial wider whitewall tires on extra-wide wheel rims.
  • The Protection Group ($58-$67) included door edge protectors and front and rear color-keyed floormats.
  • The Deluxe Insulation Package ($10-$109) included undercoating, special sound insulation, and a trunk dress-up.

Individual exterior and mechanical options included Starmist paint ($55), halogen headlamps ($40), a T-bar roof ($695), a power glass sunroof ($865), wire wheel covers ($106-$249), and forged aluminum wheels ($183-$326). Inside, cloth/vinyl bucket seats ($101 for the Salon coupe), a console ($106 for the Salon coupe), a leather-covered steering wheel ($21-$60), air conditioning ($606), automatic temperature control air conditioning ($656), power windows ($145-$202), and power door locks ($96-$136) were available. A series of seven radios ranged up to an AM/FM stereo radio with a CB ($355-$447).

The View From 2025

These LeBarons are rare on the ground, but they have not completely vanished. They’re gone from the Hemmings Motor News classifieds and eBay Motors, but Bring a Trailer has sold eight of this generation of LeBaron in the last six years, two of them coupes.

Make mine Burnished Silver Metallic, please. Just like in the brochure.

Other rear-wheel-drive coupes from Chrysler Corporation that I have written about include the 1980 Chrysler Cordoba, the 1983 Chrysler Cordoba, and the 1983 Imperial. I have written posts about two other M-bodies—the 1987 Chrysler Fifth Avenue sedan and the 1989 Dodge Diplomat sedan. Other 1981 personal luxury coupes include the Chevrolet Monte Carlo Sport Coupe and the Oldsmobile Cutlass Supreme.

1988 Pontiac Fiero Formula coupe

“Rejoice! Fiero Formula is here.”

In the Fiero’s final year, Pontiac introduced the Formula. Following the Firebird’s lead, the Formula had most of the mechanical components of the top-of-the-line GT, but the look of the original Fiero coupe. The front and rear suspensions for all Fieros was also completely revised, and Bright Yellow was introduced as a mid-year color.

It is a canard of General Motors’ behavior that they discontinue a car as soon as they finally get it right. No more central example exists than the Pontiac Fiero. The Fiero came to market in 1984 with ridiculous expectations, partially driven by Pontiac and in part by how the public sees two-seat mid-engine cars. What had initially been designed as a somewhat sporty commuter car became a significant part of Pontiac’s We Build Excitement strategy.

The painful fact that the Fiero’s mechanical parts were from the low end of the General Motors parts bin soon became stunningly obvious. Citation and Chevette suspension parts were abundant, and the only available engine was the distinctly uninspiring 2.5 liter/151 ci Iron Duke inline four with fuel injection, featuring all of 92 bhp. Predictably, handling and acceleration did not meet expectations. Then, of course, the recalls came—four in all for the 1984 Fiero.

By 1988, Pontiac had gone a long way toward fixing some of the underlying issues. The 2.8 liter/173 ci V6 was made available in 1985, its 140 bhp and multi-port fuel injection both major upgrades. In 1986, the fastback GT body style was added, and a five-speed manual transmission became available for the V6, though only late in the model year. In 1987, the Iron Duke‘s horsepower increased by 6 bhp. Finally, in 1988, the suspension was completely revised (with some Lotus influence).

The Formula‘s standard powertrain was the L44 135 bhp 2.8 liter/173 ci V6 with multi-port fuel injection paired with a five-speed manual—a three-speed automatic ($490) was available. Road & Track recorded a 0-60 time of 8.0 seconds with the five-speed Formula. Mileage in a car with a 2,775-pound curb weight was 17 city/27 highway by the day’s standards (15/25 by today’s measures). With the Fiero’s small 11.9-gallon gas tank, range was between 215 and 235 miles with a 10% fuel reserve.

Fiero pages from the 1988 Pontiac brochure
Fiero pages from the 1988 Pontiac brochure

The Fiero Formula‘s base price was $10,999—approximately $31,000 in today’s dollars, which is about what a 2025 Mazda MX-5 Miata Sport goes for. Standard exterior and mechanical equipment included retracting halogen headlamps, a rear deck spoiler, a tuned dual-port performance exhaust, the WS6 performance suspension, rack-and-pinion steering, power 4-wheel disc brakes, and P205/60R15 front and P215/60R15 rear Goodyear Eagle GT+4 tires (both sizes still readily available) on 15-inch Diamond-Spoke aluminum wheels. Inside, reclining bucket seats, a Rally four-spoke steering wheel, a full-length console, side window defoggers, and a Delco ETR AM/FM stereo radio were included.

