1986 Mercedes-Benz 560SEC coupe

Only a couple of blocks from my house at the time, I walked by a black 560SEC with a tan interior in really good condition in July 2015—a good enough reason as any to write this post.

“Bold lines which reflect the latest in motoring refinement.”

For 1986, Mercedes-Benz’s big W126 S-Class coupe gained an upgraded 238 bhp M117 5.5 liter/338 ci Bosch K-Jetronic fuel-injected V8 paired with a four-speed automatic transmission. The mid-cycle refresh also differed cosmetically from previous years with the addition of flush-face halogen headlamps and integral headlight wipers.

0-60 came in a sprightly 7.5 seconds in the 3,900-pound car while mileage was a predictably bad 14 city/16 highway by the day’s standards (12/15 by modern measures), which earned the 560SEC a $1,500 gas guzzler tax. With the relatively large 23.8-gallon fuel tank, range was between 290 and 320 miles with a 10% reserve.

Photo of a 560SEC on the streets of Bryn Mawr, PA
A 560SEC on the streets of Bryn Mawr, PA

The 1986 560SEC’s base price, including distribution and transportation, was an eye-watering $64,900—approximately $193,900 in today’s dollars, or about what a 2026 Mercedes-Benz AMG GT 63 coupe goes for. Standard exterior and mechanical equipment included halogen head lamps with washers and wipers, tinted glass, an electric sliding roof with a pop-up feature, four-wheel anti-lock disc brakes, and 215/65VR15 steel belted radial-ply tires on 15-inch “fifteen slot” light alloy wheels. Interior equipment included dual-stage heated front bucket seats, an electrically adjustable steering wheel, a driver’s side airbag, electronic automatic climate control (said to be less effective than you’d expect), cruise control, and a Becker Grand Prix AM/FM stereo radio with a cassette player and an automatic antenna.

Optional equipment included a power rear sun shade, a front passenger air bag, rear headrests ($245), and California emissions.

The View From 2025

There is decent club support for the 560SEC, as there is for almost all Mercedes-Benzes. According to Hagerty’s valuation tools, all the money for a 1986 Mercedes-Benz 560SEC in #1 condition is $117,000, with a more normal #3 condition car going for $24,900. 560SECs frequently show up for sale in the Hemmings Motor News classifieds, on eBay Motors, and on Bring a Trailer. As I update this post in December 2025, there’s a Black 560SEC with a black interior and 184,000 miles listed on Hemmings for $20,000.

Make mine Black Pearl Metallic, please.

Other Mercedes-Benz models I have written about include the 1980 450SL convertible, the 1981 380 SEL sedan, the 1985 380SL convertible, the 1985 300SD coupe, the 1986 560SL convertible, and the 1989 560SL convertible.

Last updated December 2025.

Eighties Vehicles at the 2015 Mecum Denver

Mecum’s two day June auction in Denver included a few cars and trucks 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 1985 blue Chevrolet Corvette GTP racing replica was bid up to $70,000) and add some of my opinions.

Friday:

  • 1987 red Pontiac Fiero SE coupe with five-speed manual transmission and V6—$3,000 hammer price.
  • 1988 red Chevrolet Silverado pickup truck—$3,000
  • 1982 burgundy Chevrolet Camaro Z28 coupe with 5.0 liter CrossFire V8—an ouch! at $2,750.
  • 1986 white Chevrolet Camaro IROC-Z coupe with 5.0 liter TPI V8 and 62,000 miles—$5,000
  • 1984 red Pontiac Firebird Trans Am coupe with the L69 HO engine and 10,000 miles—at $15,000, the first 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.
  • 1982 white Toyota FJ-62 Land Cruiser SUV—$8,000
  • 1987 blue two-tone GMC Caballero pickup truck with 90,000 miles—$6,000

Saturday:

  • 1987 black Buick Grand National coupe—$19,000
  • 1982 silver beige Chevrolet Corvette Collector Edition coupe with 46,000 miles—$15,000
  • 1989 red Porsche 911 Speedster convertible with 38,000 miles—at $165,000, by far the highest eighties vehicle sale of this auction.
  • 1984 white Porsche 928 coupe with 86,000 miles—$9,500
  • 1981 blue Chevrolet Camaro Z28 coupe with the 5.7 liter V8 and 77,000 miles—$7,500. According to Hagerty’s valuation tools, all the money for a 1981 Z28 in #1 condition is $27,700. The price paid for this car indicates that it is in #4 condition.
  • 1987 white Pontiac Firebird Trans Am GTA coupe with 61,000 miles—$6,500

What do you think of this auction’s results?

