Author: JJM3

1985 Ford LTD LX sedan

“Because Mr. Bondurant shouldn’t have all the fun.”

Late in the 1984 model year, Ford added a performance-oriented model to the Fairmont-based LTD line. The LX was loosely based on a few sedans that Bob Bondurant had cobbled together for use at his high-performance driving school. For 1985, the LX wore the updated nose and tail that came along with all 1985 LTDs.

The engine was Ford’s 165 bhp 4.9 liter/302 ci Windsor V8 with electronic fuel injection. The only transmission available was a four-speed automatic transmission. 0-60 came in a respectable 9 seconds—faster than the Dodge 600ES and competitive with the Pontiac 6000 STE. Mileage was 19 city/23 highway by the day’s standards (17/22 by today’s measures). With a 16-gallon gas tank, the range was 280 to 300 miles with a 10% fuel reserve.

LX pages from the 1985 Ford LTD brochure
LX pages from the 1985 Ford LTD brochure

The 1985 LX had a base price of $11,421—about $35,200 in 2025 dollars. Standard exterior and mechanical equipment included quad rectangular halogen headlamps, power brakes, a Traction-Lok rear axle, a rear stabilizer bar, and P205/70HR Goodyear Eagle tires (a size still readily available) on 14-inch styled road wheels. Inside, dual power mirrors, lumbar-support bucket seats, a center console with a floor shifter for the transmission, brushed aluminum trim on the dash bezels, an upgraded instrument cluster with tachometer, a Tripminder computer, and an AM radio with dual front speakers (ah, the glamor!) were included.

Options included cast aluminum wheels ($224), air conditioning ($743), power windows ($272), power locks ($213), and an electronic AM/FM stereo radio with cassette ($409).

Like some other interesting Ford performance cars from the 1980s (I’m thinking of you, Mustang SVO), LTD LXs did not sell well, with only 3,260 sold over the 1984 and 1985 model years (there would be no 1986 LX).

The View From 2025

Likely because of the limited production numbers, you rarely see LTD LXs in the Hemmings Motor News classifieds or on eBay Motors. Bring a Trailer has sold a few eighties LTDs, but none of the LX variety. There is some enthusiast support.

Make mine Medium Charcoal Metallic, please.

The only other 1985 Ford product I’ve written about is the Ford Eddie Bauer Bronco SUV.

SaveLast updated October 2025.

Eighties Cars at the 2016 Mecum Houston

Mecum’s mid-April auction at Houston provided some interesting fodder for commentary. I’ll concentrate on the at least fairly stock 1980s cars and trucks that sold (remember that this is not a no reserve auction—a red  1989 Ferrari 328 GTS coupe with a tan interior and 15,000 miles was a no sale bid up to $90,000) and add some of my opinions.