Options Groups, Individual Options, & Production Numbers

Pontiac offered three option groups with the Fiero Formula:

  • Option Group I included tinted glass, a tilt steering wheel, and controlled cycle windshield wipers.
  • Option Group II included everything in Option Group I, along with air conditioning, lamp group, a passenger visor vanity mirror, and cruise control.
  • Option Group III ($1,516) included everything in Option Group II, along with power door locks and power windows.

Individual options included a removable sunroof, tinted glass ($120), air conditioning ($775), power windows ($234), controlled cycle windshield wipers ($55), a tilt steering wheel ($125), and an electric rear window defogger ($145). Two optional stereos were available, with the range-topper being the $272 UX1 Delco ETR AM stereo/FM stereo radio with a cassette player, a graphic equalizer, and a clock.

Pontiac sold 5,684 copies of the Fiero Formula in 1988. Both the coupe (13,910) and the GT ($6,849) sold more units, but the Formula did sell better than 1987’s SE.

The View From 2025

Fieros have a good club following and a reasonably strong presence in the Hemmings Motor News classifieds, on eBay Motors, and on Bring a Trailer. According to Hagerty’s valuation tools, a 1988 Fiero Formula in #1/Concours condition is $22,800, while a more common #3/Good condition car is $7,700.

Make mine Medium Red Metallic, please.

Other Fieros I have written about include the 1984 coupe and the 1986 GT coupe. Other late eighties Pontiacs include the 1987 Firebird Formula hatchback coupe, the 1987 Grand Prix coupe, the 1988 Grand Prix coupe, and the 1989 Pontiac 20th Anniversary Turbo Firebird Trans Am hatchback coupe.

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1989 Dodge Diplomat sedan

“Negotiate the road in a classic.”

For 1989, Dodge’s M-body Diplomat sedan was little changed. The base model was dropped, leaving only the mid-range Salon and the higher-end SE.

The powertrain remained the same—an LA 140 bhp 5.2 liter/318 ci V8 with a Carter two-barrel carburetor paired with a TorqueFlite three-speed automatic. With a 3,582-pound shipping weight, 0-60 came in about 12 seconds. Compared to other large rear-wheel-drive sedans, fuel economy was a somewhat uncompetitive 16 city/22 highway by the day’s standards (15/20 by today’s measures). With an 18-gallon gas tank, a Diplomat driver could expect a range of 285 to 305 miles with a 10% fuel reserve.

Standard exterior and mechanical equipment on the $11,995 Diplomat Salon sedan included quad halogen headlights, tinted glass, power-assisted steering, power-assisted front vented disk/rear drum brakes, and P205/75R15 steel-belted radial all-season white sidewall tires (a size still readily available, even as a whitewall) on 15-inch wheels with Deluxe wheel covers. Inside, a cloth/vinyl split-back bench seat with a folding center armrest and adjustable head restraints, tilt steering, a driver’s airbag, intermittent wipers, and an electronically tuned AM stereo/FM stereo with an integral digital clock and four speakers were included.

Diplomat SE photo from the 1989 Dodge brochure
Diplomat SE photo from the 1989 Dodge brochure

The $14,795 SE added a full non-padded vinyl roof, Premium wheel covers, all-cloth individually adjustable front seats with dual seatback recliners, a lighted passenger mirror, chrome exterior dual power mirrors, automatic temperature control air conditioning, cruise control, an electrically heated rear window defroster, and the Protection Package. All of this extra equipment made for a 3,782-pound shipping weight—200 pounds more than the Salon.

