Category: By Year

1987 Chevrolet Chevette CS hatchback sedan

In May 2019, my ex-wife and I were taking a walk early on a Saturday morning and passed a Chevrolet Chevette parked at the end of our street. That was reason enough to finally complete this blog entry.

“… one of America’s best known cars …”

1987 was the final year for the somewhat antiquated rear wheel drive Chevette—in North America, at least. The 1.8-liter diesel engine was no more, but otherwise little was changed from 1986.

The only engine available was the L17 1.6 liter/98 ci inline four with a Holley 6510c two-barrel carburetor and 65 bhp, but you did have a choice of transmission: the standard four-speed manual, an optional three-speed automatic ($450), or an optional five-speed manual ($75). Mileage with the standard transmission was 28 city/34 highway by the day’s standards (24/31 by today’s measures). With a 12.2-gallon gas tank, Chevette owners could expect a 305 to 340 mile range with a 10% fuel reserve. Predictably, 0-60 mph took a little under 16 long seconds.

The Chevette was a small car, classified by the EPA as a sub-compact. Curb weight for the sedan was 2,137 pounds, with a 97.3-inch wheelbase, a 164.9-inch overall length, a 61.8-inch width, and a 52.8-inch height.

The truly “base” Chevette had been gone since 1985, but standard equipment was spare even on the supposedly upmarket CS. For your $5,495 base price (about $15,900 in 2025 dollars), you got four doors, a rear hatch with a single strut, rack and pinion steering, front disc and rear drum brakes, and P155/80R13 tires (a size still available from Kumho) on 13-inch by 5-inch steel wheels. Inside were vinyl front bucket seats, vinyl rear bench seats, and a floor console.

Options & Production Numbers

Because the standard equipment was so spare, there were a lot of options. Optional exterior and mechanical equipment included power brakes ($105), power steering ($225), an engine block heater ($20), and a custom exterior package ($154). Inside, the buyer could add air conditioning ($675), a tilt steering column ($125), custom cloth bucket seats ($130), a rear defogger ($145), and an AM/FM stereo radio ($119).

Despite being on its last legs, Chevrolet still sold a little over 20,000 Chevette sedans in 1987, along with slightly more than 26,000 coupes.

The View From 2025

Chevettes rarely appear in the Hemming’s Motor News classifieds, on eBay Motors, or on Bring a Trailer—BaT has sold a grand a total of three over the years. Mecum did auction a nice looking 1987 Chevette CS hatchback sedan with 47 miles early in 2025—for an astounding $30,000.

Make mine Silver Metallic, please. Something inoffensive seems appropriate.

Last updated April 2025.

1985 Dodge Omni GLH

“… never, never, take it home to meet Mom.”

Though 1984 was the debut year for the Dodge Omni GLH, 1985 was the first year that Chrysler’s Turbo I 2.2 liter/135 ci turbocharged inline four was available with it (for an additional $872). Packing 146 bhp and 170 lb-ft of torque, the turbo delivered 0-60 times in about 7.5 seconds. Standard power on the GLH was the High Output 110 bhp 2.2 liter/135 ci inline four, and both engines came with a five-speed manual transmission.

Mileage for the turbo was 21 city/30 highway (18/27 by today’s standards) on premium gasoline. Giving up the turbo took you to 25/34 and let you run on regular fuel. Range with the 13-gallon gas tank was almost 300 miles with a 10% reserve.

Omni GLH pages from the 1985 Dodge Performance brochure
Omni GLH pages from the 1985 Dodge Performance brochure

The base price for an Omni GLH was $7,620 (about $23,100 in 2025 dollars). For that money, purchasers got a front air dam and side skirts, both finished in black, as was the grille. Distinctive aluminum 16-hole “pizza” wheels rolled on low-profile 195/50R15 tires—now considered a tiny size, but still available. Power steering, power brakes, and a sport suspension were standard and fog lamps completed the “sporty for a 4-door compact” look.

Inside, a GLH was pretty basic. You did get cloth high-backed bucket seats, a Rallye instrument cluster, dual remote mirrors, intermittent windshield wipers, and an AM/FM stereo radio.

Options & Production Numbers

The GLH had few exterior add-ons available. Inside, buyers could add options such as air conditioning ($643), a rear window defroster ($132), automatic speed control ($179), and an AM/FM stereo radio with cassette.

Dodge sold 6,513 Omni GLH models in 1985, including 3,004 normally-aspirated models and 3,509 with the turbo, making the GLH about 9% of total Omni/Horizon production for that model year.