Thursday, April 14th:
  • 1988 brown Chevrolet K5 Blazer SUV with a light brown interior, a 350 cubic inch V8, and 94,000 miles—$7,500 hammer price.
  • 1985 red Chevrolet custom pickup track with a gray and black interior and a 454 cubic inch V8—$18,000
  • 1989 red Chevrolet Camaro IROC-Z coupe with a gray interior, a 350 cubic inch V8, an automatic, and 71,000 miles—$8,100
  • 1985 black GMC Sierra mild custom pickup truck with an ostrich bench seat and a 350 cubic inch V8—$16,000
  • 1982 white Chevrolet Corvette coupe with a tan interior and a modern stereo system—$9,000. Did the color combination affect the price?
  • 1987 black Chevrolet Monte Carlo SS coupe with a tan interior and a 305 cubic inch V8—$8,000
  • [one year early] 1979 red Chevrolet C10 custom pickup truck with a gray interior and a 355 cubic inch V8—$17,000
  • [one year early] 1979 brown Pontiac Firebird Trans Am coupe with a tan interior, a 4.9 liter V8, an automatic, and 75,000 miles—$9,000
  • 1983 black Chevrolet El Camino pickup truck with a red interior, the Conquista package, and 67,000 miles—$10,500
  • 1986 metallic red Mercedes-Benz 560SL convertible with a tan interior, both tops, and 87,000 miles—$18,000
  • 1984 orange Chevrolet K10 mild custom pickup truck with a black interior and a 350 cubic inch V8—$10,500
  • 1988 red Jeep Wrangler SUV with a gray interior, a 4.2 liter inline 6, and an automatic—$6,500
  • [one year early] 1979 blue Chevrolet Camaro Z28 coupe with a black interior, a 350 cubic inch V8, and an automatic—$13,000
  • 1989 white GMC Sierra pickup truck with a blue interior and a 350 cubic inch V8—$12,500
  • 1984 blue Chevrolet C10 custom pickup truck with a blue interior, a 350 cubic inch V8, and an automatic—$19,000
  • 1988 red Cadillac Allante convertible with a black top, a tan interior, a 4.1 liter V8, and 23,000 miles—$14,000
  • 1986 champagne/burgundy Rolls-Royce Silver Spur sedan with a cream interior—an ouch! at $11,500, less than 10% of the original list price.
  • 1985 black/white two-tone Chevrolet Blazer SUV with a gray interior, a 350 cubic inch V8, and an automatic—$14,500
  • [one year early] 1979 beige Jeep CJ-7 with the Golden Eagle package, a brown top, a tan interior, a 4.2 liter inline 6, and a three-speed manual—$14,500
  • 1987 white Chevrolet Monte Carlo SS Aerocoupe with a red interior, a 305 cubic inch V8, and an automatic—$9,500 for this reminder of when stock cars actually had to resemble cars you purchased at the local dealer.
Friday, April 15th:
  • 1987 white Chevrolet K10 pickup truck with a gray interior, a 305 cubic inch V8, and an automatic—$16,000
  • 1981 yellow Jeep Scrambler mild custom pickup truck with a black interior, a 4.2 liter inline 6, and a four-speed manual—$15,000
  • 1986 red Jeep CJ-7 SUV with a black top, a black interior, the Laredo package, a 4.2 liter inline 6, and a four-speed manual—at $18,000, the first vehicle of this auction to meet my criteria for serious 1980s collectability of original cars or trucks: selling for equal to or above its original base list price. I’ll mark these vehicles in bold green.
  • [one year early] 1979 blue Pontiac Firebird Trans Am coupe with a blue cloth interior, a 6.6 liter V8, and an automatic—$15,000
  • [one year early] 1979 silver/charcoal two-tone Pontiac Firebird Tenth Anniversary Trans Am coupe with a silver interior, a 6.6 liter V8, and 10,000 miles—$36,000
  • 1988 green Rolls-Royce Silver Spur sedan with a tan interior and 13,000 miles—$26,000
  • 1983 black Mazda RX7 GS coupe with a red interior, a 1.1 liter Wankel two-rotor, a five-speed manual, and 19,000 miles—at $12,500, perhaps the most interesting eighties car in this auction.
  • 1986 white Chevrolet El Camino SS custom pickup truck with a tan interior, an LS2 V8, and an automatic—$16,000
  • 1981 yellow Chevrolet K10 custom pickup truck with a blue and yellow interior, a 383 cubic inch V8, and a four-speed manual—$21,000
  • 1987 green Land Rover Defender 90 SUV with a tan top, a brown interior, a 2.5 liter diesel, and five-speed manual—$29,000
  • 1980 red Toyota HJ-45 Land Cruiser SUV with a tan interior, a 3.8 liter diesel, and a four-speed manual—$38,000
  • [one year late] 1990 white Chevrolet Blazer SUV with a red interior, a 350 cubic inch V8, and 70,000 miles—$17,000
  • 1987 red Porsche 911 Carrera Cabriolet with a black interior, a 3.2 liter flat 6, and a five-speed manual—$45,000
  • 1988 blue Rolls-Royce Silver Spur sedan with a tan interior—$19,000
  • 1986 blue two-tone GMC custom pickup truck with a blue interior, a 350 cubic inch V8, and an automatic—$15,000
  • 1987 black Buick Grand National coupe with a gray and black interior and 17,000 miles—$26,500
  • [one year early] 1979 black and gold Pontiac Firebird Trans Am replica Smokey and the Bandit coupe with a black interior, a 6.6 liter V8, and an automatic—$18,000
  • [one year late] 1990 red Jaguar XJS convertible with a tan interior, a 5.3 liter V12, and an automatic—$11,500
  • 1981 Dark Blue Chevrolet Camaro Z28 coupe with 55,000 miles—$20,000. These late second-generation Camaros continue to sell for good numbers. According to Hagerty’s valuation tools, all the money for an 1981 Z28 in #1 condition is $25,400.
Saturday, April 16th:
  • [one year early] 1979 silver/charcoal two-tone Pontiac Firebird Tenth Anniversary Trans Am coupe with a silver interior, a 403 cubic inch V8, an automatic, and 17,000 miles—$22,000
  • 1983 white Jeep CJ-7 custom SUV with a black interior and a 350 cubic inch V8—$17,500
  • 1981 white/maroon two-tone Chevrolet El Camino pickup truck with a maroon interior and a V8—$10,000
  • 1989 black Porsche 911 Carrera 4 coupe with a tan interior—$42,000
  • 1988 red/tan two-tone Ford Bronco Eddie Bauer Edition SUV with a tan interior, a 5.0 liter V8, an automatic, and 12,000 miles—$25,000
  • 1983 green/white two-tone Land Rover Defender 110 SUV with a black interior, a 2.5 liter diesel, a five-speed manual, and 57,000 miles—$37,500
  • 1984 black Porsche 930 Turbo coupe with a champagne leather interior and 19,000 miles—at $99,000 the highest priced stock eighties vehicle in this auction.
  • 1988 blue Ferrari 412i coupe with a cream interior, a 5.3 liter V12, and a GM automatic—$40,000. According to Hagerty’s valuation tools, this is almost exactly #2/Excellent money.
  • [one year early] 1979 red Chevrolet Camaro Z28 coupe with a red interior, a 350 cubic inch V8, and a four-speed manual—$17,000

As one might think, trucks were strong at Houston. I was a little surprised at the number of Ferraris and Porsches for sale.

What do you think of this auction’s results?

Eighties Cars At The 2016 Mecum Kansas City

The March auction at Mecum Kansas City provided some interesting fodder for commentary. I’ll concentrate on the at least fairly stock 1980s cars and trucks that sold (remember that this is not a no reserve auction—a black 1986 Buick Grand National coupe with a black/gray interior and 77,000 miles was a no sale bid up to $23,000) and add some of my opinions.

