Eighties Vehicles at the 2015 Mecum Anaheim

Mecum’s November auction in Anaheim included a decent amount of cars from the 1980s. As always, I’ll concentrate on the cars and trucks that actually sold (remember that this is not a no reserve auction—a white 1988 Porsche 911 Cabriolet with a factory slant nose, a black interior, and 48,000 miles was a no sale bid up to $110,000) and add some of my opinions. Where I have covered the specific year and model of a car in this blog, I link to it.

Thursday:

  • 1984 brown Chevrolet El Camino mild custom pickup truck with a brown interior—$7,250 hammer price
  • 1986 red/tan two-tone Chevrolet Suburban SUV with a tan interior, a 454 cubic inch motor, and (oog) a salvage title—$6,750
  • 1989 blue/white two-tone Chevrolet K5 Blazer Silverado SUV with a blue interior—$9,000
  • 1982 brown/tan two-tone Chevrolet Suburban SUV with a tan interior,  a 454 cubic inch motor, and 82,000 miles—$6,000. Who was selling all these eighties Chevy SUVs?
  • 1984 blue Chevrolet Monte Carlo coupe with a blue interior—$5,500. It’s unusual to see a non-SS Monte Carlo at auction.
  • 1987 white Jaguar XJ6 sedan with a tan interior and 8,000 miles—$11,000
  • 1983 white Porsche 911SC coupe with a brown interior—$23,000
  • 1984 brown/gold two-tone Chevrolet El Camino pickup truck with a gold interior and 90,000 miles—$5,000
  • 1986 silver Pontiac Grand Prix 2+2 Aerocoupe with a gray interior and 18,000 miles—$14,250 is decent money for one of these NASCAR specials.
  • 1988 gray Zimmer Golden Spirit with a gray interior—$13,000 for this Mercury Cougar-based neo-classic.
  • 1986 silver Chevrolet Corvette very custom coupe with a gray interior, a Callaway body kit, and a 383 stroker motor—$26,000
  • 1985 black Porsche 928S coupe with a black interior—$8,000

Friday:

  • 1980 white Pontiac Firebird Trans Am Turbo Pace Car coupe with a white interior and 40,000 miles—$10,000
  • 1987 black Jeep CJ-7 very custom SUV with a gray interior—$19,500
  • 1988 black Rolls-Royce Silver Spur sedan with a red interior and 60,000 miles—$25,000
  • 1988 maroon Lincoln Town Car limousine with a maroon interior—$7,000
  • 1985 black Ferrari Mondial Quattrovalvole custom coupe with a black interior and 67,000 miles—$22,000 would be #3 money if this Ferrari where stock.
  • 1982 white Porsche 911 Carrera Cabriolet with a black interior—$45,000

Saturday:

  • 1980 black Chevrolet Camaro Z28 coupe with a tan interior and 36,000 miles—$15,000 means that this was the only vehicle in this auction to meet my criteria for serious 1980s collectability of original cars or trucks: selling for equal to or above its original base list price. I’ll mark these vehicles in bold green.
  • 1987 white Porsche 911 Turbo coupe with a black interior and 40,000 miles—at $100,000, by far the highest eighties vehicle sale of the auction, though only about #4 money according to Hagerty’s valuation tools.

Prices were generally low for most cars, though some of the nicest ones brought decent money. What do you think of this auction’s results?

Eighties Vehicles at the 2015 Mecum Chicago

Mecum’s October auction in Chicago included a decent amount of cars from the 1980s. As always, I’ll concentrate on the cars and trucks that actually sold (remember that this is not a no reserve auction—a white 1985 Land Rover Defender 110 SUV with a black interior was a no sale bid up to $60,000) and add some of my opinions. Where I have covered the specific year and model of a car in this blog, I link to it.

Thursday:

  • 1985 silver Mercedes-Benz 380SL convertible with a burgundy interior—$12,000 hammer price
  • 1985 red Mercedes-Benz 560SL convertible with a black interior—$9,000. Why did the 380SL fetch more?
  • 1984 black Porsche 911 Carrera coupe with a black interior and an aftermarket slant nose conversion—$24,000
  • 1983 white Porsche 944 coupe with a black interior—$7,250
  • 1989 white Pontiac Firebird Twentieth Anniversary Trans Am with a tan interior—$17,000
  • 1987 black Buick Grand National coupe with a gray interior and 58,000 miles—$18,000
  • 1987 black K5 Blazer SUV with a gray interior—$13,000
  • 1981 black Chevrolet Camaro Z28 coupe with a black interior—$12,000
  • 1987 gray Chevrolet Corvette convertible with a black interior—$8,500
  • 1985 white Litestar coupe with a tan interior and 108 miles—$24,500 for this enclosed motorcycle.
  • 1985 cream Cadillac Eldorado Biarritz coupe with a brown interior and 15,000 miles—$11,000
  • 1988 black Chevrolet Camaro IROC-Z convertible with a gray interior—$12,000
  • 1982 maroon Ferrari 400i coupe with a tan interior—$23,000
  • 1984 black Pontiac Fiero very custom coupe with a  383 V8—$12,000
  • 1984 silver Chevrolet Corvette coupe with a gray interior and 89,000 miles—an ouch! at $2,750.
  • 1984 white Cadillac Seville sedan with a white interior—$3,250