The View From 2025

GLH‘s rarely appear in either the Hemming’s Motor News classifieds or on eBay Motors; I don’t think many of these cars lasted even a decade. You do occasionally see them on Bring a Trailer.

Make mine Black, please—so the ground effects match.

Last updated April 2025.

1980 Datsun 280-ZX hatchback coupe

Yutaka Katayama passed on February 19th, 2015, after a long and full life—he was 105. “Mr. K” was the person most responsible for bringing the Z car to market. It is beyond the purview of this blog to head back to the original and groundbreaking 240Z, but we can take a look at the second-generation 280-ZX.

“It’s Black. It’s Gold. And it is awesome.”

For 1980, the 280-ZX received a ‘T’ bar roof and a new digital clock for the GL version, but Datsun otherwise mostly stood pat for the standard car. There were five new colors available.

Power continued to be provided by the L28E 135 bhp 2.8 liter/168 ci V6 with multi-port fuel injection. Car and Driver recorded a 0-60 time of 9.4 seconds in the 2,970-pound coupe—reasonably competitive in 1980. The top speed was about 117 mph.

With the standard five-speed manual transmission, EPA fuel economy ratings were 21 city/31 highway by 1980 standards. Moving to the three-speed automatic transmission significantly impacted mileage—ratings on the sticker were 19/26. With a 21.2-gallon gas tank, an owner of a manual-equipped 280ZX could expect an impressive range of 405 to 445 miles with a 10% fuel reserve.

Standard exterior and mechanical equipment on the $9,899 280-ZX Deluxe (about $41,800 in 2025 dollars or about what a current Nissan Z Sport starts at) included tinted glass, a power antenna, a four-wheel independent suspension, four-wheel power disc brakes, rack-and-pinion steering, and P195/75HR14 tires (a size still readily available) on 14-inch steel disc wheels. Inside, a six-way driver’s seat with lumbar support, a quartz sweephand clock, and an AM/FM stereo radio with three speakers were standard.

Stepping up to the $12,238 Grand Luxury (GL) added a ‘T’ bar roof, a rear window wiper/washer, power recirculating ball steering, and aluminum alloy wheels. Inside, Datsun added cruise control, fully integrated air conditioning, a quartz digital clock, a lockable hidden storage compartment, a six-way adjustable seat with lumbar adjustment for the passenger, and an AM/FM stereo radio with four speakers and surround sound control.

Special Editions & Options

1980 Datsun 280-ZX advertisement
1980 Datsun 280-ZX 10th Anniversary Edition advertisement

For 1980, there was also a 10th Anniversary Edition (auto manufacturers were beginning to become aware that anniversary cars could really bring the buyers) available in two different two-tones: either Thunder Black and Rallye Red or Thunder Black and Golden Mist Metallic. The 10th Anniversary Edition went for $13,850—about $59,700 in today’s dollars, or almost exactly what a 2026 Nissan Z Heritage Edition goes for.

Standard exterior and mechanical equipment on the loaded 10th Anniversary Edition included everything on the GL, along with the aforementioned two-tone paint, special badging, headlamp washers, and Goodyear Wingfoot radial tires on alloy wheels with colored inserts. Inside, a limited edition numbered plaque, automatic heating and air conditioning, leather six-way bucket seats, a Hitachi AM/FM stereo radio with cassette, and power windows were included. Period window stickers show no options for the 10th Anniversary Edition.

Exterior and mechanical options for the “normal” 280-ZX included a blackout package (Deluxe), mag-style cast aluminum wheels (Deluxe), two-tone paint (GL), and rear window shade louvers (of course). Buyers could add fully integrated air conditioning (Deluxe), leather seating surfaces (GL), a CB one-hand mic system, and the usual cassette and 8-track stereo choices to the interior.

Production Numbers & Period Reviews

Overall production numbers for the 280-ZX were impressive—Nissan reported 53,687 sold for the 1980 model year. Interestingly, 1980 was the worst year of five for the 280-ZX—86,007 were sold in 1979. Of the 1980 sales, 3,000 were the 10th Anniversary Edition—2,500 black/gold and 500 black/red.

Contemporary reviews were glass-half-full. Car and Driver‘s tagline was “A Japanese Corvette,” and they talked about Datsun discreetly following Chevrolet in terms of price and features. The new ‘T’ bar roof was generally liked for both its availability and its execution—as Popular Mechanics stated, this was the “closest the car would come to being a convertible.”