Friday:
    • 1985 black Buick Grand National coupe with a black/gray interior and a 1971 Oldsmobile 350 engine—$5,000 hammer price.
    • 1984 white Toyota Celica Supra coupe with a brown interior—$5,500 for what was probably the most interesting eighties vehicle in this auction.
    • 1984 teal Jeep CJ-7 SUV with a black interior—$8,000
    • 1988 gray Jeep Cherokee Laredo SUV with a red interior—$6,000
    • 1981 cotillion white Cadillac Coupe DeVille coupe (natch!) with a dark carmine interior and 6,600 miles—$6,000 for this good looking car.
    • 1989 silver/red two-tone Chevrolet Suburban 3/4 ton SUV with a gray interior and the fuel injected 454 engine—$7,000
    • 1987 red Pontiac Firebird Trans Am coupe with a red interior and 32,000 miles—$10,500
    • 1984 black/silver two-tone Buick Regal T-Type coupe with a gray interior and the WH1 Designer Package—$12,500
    • 1989 red Pontiac Firebird Formula coupe with a black interior and 41,000 miles—$10,000
    • 1987 white Chevrolet Monte Carlo SS Aerocoupe with a burgundy interior and t-tops—$12,000 for one the last of the NASCAR homologation specials.
    • 1981 orange Jeep CJ-5 SUV with a tan interior—at $22,000, the highest eighties vehicle sale of the sale and the first vehicle in this auction to meet my criteria for serious 1980s collectability of original cars or trucks: selling for equal to or above its original base list price. I’ll mark these vehicles in bold green.
    • 1982 light bronze metallic/almond two-tone GMC High Sierra pickup truck with a tan interior—$13,000
    • 1985 canyon red Ford Bronco II custom SUV with a red interior, 42,000 miles, and a very non-standard 302 cubic inch V8 engine—$10,000

      • 1981 silver Chevrolet Corvette coupe with a red interior—$8,0001980 black GMC C1500 custom pickup truck with a gray interior—$11,000

1982 black Dodge Ramcharger SUV

    with a red interior and 61,000 miles—$15,0001982 blue Chevrolet Corvette custom coupe with a black interior and 77,000 miles—$20,000
Saturday:
  • 1989 red Chevrolet Corvette coupe with a black interior and 21,000 miles—$13,000
  • 1980 white Pontiac Firebird Turbo Trans Am Pace Car coupe with an oyster interior and 34,000 miles—$14,000
  • 1981 blue Pontiac Firebird Trans Am coupe with a blue interior and 22,000 miles—at $16,500, the highest eighties vehicle sale of Saturday. Hagerty’s valuation tools see this as between #2 and #3 money.

Late second-generation Trans Ams and SUVs were fairly strong, but Mecum Kansas City generally lived to its bargain reputation. What do you think of these results?

Eighties Cars at the 2016 Barrett-Jackson Scottsdale

As always, the January auction at Barrett-Jackson Scottsdale provided much interesting fodder for commentary. I’ll concentrate on the 1980s cars (and a few trucks) that sold and add some of my opinions.

Tuesday:

  • 1989 white Ford Econoline box van with a red and black interior and 170,000—$3,800 hammer price marks an ignominious beginning for eighties vehicles at this auction.
  • 1981 ivory Mercedes-Benz 280CE coupe with a palomino interior—$6,500
  • 1981 chiffon white Porsche 928 coupe with a brown interior—$5,000
  • 1986 silver Maserati Spyder Bi-Turbo convertible with a beige interior—$7,200
  • 1981 pearl gray/dove gray two-tone Citroen 2CV Roll-Top sedan with gray interior—$16,500 makes this the first vehicle in this auction to meet my criteria for serious 1980s collectability of original cars or trucks: selling for equal to or above its original base list price. I’ll mark these vehicles in bold green.
  • 1981 stainless steel Delorean DMC-12 coupe with a gray interior and 13,000 miles—$27,000 makes this the highest eighties vehicle sale of Tuesday.
  • 1984 silver/orange two-tone Chevrolet C10 custom pickup truck with a black interior—$16,000
  • 1989 flint gray/silver blue two-tone Chevrolet K5 Blazer SUV with a blue interior—$13,000

Wednesday:

  • 1988 signal red BMW 635 CSi with a tan interior and a salvage title in its past—$6,500
  • 1981 charcoal metallic GMC Sierra Classic pickup truck with a black interior—$7,000
  • 1981 classic white Chevrolet Corvette coupe with a cinnabar interior and 43,000 miles—$17,500
  • 1985 signal red Mercedes-Benz 380SL convertible with a parchment interior and 59,000 miles—$17,000
  • 1982 tan Toyota 4×4 SR5 pickup truck with a tan interior—$22,000
  • 1986 burgundy Mercedes-Benz 560SL convertible with a gray interior—$8,200
  • 1987 sinister black Buick Grand National coupe with a black and gray interior—$23,000
  • 1980 dark claret Chevrolet Corvette coupe with a claret interior and 24,000 miles—$18,000
  • 1989 gray Mercedes-Benz 560SL convertible with a gray interior and 21,000 miles—$33,000
  • 1984 oxford white Ford Mustang GT 350 convertible with a canyon red interior and 101 miles—$65,000
  • 1986 black Chevrolet Silverado pickup truck with a black interior and 1,200 miles—$24,000
  • 1989 gold Corsair convertible with a tan interior—$27,000 for this “neo-classic”
  • 1981 stainless steel Delorean DMC-12 coupe with a gray interior and 7,700 miles—$58,000
  • 1980 black Pontiac Firebird Trans Am coupe with a tan interior and 750 miles—a rather stunning $100,000.
  • 1984 white Porsche 935 custom coupe with a tan interior—$100,000

Thursday:

