8 cult trophies of the 1980s

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In fact, most of the Alfa coupés were called the Alfetta GT, then just the GT – because who could afford the 158 hp six-cylinder GTV or GTV 6? But the GTV brilliance infected all the better siblings from 1974 to 1986 – and so the rear-wheel drive coupe lasted for twelve years. The very plastic facelift of 1980 (pictured is the US version) can’t hurt this timeless beauty. 1994’s successor, GTV, never filled the void left by the icon.

No, it’s not a Quattro: we’re deliberately showing a completely normal Audi coupe based on the Audi 80. Because today we are smiling about 75 to 130 hp. But the coupe-based original Quattro (162 – 530 hp) made a small rally car out of each coupe – that’s how the good coupe looked like the “real” Quattro. The coupe abruptly made its debut VW subsidiary Audi, thanks to Mercedes, which was very popular from 1980 to 1988.

This coupé career type of the 1970s almost ruined the next decade for itself: 1968’s Capri I, which led the coupé segment as a baby Mustang more than any other car, was followed by the conservative Capri II (1974) like the project name. “Diana”. Ford realized the mistake and upgraded it to the “Carla” popularly known as the “Capri III” in 1978: All accessory catalogs lived up to 70 to 188 hp by 1986, making countless spoiler kits move off-road.

No, not all coupes here quite fit the list: the Mazda 929 coupe would be too big, the Peugeot 504 coupe would be too noble – and the first Honda CRX as a hot Civic was less of one of the first small models than a classic bourgeois coupe. race cakes. But so be it: The 825-pound, 3.75-foot-tall, 100-horsepower dwarf captured our hearts from 1983 to 1987. Five gears and a digital quartz clock as standard – yes, great! The CRX modernized the entire sports segment.

“Is there a manta in front of the university?” – The shortest joke about the foxtail turning into a chariot testifies to the defiant pride of those who own it and the ridicule of others. Folklore about the tuner’s favorite from the famous films “Manta, Manta” has long been a cult. Based on Ascona, Manta B was a real hit from 1975 to 1988. Not to be forgotten is the Manta 400, almost a rally car for the road. By the way, the name Manta comes from General Motors’ sister company Chevrolet and Corvette Stingray (for “stingray” in English): Manta stingrays also belong to the genus Rays.

At least visually it had fuego (Spanish for fire). When the tech sibling of the well-behaved R18 arrived in 1980, the coupé topped European bestseller lists. and in Germany the “Golden Steering Wheel” award, which is otherwise notoriously awarded to locals. We owe the 64 hp to the 132 hp Fuego the unlock remote control and the audio control satellites on the steering wheel. It was 1986 in Europe, it wasn’t until 1992 in South America.

For example, the Honda Prelude or Mitsubishi Cordia was dominated by the Celica among Japanese cars, which despite good sales never quite achieved: Toyota still focused on having fun rather than saving, while the last Celica with rear-wheel drive was a sale. It was a hit from 1982 to 1985 and created a fan base. The 170 hp optically independent top-of-the-line Celica Supra (pictured) fueled the dreams of buyers of the more benign 68 hp Celicas. Then there was front-wheel drive, the Supra became its own model.

The Scirocco illustrates today’s coupe dilemma: Audience “Please build it!” she shouts. But then the Golf GTI was bought because it was more practical. This is what has happened since 2008, when the Scirocco III, the new version of the warm Saharan wind, failed. The 1981 Scirocco II (pictured) was already in trouble: VW had made it more expensive than the Scirocco I, the coupé boom was slowly fading, and the overly bold advertising slogan was “Excitingly sensible!” it already says it all. But it remains immortal because Aston Martin fitted Scirocco taillights to the 1990 Virage.

Source: Blick