I have various theories—and almost no actual data—about what makes a particular post more popular than most others on Eighties Cars. One belief is that the key to the popularity of many individual posts is generally the rarity of the other coverage available for that particular vehicle or variant thereof.
The “rarity of other coverage” theory definitely seems to apply to the fourth-generation Cutlass Supremes, with my post often showing up on the initial page of an 1981 Cutlass-related Google search. Among eighties Cutlass’s of any type, Hagerty only tracks values for the 1983 and 1984 Hurst and the 1985 to 1987 4-4-2. One other interesting thing about the Cutlass Supreme post’s success is that it’s come on recently—despite being written in 2015, 85% of its views have been in the last year.
As always, I am grateful for the views—and our readers.
I can see it in my neighborhood, and I see three phases of this happening.
First to go are the often driven eighties cars. A few months ago, a fourth-generation Honda Civic sedan that I had written about disappeared from its normal street-side parking space. A notably flashier (Mars Red!) and far more modern Mercedes-Benz C-class sedan replaced it—not much bigger, but a major step upmarket.
An original K car wagon sits under snow and a car cover in my neighborhood a few winters ago
Next, those that had been parked for a while finally get taken away. An example is a K car wagon that sat quietly in a driveway next to a small and very well maintained house about two blocks from ours. I rarely saw it move, but it seemed to be in pretty good shape. A few years ago, it was suddenly gone.
Soon, I believe that the only eighties vehicles will be those that folks have plans to save. They’ll also tend to hide in garages or—at very least—under a car cover.
Most of these examples will be special in some way—they will tend to be those classified as collectible by various entities. Like even older cars, they’ll tend to come out only on nicer days.
I think it was first with music that I repeated the observation that “the eighties are no longer recent.” Now, that status seems to be coming to the vehicles this blog follows—the youngest of them is now 32 years old.
Is this slow vanishing happening in your neighborhood, too?
January’s Mecum auction at Kissimmee always provides some interesting fodder for commentary, if only because it is so large. I’ll concentrate on the at least reasonably stock 1980s vehicles that sold (remember that Mecum auctions are not “no reserve” auctions—awhite 1981 Chevrolet Camaro Yenko Turbo Z coupe with black bucket seats and 39,000 miles was a no sale bid up to $70,000) and add some of my opinions. I’m going to separate this auction into two posts—this first covers the eighties 14% of the approximately 680 vehicles sold from Thursday through Sunday.
Thursday, January 7th:
1983 yellow Cadillac Seville sedan with a black carriage roof, ivory leather seats, an HT-4100 135 bhp 4.1 liter/249 ci V8 with fuel injection, an automatic, and 92,000 miles—$4,500 hammer price.
1986 Light Green Metallic Chevrolet El Camino pickup truck with a light green cloth bench seat, an LG4 150 bhp 5.0 liter/305 ci V8 with a four-barrel carburetor, and an automatic—at $10,500, the first eighties vehicle in this auction meets my criteria for serious collectability of fairlyoriginal cars or trucks: selling for equal to or above its original base list price. I’ll mark these vehicles in bold green.
1988 Summit White Chevrolet 1500 Silverado pickup truck with garnet Custom cloth bucket seats, an L05 210 bhp 5.7 liter/305 ci V8 with fuel injection, an automatic, and 63,000 miles—at $17,000, the highest eighties vehicle sale on Thursday
1987 Bright Red Chevrolet Corvette convertible with a white convertible top, red leather bucket seats, an L98 240 bhp 5.7 liter/350 ci V8 with fuel injection, and the Doug Nash 4+3—$16,500
1988 black BMW 635Csi coupe with black leather bucket seats, an M30B35 208 bhp 3.4 liter/209 ci inline six with fuel injection, and an automatic—$9,000
1986 Black Chevrolet Camaro Z28 hatchback coupe with gray cloth bucket seats, an LB9 190 bhp engine with fuel injection, an automatic, and 62,000 miles—$5,000
1983 blue Dodge W150 Power Ram pickup truck with a blue cloth bench seat, a 5.2 liter/318 ci V8 with a two-barrel carburetor, an automatic, and 52,000 miles—$8,500
1984 white Pontiac Firebird Trans Am 15th Anniversary Edition hatchback coupe with gray leather/cloth bucket seats, an LG9 HO 190 bhp 5.0 liter/305 ci V8 with a four-barrel carburetor, an automatic, and 83,000 miles—$9,000
1984 Silver/Medium Gray two-tone Chevrolet Corvette hatchback coupe with red leather bucket seats, an L83Cross-Fire 205 bhp 5.7 liter/350 ci V8 with throttle body fuel injection, and an automatic—$4,500
1980 AMC Eagle Limited station wagon, linked from Mecum’s website
1984 Silver/Medium Gray two-tone Chevrolet Corvette hatchback coupe with graphite leather bucket seats, an L83Cross-Fire 205 bhp 5.7 liter/350 ci V8 with throttle body fuel injection, and an automatic—$6,000
1988 White Pontiac Firebird Trans Am GTA coupe with camel leather bucket seats, a B2L 225 bhp 5.7 liter/350 ci V8 with fuel injection, an automatic, and 83,000 miles—$11,000 for a rare notchback
1987 Midnight Black/Steel Gray two-tone Chevrolet Blazer Silverado SUV with slate gray Custom cloth bucket seats, an L05 210 bhp 5.7 liter/350 ci V8 with fuel injection, and an automatic—$11,500
1984 white Pontiac Fiero Pace Car Edition coupe with red/gray bucket seats, an Iron Duke 92 bhp 2.5 liter/151 ci inline four with throttle-body fuel injection, an automatic, and 27,000 miles—$16,000
1987 Garnet Red Dodge Ramcharger SUV with red cloth bucket seats, a 143 bhp 5.2 liter/318 ci V8 with a two-barrel carburetor, and an automatic—$8,500
1982 silver Chevrolet El Camino custom (engine) pickup truck with blue cloth bucket seats, a 5.7 liter/350 ci V8, and an automatic—$8,000
1988 red Mazda 323 GTX hatchback coupe with a 132 bhp 1.6 liter/97 ci inline four with fuel injection and a turbocharger, a five-speed manual, and 82,000 miles—$6,500 for the most interesting car on day one.
1980 green GMC Caballero custom (powertrain, exterior, wheels/tires) pickup truck with a cloth split seat, a 5.7 liter/350 ci V8, and an automatic—$11,500
1988 tan Chevrolet 1500 pickup truck with an automatic—$3,000
1982 blue Fiat 124 Spider 2000 convertible with gray vinyl bucket seats, a 102 bhp 2.0 liter/122 ci inline four with fuel injection, an automatic, and 57,000 miles—$9,500
Friday, January 8th:
1987 red Chevrolet C10 custom (engine, exterior, suspension, wheels/tires) pickup truck with a gray interior, a Vortec 5.7 liter/350 ci V8, and an automatic—$16,000
1989 Cabernet Red Ford Mustang LX 5.0 convertible with a black top, scarlet red cloth bucket seats, a Windsor 225 bhp 4.9 liter/302 ci V8 with fuel injection, and a five-speed—$8,500
1986 burgundy Chevrolet Corvette custom (exterior, engine, interior) hatchback coupe with tan leather seats, a 5.7 liter/350 ci V8, and an automatic—$7,500
1989 White Jeep Wrangler SUV with black bucket seats and an automatic—$5,000
1984 black Cadillac Series 75 Fleetwood limousine with a black interior, a 140 bhp 6.0 liter/368 ci V8 with throttle-body fuel injection, and an automatic—$12,500
1985 Sunrise Red Mazda RX-7 hatchback coupe with gray cloth bucket seats, a 12A 101 bhp 1.1 liter/70 ci two-rotor with a four-barrel carburetor, an automatic, and 80,000 miles—$11,000
1985 silver/gray two-tone Chevrolet C10 custom (powertrain, suspension, wheels/tires) pickup truck with a burgundy cloth bench seat, a 6.3 liter/383 ci V8, and an automatic—$22,500
1981 Red Chevrolet Corvette coupe with red leather seats, an L81 190 bhp 5.7 liter/350 ci V8 with a four-barrel carburetor, an automatic, and 53,000 miles—$21,000
1980 beige Toyota Land Cruiser HJ-45 SUV with black bucket seats, an H 3.6 liter/218 ci diesel inline six, and a four-speed manual—$39,000 made this the highest eighties vehicle sale on Friday
1980 Toyota Land Cruiser HJ-45 SUV, linked from Mecum’s website
1986 white Porsche 944 Turbo hatchback coupe with brown leather bucket seats, a 220 bhp 2.5 liter/151 ci inline four with fuel injection and a turbocharger, and a five-speed manual, and 34,000 miles—$24,500
1987 Red Mercedes-Benz 560SL convertible with tan leather seats, an M117 238 bhp 5.5 liter/339 ci V8 with fuel injection, an automatic, and 84,000 miles—$13,500
1987 Midnight Black/Apple Red two-tone Chevrolet Blazer custom (engine) SUV with red cloth bucket seats, a 5.7 liter/350 ci V8, and an automatic—$11,500
1988 Arctic White Lincoln Town Car with a white vinyl carriage roof, oxford white leather seats, a Windsor 150 bhp 4.9 liter/302 ci V8 with fuel injection, an automatic, and 8,800 miles—$19,000
1989 Silver Frost Lincoln Town Car with a silver frost vinyl carriage roof, titanium cloth seats, a Windsor 150 bhp 4.9 liter/302 ci V8 with fuel injection, an automatic, and 19,000 miles—$16,000
1989 red Classic International Brillanté Vendetta convertible with an L98 340 bhp 5.7 liter/350 ci V8 with fuel injection and an automatic—$18,000 for this Corvette-based Ferrari Testarossa imitator.