  • 1987 red Ford Mustang GT hatchback with a red interior—$5,000. Why bring this car to auction?
  • 1985 white Toyota FJ-60 custom SUV with a gray interior and a Chevrolet V8—$20,500
  • 1980 white Chevrolet Corvette coupe with a red interior, an L82 engine, and 15,000 miles—$19,500
  • 1981 gold Mercedes-Benz 380SLC coupe with a tan interior—$6,000
  • 1985 black AMC Jeep CJ-7 Scrambler custom pickup truck with a black and gray interior—$18,000
  • 1989 dark blue Lotus Esprit Turbo SE coupe with a beige interior—$15,000
  • 1985 white Rolls-Royce Silver Spur sedan with an aegean blue interior—$26,500
  • 1989 charcoal with woodgrain Jeep Grand Wagoneer SUV with a tan interior—$17,000
  • 1980 black/yellow two-tone AMC Jeep CJ-5 very custom SUV with a black and yellow interior—$38,000
  • 1985 bright red Porsche 911 Carrera coupe with a black interior and 74,000 miles—$33,500
  • 1988 british racing green Rolls-Royce Corniche II convertible with a tan interior and 68,000 miles—$58,000

Friday:

  • 1986 red Chevrolet Corvette convertible with a red interior, the 4+3 manual transmission, and 1,200 miles—$25,000
  • 1984 silver Mercedes-Benz 300D seven passenger limousine with a blue interior—$17,000

Saturday:

  • 1982 grand prix white Porsche 911 SC coupe with a brown interior and 98,000 miles—$30,000
  • 1986 gray Land Rover Defender custom pickup truck with a black interior—$94,000
  • 1987 black Buick Grand National GNX with a gray and black interior and 294 miles—$115,000
  • 1989 black Porsche 911 Speedster convertible with a black interior and 12,600 miles—$165,000
  • 1983 guards red Porsche 930 Turbo with a black interior and 33,000 miles—$85,000

Sunday:

  • 1982 white Chevrolet Corvette coupe with a red interior—$13,000
  • 1988 pearl white Lotus Esprit Turbo Anniversary Edition coupe with a blue interior—$18,000

Looks like a lot of Mercedes-Benz SLs, Porsches, and SUVs. What do you think of this year’s results?

Eighties Cars At The 2016 Mecum Kissimmee, Part Two

The January auction at Mecum Kissimmee that kicks off the auction year always provides some interesting fodder for commentary. I’ll concentrate on the at least fairly stock 1980s cars and trucks that sold (remember that this is not a no reserve auction—a white 1986 Ferrari Testarossa coupe with a tan interior and 16,000 miles that was a Miami Vice “hero” car was a no sale bid up to $475,000) and add some of my opinions. Mecum Kissimmee is a huge event (about 3,000 vehicles), so I’m going to separate it into two posts—this second covers from Wednesday to the final Saturday.

