25 star cars of 1984

25 cars that gave us more in 1984

The mid-1980s was an exciting time in motoring history.

New models from many European and US manufacturers were regaining much of the excitement and desirability that had often been misplaced in the previous decade, plus the hot hatch had come of age and was taking the world by storm.

Traditional sports cars got new twists, with mid-engine layouts and turbocharged motors, while the more practical two-door coupé was still going strong.

Four-wheel drive, made sexy by Audi’s Ur quattro, was being disseminated into all manner of weird and wonderful machines (Panda 4x4 anyone?), plus, 40 years ago, the SUV as we know it had only just started its decades-long trend of selling by the boat load.

So, without further ado, here – in alphabetical order – are some of the more intriguing cars to appear in 1984.

1. Alfa Romeo GTV 3-litre (SA)

South African car enthusiasts are often treated to more exciting machines that are usually denied to other markets.

European Ford fans, for example, have frequently looked with envious eyes at Capris or Sierras with V8 engines (more on the latter soon). But Alfa Romeo fanciers have also had reason to turn green on occasion.

Arguably the most coveted of South African Alfas is the 3-litre, homologation-special version of the Alfetta GTV.

The story goes that Alfa SA was struggling to keep pace with BMW’s 3.5-litre 5 Series in local Group 1 Touring Car racing.

The 2.5-litre Alfetta GTV had the chassis needed to be competitive, but apparently lacked the outright firepower.

Hearing of a 3-litre version of the famous Busso V6 – developed by Alfa Romeo’s racing partner Autodelta – Alfa SA ordered this monster engine and dropped it into the GTV.

The resulting 3-litre Alfetta coupé proved immediately dominant in its inaugural competition, the two-hour Kyalami endurance race in late September 1983, locking out the front two rows.

A few months later, in 1984, a fortunate 220 South African Alfa Romeo customers got to buy their own 3-litre GTVs.

2. Alpine Renault GTA 

The Alpine GTA was an extraordinarily slippery sports GT, its composite bodywork boasting a class-leading 0.28Cd drag coefficient.

The GTA made the most of its unremarkable PRV V6 engine, turbocharging it from 1985.

Although outright pace was never what Alpine was all about – think of the Dieppe firm as essentially a French Lotus – even the naturally aspirated GTA could nevertheless still knock on the door of 150mph (the ’85 Turbo cracked 155mph).

Just 649 right-hand drive GTAs were made with 6642 in its native left-hand-drive configuration.

3. Audi 200/5000 Avant 

Taking the C3 100 as its base, Audi made another bold venture into the premium-estate market with the 200 Avant.

The market for posh wagons had traditionally been dominated by Volvo and Mercedes-Benz, but as Audi was making great strides in this era, it saw those European contemporaries as fair game.

There had been bootless Audis before, but few were as specifically targeted at the well-heeled customer quite like the C3 200 Avant.

Exclusively powered by Ingolstadt’s ubiquitous five-cylinder engine range and bristling with executive toys, there was an awful lot to like about the 200.

4. Austin Montego

Coming off the back of the frankly awful (for British car production) 1970s, British Leyland needed a modern replacement for the pretty tepid Morris Ital and Austin Ambassador.

Against the likes of the Vauxhall Cavalier and Ford Sierra, BL had to produce something far more impressive, which it managed with the Austin Montego.

The industrial strife of the previous decade delayed the Montego’s introduction, but with its eventual arrival – after seven years of development delay – in April 1984, the BL range now boasted a much more contemporary line-up.

5. Bentley Continental

The legendary Bentley moniker ‘Continental’ first appeared in 1952, quickly coming to epitomise the ultimate in coachbuilt luxury.

By the 1980s, the name had lost a little of its appeal, but was still one of the most respected four-seater convertibles on sale.

Crafted from the bones of the 1971 Corniche – itself a development of the 1966 T-series – the ‘new’ Continental for the mid-1980s had to receive substantial reinforcement to its underside to make up for its lack of a roof.

Styling and tech touches for this generation included body-coloured bumpers, radiator slats and mirrors, as well as new instruments and adjustable lumbar support for the front seats.