1986 medium blue/dark blue two-tone GMC Sierra Classic pickup truck with a blue vinyl bench seat, a 5.7 liter/350 ci V8, and an automatic—$19,000
1986 blue/white two-tone Chevrolet C10 custom (exterior, interior, suspension, wheels/tires) pickup truck with a blue bench seat, an unknown V8, and an automatic—$14,500
1986 blue/white two-tone Chevrolet C10 custom (exterior, suspension, wheels/tires) pickup truck with a blue vinyl bench seat, an unknown V8, and an automatic—$21,000
1984 White Chevrolet Camaro Z28 hatchback coupe with tan vinyl bucket seats, a 5.0 liter/305 ci V8, and an automatic—$5,500
1986 blue/white two-tone Chevrolet Blazer SUV with blue vinyl bucket seats, a 5.7 liter/350 ci V8, and an automatic—$21,000
1986 Dark Red Metallic Chevrolet Corvette convertible with a white top, red leather seats, an L98 235 bhp 5.7 liter/350 ci V8 with fuel injection, an automatic, and 8,200 miles—$20,000
1985 White Chevrolet Corvette hatchback coupe with saddle leather seats, an L98 230 bhp 5.7 liter/350 ci V8 with fuel injection, an automatic, and 8,100 miles—$16,000
1985 White Chevrolet Monte Carlo SS coupe with maroon cloth bucket seats, a B4V 180 bhp 5.0 liter/305 ci V8 with a four-barrel carburetor, an automatic, and 24,000 miles—$16,500
1987 silver Toyota Supra Turbo hatchback coupe with blue cloth bucket seats, a 7M-GE 230 bhp 3.0 liter inline with fuel injection and a turbocharger, and a five-speed manual—$13,000
1984 white Oldsmobile Delta 88 Royale Brougham coupe with burgundy cloth seats, an LV2 5.0 liter/307 ci V8 with a four-barrel carburetor, and an automatic—$8,500
Saturday, January 9th:
1982 White Chevrolet Corvette coupe with dark red cloth bucket seats, an L83Cross-Fire 200 bhp 5.7 liter/350 ci V8 with throttle body fuel injection, an automatic, and 13,000 miles—$30,000
1987 red/white two-tone Chevrolet Silverado custom (suspension, wheels/tires) pickup truck with a black custom cloth bench seat, an 5.7 liter/350 ci V8 with fuel injection, and an automatic—$34,000
1987 white Pontiac Fiero GT coupe with gray cloth bucket seats, a 135 bhp 2.8 liter/173 ci V6 with fuel injection, an automatic, and 27,000 miles—$9,000
1986 white Spartan II coupe with a gray interior, a 3.0 liter V6 with fuel injection, an automatic, and 39,000 miles—$20,000 for this Nissan 300ZX-based neo-classic
1988 Charcoal/Radiant Silver two-tone Dodge Ramcharger LE SUV with red cloth bucket seats, a 145 bhp 5.2 liter/318 ci V8 with fuel injection, and an automatic—$18,500
1988 brown/tan two-tone Chevrolet Suburban SUV with tan cloth bucket seats, an L19 230 bhp 7.4 liter/454 ci v8 with fuel injection, an automatic, and 73,000 miles—$17,500
1983 yellow Toyota DLX mild custom pickup truck with gray cloth bucket seats, a 22R 2.4 liter inline four, a five-speed manual, and 101,000 miles—$16,500
1981 maroon Jeep CJ-8 Scrambler custom pickup truck with gray bucket seats, an unknown V8, and an automatic—$20,000
1988 red Sebring convertible with tan bucket seats, a 4.9 liter/302 ci V8, and an automatic—$19,000 for this Austin Healey 3000 replica
1988 White Chevrolet Corvette 35th Anniversary Edition hatchback coupe with white leather seats, an L98 5.7 liter/350 ci V8 with fuel injection, the Doug Nash 4+3, and 6,300 miles—$26,000
1988 White Chevrolet Corvette 35th Anniversary Edition hatchback coupe with white leather seats, an L98 5.7 liter/350 ci V8 with fuel injection, and an automatic—$15,500. A bidder had their choice of these distinctive coupes at this auction.
1980 red/black two-tone Chevrolet El Camino very custom (just about everything) pickup truck with red cloth bucket seats, a 406 ci V8, and an automatic—$13,000
1987 Candy Apple Red GMC Sierra Classic custom (engine, exterior, interior, wheels/tires) pickup truck with silver bucket seats, an LS2 6.2 liter V8, and an automatic—$28,000
1987 white Chevrolet C10 custom (powertrain) pickup truck with a red vinyl bench seat, a 5.7 liter/350 ci V8, and an automatic—$27,000
1987 black Buick Regal T-Type custom (powertrain) coupe with gray cloth bucket seats, a 3.8 liter/231 ci V6 with a turbocharger, and an automatic—$35,000
1985 Burgundy Chevrolet Monte Carlo SS coupe with gray cloth bucket seats, a B4V 180 bhp 5.0 liter/305 ci V8 with a four-barrel carburetor, an automatic, and 10,000 miles—$21,750
1989 Black Ford Mustang ASC/McLaren convertible with a black top, a gray interior, a 225 bhp 4.9 liter/302 ci V8 with fuel injection, an automatic, and 44,000 miles—$15,500
1986 Shelby GLHS custom hatchback coupe with gray cloth bucket seats, a 2.2 liter/135 ci inline four with a turbocharger, an intercooler, and fuel injection, and a five-speed manual—$18,000
1986 black Nissan 300ZX hatchback coupe with black leather bucket seats, a VG30ET 200 bhp 3.0 liter/181 ci V6 with fuel injection and a turbocharger, a five-speed manual, and 43,000 miles—$31,500 is around $7,000 over#1/Concours money, according to Hagerty’s valuation tools.
1986 red GMC Sierra Classic pickup truck with a gray cloth bench seat, a 5.7 liter/350 ci V8, an automatic, and 100,000 miles—$23,500
1985 black Ferrari 308 GTS Quattrovalvole coupe with black leather seats, a Quattrovalvole 230 bhp 2.9 liter/179 ci V8 with fuel injection, a five-speed manual, and 69,000 miles—$50,000
1986 Guards Red Porsche 911 Turbo coupe with black leather seats, a 282 bhp 3.3 liter/201 ci flat six with turbocharging and fuel injection, a four-speed manual, and 57,000 miles—$100,000 made this by far the highest eighties vehicle sale on this Saturday.