Packages, Individual Options, & Production Numbers

By 1989, buying a Dodge Diplomat was all about the packages:

  • The Popular Equipment Discount Package ($1,141) included Premium wheel covers, automatic temperature control air conditioning, an electrically heated rear window defroster, chrome exterior dual power mirrors, and automatic speed control.
  • The SE Luxury Equipment Discount Package ($1,202) included wire wheel covers with locks, a driver’s side power seat, a Luxury leather-wrapped steering wheel, illuminated left and right vanity mirrors, power door locks, power windows, and a power deck lid release. It also included most but not all of the Light Package, including a headlight switch with time delay, a glove box light, a trunk light, and alternator, door ajar, engine oil temperature, and low fuel warning lights.
  • The Light Package ($122) included a headlight switch with time delay, a glove box light, and a trunk light. It also included alternator, door ajar, engine oil temperature, and low fuel warning lights.
  • The Protection Package ($185) included color-keyed vinyl bodyside moldings, black rear bumper guards, undercoating, and front and rear carpeted floor mats.

Individual options for both Diplomat versions included pearl clear coat paint ($41), power door locks ($201), and power windows ($294). Dodge also proudly offered a Premium electronically tuned AM stereo/FM stereo with up-and-down seek-and-scan and a cassette tape player ($262). The electronic cassette tape player included Dolby B noise reduction, automatic reverse, true fast forward and rewind, an automatic metal tape sensor, and tape program music search.

A full non-padded vinyl roof ($206), chrome exterior dual power mirrors ($164), and automatic temperature control air conditioning ($855) were available for the Salon. A power glass sunroof ($1,108) and a power antenna ($72) were SE-only options. A loaded SE could run to about $17,500—real money in 1989 and about $47,300 in today’s dollars.

Dodge sold a mere 5,709 Diplomats in the 1989 model year, sharply fewer than the 19,173 in 1988, when the base Diplomat was also available.

The View From 2025

The Diplomat was one of the last of Chrysler Corporation’s traditional rear-wheel-drive cars—the final year in a line that extended directly back to the original Diplomat in 1977, and had roots in the mid-1960s with the third-generation Dart. Earlier this year, I blogged about Chrysler Corporation’s Transition To Front-Wheel-Drive.

I’m going to declare these Diplomats as vanished, though I would not have said that a decade ago. They’re gone from the Hemmings Motor News classifieds and eBay Motors. Bring a Trailer has sold three Diplomats in the last five years, two of them sedans.

Make mine the extra-cost Twilight Blue Pearl Coat, please.

Four years ago, I wrote a post about the 1987 Chrysler Fifth Avenue sedan—an M-body sister to the Diplomat. Other rear-wheel-drive Chrysler products I have written about include the 1980 Chrysler Cordoba coupe, the 1980 Plymouth Volaré station wagon, the 1981 Chrysler New Yorker sedan, the 1983 Chrysler Cordoba coupe, and the 1983 Imperial coupe.

1983 Oldsmobile 15th Anniversary Hurst/Olds coupe

“A specialty car should be extra special.”

For 1983, Oldsmobile decided to add some glamor to the Cutlass Supreme line by bringing back the Hurst/Olds for the eighth time. Cars & Concepts took black Oldsmobile Cutlass Supreme Calais coupes and modified them to create a Hurst/Olds, adding silver lower paint accented by red and silver pinstripes. By far the most distinctive interior feature of the 15th Anniversary Hurst/Olds was the Hurst Lightning Rods automatic shifter with three separate gear levers—a transmission that required a page of instructions in the owner’s welcome brochure.

The powertrain was the LV2 180 bhp 5.0 liter/307 ci V8 with a Rochester 4MV four-barrel carburetor, mated to a four-speed automatic transmission. Special features for the Hurst/Olds engine included a long-duration camshaft, high-rate valve springs, and a specific ignition distributor—all of which made for a 29% horsepower gain over the “normal” 307. Car and Driver recorded a 0-60 time of 8.8 seconds in a car with a curb weight of 3,525 pounds. Fuel economy ratings were 17 city/27 highway by the day’s standards. With an 18.1-gallon gas tank, a 15th Anniversary‘s proud new owner could expect a range of 295 to 320 miles with a 10% fuel reserve.