1981 Oldsmobile Cutlass Supreme coupe

 “America’s favorite Cutlass for flair, value and price”

For 1981, the exterior of Oldsmobile’s Cutlass Supreme coupe was substantially revised, with a lowered front, a slightly higher decklid, and quad headlamps. With the new styling, aerodynamic drag dropped by about 15%.

The standard engine remained the 110 bhp 3.8 liter/231 ci V6 with a Rochester M2ME two-barrel carburetor. The optional engines, a 4.3 liter/261 ci V8 with a Rochester M2MC two-barrel carburetor ($50) and a 5.7 liter/350 ci diesel V8 ($695!), both had (this makes no sense) five less horsepower than the V6. A three-speed automatic transmission was the only transmission available with any engine. Early eighties Cutlass Supremes were stylish but slow—0-60 came in about 14 seconds with the standard motor. Mileage with the V6 was 21 city/30 highway by the day’s standards (17/22 by today’s measures); with an 18.1-gallon gas tank, a Cutlass Supreme owner could expect a range of 320 to 370 miles with a 10% fuel reserve.

Cutlass Supreme page from the 1981 mid-size Oldsmobile brochure

Standard equipment on the $7,484 Cutlass Supreme (about $28,400 in today’s dollars) included power steering, power front disc brakes, and P195/75R14 steel-belted radial-ply blackwall tires (a size still reasonably available) on 14-inch wheels. Inside, a Custom Sport bench seat with a choice of vinyl or cloth, a Deluxe steering wheel, an instrument panel with simulated butterfly walnut veneer, and Flo-thru ventilation were included.

Moving up to the $7,969 Brougham added snazzier exterior moldings, full wheel discs, and a divided cloth velour tufted bench seat.

The $8,004 Cutlass Calais added special painted wheel discs, halogen high beam headlamps, a ride and handling package, reclining front bucket seats in cloth or vinyl, a Rallye gage instrument cluster, and a Custom Sport steering wheel.

Options & Production Numbers

Optional exterior and mechanical equipment included cast-aluminum wheels, tungsten halogen high beam headlamps, engine block heater, limited-slip differential, power antenna, dual sport mirrors, electric rear window defogger, and removable glass roof panels ($695). Inside, you could add either Four-Season or Tempmatic air conditioning, a Tilt-Away steering wheel, cruise control, power windows, power door locks, bucket seats, a digital or regular electric clock, and a series of radios.

The Cutlass Supreme sure was popular—Oldsmobile sold almost 189,000 of them in the 1981 model year along with another 94,000 Cutlass Supreme Brougham coupes for a total of over a quarter of a million. Olds made it well known that the Cutlass brand overall continued to be the most popular car in the United States.

The View From 2025

5,000 views graphic

A few folks are collecting these cars, but they still aren’t common at shows. You do see fourth-generation Cutlass Supremes for sale in the Hemming’s Motor News classifieds, on eBay Motors, and on Bring a Trailer, though non-Hurst/Olds or 4-4-2 versions are relatively rare.

Make mine Dark Blue Metallic, please.

Among the many rear-wheel-drive G-platform (designated A-platform before 1982) cars I have written about are the 1980 Oldsmobile Cutlass coupe, the 1980 Pontiac Grand Am coupe, the 1980 Pontiac Grand Prix SJ coupe, the 1981 Chevrolet Monte Carlo Sport Coupe, the 1983 Chevrolet Malibu sedan, the 1983 Monte Carlo SS Sport Coupe, the 1984 Buick Regal Grand National coupe, the 1985 Oldsmobile Cutlass Supreme coupe, the 1987 Buick GNX coupe, and the 1987 Pontiac Grand Prix coupe.

Last updated June 2025.

1988 Porsche 944 hatchback coupe

In the summer of 2015, I was out in the Philadelphia suburbs picking up some hoagies (known as subs or heros to a good portion of the rest of the country). A young man parked next to me in a black Porsche 944. As we waited for our sandwiches to be made, he told me that his family had recently picked up the car, that it was quite original, that it had only about 50,000 miles, and that it was a 1988.