The View From 2025

There is good club support for the 280-ZX, though not quite at the level available for the now-classic original 240Z. According to Hagerty’s valuation tools, all the money for a 1980 280-ZX coupe in #1/Concours condition is $84,400, with a more typical number #3/Good condition car going for $13,200. 280-ZXs often appear in the Hemming’s Motor News classifieds, on eBay Motors, and on Bring a Trailer.

Lord help me, I would like one in the black and gold two-tone …

Other Datsuns I have written about include the 1980 200-SX coupe and the 1981 810 Maxima sedan. Later Nissans I have posted on include the 1984 300ZX hatchback coupe and the 1989 Maxima sedan.

Last updated in September 2025.

1983 Ford Mustang GT convertible

I was driving westbound on the Schuylkill Expressway in Philadelphia on a morning in February 2015 when I saw a Fox Mustang convertible (red exterior, black top). A good enough reason to write a blog entry about these attractive cars.

“It’s not just a convertible … it’s a Mustang.”

For 1983, the big news for the Ford Mustang was the return of the convertible for the first time since the 1973 model year. Introduced on November 5th, 1982, the convertible was available only in the luxury GLX trim and the performance GT trim—lower-end L and GL trims remained with the notchback coupe (L and GL) and the hatchback coupe (GL). The GLX was also available only with V6 and V8 engines (no inline-four—turbo or not—would sully the drop-top experience).

The V6 engine choice for the GLX was the Essex 112 bhp 3.8 liter/231 ci with a two-barrel carburetor. Optional on the GLX ($595 additional) and standard on the GT was (of course) the Windsor 175 bhp 4.9 liter/302 ci V8 with a four-barrel carburetor.

Starting at $9,449 (about $30,800 in today’s dollars) and rising significantly during the middle of the model year to a non-trivial $12,467 (about $40,300 in 2025 funds, which is almost exactly what a 2025 Mustang EcoBoost convertible starts at), the GLX did come reasonably well equipped. Standard external and mechanical features included power front disc brakes, tinted glass, and an automatic transmission. Standard interior equipment included a light group and an AM radio.

convertible pages from the 1983 Ford Mustang brochure
Convertible pages from the 1983 Ford Mustang brochure

The GT version of the convertible listed for $13,479 (about $43,600 in 2025 dollars). Standard external and mechanical features included power front disc brakes, power steering, rear spoiler, and a five-speed manual transmission. Standard interior equipment included an AM radio.

All 1983 Mustangs included dual rectangular halogen headlamps, a modified MacPherson strut front suspension, front disc/rear drum brakes, and rack and pinion steering. Inside, full instrumentation (tachometer, trip odometer, fuel/temperature/oil/alternator gauges), full vinyl bucket seats, and a cigarette lighter were included.

Options & Production Numbers

The Mustang option list was long. Inside, air conditioning ($724), speed control ($170), power locks ($160), a tilt steering wheel ($105), and an AM/FM stereo radio with a cassette player ($199) were all available.

All 1983 Mustang convertibles came with a power top, and all windows rolled down—an emphasis Ford frequently made in reference to the Chrysler K car convertibles.

FoxBodyMustangSales

The 1983 Ford Mustang convertible sold reasonably well considering its expense (the GT convertible stickered for 45% more than the GT hatchback). For that year, it probably saved total Mustang sales from dropping below 100,000—helping hold that off until 1991. Between 1983 and 1993, Ford would sell over a quarter of a million of the pony car convertibles.

The View From 2025

There is strong club support for the 1983 Mustang, as there is for all Mustangs except the mid-seventies Mustang IIs. According to Hagerty’s valuation tools, all the money for a 1983 Mustang GT convertible in #1/Concours condition is $58,300, with a more typical #3/Good condition car going for $14,500. 1983 Mustangs often show up in the Hemming’s Motor News classifieds, on eBay Motors, and on Bring a Trailer—as I update this blog entry in March 2025, there’s a Red 1983 Mustang GLX convertible with a white top, a white vinyl interior, an aftermarket V8, and 89,000 miles available on Hemmings for $18,000.

Make mine that same Red, please.

Other Mustangs I have written about include the 1980 Cobra fastback coupe, the 1982 GT fastback coupe, and the 1984 SVO fastback coupe.

Last updated March 2025.