Friday:

  • 1984 red Chevrolet Corvette coupe with a red interior and 7,800 miles—$9,250
  • 1987 gray Chevrolet Camaro coupe with the 2.8 liter V6, a gray interior, and 19,500 miles—$4,000. Perhaps the most interesting eighties car in this auction; how many base coupes are left, especially with this kind of mileage?
  • 1982 silver beige Chevrolet Corvette Collector Edition coupe with a silver beige interior and 62,000 miles—$9,500
  • 1980 gray Pontiac Firebird Trans Am custom coupe with a black interior—$14,000
  • 1981 black Chevrolet Corvette coupe with a cinnabar interior—$12,500
  • 1983 black/silver two-tone Oldsmobile Hurst Olds 15th Anniversary coupe with a maroon interior—$8,500
  • 1989 black Cadillac Fleetwood sedan with a gray interior—$5,500
  • 1982 beige Jeep Scrambler pickup truck with a brown interior— $25,600 means that this is 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.
  • 1989 black Bentley Turbo R with a saddle interior and 55,000 miles—$15,000
  • 1989 maroon Pontiac Firebird Trans Am GTA with a tan interior, 5.7 liter engine, and 49,000 miles—$8,000
  • 1986 red Toyota FJ-60 Land Cruiser mild custom SUV with a beige interior—$25,500
  • 1988 cream Land Rover Defender SUV with a gray interior—$28,500

Saturday:

  • 1987 black Buick Regal GNX coupe with a gray interior and 16 miles—at $112,500, by far the highest eighties vehicle sale of the auction and a top 10 overall result. How many ultra low mileage GNX’s are left?
  • 1981 black and gold Pontiac Firebird Trans Am Special Edition coupe with a black interior, automatic transmission, and 572 miles—$45,000 is a lot of money for a Trans Am with (best case) 150 bhp 301 cubic inch V8.
  • 1982 white Porsche 930 Turbo mild custom coupe with a red interior—$50,000
  • 1981 blue Chevrolet Corvette custom coupe with a blue interior, tuned port injection engine, and 35,000 miles—$16,000

Prices were generally low for most cars, though some of the nicest ones brought good money. What do you think of this auction’s results?

Eighties Vehicles at the 2015 Barrett-Jackson Las Vegas

This year’s Barrett-Jackson Las Vegas auction included a good number of interesting vehicles. As usual, I’ll concentrate on the 1980s cars (and some trucks) that sold and add some of my opinions. Where I have covered the specific year and model of a car in this blog, I link to it.

  • 1989 red Jaguar XJS mild custom coupe with a tan interior—$5,000 hammer price.
  • 1981 white Lincoln Continental Mark VI mild custom coupe with a red interior—an ouch! at $3,500.
  • 1989 red Jaguar XJ6 Vanden Plas sedan with a beige interior—$4,750
  • 1982 orange GMC Sierra custom pickup truck with a black interior—$7,000
  • 1987 black Alfa Romeo Spider Veloce convertible with a black interior—$6,000
  • 1984 burgandy Chevrolet El Camino custom pickup truck with a red interior—$6,500
  • 1985 metallic gray Chevrolet Corvette coupe with gray interior—$5,500
  • 1980 yellow International Scout SUV with a tan interior and 50,000 miles—$10,500
  • 1981 tan Datsun B210 SL hatchback with a tan interior, a five-speed manual transmission, and 20,000 miles—$10,700
  • 1987 blue Chevrolet Camaro Z/28 convertible with a gray interior—$8,000
  • 1989 blue Jaguar XJS convertible with a blue interior and 31,000 miles—$8,000
  • 1982 blue Porsche 928 coupe with a blue interior and 37,000 miles—$14,500
  • 1981 green Jeep Scrambler custom pickup truck with a tan interior—$16,000
  • 1984 silver Mercedes-Benz 300D limousine with a blue interior—$11,000
  • 1986 brown Jeep CJ-7 custom SUV with a black interior—$20,000
  • 1984 bronze Chevrolet Corvette coupe with a brown interior and 37,000 miles—$10,000
  • 1980 red Jeep CJ-7 Renegade SUV with a black interior—$7,500
  • 1988 red Pontiac Firebird Formula coupe with a gray interior, the 350 cubic inch TPI engine, and 19,000 miles—$10,000
  • 1984 red Chevrolet Camaro Z/28 coupe with a black interior—$2,750
  • 1981 white Oldsmobile Cutlass coupe with a red interior and 3,400 miles—$7,000
  • 1982 silver beige Chevrolet Corvette Collector Edition coupe with a silver beige interior—$11,000
  • 1981 silver Chevrolet Camaro Z/28 custom coupe with a red interior—$23,000
  • 1985 red Ferrari 400i custom coupe with a tan interior and a Chevrolet small black—$45,000
  • 1988 red Mercedes-Benz 560SL convertible with a tan interior—$11,000
  • 1981 orange Chevrolet Camaro Berlinetta custom coupe with a black interior—$5,500
  • 1987 black Dodge Shelby Charge GHLS coupe with a silver interior and 11,000 miles—$8,500
  • 1984 white Ford Mustang 20th Anniversary convertible with a red interior—$10,000
  • 1986 red Chevrolet Corvette convertible with a red interior and 47,000 miles—$9,000
  • 1987 black Buick Grand National coupe with a gray interior—$17,000
  • 1988 silver blue Porsche 911 Carrera convertible with a silver blue interior and 79,000 miles—$35,500
  • 1987 black Buick GNX with a black interior and 1,200 miles—at $82,000 the first eighties vehicle 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. This was also the highest eighties car or truck sale of the auction.
  • 1989 red Ford Econoline custom van with a red interior—$12,500
  • 1984 tan/white two-tone Ford F-150 pickup truck with a tan interior and 34,000 miles—$5,000
  • 1981 gold Chevrolet C-10 custom pickup truck with a tan interior—$8,000

