Fiat Strada : 1979

1979 Fiat Strada

The 1979 Fiat Strada was one of seventy designs considered. It was available with a 1300cc or 1500cc engine, a four or five speed or automatic transmission and even a three door version. Even the most basic model came with an FM Stereo, front and rear seats belts, rear wash and wipe and wrap-around bumpers. Prices ranged from £3,044 to £3,742 and got up to 56 MPG.

1979 Fiat Strada

Talbot Sunbeam Lotus : 1980

1980 Talbot Sunbeam Lotus

The 1980 Talbot Sunbeam Lotus had a 2.2 liter Lotus engine linked to a 5-speed gearbox. It had an output of 150 BHP with acceleration of 0-60 in up to 8 seconds and a top speed of 122 MPH. It also offered room for four passengers and with the rear seats fully folded down, it had an amazing 42.7 cubic feet of luggage space.

1980 Talbot Sunbeam Lotus

MG Maestro : 1986

1986 MG Maestro

If you wanted raw excitement, then the 1986 MG Maestro was for you. It was propelled by its electronically fuel injected 2.0 liter O-series engine, it could reach 60 MPH in 8.5 seconds and reach speeds of up to 115 MPH. The Maestro’s seats were trimmed in standard MG grey with red piping and included features such as central door locks, tinted glass, a 3-band stereo radio cassette with four speakers, variable delay and programmed wash/wipe and most distinctively an ergonomically designed one-piece fascia. All this, and it got 47.4 MPG at an MSRP of £8,399.

1986 MG Maestro

Vauxhall Cavalier SRi 130 MK2 : 1987

1987 Vauxhall Cavalier SRi 130 MK2

The 1987 Vauxhall Cavalier SRi 130 MK2 had a 2.0 liter fuel injected engine, controlled by the Bosch Motronic management system which monitored injection and ignition timing 400 times a second. This high compression unit produced 130 HP making it the most powerful Cavalier to date. It was front wheel drive and came with alloy wheels and low profile tires. It also boasted a superb security coded 4-speaker stereo radio/cassette. It had an MSRP of £10,740.

1987 Vauxhall Cavalier SRi 130 MK2

Jaguar XJ-S Lynx Eventer : 1989

1989 Jaguar XJ-S Lynx Eventer

I have no idea how many Jaguar XJ-S Lynx Eventers were produced, but in 1989 the Lynx Cars Limited company of England did just that. A very rare bird that was available in both a 3.6 or 5.3 liter version.

1989 Jaguar XJ-S Lynx Eventer

FSO Polonez : 1980

1980 FSO Polonez

1980 FSO 5-door, 5-seat hatchback Polonez featured a rigid passenger safety compartment with front and rear crumple zones and impact absorbing bumpers with protective side strips. It had a 1,481 cc engine with a top speed of 94 MPH. Other features included Dunlop radial tires, independent suspension, servo assisted disc brakes on all wheels, brake system failure warning lights, adjustable head restraints, adjustable rake steering column, twin front halogen headlights, rear high-intensity fog-lamps, reversing lights, rear wash/wipe, childproof rear door locks, 2-speed wipe/electric wash, hazard warning lights, rear hatchback remote opening, rear luggage compartment cover, heated rear window, quartz clock, lockable fuel cap, mud flaps, laminated windscreen, flow through ventilation and a glove compartment light. all for an MSRP of £3,375.

1980 FSO Polonez

1980 FSO Polonez

 

Reliant Scimitar GTE : 1970

1970 Reliant Scimitar GTE

The 3 liter,V6 that had a top speed of 120 MPH in the Gran Turismo styled, lightweight fiberglass bodied 1970 Reliant Scimitar GTE is the reason for the three jets in this image I suppose. It was available in a manual or automatic and had a starting MRSP of just £1,875. Pretty cool looking little ride.

1970 Reliant Scimitar GTE

Ford Escort RS Turbo S1 : 1985

1985 Ford Escort RS Turbo S1

The 1985 Ford Escort RS Turbo S1 was developed by Ford‘s Special Vehicle engineers. At the heart of this car is a 1600cc fuel-injected engine complete with intercooler Garrett T3 turbocharger. It generates 132 PS which is transmitted to the front wheels by a close ratio 5-speed gearbox and limited split differential. As a result, the RS Turbo accelerate from 0-60 in 8.2 seconds with a maximum speed of 125 MPH. To handle this performance, the brakes were upgrade, the suspension was both stiffened and lowered and the wide alloy wheels wore ultra-low profile tires. It even had standard Recaro seats.