“Driving in its finest form”

For the 1988 model year, the 944 stood mostly pat. The engine continued to be the 147 bhp 2.5 liter/151 ci inline four with port fuel injection, paired with either a standard five-speed manual transmission or an optional three-speed automatic transmission.

0-60 with the manual transmission was about 8.5 seconds in the 2,800-pound car, while mileage was 20 city/28 highway by the day’s standards (18/26 by modern measures). With a 21.1-gallon gas tank, range was an impressive 420 to 455 miles with a 10% fuel reserve.

Standard exterior and mechanical equipment on the $31,650 car (about $87,600 in 2025 dollars) included pop-up halogen headlights, an integral front air dam, power rack and pinion steering, vented disc brakes, and 215/60VR15 tires (a size still readily available) on 15-inch cast alloy wheels. Inside, all 944s came with air conditioning, a leather sport steering wheel, a digital quartz clock, power windows, and an electric rear window defroster.

Options included anti-lock brakes, automatic cruise control, a tilting sunroof, sports seats, front heated seats, driver and passenger airbags, and a selection of Blaupunkt digital cassette radios.

The View From 2025

There is good club support for the Porsche 944, as there is for all Porsches. According to Hagerty’s valuation tools, all the money for a 1988 Porsche 944 in #1/Concours condition is $37,500, with a more normal #3/Good condition car going for $11,500. Porsche 944s often appear for sale in the Hemmings Motor News classifieds, on eBay Motors, and on Bring a Trailer. As I update this blog entry in March 2025, a Black 1988 with the manual, black leather seats, and 85,000 miles is available on Hemmings, asking $37,900.

Make mine Zermatt Silver Metallic, please.

Other eighties Porsches I have written about include the 1982 928 hatchback coupe, the 1982 Porsche 924 Turbo hatchback coupe, the 1985 911 Carrera Cabriolet, the 1986 944 Turbo hatchback coupe, and the 1987 911 3.2 Carrera coupe.

Last updated April 2025.

Eighties Vehicles at the 2015 Mecum Seattle

Mecum’s short two day June auction in Seattle included a few cars and trucks 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 1989 Lamborghini Countach 25th Anniversary Edition coupe with 24,000 miles was bid up to $200,000) and add some of my opinions. Where I have covered the specific year and model of a car in this blog, I link to it.

Friday:

  • 1980 black Pontiac Firebird Trans Am coupe—at a $13,000 hammer price, the first vehicle in this auction is also the first 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.
  • 1984 silver Jeep Scrambler custom pickup truck—$18,500
  • 1987 gray Jaguar XJ6 Vanden Plas sedan—$6,500
  • 1981 yellow Chevrolet K10 custom pickup truck—$19,500
  • 1989 white Chevrolet Silverado pickup truck—an ouch! at $5,500.
  • 1982 silver Porsche-based Alfa Romeo replica roadster with no door handles or windshield wipers—$23,000
  • 1989 blue Ford Bronco SUV—$7,500

Saturday:

  • 1986 white Jeep Grand Wagoneer SUV—$26,000
  • 1980 red Ferrari 308 GTSi coupe—$54,000. According to Hagerty’s valuation tools, all the money for a 1980 GTSi in #1 condition is $63,600.
  • 1988 red Porsche 930 Turbo coupe—at $57,500, the highest eighties vehicle sale of this auction, but not quite covering the original sticker price.

What do you think of this auction’s results?

1988 Cadillac Cimarron sedan

This afternoon I was walking in the University City portion of Philadelphia and I saw a later Cadillac Cimarron driving towards me in surprisingly good shape. As good a reason as any to finally complete this blog entry.

“… built for those who consider driving a sporty pastime.”

It is an article of faith in the automotive world that General Motors often finally gets a car right just before killing it. Examples that spring to mind are the last of the Pontiac Fieros and the last of the Cadillac Allantés. However, in the case of the Cadillac Cimarron, all GM was able to do was make it less awful and embarrassing.

The only engine available for 1988 was the 125 bhp LB6 2.8 liter/173 ci V6 with multi-port fuel injection. When paired with the standard five-speed manual transmission, mileage was 20 city/29 highway by the standards of the day (18/27 by today’s standards). A three-speed automatic transmission was optional and rated at 20 city/27 highway. 0-60 in the 2,800-pound car came in about 9.5 seconds with the manual transmission and about 10.5 seconds with the automatic transmission.

