image linked from Barrett-Jackson’s website
Barrett-Jackson‘s signature annual Scottdale auction finished on January 25th 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 that are less seen at auction. Below are five of the 1,900 or so vehicles sold at Scottsdale that attracted my eye, described in a little more detail than I used to when these surveys were more exhaustive.
[Lot 13] 1988 Suzuki Samurai SUV. Champagne with a black convertible top and tan front bucket seats. G13A 63 bhp 1.3 liter/81 ci inline four with a one-barrel carburetor, a five-speed manual, and unknown mileage. A $9,500 hammer price for this tiny (80-inch wheelbase) vehicle.
image linked from Barrett-Jackson’s website
[140] 1984 Mercury Marquis Brougham sedan. Oxford White with Academy Blue Twin Comfort Lounge cloth front seats. Cologne 120 bhp 3.8 liter/231 ci V6 with fuel injection, a four-speed automatic, and an indicated 35,000 miles. You do still occasionally see examples of the far more popular sister 1983-1986 Ford LTD, but somebody was evidently hoping to strike gold with a Mercury I haven’t seen any examples of in about three decades. That didn’t happen—$1,000.
[671.1] 1981 Pontiac Firebird Trans Am Special Edition coupe. Black with Pimlico cloth front bucket seats. LU8 200 bhp 4.9 liter/301 ci V8 with a four-barrel carburetor and a turbocharger, a three-speed automatic, and unknown mileage. $40,000 is Hagerty #2/Excellent money for a very nicely restored example of a final-year second-generation F-car with almost all the trimmings (turbo, SE, WS6).
image linked from Barrett-Jackson’s website
[1432.1] 1987 Ferrari Testarossa convertible by Straman. Rosso Corsa with an unknown convertible top color and white leather front bucket seats in an otherwise blinding bright red interior. 380 bhp 4.9 liter/302 ci flat 12 with fuel injection, a five-speed manual, and an indicated 19,000 miles. $240,000 for a car absolutely not for the shy and retiring among us.
image linked from Barrett-Jackson’s website
[1521] 1987 Ford Thunderbird Turbo Coupe. Silver Clearcoat Metallic with Scarlet Red cloth adjustable articulated front bucket seats. Lima 190 bhp 2.3 liter/140 ci inline four with fuel injection, a turbocharger, and an intercooler, a five-speed manual, and an indicated 37,000 miles. $18,000 takes this sharp Turbo Coupe just about back to what it cost when new.
What eighties vehicles did you like at this year’s Barrett-Jackson Scottsdale?
Eighties Cars 
Interesting group of cars. I like to think the Samurai and Thunderbird will be cars bought to be enjoyed by people who want to stand out a bit at cruise night with something just a little out of the ordinary. I fear a little for the Marquis though. It looks like a really clean example, but these cars seem to get snapped up by guys who have a spare Mustang engine and want to hot rod grandma’s grocery getter.