1984 Chrysler Laser hatchback coupe

In June 2022, a Saddle Brown Crystal 1984 Chrysler Laser XE with 17,000 miles came up for auction on Bring a Trailer. That was enough reason for me to substantially update this now ten-year-old post.

“The competition is good. We had to be better.”

Debuting in 1984, the Chrysler Laser was intended to be an upscale complement to the Dodge Daytona. Its equipment was not notably different from the Daytona’s, but the Laser had a more luxurious emphasis with a slightly softer suspension.

Two engines were available. The base engine, Chrysler’s 93 bhp 2.2 liter/135 ci inline four, was available with a standard five-speed manual transmission or a three-speed automatic transmission ($439). Mileage with the manual was 22 city/32 highway by 1984 standards (19/29 by today’s measures). Moving to the automatic helped city mileage a bit but dropped highway mileage significantly—23/27.

The more interesting engine was the optional Turbo I 142 bhp 2.2 liter/135 ci turbocharged inline four with the same transmission choices as the base engine. Depending on whether you were adding the turbo to the base Laser or the XE, the extra cost was either $934 or $872. Mileage with the hot setup (turbo and manual) was 20 city/27 highway by the day’s standards (18/25 by 2025 measures), while Road & Track recorded a 0-60 time of 8.6 seconds. Moving to the three-speed automatic once again killed highway mileage, making the ratings 20 and 23. With a 14-gallon gas tank, the owner of a five-speed/turbo Laser could expect a range of between 275 and 295 miles with a 10% fuel reserve.

1984 Chrysler Laser television commercial

Standard exterior and mechanical equipment on the base Laser (priced at $8,648 or about $27,500 in today’s dollars) included a rear spoiler, power-assisted rack and pinion steering, power front disc/rear drum brakes, and P185/75R14 steel belted radial black sidewall tires (a size still readily available) on 14-inch wheels with Premium wheelcovers. Inside, a leather-wrapped steering wheel, intermittent wipers, and an AM radio with a digital clock were included.

Moving up to Laser XE ($10,546 or about $33,500 in 2025 dollars) added features such as an electronic instrument cluster, tilt steering wheel, driver’s side sport seat, dual power side mirrors, and an AM/FM stereo radio.

Options, Period Reviews, & Production Numbers

Optional equipment included air conditioning ($737), cruise control ($179), rear defroster ($168 base/$143 XE), power windows ($185), power door locks ($125), and AM/FM stereo cassette ($285/$160). With all the trimmings, a Laser XE could fairly easily get to $12,900 or so or about $41,000 in today’s dollars—almost what a 2025 Dodge Hornet R/T SUV costs.

The buff books liked the presence of the Laser and Daytona on the market, but wanted more. The final paragraph of Road & Track’s review began with, “although we applaud the concept and basic execution of the Laser, the car badly needs refinement.” In particular, they complained of a booming resonance anytime the engine exceeded 2,000 RPM—not great in a sporty car that Chrysler claimed was a sports car.

The Laser sold decently in its first year, with almost 34,000 base coupes and nearly 26,000 XEs crossing dealer lots. These numbers were actually better than its Dodge Daytona sister car (with a total of almost 50,000 sold).

However, Chrysler must have been disappointed—this was an era where the Chevrolet Camaro, Ford Mustang, and Pontiac Firebird were routinely selling in the hundreds of thousands (the three models combined for 530,000 sold in 1984).

Chrysler would never see these first-year totals again—by 1987, the Laser would be gone, with the Daytona hanging on through the 1993 model year after a few pretty good years in the late 1980s.

DaytonaLaserSales

The View From 2025

Lasers rarely appear in the Hemmings Motor News classifieds, on eBay Motors, or on Bring a Trailer (the most recent BaT example was only the fifth in eight years). You see some Daytonas on eBay and BaT, but even they are relatively uncommon.

Not surprisingly, allpar.com has an interesting and detailed article on the front-wheel-drive Lasers and Daytonas—it is here.

Make mine Black, please.

Other sporty Chrysler corporation products I have written about include the 1985 Dodge Shelby Charger hatchback coupe and the 1985 Dodge Omni GLH hatchback sedan.

Last updated June 2025.

1982 Chevrolet Corvette coupe

“Cross-Fire injection adds to the Corvette performance equation.”

1982 was the final year for the “shark” Corvette, but the first year for the L83 Cross-Fire 5.7 liter/350 ci V8—a throttle body fuel-injected design that put out a respectable for the day 200 bhp and 285 lb-ft of torque. The downside was that it was only available with a four-speed automatic transmission; a manual transmission would not return until the middle of the 1984 model year.