Wednesday:
  • 1980 white Chevrolet Corvette coupe with an oyster interior, the L82 engine, and 63,000 miles—$6,500
  • 1988 red BMW M6 coupe with a white interior—$17,500
  • 1987 red BMW M6 coupe with a white interior—$41,000 is close to all the money for a 1987 M6, according to Hagerty’s valuation tools. I prefer blue, but two bidders at Kissimmee evidently liked the red.
  • 1982 black Jeep CJ-5 mild custom SUV with a black interior—$5,500
  • 1984 silver/black two-tone Oldsmobile Hurst/Olds coupe with a burgundy interior, the famous Lightning Rod shifter, and 11,000 miles—at $23,000, the first vehicle in the second part of this auction to meet my criteria for serious 1980s collectability of original cars or trucks: selling for equal to or above its original base list price. I’ll mark these vehicles in bold green.
  • 1987 black Chevrolet Blazer custom SUV with a black interior—$7,500
  • 1989 burgundy Porsche 944 coupe with a black interior—an ouch! at $3,500
  • 1982 black Mercedes-Benz 380SL convertible with a gray interior and 50,000 miles—$11,000
  • 1982 light pewter/opal two-tone Lincoln Town Car Cartier Designer Series sedan with an opal/light pewter interior and 4,900 miles—$14,000
  • 1989 silver Cadillac Brougham sedan with a gray interior and 41,000 miles—$10,000
  • 1984 white Cadillac Eldorado Biarritz convertible with a red interior and 72,000 miles—$8,500
  • 1981 maroon metallic Chevrolet Corvette coupe with a medium red interior and 45,000 miles—$10,000
  • 1989 tan/woodgrain two-tone Jeep Grand Wagoneer SUV with a tan interior—at $24,000, the highest eighties vehicle sale of Wednesday.
  • 1981 burgundy Chevrolet El Camino custom pickup truck with a burgundy interior—$10,000
  • 1985 balboa blue Cadillac Eldorado Commemorative Edition coupe with blue/white interior and 20,000 miles—$13,000
  • 1980 charcoal Pontiac Firebird Turbo Trans Am coupe with a red interior—$17,000 is now #3 money for a 1980 Trans Am, according to Hagerty’s valuation tools.
  • 1982 wine red Porsche 928 coupe with a tan interior and 48,000 miles—$13,500
  • 1986 white Chevrolet Camaro IROC-Z coupe with a black interior and 8,200 miles—$12,000
  • 1986 black Pontiac Fiero GT coupe with a gray interior and 4,300 miles—$12,000
  • 1986 blue Chevrolet Silverado custom pickup truck with a blue interior—$15,500
  • 1981 orange AMC Jeep CJ-8 Scrambler pickup truck with a tan interior—$13,000
  • 1984 gold Porsche 911 Carrera Cabriolet custom with a black interior—$22,000. A stock #3 car is about $36,000, according to to Hagerty’s valuation tools; how much did the now-dated customization hurt the final bid?
Thursday:
  • 1986 blue/silver two-tone Chevrolet K10 Silverado pickup truck with a blue interior—$14,500 hammer price.
  • 1982 white Zimmer Golden Spirit coupe with tan interior—$16,000 for this Mustang-based “neo-classic.”
  • 1989 pacific blue Jeep Wrangler Islander custom SUV with a black interior—$10,500
  • 1985 silver/medium gray two-tone Chevrolet Corvette coupe with a gray interior, a 4+3 manual transmission, and 15,000 miles—$14,500
  • 1989 orange Jeep Wrangler Islander SUV with a tan interior—$15,000
  • 1987 black Buick Regal T-Type coupe with 54,000 miles—$14,500
  • 1989 black Chevrolet Camaro IROC-Z convertible with a gray interior and 14,000 miles—$16,000
  • 1986 red Ferrari Testarossa coupe with a black interior and 29,000 miles—at $125,000, the highest eighties vehicle sale of Thursday.
  • 1982 silver beige Chevrolet Corvette Collector Edition coupe with a silver beige interior and the factory CB radio—$11,000
  • 1987 dark cherry Buick Regal T-Type coupe with a gray interior and 58,000 miles—$16,000
  • 1980 silver Ferrari 308GTS coupe with a red interior and 8,900 miles—$100,000
  • 1981 blue AMC Jeep Scrambler pickup truck with a blue and black interior—$26,000
  • 1981 black AMC Jeep CJ-7 SUV with a black interior—$18,000
  • 1984 blue AMC Jeep CJ-7 SUV with a black interior—$9,500
Friday:
  • 1985 bronze AMC Jeep Renegade custom SUV with a black interior—$26,500
  • 1985 red Ferrari 308 GTS coupe with a black interior and 31,000 miles—$47,000
  • 1987 black Buick Grand National coupe with a gray interior and 41,000 miles—$25,000
  • 1987 maroon Pontiac Fiero GT coupe with a gray interior and 15,000 miles—$8,000
  • 1985 light gray/medium gray two-tone Pontiac Grand Prix coupe with a gray interior and 25,000 miles—$9,000 for one of the more interesting eighties cars in this auction.
  • 1985 red Ferrari 308 GTS Quattrovalvole coupe with a tan interior—$64,000 made this the highest eighties vehicle sale of Friday.
  • 1986 guards red Porsche 911 Carrera Cabriolet with a black interior and 40,000 miles—$60,000
Saturday:
  • 1988 black Porsche 930 Turbo coupe with a tan interior and 66,000 miles—$91,000
  • 1987 black DeTomaso Pantera GT5-S coupe with a tan interior and 7,300 miles—$220,000 is strong money for the last and likely the best of the Panteras. This was by far the highest eighties vehicle sale of both Saturday and the entire auction, though a 1989 Porsche 962 race car with a winning race history was bid up to 2.3 million.
  • 1981 beige with white top Toyota BJ-42 Land Cruiser SUV with a beige and gray interior—$44,000
  • 1988 dark shadow blue with gray cladding Ford Mustang GT fastback with medium gray interior and 3,400 miles—$20,000
  • 1986 white Porsche 911 Cabriolet with a black interior—$38,000
  • 1988 white Porsche 911 Turbo Cabriolet with a black interior, a factory steel slant nose, and 58,000 miles—$135,000
  • 1986 black Buick Grand National coupe with a gray interior and 5,100 miles—$32,000

It’s hard to draw conclusions about Mecum Kissimmee, because there’s so much going on. A lot of high-dollar cars didn’t sell—what did sell was the usual mix of muscle cars, classic cars, and (let’s be hones) just weird cars.

What do you think of this year’s results?

Eighties Cars At The 2016 Mecum Kissimmee, Part One

The January auction at Mecum Kissimmee that kicks off the auction year always provides some interesting fodder for commentary. I’ll concentrate on the at least fairly stock 1980s cars and trucks that sold (remember that this is not a no reserve auction—a white 1986 Ferrari Testarossa coupe with a tan interior and 16,000 miles that was a Miami Vice “hero” car was a no sale bid up to $475,000) and add some of my opinions. Mecum Kissemmee is a huge event (about 3,000 vehicles), so I’m going to separate it into two posts—this first covers from Friday to Tuesday (with no auctions on Monday).