Prices for all cars didn’t seem very strong at this auction—or for that matter at Reno Tahoe, but some eighties cars and trucks did okay. What do you think of this year’s results?

Eighties Vehicles at the 2015 Mecum Dallas

Mecum’s September auction in Dallas included a decent amount of cars from the 1980s. As always, I’ll concentrate on the cars and trucks that actually sold (remember that this is not a no reserve auction—a red 1985 Lamborghini Countach 5000S coupe with a black interior was a no sale bid up to $400,000) and add some of my opinions. Where I have covered the specific year and model of a car in this blog, I link to it.

Wednesday:

  • 1984 red Pontiac Fiero very custom coupe with a blown 454 V8—$10,000 hammer price.
  • 1986 blue Ford Bronco II Eddie Bauer Edition SUV with a tan interior—$5,750
  • 1981 white Pontiac Firebird Formula custom convertible with a blue interior—$8,500 for this strange-looking conversion.
  • 1987 red GMC mild custom pickup truck with a black interior—$12,000
  • 1989 white Cadillac Brougham sedan with a red interior—an ouch! at $5,300.
  • 1989 black Jeep Wrangler SUV with a five-speed manual transmission and a gray interior—$5,500

Thursday:

  • 1981 black Chevrolet Camaro Z28 mild custom coupe with a red interior—$13,000
  • 1983 gold Mercedes-Benz 380SL convertible with a tan interior—$10,000
  • 1985 white Chevrolet Monte Carlo SS mild custom coupe with a gray interior—$10,000
  • 1986 white Mercedes-Benz 560SL convertible with a burgundy interior and 45,000 miles—$16,500
  • 1982 red Chevrolet Corvette coupe with a red interior—$10,000
  • 1988 white Chevrolet Corvette convertible with a red interior and 20,000 miles—$13,500
  • 1984 white Dodge Prospector pickup truck with a gray interior and 90,000 miles—$10,500
  • 1986 black Chevrolet Silverado pickup truck with a red interior and 53,000 miles—$17,000
  • 1986 silver/black two-tone Chevrolet Corvette Malcolm Konner coupe with a gray interior, 4+3 manual transmission, and 40,000 miles—$10,000
  • 1986 red Chevrolet K10 custom pickup truck with a black interior—$12,000
  • 1981 black Pontiac Firebird Trans Am coupe with a black interior—$18,000
  • 1985 silver/white two-tone Toyota Land Cruiser mild custom SUV with a gray interior and 91,000 miles—$18,500
  • 1981 white Chevrolet Camaro Z28 custom coupe with a black interior—$14,500
  • 1989 white GMC 1500 mild custom pickup truck with a blue interior—$4,000

Friday:

  • 1985 white Jeep CJ-7 custom SUV with a gray interior—$7,500
  • 1982 white Porsche 911sc coupe with a tan interior and 98,000 miles—$32,000
  • 1985 black Chevrolet C10 mild custom pickup truck with a gray interior—$21,500
  • 1989 silver Jeep CJ-7 custom SUV with a silver interior—$21,000
  • 1985 black Chevrolet Monte Carlo SS custom coupe with a maroon interior—$16,000
  • 1986 black Buick Grand National custom coupe with a gray interior—$90,000

Saturday:

  • 1987 black Buick Grand National coupe with a gray interior—$30,000 means that this is 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.
  • 1988 yellow Ferrari Testarossa coupe with a black interior and 7,900 miles—at $144,000, the highest eighties vehicle sale of the auction.
  • 1985 silver/black two-tone Chevrolet Silverado pickup truck with a gray interior and 5,900 miles—$34,500
  • 1981 beige Toyota BJ-43 Land Cruiser SUV with a beige interior—$34,000

What do you think of this auction’s results?

