Here Are the 10 Best Vehicles of the 1980s (Says You)

Maybe it’s all that Smurf-Berry Crunch we had for breakfast—but we’ve been feeling a bit nostalgic for the 1980s lately.

So when the Summit Racing Facebook and Instagram pages posted the following question, we got more excited than Chunk watching an XJ Cherokee rip around the Goondocks.

What was the Best Vehicle Produced in the 1980s?

We immediately fired up the modem on our Atari 400 computer and began tabulating all of the reader contributions that poured in—and here’s how it shook out. Did we miss any? Let us know your thoughts in the comments section at the bottom of this article.

Note: Both the Chevy and Ford truck faithful weighed in with plenty of votes for the C/K- and F-Series. And while those no doubt are both awesome rigs, they essentially cancelled each other out, allowing us to focus on some more unique and obscure rides. So please F-150 and Squarebody folks, don’t be offended that we left you out here.

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10. Jeep CJ Series

First off, quite a few folks mentioned simply “Jeep CJ” without narrowing it down to a sub-model, so we lumped them all together here.

When the final Jeep CJs left the assembly line in Toledo, Ohio, they were fitted with a special “Last of a Great Breed” dash plaque to commemorate a CJ lineage that stretched back to World War II. That alone earns it a spot on the list, but toss in the fact that the 1980s gave us the iconic Jeep CJ-8 Scrambler truck models and it’s no brainer.

Daisy Duke and Dominic Santini approve.

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9. Dodge Omni GLH/GLH-S

What happened when Carroll Shelby got his hands on the humble Dodge Omni econobox? Well, we got the GLH “Goes Like Hell” and, a year later, the GLH-S “Goes Like Hell Some More” twins.

These turbocharged, intercooled hot hatches got a serious upgrade in the performance department and, thanks to aero and suspension enhancements (like Koni shocks), they became a fascinating entry in the Shelby catalog and some of the most potent sport compacts of the 1980s.

These humble Omnis could cut 14s in the quarter and dance over 130 mph—numbers pretty dang close to a contemporary Corvette.

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8. DeLorean DMC-12

Look, we honestly tried to avoid including a DeLorean on this list, as it’s kind of become a 1980s pop culture cliché—and anyone familiar with the car’s initial build quality would be hesitant to call it the best of anything.

But the sheer number of votes for the DMC-12 easily warranted its inclusion here.

Despite being saddled with a series of parts bin compromises and limited financial resources, there’s no denying that the ill-fated coupe was an extremely ambitious and innovative idea. From its stainless steel Giugiaro body to its iconic gull-wing doors, the DMC-12 is a gorgeous automobile and perhaps with a little more refinement (and a lot better business management) we might still be enjoying new DMC-series sports cars to this day.

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7. Ferrari F40

We had to check our collective watches for this one, because it seemed like the F40 was way more modern than this. But yup—a quick trip to the internet reveals that the iconic supercar from Maranello is an eighties baby, with production running from 1987 to 1992. In fact, the “40” part is a nod to the 40th anniversary of the Ferrari production cars.

While we already covered it in our last Top 10 List that counted down the Best Non-American Performance Cars, given the context of its 1980s contemporaries, it’s again worth revisiting how game-changing this car was.

Here are the Cliff Notes: It was a near-200 mph street car made using space-age composites—and is still dropping jaws to this day.

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6. Porsche 911

Just like the Jeep CJ at #10, the 1980s-edition 911s saw the end of a Porsche era that stretched back to the nameplate’s inception decades prior. Nicknamed the G-series thanks to its internal code name, the cars made between 1973 and 1989 carried on the legacy of the original 911, while adapting and evolving along with the entire automotive industry.

The high water mark was the fearsome turbocharged 930 models that were some of the fastest production cars on the planet—spawning the iconic Flachbau slant-nose cars in the process.

But c’mon, the car’s best claim to 1980s fame is when you’re racing down baddies in NARC, right?

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5. Chevy Camaro Z28 IROC-Z

Released in 1985 in conjunction with the Camaro’s role in the International Race of Champions series, the IROC-Z took the already formidable Z28 up a notch with an improved suspension and wheel package. It also hastened the arrival of the TPI 305 and, eventually, the TPI 350 plucked from the Corvette—which by the close of the decade was making around 240 hp in so-equipped Camaros

The IROC-Z trim proved so popular in fact, that it ultimately replaced the Z28 option altogether in 1988 and carried on until 1990 when the IROC-Z package was dropped. (The end of the IROC-Z was a result of the International Race of Champions series switching from the Camaro to the Dodge Daytona for the 1990 race season.)

