We just love hatchbacks.
The 1982 Mitsubishi Mirage II Panther was described as “the hatchback that handles like a sports car” with its 1410cc overhead can engine with electronic ignition. It achieved quick and quiet acceleration from 0-60 in 8.7 seconds. Engineered features included front wheel drive, rack and pinion steering, fully independent suspension, power assisted from disc brakes and radial or steel belted tires. (image source: John Lloyd)
1982 Mitsubishi Mirage II Panther
Due to significant engineering breakthroughs, the 1980 Austin Metro was designed to g0 12,000 or one full year between services of any kind. Each car had brake pad sensors to let you know when to change the pads. Self cleaning sliding contact points are standard, as was a long-life battery which only needed topping once a year.
An enlarged oil filter element and long-life spark plugs which did not need cleaning were standard as well.
With its new A-Plus engine and refined, positive gear box, the Metro delivered great performance and great economy. The 1.3 HLS topped 96 MPH and had a 0-60 time of 12.3 seconds. The HLE achieved a 62 MPH rating at 50 MPH and an astonoshing 83 MPG at 30 MPH.
In the interior, the asymmetric Split-Action rear seat is split one third/two thirds making it uniquely versatile. When both seats are folded down, you have 45.7 cubic feet of load space. It had better visibility with its huge glass area and the doors were extra wide so getting in and out was easy. It had a stating MSRP of £3,095
1980 Austin Metro
The Peugeot 205 was first available as a GTI in 1984 and was initially powered by a 4 cylinder, 1580cc, 1.6 petrol engine. It had an MSRP of £7,145.
1984 Peugeot 205 GTi
In 1989 Volkswagen created the Golf Rallye, the car featured four-wheel-drive with a heavily revised supercharged 1.8 engine. The Rallye has a top speed of 130 mph and 0-60 mph in 7.6 seconds. The engine produces 160 bhp at 5600 rpm due to the compression ratio of 8:1 and maximum supercharged boost pressure of 0.56 bar.
The Rallye sits on 6Jx15 multi-spoke alloy wheels, shod in 205/50VR-15 tyres. The car has a similar suspension set up to the 16-valve, except that the springs and shock absorbers have higher damping rates and stronger anti-roll bars. The bodywork was improved with redesigned front and rear bumpers with deaper aprons, the legendary steel box arches and rectangular head lights incorporated in a three-bar grille.
Only 5071 Rallyes were built and less than 70 were officially imported into the UK. Many on the Continent had basic GTI spec interiors, however most of the UK ones had ‘Lux Specification’ half-leather, electric windows and sunroof. (source: 4 Star Classics)
1990 Volkswagen Golf Rallye
1990 Volkswagen Golf Rallye
1990 Volkswagen Golf Rallye
The 1984 Honda Accord had style, per for,acne and power. It had a 1.6 liter engine for the deluxe models and a 1.8 liter for the Executives – both with a 12-valve crossflow that had 3 valves per cylinder giving it greater efficiency, more lively performance and all-around economy. Transmission options included either a 5-speed manual gearbox or a 4-speed fully automatic unit including overdrive, with an advanced direct-drive-lock-up clutch for an extremely smooth drive. Its concealed wipers, an upswept tailgate and an agresive slant nose gave it slippery aerodynamic lines.
1984 Honda Accord
The 1700cc Renault 11 TXE had a brand new and more powerful 1761 cc engine mated to a 5-speed manual gearbox that produced 80 BHP reaching a iximim of 106 MPH that got an amazing 54.3 MPG. It came with 175/70 SR 13 tires, front fog lamp and headlight wash, electric front windows, rear wiper, central door locking with remote control, mono trace front seats, folding plot rear seats, alloy wheels and side bump shields, all for just £6,100.
1981 Renault 11 1700cc TXE
The 1984 Vauxhall Nova RS took 10.6 seconds to get from 0-60 MPH and had a top speed of 103. It has a 1.3 liter OHC engine that produced 70 HP and was linked to a 5-speed manual gearbox. With its upgraded suspension, low profile tires and a pair of purposeful spoilers, it had a fairly enjoyable ride.
1984 Vauxhall Nova RS
The Mk1 Ford Fiesta XR2 (with the round headlights) was launched in 1982 and featured a 1.6 liter engine that gave it a 0–60 time in 9.3 seconds with a maximum speed of 105 mph.
1981 Ford Fiesta MK1 XR2
Ford Fiesta MK1 XR2 logo
$5,499 was a down payment for most cars but for the 1989 Hyundai Excel, it was the MSRP and came with more standard features than any other car in its class. Like reclining bucket seats, plush cut-pile carpeting and five all-season steel belted radials. Plus, it had front wheel drive and room for five adults. It even came with free membership to the Cross Country Motor Club and a 36-month/36,000 mile bumper-to-bumper limited warranty with no deductible.