1986 Porsche 911 Turbo coupe, linked from Mecum’s website
1980 red/white two-tone Plymouth Trail Duster custom (suspension, wheels/tires) SUV with red bucket seats and an automatic—$15,000
1985 silver Chevrolet K10 Silverado very custom (just about everything) pickup truck with a gray cloth bench seat, a Vortec 6.0 liter V8, and an automatic—$38,000
1986 hazel/brown two-tone Rolls-Royce Silver Spur sedan with a cream vinyl top, cream leather bucket seats, a 6.75 liter/412 ci V8, an automatic, and 17,000 miles—$35,000
1987 Black Buick Grand National coupe with black/gray cloth seats, a 245 bhp LC2 3.8 liter/231 ci V6 with turbocharging and fuel injection, an automatic, and 15,000 miles—$34,000
1985 White Buick Riviera coupe with a white Landau top, blue cloth notchback 55/45 seats, a 5.0 liter/307 ci V8, an automatic, and 12,000 miles—$12,500
1985 Cotillion White Cadillac Eldorado coupe with a white vinyl top, blue leather seats, an HT-4100 135 bhp 4.1 liter/249 ci V8 with fuel injection, an automatic, and 4,100 miles—$23,000
1984 black Oldsmobile 98 Regency coupe with a maroon vinyl top, red cloth seats, an LV2 5.0 liter/307 ci V8 with a four-barrel carburetor, an automatic, and 4,500 miles—$27,000. Who saves these cars?
1989 green Land Rover Defender 90 SUV with brown bucket seats, a 2.5 liter/152 ci diesel inline four, a manual, and 69,000 miles—$60,000
1988 Black BMW M6 coupe with tan leather seats, a S38B35 256 bhp 3.5 liter/211 ci inline six with fuel injection, a five-speed, and 120,000 miles—$27,000
1980 Pollux Orange Toyota Land Cruiser pickup truck with gray seats, a 3.6 liter engine, and a four-speed manual—$40,000
1982 Black Mercedes-Benz 380SL convertible with a brown top, brown bucket seats, a 155 bhp 3.8 liter/234 ci V8 with fuel injection, and an automatic—$11,000
1986 silver Mercedes-Benz 560SEC coupe with gray leather bucket seats, an M117 238 bhp 5.5 liter/339 ci V8 with fuel injection, an automatic, and 75,000 miles—$19,000
Sunday, January 10th:
1984 crimson Rolls-Royce Silver Spur sedan with camel leather bucket seats, a 6.75 liter/412 ci V8, and an automatic—$9,000
1988 white Rolls-Royce Silver Spur sedan with a white vinyl top, tan leather bucket seats, a 6.75 liter/412 ci V8, an automatic, and 97,000 miles—$9,500
1980 blue Rolls-Royce Silver Wraith II with a blue vinyl top, blue leather bucket seats, a 6.75 liter/412 ci V8, and an automatic—$9,000
1983 silver Rolls-Royce Silver Spirit sedan with tan leather bucket seats, a 6.75 liter/412 ci V8, and an automatic—$9,000
1988 dark blue Lincoln Town Car limousine with a dark green interior, a 4.9 liter/302 ci V8, and an automatic—$11,000
1988 Red Chevrolet Camaro IROC-Z convertible with a black top, gray leather bucket seats, an unknown 5.0 liter/305 ci V8 (could be the L03 170 bhp engine with throttle-body fuel injection or the LB9 195 bhp engine with fuel injection), an automatic, and 29,000 miles—$22,000
1988 Delphin Gray BMW 635Csi coupe with pearl beige leather bucket seats, an M30B35 215 bhp 3.4 liter/209 ci inline six with fuel injection, an automatic, and 54,000 miles—$44,000 for this gray market car.
1989 blue Toyota FJ-70 Land Cruiser SUV with gray bucket seats, a 3F 155 bhp 4.0 liter/241 ci inline six with fuel injection, and a five-speed manual—$22,000
1988 White Chevrolet Corvette convertible with a white convertible top, red leather bucket seats, an L98 240 bhp 5.7 liter/350 ci V8 with fuel injection, an automatic, and 40,000 miles—$17,000
1980 White/Light Blue Metallic two-tone Chevrolet El Camino pickup truck with a blue vinyl bench seat, an unknown V8 (could be the L39 120 bhp 4.4 liter/267 ci with a two-barrel carburetor or the LG9 135 bhp 5.0 liter/305 ci with a four-barrel carburetor), an automatic, and 14,000 miles—$18,000
1983 blue Ford F100 custom (exterior, wheels/tires) pickup truck with blue seats, a 5.8 liter/351 ci V8 with a four-barrel carburetor, and an automatic—$16,000
1989 Twilight Blue Lincoln Town Car sedan with an arctic white carriage top, shadow blue cloth seats, a 150 bhp 4.9 liter/302 ci V8 with fuel injection, and an automatic—$5,000
1984 silver/black two-tone Tiffany coupe with red leather seats, a 4.9 liter/302 ci V8, and an automatic—$15,000 for this Mercury Cougar-based “neo-classic.”
1989 black AM General Humvee SUV with a black interior, an automatic, and 18,000 miles—$20,000
1983 Sable Black Cadillac Eldorado Biarritz coupe with a bushed stainless steel roof cap, a black vinyl top, red leather “tufted multi-button” seats, an HT-4100 135 bhp 4.1 liter/249 ci V8 with fuel injection, an automatic, and 19,000 miles—$27,000 for this striking Eldorado whose aftermarket continental kit actually doesn’t bother me that much.
1983 Cadillac Eldorado Biarritz coupe, linked from Mecum’s website
1988 blue Ford Crown Victoria sedan with a dark blue vinyl top, blue cloth seats, a 4.9 liter/302 ci V8, and an automatic—$3,000
1986 blue Pontiac Firebird Trans Am hatchback coupe with gray cloth bucket seats, a 5.0 liter/305 ci V8, and an automatic—$7,000
All in all, 2020 was a positive year for Eighties Cars. We managed 51 new or substantially revised blog entries—one every seven days. Posts counts divided into 37 featuring a specific car, six covering auctions, seven miscellaneous posts, and one announcing a pandemic-influenced change: Eighties Cars Is Speeding Up Again.
Five marques made their first appearance in specific posts in 2020: Jeep, Maserati, Renault, Triumph, and Volvo. I have no set plan on what marques to cover the most—Chevrolet ended up in the lead, with Ford and Porsche also prevalent. Finally, 2020 was by far the best year for page views since I started the blog—we were up a substantial 38% over 2019.
Every year, I look at the end of the year results for the blog’s most viewed posts. For 2020, 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, a Buick, or a Pontiac—our readers seem to be GM-centric. This year, there was one more obvious pattern—four of the top ten posts were for 1980 model year cars. In reverse order, we’ll discuss the top ten most viewed posts of this year.
10) 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 $17,600 in #1/Concours condition and $10,600 in #3/Good condition with the best available LG4 V8. This August 2018 post was a new entry in the top 10 this year—it was #16 in 2019.
9) 1980 Buick Riviera S Type coupe—this post is about a car that Hagerty and others do see as somewhat collectible ($13,800 in #1/Concours condition, $3,900 in #3/Good condition). Another new entry—up from #14 in 2019.
8) 1989 Chevrolet Celebrity sedan—I doubt many articles are being written about any of the A-body cars. This August 2016 article—inspired by a work colleague’s Celebrity—continued to get a substantial number of page hits this year, though it dropped three spots to #8. Chevrolet sold 162,462 sedans in the 1989 model year and over 2.1 million Celebrities in the 1980s.
7) 1980 Pontiac Grand Am coupe—a rarely discussed 1980 Pontiac makes the list (collectors generally think of the 1973 to 1975 examples). This entry was the most viewed post in 2017, so it’s been consistently popular—now seventh for two years running and the first in this year’s top ten to have over 1,000 views. 1,647 Grand Ams were sold in the 1980 model year, which marked the last year for the rear-wheel-drive Grand Am.
6) 1987 Chevrolet Caprice Classic coupe—this elderly (April 2014) but evidently evergreen post is about the last of the big Caprice coupes. For the seven years Eighties Cars has been around, it’s the third most viewed post overall, and it moved up three spots in 2020. Chevrolet sold a mere 3,110 coupes in the 1987 model year.
5) 1980 Pontiac Sunbird Sport Hatch—this may be an even more rarely discussed car than the Grand Am of the same year, so I understand why the portion of the internet that cares about it is coming here. These Sunbirds also seem to have vanished entirely from the streets of America. Up one spot from last year.
4) 1987 Buick LeSabre T Type coupe—unlike those Regals and Rivieras, this is a T Type many don’t know about. A good number who are interested seem to be finding this page, which was #4 for a second straight year. Buick built 4,123 LeSabre T Types in 1987.