Eighties Vehicles at the 2015 Mecum Monterey

Mecum’s August auction in Monterey included a good amount of cars from the 1980s. As always, I’ll concentrate on the cars and trucks that actually sold (remember that this is not a no reserve auction—one of the white 1986 Ferrari Testarossa coupes used as hero cars in Miami Vice was a no sale bid up to $600,000) and add some of my opinions. Where I have covered the specific year and model of a car in this blog, I link to it.

Thursday:

  • 1985 black Buick Grand National coupe with a gray interior—$9,000 hammer price.
  • 1983 black Mercedes-Benz 500SL convertible with a tan interior and 78,000 miles—$18,000
  • 1989 black Chevrolet Corvette coupe with a black interior and a six-speed manual transmission—$9,000
  • 1985 beige with woodgrain side panels Chrysler LeBaron Town & Country convertible with a beige interior and 12,000 miles—$12,000
  • 1984 blue Jeep CJ-8 Scrambler pickup truck with a black interior—$14,000
  • 1988 silver Mercedes-Benz 560SL convertible with a beige interior and 20,000 miles—$35,000
  • 1988 white Jaguar XJ-SC with a blue interior—$8,000 for this strange “targa convertible.”
  • 1984 bronze BMW M6 coupe with a brown interior and 31,000 miles—$44,000
  • 1988 black Ferrari 328 GTS with a cream interior and 58,000 miles—$65,000
  • 1987 red Porsche 928S4 coupe with a black interior and 60,000 miles—$15,000
  • 1986 red Porsche 944 coupe with a black interior and 95,000 miles—$8,000

Friday:

  • 1983 red Datsun 280ZX coupe with a gray interior, a five-speed manual transmission, and 16,000 miles—$22,500 means that this is 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.
  • 1980 white Rolls-Royce Corniche convertible with a red interior—$38,000
  • 1982 yellow Toyota FJ-43 Land Cruiser SUV with a gray interior and 46,000 miles—$42,500
  • 1987 white Lamborghini Jalpa P350 coupe with a white interior and 23,000 miles—$80,000 is about 25% over what  Hagerty’s valuation tools sees as all the money for a 1987 Jalpa.
  • 1982 silver beige Chevrolet Corvette Collector Edition coupe with a silver beige interior and eight miles—$60,000 has to be an all-time record for a stock 1982 Corvette. I worked hard to deduct any points at all while judging the exterior of this car in 2008—back then it had six miles.
  • 1987 white Chevrolet Corvette 35th Anniversary Edition coupe with a white interior and 163 miles—$50,000 for another car from the Ed Foss low mileage Corvette collection.
  • 1988 dark blue Chevrolet Corvette Corvette Challenge race car (#58: Robin Dallenbach) with a black interior and 8,300 miles—$30,000
  • 1987 red Ferrari 328 GTS targa coupe with a beige interior and 33,000 miles—$85,000
  • 1987 black Buick GNX coupe with a gray interior and 12 miles—at $140,000

Saturday:

  • 1984 white Chevrolet Corvette coupe with a graphite leather interior—$15,000 for the first C4 Corvette actually sold to a paying customer.
  • 1985 red Porsche 935 Kremer K2 coupe with a tan interior and 4,200 miles—$390,000 for this factory racing special.
  • 1989 red Porsche 911 Turbo Cabriolet with a black interior and 13,000 miles—$200,000
  • 1989 red Ferrari 328 GTS targa coupe with a tan interior and 16,000 miles—$90,000
  • 1989 red Ferrari F40 coupe with a red interior and 5,500 miles—at $1,150,000, by far the highest eighties vehicle sale of the auction.
  • 1989 white Porsche 911 Speedster convertible with linen interior and 7,800 miles—$190,000
  • 1989 black Lamborghini Countach 25th Anniversary coupe with a black interior and 2,200 miles—$270,000 is #2 money according to Hagerty’s valuation tools.
  • 1989 red Porsche 911 Speedster convertible with a black interior and 68,000 miles—$100,000
  • 1989 red Ferrari Testarossa with a tan interior, 16,000 miles, and a recent major service—$122,500 is actually a fairly reasonable price.
  • 1981 red Porsche C928 custom convertible with a tan interior and 6,300 miles—$55,000 for this Carelli International-modified car.