1989 Hyundai Excel
The 1983 Honda Accord had a lower front for less wind resistance with its retractable headlights. It had a larger 2-liter engine with revised mounts to absorb vibrations. It had a unique double wishbone suspension system never before used on a front-wheel drive car. Despite its lower roofline, the interior had more headroom and the rear seatbacks split vertically for versatility with 37% more cargo area and had a rigid cargo area cover. The steering wheel adjusts, panel switches worked with a touch and a new front seat offered better support. It even had a quartz digital clock.
1983 Honda Accord
The 1988 Seat Ibiza was designed by Giugiaro and the cage of the body shell was designed by Karmann. It offered either a 1.2 or 1.5 liter 4-cylinder Porsche engine mated to a 5-speed manual gearbox. The Ibiza’s longer wheelbase made it easier to corner and hug the road in a surefooted yet exciting manner. Every Ibiza, from the Designer 900 to the 1.5 GLX had a one year mechanical warranty plus the unique Seat Secure Road Rescue Service. Prices ranged from £4,660 for the Designer 900 3-door hatchback (below) to £7,215 for the 1.5 GLX 5-door hatchback. It was such a hit for the brand that What Car magazine voted the 1.5 GLX “Overall Best Car”.
1988 Seat Ibiza
The totally redesigned 1989 Dodge Colt GT Turbo was named by Car & Driver magazine as one of the top 10 best cars of the year. Performance enhancements included a turbocharged 16-valve< DOHC 1.6 liter engine, power rack and pinion steering, power 4-wheel disc brakes, taut sports suspension, performance radials, a super slippery new profile and more spunk than a lot of high ticket turbos. Enhancements were also made inside. The Colt GT ample elbow room, comfortable sports bucket seats, a telescopic tilt steering wheel, an ergonomically advanced interior, and impressive dash graphics and instrumentation. It came with a 3-year Bumper-to-Bumper warranty.
1989 Dodge Colt GT Turbo
The basics of the 1977 Ford Fiesta S were that it was a three-door hatchback with folding rear seats, a transverse engine and front wheel drive. Nothing new. But Ford’s point of difference was a better engineered car. A car that would work better without making it more complicated. Because the simpler a car is, the less it costs to own. All in one safe handling, lots of space and remarkable economy. Some of the features that contributed to the Fiesta’s roadholding, handling and stopping power were their Negative Scrub Steering Geometry which helped counteract a car’s natural tendency to swerve one way or the other under heavy braking. So it helped you stop in a straight line in emergencies. The other was Diagonally Linked Dual Circuit Brakes, which meant that if one circuit should fail you’d still have braking at both ends of the car.
There was more legroom in the back of a Fiesta than any other comparable car, and while it was only a matter of a few inches, Ford made it feel bigger that it really was by, for example, making the rook pillars much slimmer with deep windows. This made the car feel light and airy inside. The total glass area was no less that 25 square feet and this gave it a 390 degree of all-round vision. With the back seats folded down, there was 42.6 cubic feet of luggage space. The back hatch door was assisted by twin gas struts and open to the floor level, eliminating the need to lift a load over a high sill.
Fuel consumption figures were 35.8 MPG for the 1100cc models and 41.5 MPG for the 950cc 40 BHP models. To reduce ownership costs even further, Ford simplified servicing by lowering labour saving tasks, some of which included self-adjusting clutch, self-adjusting brakes, maintenance free wheel bearings and “lube for life” suspension and steering. And, since electrical systems were the single biggest cause of breakdowns, Ford reduced the number of connections to a bare minimum by using a printed circuit instrument cluster.
You would also find a surprising amount of space under the hood which made everything ver accessible for those who like to do their own maintenance… you can get to all the parts without skinning you knuckles.
The same attention went to the body work, which was treated with phosphate that inhibits rust. The entire body was then immersed in primer which was applied electrostatically. Then, after a second primer, it got four coats of tough acrylic paint for a really durable finish.
To quote AutoCar “As a piece of Ford thoroughness the Fiesta is perhaps their most impressive car yet. The Fiesta S had 53 BHP, reached a maximum speed of 90 MPH and had an MSRP of £2,360.
1977 Ford Fiesta S
The 1982 Hyundai Pony was powered by a 1200cc Mitsubishi engine but was also available with a 1400cc manual or a 1400cc automatic. It has a 12-month unlimited warranty and a 6-year anti corrosion guarranty. It had a starting price of £3,117.
1982 Hyundai Pony
The 1990 Skoda Favorit was rated as one of the top 10 cars of 1990 by the Guild of Motoring Writers. It was designed by Bertone of Italy, with British and German engineering input The result was this sleek but spacious 5-door hatchback with a 1300 cc engine and a five speed manual gearbox. It included front and back head restraints and had a selling price of £4,997. If that’s not good enough, it achieved an impressive 53.3 MPG.
1990 Skoda Favorit