The $16,071 base price (about $33,500 in today’s dollars) included standard exterior and mechanical features such as power brakes, power steering, power mirrors, intermittent windshield wipers, and 13-inch aluminum wheels. Air conditioning, leather seating areas, a leather steering wheel, a tachometer, and an AM/FM stereo radio with four speakers were all standard in the interior.

Options included a sunroof, cruise control, power door locks, power windows, six-way power seat, tilt steering wheel, and the Delco-GM Bose Symphony Sound System.

Exterior styling that was at least somewhat more differentiated from the Chevrolet Cavalier sedan than the earliest Cimmarons had been. A more aggressive and distinctive grille had been added in 1984, the front end had been lengthened in 1985, and ribbed lower body cladding had appeared in 1986.

Cimarron pages from the 1988 Cadillac brochure

By 1988, sales of the Cimarron had completely collapsed. After a first year peak of almost 26,000 unit sold in the 1982 model year, sales dropped to a sad 6,454 in the Cimarron’s final model year.

I have yet to see a Cimarron at a serious antique car show—they’re treated by Cadillac folks like Ford folks treat the Mustang II from the 1970s—but I’m betting some intrepid soul will save one and bring it back for judging. You occasionally see them for sale in the Hemming’s Motor News classifieds and on eBay Motors: as I write this in June 2015, there’s a Glacier Blue 1987 Cimarron with a Dark Blue leather interior and 11,300 miles listed on Hemmings for $14,900.

1980 Chevrolet Corvette coupe

“How many other cars can you name at a single glance?”

For the 1980 model year, Chevrolet stylists substantially redesigned the Corvette’s long-running “shark” body style for the third time since its debut in the 1968 model year. The front and rear bumper caps were modified with integrated spoilers that decreased the drag coefficient by 14% to 0.443. Chevrolet engineers also managed to remove 167 pounds of curb weight from the Corvette by reducing the thickness of body panels and using aluminum for more parts. For the first time, air conditioning was standard—it had been an option since 1963. Power windows were also newly standard equipment.

There were two engine options for all states but California, both 5.7 liter/350 ci small blocks with four-barrel carburetors: the standard 190 bhp L48 and the optional ($595) 230 bhp L82. The four-speed manual transmission was only available with the L48—the L82 and the California-only 180 bhp 5.0 liter/305 ci LG4 could only be combined with the three-speed automatic transmission. With the relatively rare (about 12% of production) L82 and automatic transmission combination, Car and Driver recorded a 0-60 time of 7.6 seconds and a top speed of 123 mph.

Fuel economy was 14 city/20 highway by the day’s standards with either 350 ci and either transmission. With a 24.1-gallon gas tank, a Corvette’s proud new owner could expect a range of 300 to 330 miles.

1980 Chevrolet Corvette brochure cover
Cover of the 1980 Chevrolet Corvette brochure

The Corvette’s base was $13,140.24 at the beginning of the model year—about $56,400 in 2025 dollars, which is about 20% less than a 2025 Corvette Stingray coupe costs. Corvette buyers got removable roof panels, power-operated retractable headlights, a Delco Freedom battery, four-wheel power disc brakes, power steering, dual remote-control sport mirrors, a choice of transmissions, and P225/70R15 steel-belted radial-ply tires (a size still readily available) on 15-inch wheels. Inside, air conditioning, power windows, a tilt-telescopic steering column, an electric clock, an AM/FM radio, cut-pile carpeting, and a choice of either cloth/vinyl or leather/vinyl bucket seats were all standard.

Options, Production Numbers, & Reviews

Exterior and mechanical options included aluminum wheels ($407), P255/60R15 tires ($426), and a power antenna ($56). Inside, buyers could add power door locks ($140), cruise control ($123), rear window defogger ($109), and dual rear speakers ($52). 1980 would be the last year that the AM/FM stereo radio with 8-track player ($155) would be more popular than the AM/FM stereo radio with cassette player ($173).

The redesign probably kept Corvette sales from dropping as much as they otherwise would have, but they were still off more than 13,000 units from 1979 as the shark aged. The tagline for Car and Driver‘s review of the 1980 Corvette was “America’s only sports car, but that doesn’t excuse everything.”

The View From 2025

There is strong club support for the 1980 Corvette, as there is for all Corvettes. According to Hagerty’s valuation tools, a loaded 1980 Corvette with the L82 engine in #1/Concours condition is $38,100, with a more normal L48-engined car in number #3/Good condition going for $14,900.