3) 1986 Chevrolet Camaro Berlinetta hatchback coupe—the Berlinetta is rarely written about, with almost all the eighties Camaro attention going to the Z28 and the IROC-Z. Despite this, Hagerty does track this car, currently at $12,800 in #1/Concours condition, $5,900 in #3/Good condition for the version with the optional V8. This post dropped from #1 in 2019 to #3 in 2020 but remains the all-time most popular entry.
2) 1987 Mercury Lynx XR3 hatchback coupe—this post repeated at #2 in 2020 and is the third most popular all-time. Mercury is, of course, an orphan make, but this blog entry has been viewed almost five times more than my write-up on the related 1981 Ford Escort hatchback coupe.
1985 Buick Somerset Regal, showing off perhaps its best angle
1) 1985 Buick Somerset Regal coupe—this post has been picked up by other websites a few times, including a couple of years ago by Jalopnik. Hilariously, I don’t think I would have ever gotten around to writing about the Somerset Regal if I hadn’t actually seen one on the streets of Philadelphia back in 2014. Up from #3 in 2019, and the second most popular entry all-time.
Mecum’s Dallas auction in December 2020 provided some interesting fodder for commentary. It’s important to remember that Mecum auctions are not “no reserve” auctions—a black 1983 Mercedes-Benz G300 SUV with white bucket seats was a no-sale bid up to $52,000. I’ll concentrate on the at least reasonably stock 1980s vehicles that sold and add some of my opinions. Eighties vehicles were about 11% of the 364 vehicle lots sold in this auction.
Thursday, December 3rd:
1984 blue BMW 318i coupe with tan bucket seats, a 101 bhp 1.8 liter/108 ci inline four with fuel injection, an automatic, and 47,000 miles—$4,000 hammer price.
1985 Cotillion White Cadillac Eldorado Biarritz convertible with a white top, red leather “tufted multi-button” seats, an HT-4100 135 bhp 4.1 liter/249 ci V8 with fuel injection, an automatic, and 57,000 miles—$15,000 is #2/Excellent money, according to Hagerty’s valuation tools.
1985 Cadillac Eldorado Biarritz interior, linked from Mecum’s website
1982 blue/white two-tone Ford F100 pickup truck with a blue bench seat, a 133 bhp 4.9 liter/302 ci V8, and an automatic—$6,500
1983 brown Chevrolet Silverado pickup truck with a brown interior, an unknown V8, and an automatic—$9,500
1982 blue Datsun 280ZX Turbo 2+2 hatchback coupe with gray bucket seats, an L28ET 145 bhp 2.8 liter/168 ci inline six with a turbocharger and fuel injection, and an automatic—$10,500
1982 Silver Beige Chevrolet Corvette coupe with silver beige leather bucket seats, an L83Cross-Fire 200 bhp 5.7 liter/350 ci V8 with throttle body fuel injection, an automatic, and 36,000 miles—$14,500
1982 white Alfa Romeo Spider Veloce convertible with a brown top, brown bucket seats, a 111 bhp 2.0 liter/120 ci inline four with fuel injection, a five-speed manual, and 97,000 miles—$7,500
1985 Shelby GLHS custom (engine, interior) hatchback coupe with gray cloth bucket seats, a 2.2 liter/135 ci inline four with a turbocharger, an intercooler, and fuel injection, a five-speed manual, and 32,000 miles—at $19,500, the highest eighties vehicle sale on Thursday
1989 pearl white Chevrolet 1500 custom (exterior) pickup truck with an unknown V8—$7,000
1984 beige/black two-tone Chevrolet Suburban custom (suspension, wheels/tires) SUV—$5,000
1984 red Toyota Celica hatchback coupe with red cloth bucket seats, a 22R-E 105 bhp 2.4 liter inline four with fuel injection, and an automatic—$14,000
1982 blue Toyota FJ-40 Land Cruiser mild custom SUV with tan seats, a 2F 4.2 liter inline six, and a four-speed manual—$15,000
1986 white Nissan Spartan II coupe with a gray interior, a 3.0 liter V6 with fuel injection, and an automatic—$11,500 for this 300ZX-based neo-classic
1983 sky blue Mercedes-Benz 380SL convertible with blue bucket seats, a 155 bhp 3.8 liter/234 ci V8 with fuel injection, an automatic, and 92,000 miles—$3,000 for this SL stated to not be in running condition
1985 chocolate Chevrolet C10 custom (just about everything) pickup truck with tan leather bucket seats, a 6.3 liter/383 ci V8, and an automatic—$16,000
Friday, December 4th:
1985 black/silver two-tone Chevrolet Silverado pickup truck with 65,000 miles and little other description—$7,000
1982 Red Chevrolet Corvette coupe with an L83Cross-Fire 200 bhp 5.7 liter/350 ci V8 with throttle body fuel injection, an automatic, and 67,000 miles—$7,500
1987 red/white two-tone Chevrolet C10 custom (suspension, wheels/tires) pickup truck with a black cloth bench seat, a 5.7 liter/350 ci V8 with fuel injection, an automatic, and 65,000 miles—$23,000
1982 Dark Brown Metallic Datsun 280ZX Turbo hatchback coupe with tan cloth bucket seats, an L28ET 145 bhp 2.8 liter/168 ci inline six with a turbocharger and fuel injection, and a five-speed manual—at $28,000 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 Datsun 280ZX Turbo, linked from Mecum’s website
1984 white Zimmer Golden Spirit coupe with red leather bucket seats, a Windsor 4.9 liter/302 ci V8 with fuel injection, and an automatic—$21,000
1989 maroon/white two-tone Dodge Ramcharger SUV with red cloth seats, an unknown V8 (could be a 5.2 liter or a 5.9 liter), an automatic, and 57,000 miles—$9,500
1987 blue metallic Chevrolet K10 custom (exterior, engine, wheels/tires) pickup truck with a blue cloth bench seat, a 5.7 liter/350 ci V8 with a carburetor, and an automatic—$18,000
1984 Apple Red Chevrolet C10 pickup truck with a charcoal vinyl bench seat, an LE9 150 bhp 5.0 liter/305 ci V8, and an automatic—$15,000
1983 Rally Red Jeep CJ-7 custom (just about everything) SUV with red bucket seats and a 5.7 liter/350 ci V8 with a supercharger—at $37,000, the highest eighties vehicle sale on Friday
1980beige Mercedes-Benz 450SL convertible with a black soft top, brown bucket seats, a 160 bhp 4.5 liter/276 ci V8 with fuel injection, and an automatic—$19,000
1984 black GMC 1500 custom (engine, suspension, wheels/tires) pickup truck with a bench seat, a 5.7 liter/350 ci V8, and an automatic—$19,500
1981 Chevrolet C10 custom (just about everything) pickup truck with blue cloth bucket seats, a 6.0 liter V8 with fuel injection, and an automatic—$22,000
1988 Salmon Silver Metallic BMW 325i convertible with a black top, black leather bucket seats, an M20B25 168 bhp 2.5 liter/152 ci inline four with fuel injection, and an automatic—$7,000.
1983 beige Jeep CJ-7 SUV with tan bucket seats, a manual, and 132,000 miles—$13,000
1987 Medium Gray Metallic Chevrolet El Camino pickup truck with a gray cloth seat, an LG4 150 bhp 5.0 liter/305 ci V8 with a four-barrel carburetor, an automatic, and 29,000 miles—$9,000
1983 tan Jeep Scrambler custom (just about everything) pickup truck with gray bucket seats, a 5.9 liter V8, and an automatic—$15,500
1986 white Volkswagen custom (exterior, wheels/tires) cabriolet with gray/white bucket seats, a 90 bhp 1.8 liter inline four, a five-speed manual, and 122,000 miles—$4,000
Saturday, December 5th:
1982 Silver Beige Chevrolet Corvette coupe with silver beige leather bucket seats, an L83Cross-Fire 200 bhp 5.7 liter/350 ci V8 with throttle body fuel injection, an automatic, and 11,000 miles—$24,000 is solid money for a 1982 CE.