Top speed for the 1982 Corvette was 125 mph, and Road & Track managed a 0-60 time of 7.9 seconds. Estimated fuel economy was 15 city/26 highway by the day’s standards—not bad for a fairly large V8 with primitive engine controls. With a 23.7 gallon gas tank, a 1982 Corvette owner could expect a range of 355 to 390 miles with a 10% fuel reserve—notably better than one year earlier.

The heavily-hyped Cross-Fire was an intermediary step for General Motors on the way to true multi-port electronic fuel injection for Chevrolet’s small-block V8. For Corvette, it brought the best horsepower in a standard engine since 1972, though it was not the relative screamer that the L82 (optional from 1973 to 1980) had been. However, the flat intake manifold design compromised fuel injection’s potential fuel economy gains—real improvements would wait until 1985’s L98.

Other changes for 1982 included the availability of the Collector Edition, as well as many new exterior paint colors and interior color options. Lost in the Cross-Fire publicity was the move from a three-speed automatic to a four-speed automatic transmission.

rear cover of 1982 Chevrolet Corvette brochure
Rear cover of 1982 Chevrolet Corvette brochure

Standard exterior and mechanical equipment in the $18,290 base Corvette (about $63,400 in today’s dollars) included tinted glass for all windows, removable roof panels, a Delco Freedom II battery, power steering, four-wheel power disc brakes, and P225/70R15 tires (a size still readily available) on 15-inch by 8-inch steel rally wheels. Inside, air conditioning, power windows, a Tilt-Telescopic steering wheel with a leather-wrapped rim, a quartz analog clock, and an AM/FM stereo radio with dual front speakers were all included.

The Collector Edition, Individual Options, & Production Numbers

The $22,538 Collector Edition (about $78,200 in 2025 dollars and about what a 2026 Corvette Stingray 2LT coupe goes for) added a functional hatchback (a first for Corvette), P255/60R15 Goodyear Eagle GT tires, aluminum wheels, and specific Silver Beige paint, striping, seats, and interior trim—along with a 23% addition to the base price.

Individual exterior and mechanical options included power sport mirrors ($125), power door locks ($155), cruise control ($165), electric rear window defogger ($129), gymkhana suspension (only $61 for specially tuned shock absorbers, higher-rate rear spring, and a rear stabilizer bar), two-tone paint ($428), aluminum wheels ($458), and  P255/60R15 Goodyear Eagle GT tires ($543). Optional interior equipment included a six-way power driver’s seat ($197) and an AM/FM stereo radio with a cassette player ($423).

Options that date this car include the stereo radio with a cassette player and Citizens Band radio ($755), the stereo radio with an 8-track player ($755), and the radio delete (-$124). Corvette buyers piled on the options in 1982: the average buyer ordered $2,195 worth, raising the sticker to $20,485 (about $71,100 in today’s dollars).

In its final year, the shark still sold decently—but the end for a car that featured many design components from 1963 was in sight. Chevrolet moved 25,407, of which 6,759 (about 27%) were the pricey Collector Edition.

The View From 2025

There is strong club support for the 1982 Corvette, as there is for all Corvettes. According to Hagerty’s valuation tools, a loaded non-Collector Edition 1982 Corvette in #1/Concours condition is $42,700, with a more typical number #3/Good condition car going for $17,200. 1982 Corvettes are regularly featured in the Hemmings Motor News classifieds, eBay Motors, and Bring a Trailer. As I update this blog entry in September 2025, there’s a Silver Metallic over Dark Claret Metallic two-tone Corvette with red cloth seats and 15,000 miles for sale on Hemmings, asking $30,000.

Make mine one of the relatively rare (and absolutely gorgeous) Silver Green Metallic cars, with the silver green leather seats.

Other Corvettes I have written about include the 1980 coupe, the 1981 coupe, the 1984 hatchback coupe, the 1986 convertible, and the 1988 35th Anniversary hatchback coupe.

Last updated September 2025.

1983 Chrysler Imperial coupe

While out driving late in 2014, I saw an early 1980s Chrysler Imperial aggressively carving the back roads in the Philadelphia suburbs near where I live. The body design remains utterly distinctive: the alacrity with which the Imperial was moving makes me assume that it had the carburetor conversion and/or some other engine upgrade.

“A singular statement of car and driver.”

