The Sorry State of Affairs in Automobilia in the 1970s, 80s and 90s

[Max Rockatansky]

Some new/old videos from Motor Week.

1992 Cadillac Eldorado with the 4.9L Cadillac L26 V8:

1994 BMW 840Ci...the V8 edition:

[Max Rockatansky]

For some reason GM and Ford seemed to have an obsession with trying to make Pony Cars FWD...

RCR Stories on John DeLorean:

[Takumi]

Toyota. Century.
https://youtu.be/6IZNSaVOM3s

[Henry]

Cadillac Cutlass Calais:

[PHLBOS]

For some reason GM and Ford seemed to have an obsession with trying to make Pony Cars FWD...

That's because, it was thought that the price of gasoline would reach $3-5/gallon by 1990; and the Feds would likely increase the CAFE figure even higher than 27.5 mpg before 1990.  Needless to say, both did not happen then (though the latter would happen after 2007).

What finally convinced Ford to back-off on a FWD Mustang was the backlash/public outcry they received from current and/or Mustang owners/loyalists (this was pre-internet/social media) when word got out about a proposed Mazda-designed FWD coupe slated to be the would-be successor to the Fox-bodied Mustang.  Since the FWD coupe was well in the pipeline, it was released as the Probe instead and the older Mustang continued for four more years unchanged.  Such was the reason why the Mustang's 25th Anniversary went largely ignored by Ford.

Had the Probe indeed become the Mustang; the 'Stang would've wound up dead after 1997 (when the Probe was killed off).

[J N Winkler]

Toyota. Century.

With those fender mirrors it is like watching Triple Cross again.

[Takumi]

Toyota. Century.

With those fender mirrors it is like watching Triple Cross again.

The design is based off the original Century, which was released in the late 1960s, when fender mirrors were very popular in Japan. The original version had a V8, while the V12 version was released in 1997. So far the first two RCR New Zealand videos have been of large RWD Toyota sedans; a third, the Chaser (a newer version of what we once got as the Cressida) has been confirmed.

[Max Rockatansky]

For some reason GM and Ford seemed to have an obsession with trying to make Pony Cars FWD...

That's because, it was thought that the price of gasoline would reach $3-5/gallon by 1990; and the Feds would likely increase the CAFE figure even higher than 27.5 mpg before 1990.  Needless to say, both did not happen then (though the latter would happen after 2007).

What finally convinced Ford to back-off on a FWD Mustang was the backlash/public outcry they received from current and/or Mustang owners/loyalists (this was pre-internet/social media) when word got out about a proposed Mazda-designed FWD coupe slated to be the would-be successor to the Fox-bodied Mustang.  Since the FWD coupe was well in the pipeline, it was released as the Probe instead and the older Mustang continued for four more years unchanged.  Such was the reason why the Mustang's 25th Anniversary went largely ignored by Ford.

Had the Probe indeed become the Mustang; the 'Stang would've wound up dead after 1997 (when the Probe was killed off).

I remember the push for a FWD Mustang, the backlash was absolutely brutal.  The push at the time was for FWD cars in general by pretty much every automaker.  The general public was eating FWDs up in the 1980s because of the economy and general perception (at least in the Mid-West) that they were far safer to drive in the winter.  Ironically you don't really tend to hear the flak about K-Body cars anymore that was kind of popular in car circles about 10 years ago.  For what its worth Chrysler certainly had a workable FWD platform that had some decent performance for the time, I'm sure GM and Ford took notice when it came to the F-Body cars/Mustang.

[PHLBOS]

The push at the time was for FWD cars in general by pretty much every automaker.  The general public was eating FWDs up in the 1980s because of the economy and general perception (at least in the Mid-West) that they were far safer to drive in the winter.  Ironically you don't really tend to hear the flak about K-Body cars anymore that was kind of popular in car circles about 10 years ago.  For what its worth Chrysler certainly had a workable FWD platform that had some decent performance for the time, I'm sure GM and Ford took notice when it came to the F-Body cars/Mustang.

Which performance-oriented K bodied-cars are you referring to?  The Omni 024/Horizon TC3 (later rebadged as Chargers & Turismos/Dusters) coupes were on the smaller L-body platform.

And one possible reason why one doesn't hear the flak (your word) anymore about those cars is many of them are probably junked by now.

[bugo]

There were lots of turbo K-cars including the Dodge Daytona and the Chrysler Laser.

[renegade]

There were lots of turbo K-cars including the Dodge Daytona and the Chrysler Laser.

The Daytona and Laser were G-body cars, which were derived from the K-body platform.

[PHLBOS]

There were lots of turbo K-cars including the Dodge Daytona and the Chrysler Laser.

The Daytona and Laser were G-body cars, which were derived from the K-body platform.

One doesn't those around anymore; yet one can still occasionally see a Camaro or Mustang from that era in the wild.

[bugo]

Yes, but they were basically K-platform cars.

[PHLBOS]

Yes, but they were basically K-platform cars.

