2022 was another positive year for Eighties Cars. We managed 22 new or substantially revised blog entries—one every 17 days on average. Posts counts were divided into fifteen featuring a specific car, five covering auctions, and two miscellaneous posts.
Just one marque made its first appearance in a specific post in 2022, and that was Hyundai. 2022 was by far the best year for page views since I started the blog—we were up a substantial 47% over 2021.
Every year, I look at the end-of-the-year results for the blog’s most viewed posts. For 2022, it once again looked like the key to an individual post’s popularity was often in the rarity of the other coverage available for that particular vehicle. It also didn’t hurt to be a Chevrolet Camaro or a Cadillac Eldorado. In reverse order, we’ll discuss this year’s top ten most viewed posts.
10) 1988 Cadillac Eldorado coupe—the first new entry in the top ten, this 2018 post on Cadillac’s emergency Eldorado restyle gained its share of looks. According to Hagerty’s valuation tools, a 1988 Eldorado coupe in #1/Concours condition is $12,700, with a far more normal #3/Good condition version going for $4,300.
9) 1980 Mercedes-Benz 450SL convertible—another new entry in the top ten, and the first foreign car to make it into the top ten since the 1981 Toyota Celica Sports Coupe did in 2018. Of course Hagerty tracks these SLs, currently at an astounding $66,000 in #1/Concours condition and $15,800 in #3/Good condition.
8) 1980 Chevrolet Camaro Rally Sport coupe—Rally Sports are given short shrift by most late second-generation Camaros followers, with the Z28 getting far more attention. Despite this, Hagerty does track them—seeing them as worth $19,700 in #1/Concours condition and $11,900 in #3/Good condition with the best available LG4 V8. Down one spot for 2022.
7) 1989 Buick Electra Park Avenue Ultra sedan—this 2020 post about the top-of-the-line Buick for 1989 dropped two spots in 2022.
6) 1986 Chevrolet Camaro Berlinetta hatchback coupe—the Berlinetta is rarely written about, with almost all the attention to eighties Camaros going to the Z28 and the IROC-Z. Nevertheless, Hagerty tracks these cars, currently at $17,100 in #1/Concours condition and $7,100 in #3/Good condition for the version with the optional V8. This post dropped three places in 2022 and is now second all time after being first for years.
5) 1988 Mercury Cougar XR-7 coupe—Hagerty does not track these distinctive sixth-generation Cougars, though they do track eighties Thunderbirds on the same platform. Up one place from 2021.
4) 1985 Chevrolet C20 Suburban Silverado SUV—the first eighties SUV to make any year’s top ten dropped one spot this year. According to Hagerty, all the money for a 1985 C20 Suburban Silverado in #1/Concours condition is $39,800, with a more typical #3/Good condition example going for $16,400.
3) 1984 Cadillac Eldorado Biarritz convertible—the most expensive Eldorado since the early 1960s moved up one spot this year. According to Hagerty, values are sliding up—a 1984 Eldorado convertible in #1/Concours condition is $39,600, with a far more normal #3/Good condition version going for $10,900.
2) 1980 Chevrolet Camaro Z28 coupe—this post was on the rise in the final quarter of 2021, so it was no surprise that it ranked highly in 2022. The success of a particular post is often challenging to understand—this eight-year-old post was last in the top ten in 2018. Hagerty sees these Z28s as worth $62,900 in #1/Concours condition and $27,900 in #3/Good condition with the top-of-the-line LM1 V8.
1) 1981 Oldsmobile Cutlass Supreme coupe—the number one post for the second year in a row, this post is now also #1 all-time. It kind of makes sense—Cutlass Supremes were hugely popular in their day. Popularity does not always equal collectability, and Hagerty has yet to track eighties Cutlass Supreme values.
Three posts that did not make it into the top ten in 2022 after doing so in 2021 were those on the 1985 Buick Somerset Regal coupe, the 1987 Chevrolet Caprice Classic coupe, and the 1987 Mercury Lynx XR3 hatchback. The best-performing Chrysler product post was on the 1980 Plymouth Horizon hatchback coupe (27th), while the highest-ranking Japanese car post was on the 1983 Honda Civic S hatchback coupe (39th).
A post on the rise in the final quarter of 2022 was written about the 1980 Pontiac Grand Prix SJ coupe. Finally, seventeen vehicles cleared the all-time 1,000 Views count in 2022:
- 1980 Buick Riviera S TYPE coupe
- 1980 Cadillac Seville sedan
- 1988 Cadillac Eldorado coupe
- 1989 Cadillac Sedan deVille
- 1983 Chevrolet Caprice Classic sedan
- 1983 Chevrolet Malibu sedan
- 1985 Ford Eddie Bauer Bronco SUV
- 1980 Mercedes-Benz 450SL convertible
- 1988 Mercury Cougar XR-7 coupe
- 1985 Oldsmobile Ninety-Eight Regency sedan
- 1987 Oldsmobile Delta 88 Royale Brougham coupe
- 1981 Pontiac Firebird Trans Am coupe
- 1983 Pontiac 6000 STE sedan
- 1985 Pontiac Firebird Trans Am hatchback coupe
- 1985 Pontiac Grand Am coupe
- 1981 Toyota Celica Sport Coupe
- 1985 Volkswagen Cabriolet
Once rare, exceeding 1,000 views is now so common that I no longer write a post about it when it happens. I’m thinking of setting the new notable post count at 2,500 views.
Thanks to all who viewed this blog in 2022!
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