1984 Chevrolet C10 custom (engine, suspension, wheels/tires) pickup truck with a 7.4 liter/454 ci V8 and an automatic—$22,000
1986 blue/tan two-tone Chevrolet C10 custom (powertrain, interior, wheels/tires) pickup truck with a gray bench seat, a 6.0 liter V8, and an automatic—$31,000
1987 black Porsche 930 Turbo coupe with brown bucket seats, a 282 bhp 3.3 liter/201 ci flat six with a turbocharger and fuel injection, a four-speed manual, and 28,000 miles—$120,000 for this factory slant nose made it the highest eighties vehicle of this auction
1988 Porsche 930 Turbo, linked from Mecum’s website
1983 Chevrolet C10 custom (engine, suspension, wheels/tires) pickup truck with a cloth bench seat, a 6.3 liter/383 ci V8 with fuel injection, and an automatic—$30,000
1987 red orange Land Rover Defender 90 custom (just about everything) SUV with orange/black leather bucket seats, a 2.5 liter diesel inline four, and a five-speed manual—$41,000
Houston was another Mecum auction in Texas that featured many Chevrolet trucks. This profusion of bowtie trucks meant that Chevrolets were 44% of the eighties vehicles sold. Other prevalent marques were Jeep and Nissan/Datsun. What do you think?
Mecum’s Dallas auction in October 2020 provided some interesting fodder for commentary. It’s important to remember that Mecum auctions are not “no reserve” auctions—a yellow 1982 Toyota FJ-45 Land Cruiser SUV with a black bench seat was a no-sale bid up to $42,500. I’ll concentrate on the at least reasonably stock 1980s vehicles that sold and add some of my opinions. Eighties vehicles were about 7% of the 529 vehicle lots sold in this auction.
Thursday, October 15th:
1982 Silver Metallic Chevrolet Corvette coupe with silver gray leather bucket seats, an L83Cross-Fire 200 bhp 5.7 liter/350 ci V8 with throttle body fuel injection, an automatic, and 36,000 miles—$12,000 hammer price
1985 silver Chevrolet Silverado pickup truck with a blue interior, a 5.7 liter/350 ci V8, and an automatic—$7,500
1980 red Jeep CJ-7 SUV with tan bucket seats, a 119 bhp 5.0 liter/304 ci V8 with a two-barrel carburetor, and an automatic—at $18,000 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 yellow Cadillac Eldorado coupe with a yellow vinyl top, tan leather seats, an HT-4100 135 bhp 4.1 liter/249 ci V8 with fuel injection, and an automatic—$6,000
1981 red/white two-tone Ford F150 Explorer pickup truck with a plaid cloth bench seat, a 120 bhp 4.9 liter/300 ci inline six with a carburetor, an automatic, and 51,000 miles—$20,000 for this truck with it’s original “big six.”
1981 Ford F150 Explorer, linked from Mecum’s website
1986 red/white two-tone Dodge Ramcharger Royale SE SUV with red cloth seats, a 150 bhp 5.2 liter/318 ci V8 with a two-barrel carburetor, and an automatic—$10,500
1985 red Chevrolet K10 mild custom pickup truck with a red cloth bench seat, a 5.7 liter/350 ci V8, and an automatic—$38,000
1987 Black Buick Regal Grand National coupe with black/silver cloth bucket seats, an LC2 235 bhp 3.8 liter/231 ci V6 with fuel injection, turbocharger, and intercooler, and an automatic—$27,500
1989 black Ford F150 custom (engine, wheels/tires) pickup truck with gray cloth bucket seats, a Windsor 4.9 liter/302 ci V8 with fuel injection, an automatic, and 87,000 miles—$10,000
1986 Dark Cordovan Chrysler LeBaron convertible with a tan top, cordovan vinyl bucket seats, an unknown inline four (could be a 2.2 liter or a 2.5 liter), an automatic, and 26,000 miles—$7,000
1989 dark green/beige two-tone Chevrolet Blazer mild custom SUV with beige cloth bucket seats, a 5.7 liter/350 ci V8 with a four-barrel carburetor, and an automatic—$11,500
1989 white with woodgrain Oldsmobile Custom Cruiser station wagon with a dark sapphire blue 55/45 cloth seat, a 140 bhp 5.0 liter/307 ci V8 with a four-barrel carburetor, an automatic, and 42,000 miles—$9,000
Friday, October 16th:
1980 Carousel Red Pontiac Firebird Trans Am coupe with dark camel cloth bucket seats, a W72 150 bhp 4.9 liter/301 ci V8 with a four-barrel carburetor, and an automatic—$23,000
1986 Light Regatta Blue/Colonial White two-tone Ford F250 XLT mild custom pickup truck with a blue cloth bench seat, a Lima 7.5 liter/460 ci V8, and an automatic—$17,000
1988 Black Ford Mustang convertible with a black top, medium gray cloth bucket seats, a Windsor 225 bhp 4.9 liter/302 ci V8 with fuel injection, a five-speed manual, and 38,000 miles—$14,000
1989 Medium Red Toyota SR5 custom (engine) pickup truck with gray cloth bucket seats, a 3.4 liter V6, and a five-speed manual—$14,500
1987 black Chevrolet Silverado custom (exterior, suspension, wheels/tires) pickup truck with a red interior, a 5.7 liter/350 ci V8, an automatic, and 87,000 miles—$30,000
1982 yellow Chevrolet Corvette coupe with camel leather bucket seats, an L83Cross-Fire 200 bhp 5.7 liter/350 ci V8 with throttle body fuel injection, and an automatic—$13,000
1981 Red Chevrolet Camaro Z28 coupe with red vinyl bucket seats, an LM1 175 bhp 5.7 liter/350 ci V8 with a four-barrel carburetor, an automatic, and 36,000 miles—$22,000
1981 Chevrolet Camaro Z28, linked from Mecum’s website
1988 gray Dodge Ramcharger mild custom SUV with red cloth bucket seats, an LA 170 bhp 5.2 liter/318 ci V8 with fuel injection, an automatic, and 38,000 miles—$8,500
1986 red Chevrolet K10 custom (engine, suspension, exterior, interior) pickup truck with a gray cloth bench seat, a 427 ci V8 with a four-barrel carburetor, an automatic, and 27,000 miles—$40,000
1984 Le Mans Blue Chevrolet K10 custom (engine, suspension, exterior, interior) pickup truck with blue cloth seats, a 5.7 liter/350 ci V8, and an automatic—$25,000
1981 orange Jeep CJ-5 custom (just about everything) SUV with black seats, a 5.7 liter/350 ci V8, and an automatic—$15,000
1981 black Jeep CJ-8 Scrambler pickup truck with black bucket seats, a 110 bhp 4.2 liter/258 ci inline six with a two-barrel carburetor, a four-speed manual, and 47,000 miles—$24,000
1984 Light Blue Metallic/Silver two-tone Chevrolet Silverado pickup truck with blue cloth bench seat, a 5.0 liter/305 ci V8, and an automatic—$24,000
1986 Bright Red Chevrolet Corvette convertible with medium gray leather seats, an L98 235 bhp 5.7 liter/350 ci V8 with fuel injection, and an automatic—$18,000 is substantial money for a C4 Corvette convertible without a lot of provenance.
1981 white/black two-tone Chevrolet Blazer SUV with blue cloth bucket seats, a V8, and an automatic—$22,000
1986 red Dodge SLE pickup truck with a red cloth bench seat, a 5.8 liter/360 ci V8, and an automatic—$20,000
1988 Medium Blue Metallic Chevrolet Corvette convertible with a black top, blue leather seats, an L98 240 bhp 5.7 liter/350 ci V8 with fuel injection, and an automatic—$7,500
Saturday, October 17th:
1980 Black Chevrolet Camaro Z28 coupe with red cloth bucket seats, an LM1 190 bhp 5.7 liter/350 ci V8 with a four-barrel carburetor, a four-speed manual, and 37,000 miles—$22,000
1985 black Chevrolet Silverado pickup truck with a burgundy cloth bench seat, a 5.0 liter/305 ci V8, and an automatic—$13,500
1984 red Chevrolet Silverado custom (body, engine) pickup truck with a gray cloth bench seat, a 5.7 liter/350 ci V8, and an automatic—$28,000
1987 amber/cream two-tone Chevrolet Silverado custom (paint, engine) pickup truck with a tan vinyl bench seat, a 5.7 liter/350 ci V8, and an automatic—$29,000
1985 orange/white two-tone Chevrolet Silverado custom (paint, engine) pickup truck with a chocolate vinyl bench seat, a 5.7 liter/350 ci V8, and an automatic—$30,000
1985 red with flames Chevrolet Silverado custom (just about everything) pickup truck with bucket seats, an LS V8, and an automatic—$40,000
1984 gray/white two-tone Chevrolet Silverado custom (paint, engine, suspension) pickup truck with an olive green bench seat, an LS V8, and an automatic—$40,000
1984 Chevrolet Silverado custom, linked from Mecum’s website.
1984 green/cream two-tone Chevrolet Silverado custom (paint, engine, suspension, interior) pickup truck with a tan bench seat, an LS V8, and an automatic—$43,000
1988 red Chevrolet 2500 custom (paint, engine, suspension, interior) pickup truck with a red bench seat, a 5.7 liter/350 ci V8, and an automatic—$24,000
1980 black Land Rover Defender 110 custom (paint, engine, interior) SUV with black leather bucket seats, a V8, and an automatic—$85,000
This particular auction contained many Chevrolet trucks—most from the Hill’s Hot Rods Square Body Collection. This profusion of bowtie trucks meant that Chevrolets were 55% of the eighties vehicles sold. Other prevalent marques were Ford, Dodge, and Jeep. What do you think?