Chrysler introduced the “bustle back” Imperial for the 1981 model year, bringing it to market partly to reassure potential buyers that the company would remain in business. By 1983, the Cordoba-based luxury coupe was in its final year, selling a mere 1,427 units as all rear-wheel drive Chrysler products continued their decline.

For 1983, the powertrain continued to be the same: the LA 140 bhp electronic throttle-body fuel-injected 5.2 liter/318 ci V8 paired with a TorqueFlite three-speed automatic transmission. Despite notable attempts at increasing quality (each Imperial went on a five-and-a-half-mile test drive and received numerous other checks before shipping from the factory), the bleeding edge fuel injection continued to be stunningly unreliable—Chrysler frequently ended up replacing it with a carburetted system at the cost of $3,500 plus about 50 hours of labor.

Performance for the 3,900-pound coupe wasn’t impressive: 0-60 came in a little under 14 seconds. To be fair, neither the Cadillac Eldorado nor the Lincoln Continental Mark VI (the Imperial’s intended competitors) were notably faster in 1983. Fuel economy was rated at 16 city/26 highway by the day’s standards, giving a range of 305 to 340 miles with the 18-gallon gas tank and a 10% fuel reserve.

Page from the 1983 Chrysler Imperial brochure
Page from the 1983 Chrysler Imperial brochure

Standard mechanical equipment for the quite well-equipped for 1983 $18,688 Imperial (approximately $61,500 in today’s dollars) included halogen headlights, power brakes, power steering, cruise control, and Goodyear Arriva P205/75R15 steel-belted radial whitewall tires (a size still readily available) on cast aluminum wheels. Exterior equipment included power heated mirrors, power windows, intermittent windshield wipers, and a rear window defroster. Interior equipment included “semi-automatic” air conditioning, a tilt steering wheel, leather and vinyl 60/40 power seats, and a 30-watt AM/FM stereo with cassette and power antenna.

Unusual standard equipment for 1983 in any car included an electronic instrument cluster, a garage door opener, and a two-year/30,000-mile warranty (a lot of warranty in those unreliable days). The only extra cost option was high altitude emissions ($75—why did Chrysler cheap out at this point?); no cost options included cloth and vinyl seats, Michelin tires, and wire wheel covers. Unlike in 1981 and 1982, there was no Frank Sinatra edition for 1983.

The View From 2025

Especially from the rear, the Imperial looks a lot like Cadillac’s 1980 Seville redesign, but seems to have been a separate idea—exterior design had begun in 1977. Not surprisingly, allpar.com has an interesting and detailed article on the 1981-1983 Chrysler Imperial—it is here.

According to Hagerty’s valuation tools, a 1983 Chrysler Imperial in #1/Concours condition is $26,100, with a more normal #3/Good condition car fetching $7,600. Imperials appear in the Hemmings Motor News classifieds and very occasionally on Bring a Trailer. When I updated this entry in April 2025, a Goldenrod Crystal Coat 1982 with 111,000 miles was available on Hemmings, asking $19,800.

Make mine Formal Black, please.

Other real-wheel-drive eighties Chryslers I have written about include the 1980 Cordoba coupe, the 1981 New Yorker sedan, the 1983 Cordoba coupe, and the 1987 Fifth Avenue sedan.

Last updated September 2025.

1984 Ford Mustang SVO hatchback coupe

With the announcement of the 2015 Mustang and its available EcoBoost turbocharged inline-four, my mind turned back to the 1984 to 1986 Mustang SVO.

“Sophisticated performance for the knowledgeable driver.”

Created by Ford’s Special Vehicle Operations department, the 1984 Ford Mustang SVO was an admirable attempt to take a different and more advanced approach to the pony car market. Released in mid-April 1984, this version of the Fox-body Mustang was built around the Lima turbocharged and fuel-injected 2.3 liter/140 ci inline four, making 175 bhp paired with a Borg-Warner T5 five-speed manual. By the day’s standards, this combination yielded a reasonable 19 city/26 highway (it would be 17/24 by current standards). Car and Driver recorded a respectable 7.5 second 0-60 time and a 128 mph top speed.

1984 Ford Mustang advertisement

Other modifications over the standard Mustang included ventilated four-wheel power disc brakes (replacing the Mustang GT‘s front disc/rear drum setup), and a Koni suspension system featuring adjustable struts and shocks. 16 × 7 inch aluminum wheels with 225/50VR16 Goodyear NCT tires (a size still readily available) were standard for the first year—Gatorbacks didn’t become available until 1985.