As usual, there was obviously real money in the room at Monterey. Even more than normal, it seemed to be home to low mileage cars.

What do you think of this auction’s results?

Eighties Vehicles at the 2015 Barrett-Jackson Reno Tahoe

This year’s Barrett-Jackson Reno Tahoe auction included a few interesting vehicles from the eighties. As usual, I’ll concentrate on the 1980s cars (and some trucks) that sold and add some of my opinions. Where I have covered the specific year and model of a car in this blog, I link to it.

Friday:

  • 1986 black/silver two-tone Chevrolet El Camino pickup truck with 58,000 miles—$6,200 hammer price.
  • 1981 black Jeep CJ-7 Laredo custom SUV with a tan interior and a four-speed manual transmission—$6,500
  • 1981 beige Chevrolet Corvette coupe with camel leather interior, a four-speed manual transmission, and 61,000 miles—$9,000 isn’t bad for a car missing one of its t-tops.
  • 1983 magnolia Rolls-Royce Silver Spur sedan with an autumn interior and 50,000 miles—$12,700
  • 1981 red Jeep CJ-8 Scrambler pickup truck with a gray interior and a four-speed manual transmission—$13,500
  • 1986 red Chevrolet Silverado mild custom pickup with a red interior—at $15,000, the highest eighties vehicle sale of the auction.
  • 1982 blue Chevrolet Camaro Z/28 coupe with a gray interior, a four-speed manual transmission, and 47,000 miles—$10,000
  • 1986 gold/burnt orange two-tone Chevrolet C-10 custom pickup truck with a gray interior—$8,750
  • 1989 red Ford Mustang convertible with a white top, a red interior, the 5.0 V8, and a five-speed manual transmission—$6,2000
  • 1984 black BMW 633 CSi coupe with a tan interior and a five-speed manual transmission—an ouch! at $8,000.

Saturday

What do you think of this year’s results?

Eighties Vehicles at the 2015 Mecum Harrisburg

In its second year, Mecum’s three day auction in Harrisburg included a lot of cars and trucks from the 1980s—fully 9% of the lots. As always, I’ll concentrate on the cars and trucks that actually sold (remember that this is not a no reserve auction—a 1981 blue Porsche 930 Turbo coupe with 47,000 miles was a no sale bid up to $75,000) and add some of my opinions. Where I have covered the specific year and model of a car in this blog, I link to it.

Thursday:

  • 1985 black Jaguar XJ6 sedan with a tan interior and 77,000 miles—$5,000 hammer price for this handsome Series III car.
  • 1981 white Chevrolet Camaro Z28 coupe with a blue interior and 71,000 miles—$6,500 for a somewhat beat-up example of the breed.
  • 1984 yellow Chevrolet 1500 custom pickup truck with a tan interior, a crate engine, and air ride—$10,250
  • 1981 champagne Rolls-Royce Silver Spur sedan with a chocolate interior—an ouch! at $5,500; Hagerty’s valuation tools see this as below #4 money.
  • 1982 white Cadillac Eldorado coupe with a blue interior and 70,000 miles—$4,000
  • 1986 black Buick Regal custom coupe with a black interior and a 609 bhp turbocharged V6—$15,500
  • 1988 white Chevrolet Corvette 35th Anniversary coupe with the Z52 “sporty” suspension, that white Cadillac leather, and 83,000 miles—$8,250
  • 1981 beige/dark bronze two-tone Chevrolet Corvette coupe with a camel interior—$10,500 for this first year Bowling Green car.
  • 1989 blue with woodgrain side panels Jeep Grand Wagoneer SUV with 68,000 miles—$14,000
  • 1987 white/blue two-tone Dodge Ramcharger LE SUV with a blue interior—$6,000
  • 1985 red GMC High Sierra 1500 pickup truck with a red interior, the 4.3 liter V6, four wheel drive, and 29,000 miles—$12,500
  • 1984 white Jaguar XJS coupe with a tan interior—$4,000 for this set of electrical problems waiting to happen.
  • 1987 white/blue two-tone Chevrolet Silverado pickup truck with a blue interior and 13,000 miles—$16,000
  • 1983 red Porsche 911SC coupe with a black interior, five-speed manual transmission, and 79,000 miles—$29,000
  • 1989 white Pontiac 20th Anniversary Turbo Firebird Trans Am coupe with a tan interior and 10,000 miles—$23,500 for this one-owner car.
  • 1986 blue Chevrolet Camaro IROC-Z coupe with a gray interior, the LB9 5.0 liter tuned port injection V8, and 7,000 miles—$13,000 for this sharp looking car.
  • 1986 silver beige/medium brown two-tone Chevrolet Corvette coupe with a bronze interior and 3,300 miles—$12,000
  • 1989 blue/gray two-tone Ford Mustang GT 5.0 hatchback with a gray interior, a four-speed manual transmission, and 2,600 miles—$13,500
  • 1987 black Buick Grand National coupe with a gray interior and 95,000 miles—$18,000 for a Grand National that was actually driven. This is also the  first vehicle in this auction to meet my criteria for serious 1980s collectability of original cars or trucks: selling for equal to or above its original base list price. I’ll mark these vehicles in bold green.
  • 1987 medium gray Chevrolet Camaro coupe with a gray interior, a 5.0 liter LG4 V8 with 4-barrel carburetor, and 20,000 miles—$6,000
  • 1983 black/tan two-tone Lincoln Mark VI Bill Blass Edition coupe with tan interior—$3,500
  • 1983 gold Chrysler LeBaron Mark Cross Edition convertible with a brown interior and 51,000 miles—$5,000
  • 1986 blue Jeep CJ-7 Renegade SUV with a black interior and 30,000 miles—$19,000