Mecum’s “Summer Special” auction in Kissimmee provided some interesting fodder for commentary. It’s important to remember that Mecum auctions are not “no reserve” auctions—a red 1986 DeTomaso Pantara GT5-S coupe with black bucket seats and 7,300 miles was a no-sale bid up to $120,000. I’ll concentrate on the at least reasonably stock 1980s vehicles that sold and add some of my opinions. Eighties vehicles were about 9% of the 461 vehicle lots sold in this auction.
Thursday, August 27th:
1989 Black Chevrolet Camaro IROC-Z hatchback coupe with red leather bucket seats, an L98 240 bhp 5.7 liter/350 ci V8 with fuel injection, an automatic, and 58,000 miles—$14,000 hammer price
1984 Black Chevrolet El Camino custom (engine) pickup with the SS Choo Choo Customs package, a red cloth bench seat, a 5.7 liter/350 ci V8, and an automatic—$10,000
1981 Beige Jeep Wrangler custom (engine) SUV with tan bucket seats, a 5.9 liter/360 ci V8, an automatic, and 86,000 miles—$11,500
1987 Black Oldsmobile Cutlass Supreme 442 coupe with tan seats, a 170 bhp 5.0 liter/307 ci V8 with a four-barrel carburetor, an automatic, and 77,000 miles—$9,000
1987 red/white two-tone GMC 1500 custom (engine, suspension) pickup truck with a tan interior, a 5.7 liter/350 ci V8, and an automatic—$18,000
1988 white Chevrolet custom (body) pickup truck with a gray bench seat, a 5.7 liter/350 ci V8, and an automatic—$7,000
1982 Light Gray Buick Electra Limited sedan with a dark blue vinyl top, blue velour seats, a 140 bhp 5.0 liter/307 ci V8 with a four-barrel carburetor, an automatic, and 8,000 miles—$9,500. Who saves these cars?
1986 bronze/tan two-tone Dodge Ramcharger Royale SE SUV with tan bucket seats, a 150 bhp 5.2 liter/318 ci V8 with a two-barrel carburetor, an automatic, and 71,000 miles—at $15,500, 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.
1986 silver/gray two-tone Mercury Grand Marquis sedan with silver seats, a Windsor 150 bhp 4.9 liter/302 ci V8 with fuel injection, an automatic, and 19,000 miles—$9,750
1981 Cotillion White Cadillac Fleetwood Brougham sedan with red Heather knit seats, the L62 6.0 liter/368 ci V8-6-4 with fuel injection, an automatic, and 44,000 miles—$4,500
1987 white/blue two-tone Dodge Ramcharger SUV with blue bucket seats, a 145 bhp 5.2 liter/318 ci V8 with a two-barrel carburetor, and an automatic—$8,500. Two Ramchargers on the same day?
1987 Scarlet Red Ford Mustang convertible with a black top, medium gray bucket seats, a Windsor 225 bhp 4.9 liter/302 ci V8 with fuel injection, an automatic, and 26,000 miles—$10,500
1986 black with woodgrain AMC Eagle Limited station wagon with a tan interior, a 110 bhp 4.2 liter/258 ci inline six, an automatic, and 69,000 miles—$17,000
1986 AMC Eagle, photo courtesy of Mecum
1987 yellow Jeep Wrangler custom (engine) SUV with black bucket seats, an unknown V8, an automatic, and a salvage title—$8,000
1986 white Mercedes-Benz 560SL convertible with burgundy leather bucket seats, a 227 bhp 5.5 liter/338 ci V8 with fuel injection, and an automatic—$12,000 for this unusual (for a Mercedes) color combination.
1983 blue Jeep CJ-7 custom (paint, suspension, transmission) SUV with black bucket seats, an unknown engine, and an automatic—$12,000
1989 Midnight Black Lincoln Town Car sedan with a midnight black carriage top, currant red 50/50 seats, a Windsor 150 bhp 4.9 liter/302 ci V8 with fuel injection, an automatic, and 4,000 miles—$24,000 is almost (but not quite) what a 1989 Town Car originally went for.
1986 burgundy Chevrolet Corvette custom (just about everything) hatchback coupe with a saddle bucket seats, an unknown V8, a four-speed manual, and 4,000 miles—$14,000
1989 Dark Blue Metallic Chevrolet Corvette convertible with a saddle top, saddle leather bucket seats, an L98 240 bhp 5.7 liter/350 ci V8 with fuel injection, and an automatic—$4,500
1989 blue Cadillac Brougham limousine with blue cloth seats, a 140 bhp 5.0 liter/307 ci V8 with a four-barrel carburetor, an automatic, and 27,000 miles—an ouch! at $1,750
Friday, August 28th:
1982 Silver Beige Chevrolet Corvette Collector Edition hatchback coupe with silver beige leather bucket seats, an L83Cross-Fire 200 bhp 5.7 liter/350 ci V8 with throttle body fuel injection, an automatic, and 68,000 miles—$11,500
1981 merlot Chevrolet custom (interior, wheels/tires) pickup truck with a gray bench seat, a 5.7 liter/350 ci V8, and an automatic—$18,000
1987 burgundy/white two-tone Dodge Ramcharger SUV with burgundy cloth bucket seats, a 145 bhp 5.2 liter/318 ci V8 with a two-barrel carburetor, and an automatic—$8,000
1985 brown/tan two-tone Chevrolet C10 Silverado pickup truck with a tan cloth bench seat, a 160 bhp 5.0 liter/305 ci V8 with a four-barrel carburetor, an automatic, and 79,000 miles—$9,000
1986 yellow Toyota pickup truck with tan cloth seats, a 22R-E 105 bhp 2.4 liter/144 ci inline four with fuel injection, an automatic, and 84,000 miles—$14,000
1986 Toyota pickup truck, photo courtesy of Mecum
1987 Black/Silver two-tone Oldsmobile Cutlass Supreme 442 coupe with gray cloth bucket seats, a 170 bhp 5.0 liter/307 ci V8 with a four-barrel carburetor, an automatic, and 11,000 miles—$29,000
1989 Scarlet Red Ford Mustang GT convertible with a white top, white leather bucket seats, a Windsor 225 bhp 4.9 liter/302 ci V8 with fuel injection, an automatic, and 7,000 miles—$29,000
1987 red Chevrolet Corvette custom (exterior, wheels/tires) convertible with a white top, black leather bucket seats, an L98 240 bhp 5.7 liter/350 ci V8 with fuel injection, an automatic, and 63,000 miles—$15,000
1981 maroon Chevrolet Camaro Z28 coupe with tan cloth bucket seats, a 150 bhp 5.0 liter/305 ci V8 with a four-barrel carburetor, a four-speed manual, and 28,000 miles—$25,000
1987 Scarlet Red Ford Mustang ASC/McLaren convertible with gray bucket seats, a 225 bhp 4.9 liter/302 ci V8 with fuel injection, and an automatic—$13,000
1980 Blue Green Metallic Mercedes-Benz 450SL convertible with a black soft top, tan leather seats, a 160 bhp 4.5 liter/276 ci V8 with fuel injection, and an automatic—$27,000
1984 black/silver two-tone Chevrolet Silverado pickup truck with a gray cloth bench seat, a 5.7 liter/350 ci V8, and an automatic—$28,000 for this truck, restored in reasonably stock fashion.
1981 black Toyota SR5 Hilux pickup truck with tan cloth seats, a 22R 97 bhp 2.4 liter/144 ci inline four with a carburetor, and a five-speed manual—$20,000
1984 white Johnson Phantom coupe with tan leather bucket seats, a 190 bhp 5.0 liter/305 ci V8 with a four-barrel carburetor, and an automatic—$11,000 for this Camaro-based “neo-classic.”