Friday:
  • 1980 red/silver two-tone Chevrolet El Camino custom pickup truck with a black interior—$13,500 hammer price.
  • 1985 bronze Volkswagen Westfalia Camper van with a pearl interior, automatic transmission, and factory air conditioning—$6,500
  • 1984 blue Mercedes-Benz 380SL convertible with a tan interior and 46,000 miles—$11,500 for this attractive car.
  • 1988 white Chevrolet K5 Blazer SUV with a gray interior—$10,000
  • 1987 burgundy Chevrolet Monte Carlo SS coupe with a burgundy interior and 4,900 miles—at $16,500, the highest eighties vehicle sale of Friday and the first vehicle in this auction to meet my criteria for serious 1980s collectability of original cars or trucks: selling for equal to or above its original base list price. I’ll mark these vehicles in bold green.
  • 1985 light ivory Mercedes-Benz 380SL convertible with a navy interior and 68,000 miles—$13,000
  • 1988 white Mercedes-Benz 560SL convertible with a tan interior and 68,000 miles—$11,500
  • 1981 red Chevrolet Corvette coupe with a light tan interior and 84,000 miles—$9,000
  • 1986 red Chevrolet Corvette coupe with a red interior and 44,000 miles—$10,000
  • 1988 gray/black two-tone Chevrolet K5 Blazer mild custom SUV with a silver interior—$12,000
  • 1986 blue Buick Regal T-Type coupe with a blue interior—$9,000
  • 1982 yellow Mercedes-Benz 380SL convertible with a brown interior—$9,500
  • 1981 gray Chevrolet Camaro Z28 custom coupe with a red interior—$12,500
Saturday:
  • 1988 blue Porsche 911 Carrera Cabriolet with a blue interior and 26,000 miles—$55,000
  • 1986 red Chevrolet Camaro IROC-Z coupe with a red interior and 15,000 miles—$21,000
  • 1987 burgundy Chevrolet Monte Carlo SS coupe with a burgundy interior—$9,000 for this car shows that the range between driver and low-mileage near-perfection as being $7,500 when it comes to an eighties Monte SS.
  • 1985 blue Cadillac Eldorado Biarritz coupe with a blue interior and 45,000 miles—$10,500. If only the sharp-looking Eldorados of this era had a more appealing engine than the fraught HT4100 4.1 liter V8.
  • 1982 gray American Motors Deuce Cargo custom truck with a black interior—$17,500
  • 1981 white Toyota BJ-40 Land Cruiser SUV with a gray interior and 12,000 miles—$38,500
  • 1989 black Chevrolet Corvette convertible with a saddle interior and 19,000 miles—$16,000
  • 1989 desert taupe Mercedes-Benz 560SL convertible with a tan interior and 30,000 miles—$28,000
  • 1986 white Lincoln Mark VII coupe with a red interior—$4,500
  • 1987 red Mercedes-Benz 560SL convertible with a black interior and 6,500 miles—$57,000 is good money for a 560SL, even with very low miles. Hagerty’s valuation tools see this as between #1 and #2 money; it was the highest eighties vehicle sale of Saturday.
  • 1985 red Chevrolet Silverado custom pickup truck with a black interior and the 454 rat motor—$14,000
  • 1986 purple Chevrolet El Camino very custom pickup truck with a white interior—$16,000
  • 1980 white Chevrolet Corvette coupe with a red interior and 19,000 miles—$12,500
  • 1980 platinum metallic Porsche 911SC Weissach Edition coupe with a platinum interior—$55,000
  • 1987 white GMC Sierra 1500 custom pickup truck with a blue interior—$19,500
  • 1989 black Mini Cooper coupe with a black interior—$18,000
  • 1986 red AMC Jeep CJ-7 SUV with a red/black interior—$21,000
  • 1986 blue Oldsmobile Cutlass 442 with a blue interior—$5,000 for this rather beat-up looking example.
  • 1989 blue Mercedes-Benz 560SL convertible with a tan interior—$8,250
  • 1984 black Dodge Ramcharger custom SUV with a black interior—$19,500
  • 1986 white Chevrolet Corvette coupe with incorrect white leather seats (the rest of the interior is bronze) and the 4+3 manual transmission—$5,500
Sunday:
  • 1988 red Pontiac Fiero Formula coupe with gray interior and 18,000 miles—$10,500
  • 1984 white Chevrolet S10 very custom pickup truck—$5,000
  • 1982 red Chevrolet Corvette custom coupe—$8,000
  • 1987 black/gray two-tone Chevrolet El Camino custom pickup truck with a gray interior—$8,500
  • 1987 blue Alfa-Romeo Spider Veloce convertible with a gray interior—$9,500
  • 1986 gold Mercedes-Benz 560SL convertible with a tan interior and 60,000 miles—$13,000
  • 1987 silver Mercedes-Benz 560SL convertible with a gray interior—$13,000
  • 1983 white Jaguar XJS coupe with a tan interior and 53,000 miles—$4,500
Tuesday:
  • 1986 white Tiffany Classic coupe with a white interior and 19,000 miles—$19,000 for this Mercury Cougar-based neo-classic.
  • 1980 yellow Austin Mini 1000 with a black interior—$10,000
  • 1984 light blue/medium blue two-tone Chevrolet Corvette coupe with a blue interior—$5,750
  • 1986 white/brown two-tone Ford Bronco XLT SUV with a tan interior and 89,000 miles—$3,900
  • 1986 maroon/silver two-tone Chevrolet El Camino mild custom pickup truck with a maroon and silver interior—$7,000
  • 1987 black Buick Grand National coupe with a gray interior and 35,000 miles—$22,000 makes this the highest eighties vehicle sale of Monday.
  • 1989 blue Lincoln Mark VII LSC coupe with a blue interior and 28,000 miles—an ouch! at $3,750. Mark VII’s certainly have not caught on …
  • 1985 gold Porsche 944 coupe with a gold interior and 55,000 miles—$8,000
  • 1982 light blue/medium blue two-tone Chevrolet Corvette coupe with a blue interior—$9,000
  • 1981 silver Datsun 280ZX coupe with a blue interior and 29,000 miles—$15,000. Are the early 80s Z cars finally actually collectible?
  • 1980 red Jeep CJ-5 SUV with a tan interior—$18,500
  • 1980 blue Ford Mustang GT mild custom fastback with a black and blue interior—$3,500

Eighties Cars At The 2015 Russo And Steele Monterey

Russo And Steele’s auction at Monterey took place from August 13th to August 15th. I’ll concentrate on the relatively few 1980s cars and trucks that actually sold and add some of my opinions.