Friday:

  • 1985 red Peterbilt 359 Day Cab truck with a gray interior, air suspension, and 800,000 miles—$39,000
  • 1980 red BMW 320i coupe with tan interior and a five-speed manual transmission—$11,000
  • 1982 red Mercedes-Benz 380SL convertible with a tan interior and 32,000 miles—$15,000
  • 1989 black Toyota LJ-70 Land Cruiser with a blue interior, a  turbo-diesel, and a five-speed manual transmission—$9,500
  • 1980 gold Triumph TR8 mild custom convertible with a black interior and a five-speed manual transmission—$12,500 for what was probably the most interesting eighties car at this auction.
  • 1980 blue Jeep custom SUV with a black interior—$24,000
  • 1989 gray Mercedes-Benz 560SL convertible with a gray interior, hardtop, and  67,000 miles—$24,000
  • 1987 black Buick GNX coupe with a gray interior, the rare sunroof, and 48,000 miles—at $69,000, the highest eighties vehicle sale of the auction.
  • 1987 red Chevrolet Corvette Callaway coupe with a graphite interior, the Z52 suspension, and the correct Dymag wheels—$14,000
  • 1988 red Chevrolet Corvette Corvette Challenge race car (#36: Bill Cooper) with a black interior and 8,600 miles—$13,000. Will Corvette Challenge cars ever bring real money?

Saturday:

  • 1987 black with woodgrain side panels Jeep Grand Wagoneer SUV with a tan interior—$8,000
  • 1983 maroon Jeep Scrambler pickup truck—$19,000
  • 1984 silver/black two-tone Oldsmobile Hurst/Olds coupe with a red interior, those lightning rod shifters, and 688 miles—$32,000
  • 1988 red Cadillac Eldorado Designer Edition coupe with a tan interior and 13,000 miles—$10,500. These fairly unsuccessful ninth-generation Eldorados seem to have at least some fans.
  • 1989 red Mercedes-Benz 560SL convertible with a black interior and 72,000 miles—$19,500
  • 1985 gray Buick Riviera coupe with a gray interior and 5,000 miles—$15,500 is about $5,000 over what Hagerty thinks is all the money for an ’85 Riv non T-Type coupe.
  • 1987 white Buick Regal T-Type coupe with a blue interior and 17,000 miles—$23,000 for this unassuming looking car.
  • 1987 black Land Rover Defender custom SUV with a black interior, a turbo diesel, and a five-speed manual transmission—$33,000
  • 1985 gold Chevrolet C10 custom pickup truck with a tan interior and a 454 cubic inch V8—$16,000
  • 1983 red Porsche 911 convertible with a brown interior, a slant nose, a wide body, and 77,000 miles—$33,000

What do you think of this auction’s results?

1984 Buick Regal Grand National coupe

On a Sunday morning in July 2015, I saw a Buick Grand National actually being driven. The silhouette was distinctive, even from a quarter of a mile away. Strangely, they look tall and even a little bit fragile nowadays.

“The hottest Buick this side of a banked oval.”

1984 was the first year that Buick offered a Grand National package for the Regal. The Regal T Types had debuted in 1983, but the Grand National definitely kicked things up a notch.

The star was, of course, the engine. For 1984, Buick’s turbocharged LD5 3.8 liter/231 ci V6 gained sequential fuel injection, bumping horsepower up from 180 bhp to an even 200 bhp. Paired with a four-speed automatic transmission, 0-60 came in a little under 8 seconds. Mileage was 18 city/22 highway by the day’s standards (16/20 by 2025 measures). With an 18-gallon fuel tank, the Grand National‘s range was between 290 and 325 miles with a 10% fuel reserve.