1980 blue Toyota FJ-40 Land Cruiser SUV with gray seats, a 2F 4.2 liter inline six, and a five-speed manual—$34,000
1989 blue Cadillac Brougham limousine with blue cloth seats, a 140 bhp 5.0 liter/307 ci V8 with a four-barrel carburetor, an automatic, and 27,000 miles—a Thursday sale gets resold on Friday for $2,000, $250 more than a day before.
Saturday, August 29th:
1984 Black Chevrolet Corvette hatchback coupe with graphite leather bucket seats, an L83Cross-Fire 205 bhp 5.7 liter/350 ci V8 with throttle body fuel injection, the Doug Nash 4+3, and 1,400 miles—$17,000. This amount is almost #1/Concours condition money, according to Hagerty’s valuation tools.
1985 orange Cadillac Fleetwood very custom (just about anything) coupe with orange vinyl seats, a 5.7 liter/350 ci V8, and an automatic—$23,000
1989 Bright Red Jeep Grand Wagoneer custom (engine) SUV with light tan bucket seats, a Hemi 707 bhp 6.2 liter V8 with fuel injection and a supercharger, an automatic, and 52,000 miles—$115,000
1987 red BMW M6 coupe with white leather bucket seats, an S38 256 bhp 3.5 liter/211 ci inline six with fuel injection, a five-speed manual, and 53,000 miles—$59,000 made this handsome car the highest sale of a stock eighties vehicle at this auction.
1986 BMW M6, photo courtesy of Mecum
1980 Bright Red Toyota FJ-45 Land Cruiser custom (just about everything) SUV with gray/tan bucket seats, a 2F 4.2 liter inline six, and a five-speed manual—$71,000
This particular auction contained the usual suspects (Chevy trucks, Corvettes, Mercedes SLs, Mustangs, Toyota FJs) but also some rarely seen cars—the AMC Eagle, Buick Electra, and Mercury Grand Marquis stood out to me. Of course, there were also those three Ramchargers. What do you think?
I have various theories—and almost no real data—about what makes a particular post more popular than others on Eighties Cars. One belief is that the key to the popularity of an individual post is generally the rarity of the other coverage available for that particular vehicle or variant thereof. That theory works for the Sunbird Sport Hatch, the Berlinetta, and the Somerset Regal. It doesn’t work for the Caprice Classic—that’s discussed in another post.
The “rarity of other coverage” theory definitely seems to apply to this sportiest of Lynxes, with my post often showing up on the initial page of an XR3-related Google search (I probably would not have done as well with the more popular Ford Escort GT). Wikipedia’s coverage actually groups the Lynx in with the Escort.
There are two other interesting things about the XR3 post’s success. First, it’s the first 1,000 view post that isn’t about a General Motors product. Second, it’s gotten to this total rather quickly compared to the four other 1,000 view posts, all of which were created between March and May in 2014. In contrast, the XR3 post was published in July 2018.
As always, I am grateful for the views—and our readers.
For almost eighteen months, I’ve been working on an automotive book independent of Eighties Cars, with only 28% of this vehicle’s history occurring in the 1980s. One of the parts of the book that I’ve been working on recently is color charts of the exterior paints, which will likely be in an appendix.
One of the many ways to describe a particular color is the HSB color space—Hue, Saturation, and Brightness. Also named as HSL (Hue, Saturation, and Lightness), HSB is a different way of measuring the RGB color space. The key here is that it nicely separates hue from other color factors over 360 degrees, with the red in ROYGBIV starting at about 345 degrees. So, I’ve been using the Hue in HSB to build all the color charts once I get past the blacks, grays, silvers, and whites.
Draft sixth-generation Buick Riviera color chart
To dive a little further down the rabbit hole, HSB was initially conceived as a way to add color information to black-and-white television transmissions without changing the signal that the black-and-white sets were receiving. It has been around for quite a while—French engineer Georges Valensi invented it in 1938, pre-dating the first consumer color televisions by 16 years. Those first color televisions were astoundingly expensive—the Admiral C1617A’s $1,175 price (about $11,200 in 2020 dollars) gives a hint of why substantial color television adoption would take almost 15 years.
I recently completed the basics of a chart of the sixth-generation (1979 to 1985) Buick Riviera’s colors. Though I have not yet calibrated the color reproduction to my satisfaction, some eighties color trends are readily apparent. There’s a lot of brown and beige, with reds, greens, and blues also notably represented. Rivieras also featured three extra-cost Firemist paints each year (four in 1985).
The charts also show examples of the somewhat confounding color naming inconsistencies that prevailed throughout the Riviera’s life—and in many other cars. A color can keep the same marketing name (i.e., Red Firemist), but be a different painting formulation (changing from PPG 3437 to PPG 3532). Another color can alter its marketing name (Light Blue becomes Medium Blue) but remain the same paint formulation (PPG 3310).
As usual, Mecum’s huge auction in Indianapolis provided much interesting fodder for commentary. I’ll concentrate on the at least fairly stock 1980s vehicles that sold (remember that Mecum auctions are not “no reserve” auctions—a Rossa Corsa 1984 Ferrari 512 BBi coupe with tan leather bucket seats and 8,400 miles was a no-sale bid up to $250,000) and add some of my opinions. Eighties vehicles were about 8% of the 1,191 vehicle lots sold in this auction—this post covers the final four days of automotive sales.
Wednesday, July 15th:
1981 red Chevrolet Corvette coupe with an unknown interior, an L81 190 bhp 5.7 liter/350 ci V8 with a four-barrel carburetor, and an automatic—$16,000 hammer price.
1987 silver Pontiac Firebird Formula hatchback coupe with a gray/black interior, an unknown 5.0 liter/305 ci V8, and an automatic—$4,500
1984 White Chevrolet Corvette custom (exterior, wheels/tires) hatchback coupe with a red interior, an L83Cross-Fire 205 bhp 5.7 liter/350 ci V8 with throttle body fuel injection, an automatic, and 75,000 miles—$5,500
1988 white Mercedes-Benz 560SL convertible with gray leather bucket seats, a 227 bhp 5.5 liter/338 ci V8 with fuel injection, an automatic, and 79,000 miles—$10,000
1988 black Ford Mustang Saleen hatchback coupe with gray cloth bucket seats, a Windsor 225 bhp 4.9 liter/302 ci V8 with fuel injection, and a five-speed manual—$18,000
1985 light brown Cadillac Eldorado coupe with a dark brown vinyl top, tan leather seats, an HT-4100 135 bhp 4.1 liter/249 ci V8 with fuel injection, an automatic, and 44,000 miles—$6,000
1980 Dark Claret Metallic Chevrolet Corvette coupe with claret leather bucket seats, an L48 190 bhp 5.7 liter/350 ci V8 with a four-barrel carburetor, and an automatic—$13,500 for this good-looking ‘Vette.
1980 Chevrolet Corvette coupe, photo courtesy of Mecum
1985black Ford Bronco XLT custom (period-correct modifications) SUV with tan cloth bucket seats, a Windsor 4.9 liter/302 ci V8, and an automatic—$21,000
1983 black Pontiac Firebird Trans Am custom (KITT replica, convertible) convertible with tan cloth bucket seats, a Cross-Fire 175 bhp 5.0 liter/305 ci V8 with throttle body fuel injection, an automatic, and 70,000 miles—$27,000
1982 blue GMC custom (lift kit) pickup truck with a 5.7 liter/350 ci engine and an automatic—$11,000
1986 blue Chevrolet C10 custom (body, paint, engine, suspension, wheels/tires) pickup truck with a 425 bhp 7.4 liter/454 ci V8 and an automatic—$18,000
1984 blue/silver two-tone Chevrolet K20 custom (engine, suspension) with a blue cloth bench seat, a Vortec 6.0 liter V8 with fuel injection, and an automatic—$16,000
1987 red Mercedes-Benz 560SL convertible with black leather bucket seats, a 227 bhp 5.5 liter/338 ci V8 with fuel injection, and an automatic—$16,000
1984 brown Jeep Wrangler Renegade SUV with tan bucket seats, a 112 bhp 4.2 liter/258 ci inline six with a two-barrel carburetor, and a five-speed manual—$20,000
1980 Cameo White Pontiac Firebird Trans Am coupe with oyster gray cloth bucket seats, an LU8 205 bhp 4.9 liter/301 ci V8 with a four-barrel carburetor and a turbocharger, an automatic, and 18,000 miles—$30,000
1980 blue Chevrolet C10 pickup truck with a blue cloth bench seat, a 5.7 liter/350 ci V8, an automatic, and 20,000 miles—$14,000
1987 black Buick Regal Grand National coupe with black/silver cloth bucket seats, an LC2 235 bhp 3.8 liter/231 ci V6 with fuel injection, turbocharger, and intercooler, an automatic, and 23,000 miles—$37,000 made this the highest eighties vehicles sale of July 15th.