1980 Corvettes often appear in the Hemming’s Motor News classifieds (Hemmings currently has twenty for sale), on eBay Motors, and on Bring a Trailer. They are also frequently seen at in-person auctions such as Barrett-Jackson and Mecum. As I update this post in August 2025, a Dark Claret Metallic one with the L82, oyster leather seats, and 28,000 miles is available on Hemmings, asking $19,000.

Make mine White with red leather seats, please—the “heritage” colors.

Other third-generation Corvettes I have written about include the 1981 coupe and the 1982 coupe. 1980 Chevrolet models include the Camaro Rally Sport coupe, the Camaro Z28 coupe, the Citation hatchback sedan, and the Monza Sport 2+2 hatchback coupe.

Last updated August 2025.

Eighties Cars At The 2015 Auctions America Auburn Spring

Auctions America’s spring 2015 auction at Auburn completed on May 9th. I’ll concentrate on the 1980s cars and trucks that actually sold (remember that this is not an all no reserve auction—a red 1988 Porsche 930 Turbo Cabriolet was bid up to $65,000) and add some of my opinions.

Friday:

  • 1980 yellow Dodge Omni 024 DeTomaso hatchback with four-speed manual transmission—$200 hammer price for this truly sad looking car.
  • 1987 black/silver two-tone Shelby CSX hatchback with five-speed manual transmission—$250
  • 1981 silver Dodge Omni 024 DeTomaso hatchback with four-speed manual transmission—$400
  • 1982 blue/silver two-tone Dodge Shelby Charger prototype drag car with supercharger and four-speed manual transmission sold on bill of sale—$200
  • 1985 black Dodge Omni GLH hatchback with five-speed manual transmission—$550
  • 1987 blue/silver two-tone Buick Riviera T-Type coupe—an ouch! at $200; they were a hundred times that when new.
  • 1983 red Dodge Shelby Charger race car sold on bill of sale—$550
  • 1984 white Dodge Daytona race car sold on bill of sale—$500
  • 1989 red Plymouth Sundance RS Turbo hatchback—$450
  • 1989 red Shelby CSX hatchback with five-speed manual transmission—$3,700
  • 1986 silver Buick Skyhawk T-Type hatchback with five-speed manual transmission—$500 for one of the semi-forgotten T-Types.
  • 1983 gold Plymouth Turismo hatchback with five-speed manual transmission—$650
  • 1987 red Dodge Shelby Lancer hatchback—$1,800
  • 1980 red/black two-tone Dodge Omni 024 DeTomaso hatchback with four-speed manual transmission—$325
  • 1983 silver Dodge Charger hatchback—$1,900
  • 1987 black Dodge Shelby Charger GLHS hatchback with five-speed manual transmission—$1,000
  • 1986 blue Dodge Omni GLH hatchback with turbocharged engine and five-speed manual transmission—$1,400
  • 1981 red/black two-tone Dodge Omni 024 Charger hatchback with four-speed manual transmission—$900
  • 1983 white Dodge Shelby Charger race car sold on bill of sale—$2,300
  • 1986 yellow Chevrolet Camaro IROC-Z custom hatchback—$6,300
  • 1984 silver Mercedes-Benz 380SL convertible—$4,900
  • 1984 tan/brown two-tone Ford Bronco XLT SUV with 22,000 miles—at $15,000 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 mark these vehicles with bold green.
  • 1980 brown Jeep CJ5 Wrangler Renegade SUV with four-speed manual transmission $18,000
  • 1984 gray Avanti coupe—$10,000
  • 1988 white Rolls-Royce Silver Spur sedan—$13,000
  • 1984 gray Buick LeSabre Limited coupe—$3,500
  • 1982 red Mercedes-Benz 380SL convertible—$8,250
  • 1981 blue Mercedes-Benz 380SLC coupe—$3,100
  • 1985 red Porsche 944 custom hatchback with five-speed manual transmission—$6,250

Saturday:

  • 1983 gray Oldsmobile Cutlass Supreme sedan—$2,400
  • 1984 silver Dodge Shelby Charger hatchback—$4,000
  • 1985 black Chevrolet Corvette mild custom hatchback—$4,250
  • 1986 black Dodge Omni GLHS hatchback with 9,000 miles—$15,000
  • 1989 red Shelby CSX hatchback with five-speed manual transmission and 46,000 miles—$4,400
  • 1986 black Dodge Omni GLHS hatchback—$8,600
  • 1988 blue Jeep Wagoneer Limited SUV—$12,750
  • 1982 white Ferrari 308 GTBi coupe—$53,000
  • 1987 black Buick GNX coupe with 119 miles—at $100,000, by far the highest eighties vehicle sale of this auction.