1984 Buick Grand National advertisement
1984 Buick Grand National advertisement

Standard mechanical equipment on the $13,400 Grand National (about $42,400 in today’s dollars) included power brakes, power steering, dual exhausts, performance rear axle, Gran Touring suspension, and P215/65R15 blackwall tires (a size still readily available) on black-accented 15-inch aluminum wheels. A Grand National‘s exterior equipment included a turbo “power bulge” on the hood, dual mirrors, dual horns, front air dam, rear decklid spoiler, and that distinctive Black paint with black accents—responsible for the “Darth Buick” nickname. Air conditioning, Lear Siegler cloth/leather seats, a tachometer, a turbo boost gauge, and a leather-wrapped steering wheel were all included inside.

Options

Optional equipment included dual remote sport mirrors ($30), electric rear defogger ($140), touch climate control air conditioning ($150), tilt steering ($110), power windows ($185), Twilight Sentinel ($57), and electronic tuning AM/FM stereo radio with cassette and graphic equalizer ($605).

The View From 2025

Buick Regal Grand Nationals have what can only be called a fanatical following. According to Hagerty’s valuation tools, all the money for a 1984 Grand National in #1/Concours condition is an impressive $45,100, with a more normal #3/Good condition car going for $17,100. Grand Nationals frequently show up for sale in the Hemmings Motor News classifieds, on eBay Motors, and on Bring a Trailer. As I update this blog entry in April 2025, a 1986 Grand National with 1,706 miles is available on Hemmings, asking $78,500.

I don’t have to tell you what color I want mine in.

Other sporty eighties Buicks I have written about include the 1980 Riviera S TYPE coupe, the 1983 Skylark T TYPE coupe, the 1984 Riviera T TYPE coupe, the 1987 GNX coupe (of course!), the 1987 LeSabre T Type coupe, and the 1988 Reatta coupe.

Last updated April 2025.

1982 Chrysler LeBaron convertible

“No other car is causing so much excitement.”

The Chrysler LeBaron convertible was a mid-year introduction, becoming available in the spring of 1982. It was the first factory convertible from an American manufacturer available for sale in the United States since the 1976 Cadillac Eldorado.

All LeBarons were all-new for 1982. Based on the more plebeian Dodge Aries/Plymouth Reliant front-wheel-drive K cars that had been on sale for a year, the LeBaron (sometimes described as the Super-K) was a move at least slightly upmarket. Most exterior body panels were the same as the K. Notable styling differences were a waterfall-style grill (somewhat resembling that of the previous year’s rear-wheel-drive LeBaron), quad headlamps, relocation of the parking lamps and turn signals to the front bumper, and a full-width tail-lamp housing.

Chrysler used almost all of the standard K pieces inside the LeBaron. Recessed door handles and rocker type door locks were among the few changes, along with a different style of armrest and door pull. There was less vinyl trim, and the carpeting and other fabrics were of somewhat higher quality. A significant difference was the attention paid to noise, vibration, and harshness: between soundproofing, better parts, and suspension tuning, the LeBaron was upgraded from the base K in 26 separate ways.

Cars & Concepts in Brighton, Michigan heavily modified two-door LeBaron coupes on their way to becoming convertibles—the process included 32 steps. They installed a boxed-in backbone along the center of the car and welded a three-piece windshield header to the A-pillars. Next, Cars & Concepts installed new door glass and added door wedges. Finally, they added a new fiberglass panel to hold the rather small rear seats and mounted the convertible motor on the floor pan behind the rear bulkhead.

The convertible top itself had a plastic rear window and broad rear quarter panels; Car and Driver wrote that this created “a sort of Conestoga-wagon effect.” A button on the console actuated the top, and a padded top boot snapped into place when the top was lowered.

The base engine was a K 2.2 liter/135 ci inline four with a two-barrel Holley carburetor, producing 84 bhp. A two-barrel carburetted Mitsubishi G54B 2.6-liter/156 ci inline four with 92 bhp and 20 additional ft-lbs of torque was available for an added $171. Chrysler paired both engines with the TorqueFlite three-speed automatic transmission. Mileage with the base engine was 25 city/36 highway by the day’s standards. The optional engine was rated at 23 city/31 highway and brought the 0-60 time down from about 17 (aargh!) seconds to about 15 seconds.

1982 Chrysler LeBaron convertible advertisement
1982 Chrysler LeBaron convertible advertisement

The LeBaron convertible’s base price was $11,698 (about $40,100 in today’s dollars and about 44% more than the 1982 LeBaron coupe). Standard exterior and mechanical equipment included dual outside mirrors (borrowed from the Dodge Omni 024), power brakes, power rack-and-pinion steering, and P185/70R14 whitewall tires (a size still readily available, though finding whitewalls might be tricky) on 14-inch wheels. Inside, vinyl front bucket seats with a folding center armrest, a digital clock, and an AM radio were included. 76% of convertible drivers moved up to Medallion trim, which boosted the price to $13,998 (about $48,000 in 2025 dollars) and added halogen headlamps, better gauges, and snazzier wheel covers.

