Mecum’s annual Indy auction finished on May 17th this year. In the middle of 2021, I gave up trying to chronicle every eighties vehicle sold at any particular auction—there’s often an endless sameness to them. So, I now only write about the cars and trucks less seen at auction—and those that sell (a red 1986 Ferrari Testarossa coupe was a no-sale at $135,000). Here are eight out of the 108 that sold that attracted my eye, described in a little more detail than usual.
[Lot J147] 1982 DeMarco convertible. Black with a tan vinyl top and Camel leather/vinyl front bucket seats. L81 190 bhp 5.7 liter/350 ci V8 with a four-barrel carburetor, a four-speed manual, and 12,000 miles. $26,000 hammer price for this handsome and relatively rare (they only made 50 or so) convertible conversion, based on a 1981 Chevrolet Corvette but completed (and titled) in 1982.
[J186] 1987 Chevrolet S-10 Blazer 4×4 SUV. Apple Red/Frost White two-tone with Carmine vinyl front bucket seats. LL2 125 bhp 2.8 liter/173 ci V6 with fuel injection, a four-speed automatic, and 71,000 miles. $9,500 bought this exceptionally clean and stock S-10 Blazer—how many like this are left?
[K60] 1985 Buick Riviera convertible. Red Firemist with a white convertible top and a red leather/vinyl front 45/45 seat. LM9 200 bhp 3.8 liter/231 ci V6 with sequential fuel injection and a turbocharger, a four-speed automatic, and 67,000 miles. $16,500 for what might be the most interesting example of the Riviera convertibles—rare because it’s a final-year convertible, and even rarer because it is Red Firemist and equipped with a turbo V6 (instead of the far more common V8). I have written about the Riviera convertible many times, but never in this blog—maybe it’s time to fix that.
[L63] 1981 Checker Marathon taxi. Yellow (natch) with a black vinyl front bench seat. L39 115 bhp 4.4 liter/268 ci V8 with a two-barrel carburetor and a three-speed automatic. Showing 81,000 miles, but who knows how many times that five-digit odometer rolled over. $6,000 is right at Hagerty’s #4/Fair money for a 1981 Checker with a V8.
[W24] 1981 Buick Regal Pace Car Edition coupe. Silver/Dark Maple two-tone with maroon cloth front bucket seats. LC3 110 bhp 3.8 liter/231 ci V6 with a two-barrel carburetor, a four-speed automatic, and 72,000 miles. $18,000 for one of 150 built. You could get a Regal with a turbo in 1981, but Buick elected not to do that with these pace car replicas.
[W175] 1984 Ford Mustang 20th Anniversary convertible. Oxford White with Canyon Red cloth front bucket seats. Lima 145 bhp 2.3 liter/140 ci inline four with fuel injection and a turbocharger, a five-speed manual, and 4,000 miles. You see a reasonable number of 20th Anniversary convertibles for sale, but you sure don’t see many of them with the turbo four and its distinctive hood bulge. $16,500
[W176] 1988 Ford Thunderbird LX coupe. Oxford White with Scarlet Red luxury cloth split front bench seat. 155 bhp Windsor 4.9 liter/302 ci V8 with fuel injection, a four-speed automatic, and 86 miles. At $17,000, this has to be the nicest 1988 LX remaining—right? Also, why am I seeing so many ridiculously nice late eighties ‘Birds?
[T240] 1985 Oldsmobile Cutlass Ciera convertible. White with a white convertible top and Claret leather front bucket seats. LG3 125 bhp 3.8 liter/231 ci V6 with fuel injection, a four-speed automatic, and 43,000 miles. $8,000 for this Hess and Eisenhardt convertible conversion.
Eighties Cars 
Wow, half of these cars ping personal connections for me.
The Fox Mustang of course. And the Cutlass Ciera I’ve recently written of.
When I had my first Mustang, a good friend had a 1988 GMC Jimmy with the 4.3L V6. I drove it a couple times, good power for what it was, certainly more oomph than the 2.8. I suspect there aren’t many of these trucks around. I’d guess many of them were road hard and put up wet, if not by the original owner, then by the next one (who was no doubt a kid looking for a cheap truck to play with).
And the Riviera. About a dozen years ago my cousin had a good friend named Bill who was a car guy. He had a white Riviera convertible, red interior. I’d think an 83 or 84. Bill was already in his 80s, and he loved brining the Riv to car shows. Sadly he passed maybe 2 years after I met him. His wife let some of his friends have parts of his automobilia collection. That’s how I came to own most of my Crestline books.
Thanks for the comment, Mark. My 1985 Oldsmobile Cutlass Ciera sedan post is in the queue—it should appear within a month or so.
I was working part-time at a Chevrolet dealer in the mid-1980s, and I remember the 2.8 liter V6 being thought of as absolutely essential for a happy S-10 Blazer customer. 125 bhp wasn’t a lot, but it was much more than a 92 bhp Iron Duke (or the earlier 2.0 liter and 1.9 liter engines). By 1987, Chevrolet required at least the 2.8 liter with four-wheel drive. I think the 4.3 took the Blazer to another level.
The sixth-generation Rivieras are favorites of mine, and the convertible conversion was really well done. That particular example at Mecum Indy was quite rare—Buick only made 47 turbo convertibles in 1985 (a 12% take rate).
Same here Mark, I had an ’84 Buick Riviera, the same color as the one in the photo, but mine was a coupe. it had the Olds 307. Later on, I also had a beige Buick Regal with the same 3.8L V6. Funny enough, my best friend had a Cutlass Ciera around the same time I had my Regal. Seems like a lifetime ago – about 30 years! Good write up J3!
Thank you for your comment. That Olds 307 first appeared in the Riviera in 1981 as optional power. For 1985 only, it was standard.
If I had unlimited funds and garage space, I think I’d find room for 1984 or 1985 T Type coupe—like this.