This auction was most notable for the incredible profusion of 1980s front-wheel drive Mopar sporty cars—some really nice, some really ratty.

What do you think of this auction’s results?

1987 Chevrolet Chevette CS hatchback sedan

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

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

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

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

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

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

Options & Production Numbers

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

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

The View From 2025

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

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

Last updated April 2025.

Eighties Vehicles at the 2015 Mecum Indianapolis

Mecum’s May Original Spring Classic auction in Indianapolis completed on May 16th. I’ll concentrate on the 1980s cars and trucks that actually sold (remember that this is not an all no reserve auction—a black 1989 Porsche 911 Speedster convertible with 13,000 miles was bid up to $220,000) and add some of my opinions.

Tuesday:

  • 1981 red Asve convertible—$4,500 hammer price for this “neo-classic” with 2.3 liter Ford engine (and an embarrassing start for eighties cars in this auction).
  • 1984 orange Ford Mustang very custom coupe—$5,750
  • 1988 dark red Chevrolet Corvette coupe with 89,000 miles—$7,000
  • 1987 red Mercedes-Benz 560SL convertible—$8,500
  • 1988 red Pontiac Fiero Formula coupe with 50,000 miles—$7,000
  • 1985 red Pontiac Fiero coupe with 20,000 miles—$5,250
  • 1982 white Chevrolet Corvette coupe—$12,000
  • 1986 white Chevrolet Monte Carlo SS custom coupe—an ouch! at $4,500.
  • 1986 white Porsche 928S coupe—$7,000

Wednesday

  • 1986 black Rolls-Royce Silver Spur sedan with 50,000 miles—$11,500
  • 1987 red Chevrolet Corvette convertible—$8,000
  • 1988 green Jeep Wrangler SUV—$12,500
  • 1986 tan Rolls-Royce Silver Spur sedan—$16,000
  • 1988 red Dodge Daytona Shelby Z hatchback with 79,000 miles—$4,250 for what may have been the most unexpected eighties car at this auction.
  • 1982 silver/charcoal two-tone Chevrolet Corvette coupe with 32,000 miles—$12,000
  • 1985 black Chevrolet Monte Carlo SS very custom coupe—$16,500
  • 1987 black Buick Regal T-Type coupe with 45,000 miles—at $16,000 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 mark these vehicles with bold green.
  • 1986 red Chevrolet C10 very custom pickup—$10,500
  • 1987 black Chevrolet Corvette Callaway coupe with 59,000 miles—at $7,250, a car that got absolutely killed by some really beat up exterior paint.
  • 1989 blue/silver two-tone Ford Bronco SUV with 66,000 miles—$8,000

Thursday:

  • 1985 orange/beige two-tone Chevrolet C10 custom pickup with 65,000 miles—$7,500
  • 1980 brown Porsche 911SC coupe—$25,500
  • 1985 white Chevrolet Monte Carlo SS coupe with 12,000 miles—$17,000 shows that stock wins, at least this time.
  • 1985 black Ford Explorer pickup with 850 miles—$30,000
  • 1982 silver beige Chevrolet Corvette Collector’s Edition coupe with 247 miles—$27,000
  • 1982 silver beige Chevrolet Corvette Collector’s Edition coupe with 17,000 miles—$17,000
  • 1988 white Chevrolet Corvette Callaway 35th Anniversary Edition coupe with 430 miles—at $61,000, the highest eighties vehicle sale at this auction.
  • 1984 silver Rolls-Royce Silver Spur sedan—$18,000

Friday:

Saturday:

  • 1988 red Cadillac Allante convertible—$7,000
  • 1987 black Buick Grand National coupe with 20,000 miles—$24,000
  • 1989 white Pontiac Firebird 20th Anniversary Turbo Trans Am coupe with 743 miles—$42,000
  • 1985 red Chevrolet Camaro IROC-Z coupe with 14,000 miles—$14,000
  • 1983 beige Rolls-Royce Corniche convertible with 11,000 miles—$47,000

I felt that there wasn’t a lot of money in the room at this auction, especially in the first few days — there were a ton of no sales. Things definitely picked up from Thursday on.

What do you think of this auction’s results?