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4. Nissan R32 Skyline

Released in 1989, the 8th-generation (R32) Skyline just barely sneaks in to the list here—but we’re glad it did. That’s because it was the R32 that returned the Skyline GT-R to its motorsports glory. Twin turbocharged and all-wheel drive, the R32 GT-R redefined the Japanese performance car and, due to homologation rules, a few lucky buyers were able to take a legit race car on the streets.

Thanks to its sheer dominance during the Japanese and Australian Touring Car championships, the R32 generation is what earned the GT-R the famous “Godzilla” nickname. Better still, though it was already well known on the international stage, the R32 would help sear the Skyline name into the minds of American gearheads because of its regular appearances in video games and movies.

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3. Volkswagen GTI

While Volkswagen almost singlehandedly established the Hot Hatch segment with the introduction of the GTI trim on the Golf/Rabbit back in the 1970s, the GTI really hit its stride during its second generation. Despite only making a tad north of 100 horsepower at its launch in 1983, the GTI’s lightweight chassis and nimble handling made it a more practical alternative to a two-seat roadster.

But perhaps more importantly, the Mk. 2 GTI represented Volkswagen’s continued emphasis on the sport compact market, a move that encouraged other automakers to enter the fray—for example the Honda CRX Si and the aforementioned Omni GLH.

In other words, cars like the GTI Mk. 2 ultimately set the stage for the explosion of the tuner scene of the 1990s.

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2. Ford Mustang Fox Body

Many enthusiasts view the Fox Body Mustang as God’s gift to the gearhead world—and we’re inclined to agree. When it debuted in 1979, the soon-to-be-ubiquitous Fox Body Mustang returned some welcome performance to Ford’s pony car.

With a 302 V8 up front, manual transmission, and a competent chassis, the new ‘Stang was a far cry from the compact car origins of the Mustang II. It wasn’t long before enthusiasts discovered that it was cheap, tunable, and seemingly infinitely upgradeable, which meant that pretty soon Foxes started winding up at dragstrips and road courses all over the United States.

And it wasn’t just gearheads that took notice, because the Fox Body drove the Mustang back into the pop culture spotlight, making fans like Vanilla Ice, Troy Perkins, and—our personal favorite—Missy Preston-Logan.

Indeed, Fox Mustangs crowded high school parking lots well into the 1990s and, now decades removed from its final production run, clean examples fetch a hefty sum.

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1. Buick Grand National/GNX

Honestly, compiling your votes for this Top 10 list was a lot tougher than we thought—except for the Number One slot.

…Whoa nelly, it wasn’t even close:

• “Best as far as factory fast, Grand National” – Dave T.
• “I hate to say it, Buick GN.” – Dan C.
• “Grand National or any of the 1984-87 turbo Regals.” – Jeremy W.
• “The GNX was king.” – Erick M.
• “G-body or nobody!” – Cory B.
• “Grand National by far.” – Scott M.
• “Grand National or T-Type.” – Cameron W.
• “GNX…Surprised the heck out of Corvette owners.” – Russ H.
• “1986-87 Grand National, or T-type.” – Bill G.
• “Buick Grand National and GNX.” – Tommy M.
• “Straight line acceleration from the factory…..GNX.” – Scott D.

From the Monte Carlo SS to the Grand Prix 2+2, it’s clear you folks like your GM G-Bodies. But you like ’em best when there’s a turbo V6 under the hood. And when it comes to the top dog of turbocharged Buicks, it’s gotta be the Grand National GNX.

Fun Fact: Not all G-body Buick Regal “T” coupes were turbocharged. This article will explain why.

Released in the final year of Grand National production, 1987 GNX models were tuned by ASC/McLaren to up the stock Grand National’s turbocharged 3.8L output to 275 horsepower. That number was definitely under-rated though, as later third-party testing showed it was way closer to 300 ponies.

That extra power allowed a GNX to bolt from zero to sixty in under five seconds—on par with a Ferrari Testarossa. For the quarter-mile, a GNX could dip into the 12s, which bested both the Ferrari F40 and Porsche 930—both cars that already made this list.

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Honorable Mention: 1983 Corvette

For whatever reason, quite a folks singled out a specific year when mentioning the Corvette: 1983.

So we dove into our research to find out more on this particular model. And we were surprised to not find much on the internet about it—despite uncovering plenty of specs on the 1982 and 1984 editions. You’d think such a popular car from such a major automaker would have copious amounts of information and resources available on it, but no dice.

Weird.

Regardless, the number of votes the 1983 Corvette got in the tallies meant it deserved a quick mention here.

Oh, and we couldn’t find a good photo of one either—so if you’ve got a 1983 Corvette in your garage, snap a picture and send it it us, will ya?

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So, what do you think of our list? Were there any snubs or do you think some of these here are over-rated? Give us an earful in the comments section below.