The exterior featured an SVO-specific front grille, tinted glass, a functional hood scoop, and a “dual wing” spoiler that was also unique to the SVO. Inside, standard features included SVO-specific adjustable performance seats with lumbar support, a leather-wrapped tilt steering wheel, and an AM/FM stereo radio with a four-channel amplifier and four speakers.

Options & Production Numbers

You could have the interior in any color you wanted as long as that was Charcoal, but you did get to choose from the standard cloth or optional leather seats. A flip-up open air roof ($315), air conditioning ($743), a cassette player ($222), power lock group ($177), and power windows ($198) all remained optional—this was 1984, after all.

With a base price of $15,585 (about $49,200 in 2026 dollars or a little more than what a loaded 2026 Mustang EcoBoost Premium Fastback goes for), sales did not come close to meeting Ford’s hopes—less than 10,000 buyers took home a Mustang SVO over its three years of production. The reasons for its relative failure were many, but I think the most significant problems were:

  • The average Mustang buyer was happier with a Mustang GT, which, with a base price of $9,578, cost substantially less.
  • The potential buyer of a vehicle with a turbocharged and intercooled four, four-wheel disc brakes, and an adjustable suspension wasn’t looking to Ford for this car.

The View From 2026

It is interesting to note that Ford was much more successful in the 1990s and 2000s in selling high-end Mustangs. They’ve also done decently with the 2.3 liter (there’s a coincidence!) 315 bhp EcoBoost turbocharged inline-four, which first became available in 2015.

According to Hagerty’s valuation tools, all the money for a 1984 Mustang SVO in #1/Concours condition is $50,100, while a more typical #3/Good car goes for $11,300. SVOs often show up in the Hemmings Motor News classifieds, on eBay Motors, and on Bring a Trailer—as I update this blog entry in February 2026, there’s an Oxford White 1986 Mustang SVO with Charcoal cloth front bucket seats and an indicated 21,000 miles for sale on Hemmings, asking $27,800.

Make my SVO Silver Metallic, please.

Other Mustangs I have written about include the 1980 Cobra hatchback coupe, the 1981 coupe, the 1982 GT hatchback coupe, the 1983 GT convertible, and the 1987 LX 2-door sedan.

Last updated February 2026.

1980 Chevrolet Citation hatchback sedan

In September 2014, the Hemmings Daily blog included an entry on their Find of the Day—a Dark Blue Metallic 1980 Chevrolet Citation hatchback sedan with 70,000 miles available for $7,000. This officially fits it in my “Who Saves These Cars” category.

“The first Chevy of the ’80s”

For 1980, the Chevrolet Citation was indeed all-new, debuting on April 19, 1979. It may have been the “most thoroughly tested new car in Chevy history,” but the Citation quickly became the most recalled car in history, with an absolutely astounding nine recalls in an era when manufacturers did not readily initiate recalls.

The standard powertrain on the 2,491-pound sedan was the GM’s Iron Duke 90 bhp 2.5 liter/151 ci four with a Rochester Varajet two-barrel carburetor, paired with a four-speed manual transmission. Fuel economy was 24 city/38 highway by the day’s standards (21/34 by today’s measures). With a 14-gallon gas tank, a Citation driver could expect a range of 350 to 390 miles with a 10% fuel reserve. 0-60 times for the Iron Duke are hard to find, but were likely around 16 seconds for the four-speed manual transmission and probably about 19 seconds (oog) with the optional ($337) three-speed automatic transmission.

Spending $225 to upgrade to the LE2 2.8 liter/173 ci V6 (also with a Varajet two-barrel carburetor) got you 115 bhp and a 0-60 time of a little over 13 seconds. Fuel economy dropped, but not by that much: to 20 city/34 highway with the four-speed manual transmission. Moving to the profligate three-speed automatic transmission dropped highway mileage to 30 mpg.

Hatchback sedan pages from the 1980 Chevrolet Citation brochure
Hatchback sedan pages from the 1980 Chevrolet Citation brochure

The Citation sedan’s base price was $5,153—about $22,100 in 2025 dollars, which is almost exactly what a 2025 Chevrolet Trax LS compact crossover SUV goes for. Standard mechanical equipment included the heavily advertised front-wheel drive, rack-and-pinion steering, front disc brakes, glass-belted P185/80R13 radial tires (now a trailer size), and a Delco Freedom battery. Inside, sliding door locks, a lockable glove box, and an AM radio were considered worth mentioning as standard features. Chevrolet also shamelessly stated that the sedan’s .417 drag coefficient was a sign of “Efficient Aerodynamics.”