1985 Ford Escort RS Turbo S1

Vauxhall Nova Sport : 1985

1985 Vauxhall Nova Sport

Even the red, yellow and red stripe on the hood and rear of this Limited Edition of 500, 1985 Vauxhall Nova Sport was cool. But don’t be deceived by the pristine appearance, with its 5J rims and low profile tires, color-coded flush wheel trims and stiffened suspension , its 1.3 liter engine delivered 93 HP making it more than a passing resemblance to the car that contested the “up to 1300cc class” of the Group A British Open Rally Championship. It has a top speed of 112 MPH with a 0-60 time of 8.9 seconds.

1985 Vauxhall Nova Sport

Vauxhall Cavalier : 1982

1982 Vauxhall Cavalier

The 1982 Vauxhall Cavalier ‘s model range included a front wheel drive 1.3, 1.6 and a rear wheel drive 1.6L. They all had a inline 4 cylinder engine, but the 1598 cc in the 1.6 developed 90 HP. A 4-speed manual was standard, but there was an option for a 5-speed in the GLS only. It had front independent MacPerson struts, coil springs and stabiliser bar and rear torsion bean axle, semi trailing arms and stabiliser bar. Other standard features included servo disc/drum brakes, rack and pinion steering, This 2,282 pound hatchback had a top speed of 102 MPH with a 0-60 rating of 12.1 seconds. It had a fuel economy rating of 46.3 MPG.

1982 Vauxhall Cavalier

1982 Vauxhall Cavalier

 

Austin-Rover Metro : 1985

1985 Austin-Rover Metro

The overall length of the 1985 Austin-Rover Metro was 11’2″, making it a very agile hatchback. But it also had a wide track, which made it more stable than other cars in its class. The low profile tires plus rack and pinion steering made it light and precise. It had outstanding all-around visibility at 88% and the aerodynamically designed hood sloped down for an even better view of the road. With its back seats down, there was an enormous 33.8 cubic feet of storage, and a full tank of gas would take to 400 miles. The MRSP for the 1.3 Metro was £6,384. It made it Britain’s best selling car.

1985 Austin-Rover Metro

Nissan Micra Colette : 1986

1986 Nissan Colette

The 1986 Nissan Micra Colette was light on your purse but full of luxury features such as push-button LW/MW radio, quartz clock, reclining front seats, intermittent wipers, rear wash wipe, hinged rear side windows, halogen headlights and a heated rear window, to name a few. Further raising the “value” bar, it also added luxury seat upholstery, adjustable head restraints, elegant wheel trims, a “Collete” badge, body side pinstripe and the option of two-tone paint. All that in a car that would take you from 0-60 in 16.5 seconds and yet offer fuel consumption of 56.5 MPG and cruising speed and 44.1 MPG around town. Nissan even offered a 6-year anti corrosion warranty and a 3-year/100,000 mille warranty. It had an MSRP of £4,699.

1986 Nissan Micra Colette

Hyundai Pony : 1986

1986 Hyundai Pony

The 1986 Hyundai Pony was a fraction longer than the Ford Escort, and this made the “surprisingly spacious little thoroughbred” behave beautifully, at least according to Hyundai. Its most appealing standard features on the 1.5 GLS were front-wheel drive, a five-speed gearbox, four-speaker radio-cassette and split folding rear seats. It had an MSRP of £4,500.

1986 Hyundai Pony

Volkswagen GTi Callaway Turbo : 1985

1985 Volkswagen GTi Callaway Turbo

I don’t think there is anyone out there who doesn’t like, no LOVE, the GTi. If you are out there, then this is the car that will flip you. It is a 1985 Volkswagen GTi Callaway Turbo. It was built by Marketing Corporation of America in Royal Oak, Michigan at the request of Mike Kaptuch of Volkswagen of America with the goal of creating a performance image for Volkswagen in the United States. Together, they contacted Callaway to be a part of this build and they agreed. AutoWeek Magazine heard what they were doing and the editor then, Richard Hinson, contacted Marketing Corporation of America and asked if they could have the car first for a cover story. They said yes and thus began a great adventure with this car.

1985 Volkswagen GTi Callaway Turbo