Packages, Options, & Production Numbers

The Mark Cross package cost an additional $861, moved the sticker to a non-trivial $14,859 (about $50,900 in today’s dollars), and added the 2.6-liter engine, air conditioning, power windows, power door locks, and attractive Mark Cross leather/vinyl seats. Other options included cornering lamps ($57), cast aluminum wheels ($344), automatic speed control ($155), and an AM/FM stereo radio with electronic tuning and cassette player ($455).

First-year sales of LeBaron convertible were a respectable 12,825, especially given the shortened year and the relatively high price. In a piece of general eighties trivia, the first commercial cell phone call in history was made from a LeBaron convertible in October 1983.

The View From 2025

These convertibles started Chrysler’s long tradition of making convertibles that might occasionally be sporty but were not sports cars—a market niche they exited in 2014 with the demise of the Chrysler 200 convertible. I still like what Chrysler was trying to do, and I appreciate how these cars look, at least with the top down.

These cars are being collected and shown—I see them often at AACA judging meets. You see them for sale in the Hemming’s Motor News classifieds, on eBay Motors, and on Bring a Trailer: as I update this blog entry in October 2025, there’s a Pearl White 1982 LeBaron with 68,000 miles for sale on Hemmings, asking $6,900.

Make mine Mahogany Metallic, please, with the Mark Cross package.

Other K cars I have written about include the 1981 Plymouth Reliant coupe, the 1985 Dodge 600 Club Coupe, the 1986 Chrysler Town & Country convertible, and the 1987 Dodge Aries LE sedan.

Last updated October 2025.

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1985 Chevrolet Caprice Classic Station Wagon

Originally posted on Independence Day 2015, here’s an all-American eighties wagon from forty years ago.

“Big wagon convenience that drives like a Caprice.”

1985 was a year of refinement for Chevrolet’s full-size wagon. The standard engine was Chevrolet’s LG4 5.0 liter/305 ci V8, newly uprated to 165 bhp but still struggling to haul around about two tons and eighteen feet of metal. Paired with a four-speed automatic transmission, fuel economy was 15 city/22 highway by the day’s standards (14/20 by today’s measures). With the 22-gallon gas tank (smaller in the wagon than in the coupe or sedan), the range was from 335 to 365 miles with a 10% reserve.

The full-size Chevrolet interior was also modernized for 1985, with an updated satin finish dash design that allowed for the use of more capable DIN style radios instead of the previous two-knob style.

Station wagon page from the 1985 Caprice Classic brochure
Station wagon page from the 1985 Caprice Classic brochure

Standard exterior and mechanical equipment on the $10,714 wagon (about $32,500 in today’s dollars) included power steering, power brakes (disk front/drum rear), a three-way tailgate with power window, heavy-duty front and rear suspension, a Delco Freedom II battery, full wheel covers, and white-striped P225/75R-15 all-season radial tires. Inside, Quiet Sound Group, a quartz electric clock, a headlamp-on reminder chime, a lockable glove box with light, a full-width front bench seat with center armrest, a third row seat, and an AM push-button radio with dual front speakers were all part of a base Caprice Classic wagon.

Options & Production Numbers

Exterior and mechanical options included Estate Equipment ($307), a roof carrier ($110), a rear air deflector ($40), a power tailgate lock ($50), a heavy duty battery ($26), heavy duty cooling ($40), an engine block heater ($20), cornering lamps ($55), and high and low beam halogen headlamps ($22).

Inside, buyers could add air conditioning ($730), electronic speed control ($175), a Comfortilt steering wheel ($110), power windows ($185), power door locks ($125), deluxe rear compartment decor ($59), and a GM-Delco ETR AM/FM stereo radio with seek and scan, cassette tape, clock, graphic equalizer and extended range sound system ($394).

Chevrolet sold almost 56,000 Caprice Classic wagons in the 1985 model year, marking about 21% of total full-size Impala/Caprice production.

The View From 2025

I sense that there actually are a few folks preserving these cars, but they certainly aren’t common at shows. You do sometimes see Caprice wagons for sale in the Hemming’s Motor News classifieds, on eBay Motors, and Bring a Trailer. As I update this blog post in August 2025, a Dark Blue Metallic 1989 wagon with dark blue cloth seats is listed for $16,000 on Hemmings.

Make mine that same Dark Blue Metallic, please.

Other B-platform cars I have written about include the 1983 Chevrolet Caprice Classic sedan, the 1987 Chevrolet Caprice Classic coupe, the 1982 Oldsmobile Delta 88 Royale coupe, and the 1983 Pontiac Parisienne sedan.

Last updated August 2025.