  • 1984 red Ferrari 308 GTS coupe with a black leather interior—$66,000 hammer price
  • 1988 white Porsche 930 Turbo coupe with a black interior—at $86,000, the highest eighties vehicle sale of this auction
  • 1982 blue Toyota FJ43 SUV—$49,000
  • 1989 red BMW 635CSi coupe with a gray interior and 88,000 miles—$16,500 for this handsome coupe.
  • 1989 blue Ferrari Mondial t convertible with a tan interior and 22,000 miles—$36,000. Even the nicest Mondials—and this is one of them—are still Ferrari step-children. This is #2 money, according to Hagerty’s valuation tools. The same year’s 328 GTB coupe is over $100,000 in the same condition.
  • 1984 yellow Ferrari 400i coupe with a tan interior and an automatic transmission—$37,500
  • 1987 Cassis Red Metallic (kind of a champagne rose) Porsche 911 Cabriolet with a burgundy interior and 43,000 miles—$43,000. This is strong #3 money according to Hagerty’s valuation tools—how much did the color hurt the bidding?
  • 1989 white Rolls-Royce Silver Spur sedan with a tan interior and 36,000 miles—$16,750
  • 1983 black Porsche 911 custom cabriolet with a black interior and 79,000 miles—$41,000

What do you think of this auction’s results?

1980 Pontiac Grand Am coupe

“One exhilarating road machine”

The last of the rear-wheel-drive Grand Ams came in 1980. Unlike in 1978 and 1979, the sedan was no longer available—only the coupe remained.

The standard engine in non-California cars was the L37 155 bhp 4.9 liter/301 ci V8 with four-barrel Rochester carburetor and electronic spark control (California cars got the Chevrolet-sourced LG4 150 bhp 5.0 liter/305 ci V8). The only transmission available was a three-speed Turbo-Hydramatic TH200 automatic transmission. Performance was respectable for 1980—Car and Driver recorded a zero to sixty time of 11 seconds. Mileage was 17 city/25 highway by the day’s standards. With an 18.1-gallon gas tank, range was 280 to 305 miles with a 10% fuel reserve.

New features for 1980 included a revised soft-fascia front end with three sections per side, an Ontario Gray lower accent color for the exterior, a silver upper body accent stripe, larger wraparound black-out tail lamps, and larger front and rear stabilizer bars for the optional ($45) Rally RTS handling package.

Grand Am page from the 1980 Pontiac brochure
Grand Am page from the 1980 Pontiac brochure

The Grand Am’s base price was $7,299—about $31,400 in 2025 dollars. Standard exterior and mechanical equipment included dual sport mirrors, dual horns, power steering, power front disc/rear drum brakes, and 205/75R14 black sidewall radial tires (a size still readily available) on 14-inch Rally IV cast aluminum wheels. Inside, Grand Am purchasers could expect cut-pile carpeting, Custom vinyl front bucket seats with center floor console, rally gages with a clock embedded in a brushed aluminum instrument panel, and a Custom sport steering wheel.

Options, Period Reviews, & Production Numbers

Available exterior and mechanical options included a power sunroof—either metal ($561) or glass ($773), dual remote sport mirrors ($73), Soft-Ray tinted glass ($107), and electric rear window defroster ($107). Inside, air conditioning ($601), power door locks ($93), power windows ($143), a six-way power driver’s seat ($175), a tilt steering wheel ($81), automatic cruise control ($112), and an AM/FM stereo radio with a stereo cassette player ($272) were all available. A nicely configured Grand Am could easily push past $9,700—real money in 1980 and about $41,800 in today’s dollars.

Period reviews settled into the “we’re glad they make it, but we’re not sure we’d buy it” category. Car and Driver called the 1980 Grand Am “a noble experiment” and praised its handling.

Grand Ams didn’t sell at all well in 1980—Pontiac moved only 1,647 of them, after selling almost five times as many coupes only two years prior in 1978. Despite this, Pontiac would not give up on the Grand Am name—it would be back in 1985 as a small front-wheel-drive coupe.

The View From 2025

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Most of the Grand Ams being collected are the larger and more powerful first-generation Colonnade versions sold from 1972 to 1975. You do occasionally see second-generation Grand Ams for sale in the Hemming’s Motor News classifieds and on eBay Motors. Bring a Trailer’s only second-generation Grand Am sale so far was a very rare 1979 Grand Am coupe with a four-speed manual in 2024. I haven’t seen a Grand Am from this generation for many years.

Make mine Starlight Black, please.

Other G-bodies covered in this blog include the 1980 Grand Prix SJ coupe, the 1981 Chevrolet Monte Carlo Sport Coupe, the 1981 Oldsmobile Cutlass Supreme coupe, the 1983 Chevrolet Malibu sedan, the 1983 Chevrolet Monte Carlo SS Sport Coupe, the 1984 Buick Regal Grand National coupe, the 1987 Buick GNX coupe, and the 1987 Pontiac Grand Prix coupe. Another 1980 Pontiac I have written about is the Sunbird Sport Hatch.

Last updated October 2025.

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1983 Volkswagen Rabbit GTI hatchback coupe

“Affordable German Performance.”

The 1983 Volkswagen Rabbit GTI three-door hatchback defined the “pocket rocket” for the US market, just as it had established it in Europe since 1977. The Giorgetto Giugiaro-designed Rabbit was a small car by modern standards—the 155.3-inch length puts it squarely in modern Mini territory and makes it more than a foot shorter than a 2026 Golf GTI.

Under the blacked-out, red-lined, and badged hood was a 90 bhp 1.8 liter/109 ci inline four with Bosch K-Jetronic fuel injection—an engine VW dared to declare was “brawny.” A five-speed manual transmission completed the rest of the powertrain—there was no optional automatic transmission.