1983 Oldsmobile Hurst/Olds print advertisement
1983 Oldsmobile Hurst/Olds print advertisement

The 1983 15th Anniversary Hurst/Olds coupe retailed for $11,844.60—about $39,200 in today’s dollars. Standard exterior and mechanical equipment included a front air dam, tungsten halogen headlamps, a hood power bulge, dual Sport mirrors, a rear decklid wing, a quick ratio steering box for the power assisted recirculating ball steering, power front vented disc/rear drum brakes, and P215/65R15 Goodyear Eagle GT raised white letter steel belted radial tires on chrome plated 15 x 7 Super Stock wheels. Inside, reclining front bucket seats, a Sport steering wheel, a full length center console, Rallye cluster gages with a tachometer, a quartz clock, and a 15th Anniversary dash plaque were included.

1983 Hurst/Olds buyers could choose between a Maple Red or a Sand Gray interior, but the gray is fairly rare. Mandatory options included the Four-Season air conditioner ($725).

Options & Production Numbers

Individual exterior and mechanical options included Soft-Ray tinted windows ($105), removable roof panels ($825), and a limited slip differential. Inside, a driver side 6-way power seat adjuster ($210), power door locks ($120), power side windows ($180), a tilt-away steering wheel ($105), and cruise control ($170) could be ordered. A range of stereos was available, along with a power front fender antenna ($60). All of these options meant things could get pricey—many 15th Anniversary coupes stickered for over $15,000 (about $49,600 in 2025 dollars).

Oldsmobile planned to produce 2,500 of the 15th Anniversary Hurst/Olds coupes, but eventually sold 3,001 units during the 1983 model year due to strong demand.

The View From 2025

There is definite collector interest in the 1983 Hurst/Olds, with forum support. According to Hagerty’s valuation tools, a 1983 15th Anniversary Hurst/Olds in #1/Concours condition is $48,100, with a far more normal #3/Good condition version going for $22,800. Eighties Hurst/Olds coupes are often available in the Hemmings Motor News classifieds, on eBay Motors, and at online auctions such as Bring a Trailer that cater to the eighties car market. As I write this blog entry in October 2025, there’s a 1983 15th Anniversary Hurst/Olds coupe with 40,000 miles for sale on Hemmings, asking $40,000.

Other rear-wheel-drive Cutlass-based Oldsmobiles I have written about include the 1980 Cutlass coupe, the 1981 Cutlass Supreme coupe, and the 1985 Oldsmobile Cutlass Supreme coupe. Another 1983 performance-oriented coupe from GM was the Chevrolet Monte Carlo SS.

80s Car Stereos: Alpine

Unlike the Delco/GM Bose, Alpine’s presence in the eighties car stereo market was associated with many individual models released over the decade.

1981 Alpine print advertisement
1981 Alpine print advertisement

Between the early 1980s and the end of the 1990s, Alpine supplied car audio to Lamborghini and used their Countach as its mascot car, featured in every product brochure, advertisement, and poster. The Alpine-equipped Countach was also a regular presence at trade and public shows.

Alpine had come a long way by the early eighties. Established in 1967 as Alps-Motorola—a joint venture between Alps Electric and Motorola—it became Alpine Electronics, Inc. in 1978 when Alps bought out Motorola’s share of the company. Alpine’s stereos had distinctive green faces, first seen with the 7128 cassette player in 1980.

Sales Numbers & Period Reviews

The eighties were salad days for Alpine. The combination of the highly visible Lamborghini affiliation and substantial technical innovation yielded impressive sales numbers of fairly high-priced stereos. A select set of authorized car audio installers ensured that Alpine’s systems worked well in the generally higher-end vehicles they were installed in.

Stereo equipment review magazines of the age were generally impressed with Alpine’s products. Audio magazine stated that 1984’s $600 Model 7347 car stereo did much to “advance the science and art of car stereo equipment design.” A late 1986 write-up in Stereo Review observed that the $800 Model 7900 compact disc player was “thoroughly insulated from road shock and vibration.”

The View From 2025

Alpine is still very much with us, though the green faces are long gone. For those looking to the past, eBay’s vintage section does pretty well. There are also repair shops that will fix these now forty-year-old stereos.

Make mine an Alpine 7900, please—one of the very first car stereo compact disc players.

1983 Chevrolet Camaro Z28 hatchback coupe

“… just about everything a road car should be.”