Options & Production Numbers

Exterior and mechanical options were many, including tinted glass ($70), a removable sun roof ($240), Sport mirrors (both manual and power), a sport suspension ($21), power brakes ($76), and power steering ($174). Inside, bucket seats, a reclining front passenger seat, a Custom interior, a gauge package ($70), air conditioning ($564), an intermittent windshield wiper system ($39), an electric rear window defogger ($101), automatic speed control ($105), power door locks ($123), power windows ($189), a Comfortilt steering wheel ($75), and an AM/FM stereo radio with cassette ($188) were all available.

Chevrolet sold an astounding 458,033 Citation hatchback sedans in its extended 1980 model year, making it the single most popular version of the Citation.

The View From 2025

As Hemmings showed in 2014, Citations do sometimes come up for sale, though I see few in the condition of the one they highlighted. Citations also occasionally appear at online auctions such as eBay Motors and Bring a Trailer that cater to the eighties car market.

Make mine Light Blue Metallic over Dark Blue Metallic, please. Two-tone paints were big in the early eighties.

Other X-bodies I’ve written about in this blog included the 1983 Buick Skylark T TYPE coupe, the 1981 Chevrolet Citation X-11 hatchback coupe, the 1985 Chevrolet Citation II hatchback sedan, the 1984 Oldsmobile Omega sedan, and the 1982 Pontiac Phoenix SJ coupe.

Last updated September 2025.

1985 Honda Civic CRX Si hatchback coupe

“Fuel injected fun.”

For 1985, Honda put one of its hottest four-cylinder engines into its tiny CRX, creating the Si. Si stood for Sports, injected, and the new EW3/4 engine was a multiport fuel-injected version of the carburetted 1.5 liter/91 ci engine that had been the top of the line in 1984.

Horsepower was 91 bhp at 5,500 rpm, up 20% from the carburetted engine. This increase doesn’t sound like much, but the CRX only weighed about 1,800 pounds—to get the same power-to-weight ratio in a 2025 Honda Civic sedan, you would need 150 bhp (interestingly, the 2025 Civic coupe has a … 150 bhp engine). Car and Driver recorded a 0-60 time of 9.1 seconds (Motor Trend reported 8.5 seconds) and a top speed of 112 mph. The EPA fuel economy rating with the required five-speed manual transmission was 32 city/36 highway by the day’s standards (27/33 by today’s measures).

Pages from the 1985 Honda CRX Si brochure
Pages from the 1985 Honda CRX Si brochure

The CRX Si’s base price was $7,999—about $24,500 in 2025 dollars or almost exactly what a 2025 Civic sedan costs. Standard exterior equipment included a deep front air dam, halogen headlights, tinted glass, a power sunroof, a rear wiper/washer, and a rear spoiler molded of soft urethane instead of the hard plastic in other CRXs. Mechanical equipment included rack and pinion steering, power-assisted front disc/rear drum brakes, and 175/70R13 tires (a size last seen on the 2005 Hyundai Accent) on 5.0-inch-wide aluminum alloy wheels. Inside, reclining Sport bucket seats with adjustable headrests, a tachometer, and a trip odometer were standard.

Since the CRX Si came pretty loaded by Honda standards, there were no factory options. The Si received an exclusive black paint option in place of the white available in other CRXs—red or blue were also available. Air conditioning was available only as a dealer accessory, as were a rear speaker and a choice of various car stereos: Honda would continue to sell AC as a dealer accessory well into the 1990s.

The View From 2025

According to Hagerty’s valuation tools, all the money for a 1985 CRX Si in #1/Concours condition is an astounding $57,900, with a more normal #3/Good condition car going for $20,800. I don’t see many first-generation CRX Si’s come up for sale in either the Hemmings Motor News classifieds or on eBay Motors. However, there is good club support for the CRX at Red Pepper Racing, and they maintain a semi-regular presence on Bring a Trailer.

Make mine Black, please. It looks sharp with the red band on the new for 1985 charcoal gray body cladding.

Other Hondas I have written about include the 1982 Honda Prelude Sport Coupe, the 1983 Accord sedan, the 1983 Civic S hatchback coupe, the 1984 Civic DX hatchback coupe, the 1984 Civic CRX hatchback coupe, the 1986 Accord sedan, the 1986 Prelude Si coupe, and the 1988 Civic sedan.

Last updated August 2025.