Car and Driver recorded a 9.7 second 0-60 time (Road & Track managed a 10.6 second 0-60) in the 1,918-pound car—faster than the same year’s BMW 320i and many other sporting cars of the era. Top speed was 104 mph. Fuel economy was rated at 26 city/36 highway; a 10-gallon gas tank gave a 230 to 250-mile range with a 10% reserve.

1983 Volkswagen Rabbit GTI advertisement
1983 Volkswagen Rabbit GTI advertisement

The 1983 GTI’s base price was $7,990—about $26,500 in 2026 dollars, which is about 24% less than what a 2026 Golf GTI goes for. Standard exterior equipment included tinted glass, halogen headlights, a urethane front air dam, and a hatchback rear deck lid with rear wiper/washer. Standard mechanical equipment included front-wheel-drive, power-assisted ventilated front disc/rear drum brakes, rack and pinion steering, and Pirelli P6 185/60HR-14 radial tires (a size still readily available) mounted on 14 x 6 inch “Snowflake” alloy wheels. Inside, a sport steering wheel borrowed from the Scirocco, heavily bolstered cloth sports seats, a center console with additional gauges, and a golf-ball shift knob were included.

Options, Period Reviews, & Production Numbers

Options were relatively few and included fully integrated air conditioning (dealer-installed and $630), a sliding sunroof with a deflector ($285), extra-cost paint ($135), and an AM/FM stereo with a cassette player ($350).

The 1983 Rabbit GTI got good reviews—Car and Driver included it in their first 10Best, and Road & Track stated that “if you’re a car enthusiast, we may have the cure for your ills.” The GTI also sold well—Volkswagen built about 30,000 copies over two years at their Westmoreland County, PA plant.

The View From 2026

First-generation GTIs certainly have a following, but many were driven hard when no longer new, so there’s a paucity of creampuffs out there.

According to Hagerty’s valuation tools, all the money for a 1983 Rabbit GTI in #1/Concours condition is $57,700, with a more normal #3/Good condition car going for $15,700. Values are also up notably; that perfect #1 car was only $20,600 five years ago. GTIs are regularly featured in the Hemmings Motor News classifieds, on eBay Motors, and on Bring a Trailer.

Make mine Black, please.

I have also written about the 1981 Dasher station wagon, the 1981 Sirocco S hatchback coupe, the 1985 Cabriolet, and the 1985 Jetta GLI sedan.

Last updated February 2026.

Eighties Vehicles at the 2015 Mecum Austin

Mecum’s December auction in Austin included a decent amount of cars from the 1980s. As always, I’ll concentrate on the cars and trucks that actually sold (remember that this is not a no reserve auction—a black 1989 Lamborghini Countach 25th Anniversary coupe with a tan interior was a no sale bid up to $260,000) and add some of my opinions. Where I have covered the specific year and model of a car in this blog, I link to it.

Friday:

  • 1986 white Chevrolet Corvette mild custom coupe with a red interior and 69,000 miles—$6,250 hammer price
  • 1980 black MGB convertible with a brown interior—$8,500
  • 1983 red/black two-tone Chevrolet El Camino custom pickup truck with a black interior—$15,500
  • 1985 black GMC Sierra pickup truck with a black interior—$14,000 means that this was the first vehicle in this auction to meet my criteria for serious 1980s collectability of original cars or trucks: selling for equal to or above its original base list price. I’ll mark these vehicles in bold green.
  • 1987 silver Chevrolet Monte Carlo SS coupe with a gray interior—$9,500. Most Monte SS’s seem to be blue, white, or maroon—not too many silver ones out there.
  • 1985 red Chevrolet Sierra custom pickup truck with a white interior—$18,000
  • 1985 red Alfa Romeo Spider Veloce convertible with a black interior and 86,000 miles—$10,000
  • 1981 black Pontiac Firebird Trans Am Special Edition coupe with a black interior—$17,000
  • 1985 black Chevrolet K1500 custom pickup truck with a black interior—$15,000
  • 1982 blue/white two-tone GMC Jimmy mild custom SUV with a blue interior and 2-wheel drive—$5,500
  • 1989 blue/white two-tone Chevrolet K5 Blazer Silverado SUV with a blue interior—$9,000
  • 1980 beige Jeep CJ-5 SUV with a beige interior—$13,500
  • 1982 silver beige Chevrolet Corvette Collector Edition coupe with a silver beige interior—$11,000
  • 1986 orange/brown Chevrolet C10 very custom pickup truck with a  multi-colored interior and a 454 cubic inch motor—$13,000
  • 1985 white Chevrolet C10 custom pickup truck with a blue interior—$18,000
  • 1980 beige Chevrolet Corvette coupe with a tan interior—$6,500

Saturday:

  • 1984 red Toyota BJ-40 Land Cruiser SUV with a black interior, a 3.0 liter diesel, and a four-speed manual transmission—$24,000
  • 1981 gray Toyota HJ-47 Land Cruiser pickup truck with a black interior—$20,000
  • 1988 white Land Rover Range Rover SUV with a gray interior—$7,500
  • 1985 white Land Rover Defender 110 SUV with a black interior—at $60,000, by far the highest eighties vehicle sale of the auction.
  • 1983 brown Jeep Scrambler pickup truck with tan interior, the Laredo package, and 36,000 miles—$23,000

Lots of trucks … Jeep and Toyota Land Cruiser prices continue to be strong. What do you think of this auction’s results?