In its second year, changes to the third-generation Chevrolet Camaro Z28  centered on the powertrain. The Z28 gained a new standard Borg-Warner five-speed manual transmission and a new optional four-speed automatic. Both carryover V8 engines gained horsepower, and a new top-of-the-line H.O. engine became available mid-year. Detail changes included new patterns for the optional L/S Conteur bucket seats that repeated the Camaro name in the design. Chevrolet refined the instrument panel graphics, and electronically tuned stereo radios were newly available.

All Z28 engines for 1982 were variations of the Chevrolet’s 5.0 liter/305 ci V8. The Z28‘s standard engine was the LG4 with a four-barrel carburetor, uprated five bhp to 150 bhp. An optional $450 LU5 Cross-Fire with throttle-body fuel injection gained 10 bhp to 175 bhp and required the $295 automatic. In April 1983, the L69 H.O. with 190 bhp became available for $505 and required the five-speed.

Motor Trend recorded a 0-60 time of 7.4 seconds with the top-of-the-line H.O. motor and the five-speed—about 1.5 seconds faster than the best from 1982. Fuel economy ratings for the H.O. were 16 city/26 highway by the day’s standards—the highway rating two mpg better than 1982’s base engine. With a 16.1-gallon gas tank, a Z28 owner with the H.O. could expect a range of 250 to 270 miles with a 10% fuel reserve.

Z28 cutaway pages from the 1983 Chevrolet Camaro brochure
Z28 cutaway pages from the 1983 Chevrolet Camaro brochure

The 1983 Z28‘s base price was $10,336—about $34,200 in 2025 dollars. Standard exterior and mechanical equipment on all 1983 Z28s included a front air dam, “ground effects” rocker molding design, body-color dual Sport mirrors, a rear deck spoiler, power steering, a power front disc/rear drum brake system, and P215/65R-15 steel-belted radial ply white letter tires (a size still readily available) on 15 x 7 inch 5-spoke aluminum wheels. Inside, every 1982 Z28 came with vinyl reclining front bucket seats, a fold-down rear seat, a leather-wrapped steering wheel, special instrumentation, and a quartz analog electric clock.

Options & Production Numbers

Exterior and mechanical options available for the Camaro Z28 include tinted glass ($105), electric twin remote Sport mirrors ($89), removable glass roof panels ($825!), a rear window wiper/washer ($120), a power antenna ($60), a limited slip differential ($95), and four-wheel power disk brakes ($179). Interior options included power windows ($180), a power door lock system ($120), an electric rear window defogger ($135), automatic speed control with resume speed ($170), air conditioning ($725), a Comfortilt steering wheel ($105), and Deluxe luggage compartment trim ($164).

Z28 Custom interior pages in the 1983 Chevrolet Camaro brochure
Z28 Custom interior pages in the 1983 Chevrolet Camaro brochure

The Custom interior included the Berlinetta-style seats, seat trim, and door trim, and then added some Z28-specific touches. Pricing for a Custom interior depended on which seats were paired with it, and topped out with the cloth L/S Conteur bucket seats ($650). Five different radios were available, with the fanciest being an electronically tuned AM/FM stereo radio with seek/scan and clock ($520). A loaded Z28 could easily hit $15,000—real money in 1983 and almost $50,000 in today’s dollars.

Chevrolet sold 62,100 Z28s in the 1983 model year. However, the most popular Camaro remained the base Sport Coupe, which moved 63,806 units. The somewhat more luxurious Berlinetta sold another 27,925 copies.

The View From 2025

Third-generation Camaros attract plenty of collector interest, and there is substantial club support. According to Hagerty’s valuation tools, a 1983 Camaro Z28 hatchback coupe with the H.O. motor and t-tops in #1/Concours condition is $46,400, while a far more typical #3/Good condition version goes for $14,600. 1983 Camaro Z28s are often available in the Hemmings Motor News classifieds, on eBay Motors, and at online (Bring a Trailer) and in-person auctions. As I write this blog entry in October 2025, a Silver Metallic Z28 with the Cross-Fire, an automatic, and 4,200 miles is for sale on Hemmings, asking $28,000.

Make mine Red, please.

Other Camaros I have written about include the 1980 Rally Sport coupe, the 1980 Z28 coupe, the 1982 Z28 Indy 500 Commemorative Edition hatchback coupe, the 1984 Sport Coupe hatchback coupe, the 1985 IROC-Z hatchback coupe, and the 1986 Berlinetta hatchback coupe.