1988 white Ford Mustang Saleen convertible with a white top, gray cloth bucket seats, a Windsor 225 bhp 4.9 liter/302 cubic inch V8 with fuel injection, a five-speed manual, and 14,000 miles—$20,000
1985 red Chevrolet Camaro Z28 hatchback coupe with red cloth bucket seats, an unknown 5.0 liter/305 ci V8, an automatic, and 29,000 miles—$10,000
1989 black Chevrolet custom (engine, suspension) pickup truck with a 468 ci V8 and an automatic—$14,000
1981 red Chevrolet Corvette coupe with a red interior, an L81 190 bhp 5.7 liter/350 ci V8 with Rochester Quadrajet four-barrel carburetor, and an automatic—$10,000
1981 green Chevrolet custom (exterior, engine, suspension) pickup truck with black interior, a 402 ci V8, and an automatic—$16,000
Thursday, July 16th:
1989 Bright Red Chevrolet Corvette convertible with a black convertible top, black leather bucket seats, an L98 240 bhp 5.7 liter/350 ci V8 with fuel injection, and an automatic—$6,500
1985 blue Chevrolet Corvette custom (paint, wheels/tires) hatchback coupe with gray leather bucket seats, an L98 230 bhp 5.7 liter/350 ci V8 with fuel injection, the Doug Nash 4+3, and 83,000 miles—$6,000
1985 Doeskin Tan Chevrolet C10 Silverado pickup truck with a saddle tan Custom cloth bench seat, an LE9 160 bhp 5.0 liter/305 ci V8, an automatic, and 11,000 miles—$26,000
1983 white Jeep Scrambler very custom (just about everything) pickup truck with a Vortec 345 bhp 5.3 liter V8 and an automatic—$42,000
1989 gray Nissan Skyline GT-R custom (engine, suspension) coupe with gray leather bucket seats, a 2.6 liter inline six with twin turbochargers, and a five-speed manual—$48,000
1985 Midnight Black Chevrolet K5 Blazer Silverado SUV with slate gray cloth bucket seats, an LE9 160 bhp 5.0 liter/305 ci V8, an automatic, and 11,000 miles—$26,000
1989 red Dodge Shelby Dakota pickup truck with red/silver cloth seats, a 5.2 liter/318 ci V8 with throttle-body fuel injection, an automatic, and 5,900 miles—$27,500
1980 Black/Gold Pontiac Firebird Trans Am coupe with black cloth bucket seats, an LU8 205 bhp 4.9 liter/301 ci V8 with a four-barrel carburetor and a turbocharger, an automatic, and 10,000 miles—$60,000 made this the highest eighties vehicles sale of July 16th. Remember when even the nicest late second-generation F-cars were inexpensive?
1980 Pontiac Firebird Trans Am coupe, photo courtesy of Mecum
1987 White Chevrolet Corvette convertible with a black convertible top, black leather bucket seats, an L98 240 bhp 5.7 liter/350 ci V8 with fuel injection, an automatic, and 56,000 miles—$7,500
1986 silver Pontiac Grand Prix 2+2 Aerocoupe Richard Petty Edition with charcoal cloth bucket seats, an LG4 165 bhp 5.0 liter/305 ci V8 with a four-barrel carburetor, and an automatic—$10,750
1985 Midnight Black/Frost White two-tone Chevrolet K5 Blazer Silverado SUV with slate grey cloth bucket seats, an L05 210 bhp 5.7 liter/350 ci V8 with fuel injection, and an automatic—$30,000 for this loaded SUV.
Friday, July 17th:
1981 white Jeep CJ-8 Scrambler pickup truck with tan bucket seats, a 110 bhp 4.2 liter/258 ci inline six with a Carter two-barrel carburetor, and a manual transmission—$17,500
1986 cream Zimmer Golden Spirit coupe with tan leather bucket seats, a Windsor 4.9 liter/302 ci V8, and an automatic—$22,000
1986 red Zimmer QuickSilver coupe with tan leather bucket seats, a 140 bhp 2.8 liter/173 ci V6 with fuel injection, and an automatic—$12,500. Out of four (!) Zimmers at this year’s Mecum Indy, this was the only Fiero-based one.
1981 red Dodge Colt/Plymouth Champ custom (wow!) sedan with red/black bucket seats, two 1.6 liter inline fours, and at least one functioning four-speed manual—$18,000
1982 Dodge Colt/Plymouth Champ “double-header” custom, photo courtesy of Mecum
1981 Bright Red Pontiac Firebird Trans Am coupe with medium red bucket seats, an LG4 145 bhp 5.0 liter/305 ci V8 with a four-barrel carburetor, a four-speed manual, and 3,700 miles—$28,000
1989 silver Toyota Supra Turbo hatchback coupe with gray leather bucket seats, a 7M-GTE 232 bhp 3.0 liter/180 ci inline six with fuel injection and a turbocharger, an automatic, and 39,000 miles—$16,000
1987 burgundy Chevrolet C10 custom (just about everything) pickup truck with a black bench seat, a 6.2 liter V8 with fuel injection, and an automatic—$17,500
1986 red Mercedes-Benz 560SL convertible with cream leather bucket seats, a 227 bhp 5.5 liter/338 ci V8 with fuel injection, and an automatic—$11,000
1989 blue and white Ford Mustang SSP police car with blue bucket seats, a 4.9 liter/302 ci V8, and a five-speed manual—$22,000
1982 stainless steel DeLorean DMC-12 coupe with gray leather seats, a 130 bhp 2.8 liter/173 cubic inch V6 with Bosch K-Jetronic fuel injection, a five-speed manual, and 165 miles—$62,000 made this the highest eighties vehicles sale of July 17th.
1984 Red Pearl Rolls-Royce Silver Spur sedan with a saddle top, tan leather bucket seats, a 6.75 liter/412 ci V8, an automatic, and 36,000 miles—$8,500
Saturday, July 18th:
1986 black Chevrolet C10 custom (body, wheels/tires) pickup truck with a black vinyl bench seat, a 5.7 liter/350 ci V8, and an automatic—$15,000
1986 white Cadillac Fleetwood Brougham sedan with red leather seats, a 140 bhp 5.0 liter/307 ci V8 with a four-barrel carburetor, an automatic, and 79,000 miles—$9,000
1986 Light Blue Metallic/Midnight Blue two-tone Chevrolet Silverado pickup truck with a blue Custom cloth bench seat, an unknown V8 engine, an automatic, and 16,000 miles—$18,000
1985 dark red Mercedes-Benz 380SL convertible with tan bucket seats, a 155 bhp 3.8 liter/234 ci V8 with fuel injection, and an automatic—$14,000
1982 white/red/yellow March 82C racing car with a 3.3 liter V6 with fuel injection —$72,000
1989 Rosso Corsa Ferrari Testarossa coupe with tan leather bucket seats, a 380 bhp 4.9 liter/302 ci V12 with fuel injection, a five-speed manual, and 105 miles—$210,000
1984 Rosso Corso Ferrari 512 BBi coupe with tan leather bucket seats, a 335 bhp 4.9 liter/302 ci flat 12 with fuel injection, a five-speed manual, and 8,000 miles—at $340,000, the highest eighties vehicle sale of July 18th and of this auction.
1984 Ferrari 512 BBi coupe, photo courtesy of Mecum
1988 Imperial Red Mercedes-Benz 560SL convertible with tan leather bucket seats, a 227 bhp 5.5 liter/338 ci V8 with fuel injection, an automatic, and 36,000 miles—$27,500
In this strangest of all Mecum Indy auctions, some things stayed the same. Cars from Chevrolet, Ford, Pontiac, and Mercedes-Benz dominated the eighties vehicle counts, with those four marques accounting for almost two-thirds of the total.
Eighties Cars 