K-car derived, yes.  Actually called K-car, no. 

Case-and-point: the RWD M-bodies ('77-'81 LeBaron, '82 New Yorker Fifth Avenue, '83-'89 Fifth Avenue, Diplomat (all vintages), '77-'81 Caravelle (Canada only), '82-'89 Gran Fury) were more directly derived from the F-body (Aspen/Volare) platform but the M-bodies were never referred to as the F-bodies despite their similarities.

[bugo]

Weren't the Aspen/Volare descendants of the downsized 1962 B body Plymouth and Dodge?

[PHLBOS]

Weren't the Aspen/Volare descendants of the downsized 1962 B body Plymouth and Dodge?

I have not heard nor have any knowledge of such.  The F-bodies ultimately replaced the A-bodied Dart & Valiant.

[bugo]

Actually I think you're right. It appears that the 1962-vintage B body platform was last used in 1978.

[PHLBOS]

Actually I think you're right. It appears that the 1962-vintage B body platform was last used in 1978.

1979; the Chrysler Cordoba & Dodge Magnum XE used that platform a year longer than its other mid-size companions.

[Takumi]

One of the coolest, rarest cars of the 80s, the 1989 Toyota Soarer Aerocabin. The Soarer was, essentially, a more luxurious Supra, and the first two generations (1981-1990) were sold only in Japan. The third and fourth generations were sold in North America as the Lexus SC from 1991 to 2010. There were only 500 Aerocabins made.
https://youtu.be/69Xxkknz_L8

[Henry]

There were lots of turbo K-cars including the Dodge Daytona and the Chrysler Laser.

The Daytona and Laser were G-body cars, which were derived from the K-body platform.

Were there any known plans to apply the Challenger name to what eventually became the Daytona? I wouldn't be surprised, considering that the Mustang and Camaro were rumored to switch to FWD at some point in that era.

As for my latest contribution to this thread, let's go back to Japan for another forgotten 80s relic, the Datsun/Nissan Pulsar NX, which was slotted below the 200SX and 300ZX:

[PHLBOS]

Were there any known plans to apply the Challenger name to what eventually became the Daytona? I wouldn't be surprised, considering that the Mustang and Camaro were rumored to switch to FWD at some point in that era

Although not FWD-based, and many Challenger enthusiast/purists would like to forget that this car ever existed (at least with a "Challenger" badge), a much smaller Challenger did exist in the form a badge-engineered Mitsubishi Galant Lambda from 1978-1983.  Its Plymouth-badged counterpart was the Sapporo. 

The discontinuation of the Mitsubishi-based Challenger/Sapporo likely coincided with the 1984 model year launch of the earlier-mentioned G-bodied Daytona/Laser.

[Henry]

Since Renault and Nissan are set to merge, here's the French automaker's last foray into the American market, the AMC-built Alliance, Encore and GTA:

[Max Rockatansky]

The C5 is still one of my favorite Corvette designs, especially the fixed roof version that the Z06 had:

I miss the pop-up headlights, I thought it always gave the Corvette a unique look that other sports cars didn't have.

I'm not sure why Ford didn't stick with this version of the 4.6 Modular in the Mustang GT the rest of the SN95 run,  The two valve per cylinder 4.6 was a complete dog for a SOHC engine and couldn't compete with the LT1 or LS1:

[Henry]

I miss the pop-up headlights, I thought it always gave the Corvette a unique look that other sports cars didn't have.

Not entirely true; there are other sports cars from the era that had pop-up headlights, such as the Pontiac Sunbird GT, Fiero and Firebird, Dodge Daytona/Chrysler Conquest, Dodge Stealth/Mitsubishi 3000GT, Ford Probe, Mazda Miata, Honda Prelude, Nissan Pulsar NX, 240SX and 300ZX, Toyota Celica, Supra, MR2 and Corolla GT-S, Subaru XT, Lamborghini Countach and Diablo, all Ferrari models, BMW 8 Series and Porsche 944, to name a few.

[Max Rockatansky]

I miss the pop-up headlights, I thought it always gave the Corvette a unique look that other sports cars didn't have.

Not entirely true; there are other sports cars from the era that had pop-up headlights, such as the Pontiac Sunbird GT, Fiero and Firebird, Dodge Daytona/Chrysler Conquest, Dodge Stealth/Mitsubishi 3000GT, Ford Probe, Mazda Miata, Honda Prelude, Nissan Pulsar NX, 240SX and 300ZX, Toyota Celica, Supra, MR2 and Corolla GT-S, Subaru XT, Lamborghini Countach and Diablo, all Ferrari models, BMW 8 Series and Porsche 944, to name a few.

Fair enough, it still is kind of irksome (at least to me) that a styling cue that was present back to the C2 was removed for the C6.  Come to think of it wasn't there some sort of safety regulation that was involved in the pop-up headlight virtually going extinct?   I want to say 1997 was the year GM started daytime headlights?  I remember there used to be commercials about "your lights are on"  for GM vehicles around that time.