Its venerable Rolls-Royce 6.75-litre V8 engine gained fuel injection from 1987, not that it did much to cure the Continental’s prodigious thirst for petrol.

6. Chevrolet Corvette (C4)

Due to delays in parts stalling the Chevrolet Corvette, it skipped the 1983 model year, with 1984’s C4 production starting in 1983 instead.

Always marketed as the ‘1984 Corvette’, we think that justifies its place on this list. This generation of ’Vette got a totally new chassis and a host of tech that helped redefine America’s sports car.

Its designers and engineers embraced modern materials and processes that were becoming more widespread in the automotive sphere during the mid-1980s.

Some engine components were made from magnesium, while the suspension control arms were forged aluminium.

7. Ferrari GTO

Planned with an eye on Group B GT racing, the limited run of 200 GTOs – required for homologation – quickly found themselves with nowhere to compete.

Ferrari needn’t have worried, though. The run was soon increased to 272, all of which sold out before production had even finished.

Customers welcomed the return of both the GTO moniker – made famous for its turn on the 250 of the 1960s – but also the low-volume production of the past, further enhancing the exclusivity of the Prancing Horse brand.

To the casual observer, the 288GTO, as it was also, unofficially, known, looked very similar to its far more common 308 cousin, but looks, in this instance, were highly deceptive.

The GTO’s mostly composite bodywork covered a longer wheelbase than the 308’s.

Although both cars were V8 powered, the GTO’s motor was a longitudinally mounted, 2855cc, 7.6:1 compression beast, fed boost by two IHI turbos that at 0.8 bar made a claimed 394bhp at 7000rpm.

8. Ferrari Testarossa

In terms of desirability, Ferrari’s range of 1980s offerings was almost unbeatable.

The (288)GTO, 308 and Testarossa might even have adorned more bedroom walls than any other cars – and more so than many heart throbs.

Ferrari likely hasn’t enjoyed the same cultural impact since.

The Testarossa seemed wild back then, with its low-slung, slatted silhouette demanding your attention, backed up by genuine 180mph performance from a flat-12 engine with just as much character as the car’s outrageous styling.

It might look tame by modern standards, but it was anything but, back in 1984. An unforgettable (in white) turn in Miami Vice only helped to further cement the Ferrari Testarossa’s legend.

9. Ford Bronco II 

The original go-anywhere Ford Bronco captured the imaginations and hearts of America’s outdoor types.

Here was a truly utilitarian vehicle with which to conquer the land of the free. In a lot of commercials it’s seen climbing crests, fording rivers and ploughing snow.

To say it was a hit would be to massively undersell the impact of the more than quarter of a million Ford Bronco Is made between 1966 and 1977. 

For the 1984 model year, Ford introduced the smaller, ‘lifestyle’ SUV Bronco II, not to be confused with the second-generation full-size Bronco introduced in 1978.

With its reduced stature and engine, 1984’s new Bronco was pitched at suburban America, where occasional off-roading likely took the form of an epic adventure across some grass to the local baseball field.

Based on the Ranger platform, introduced the year before, and powered by Ford Europe’s ‘Cologne’ V6 engine, found in contemporary Capris, today we’d call the Bronco II a crossover, rather than a fully fledged off-roader, but that merely foresaw the hugely popular motoring market segment.

10. Ford RS 200

Group B rallying had a tragic and turbulent history, yet it remains something of a golden era.

The lure of building a rally car to challenge for dominance in this hugely competitive sport proved appealing to many, Ford perhaps chief among them.

The Blue Oval had a reputation for rally success to uphold, even if it had been struggling in the four-wheel-drive, turbocharged era.

The Ford RS 200 was devised to cure this, and take the fight to Peugeot and Lancia in particular.

To satisfy homologation regulations, 200 roadgoing models had to be made.

The glassfibre (rather than composite) road cars were assembled at the Reliant factory but, rumour has it, Ford had to refinish them at Boreham, before sending them to customers.

11. Ford Sierra XR8

When Europe wanted a go-faster competition Sierra it added a turbocharger. When South Africa did the same, it decided to drop the 302cu in Windsor V8 from the Mustang under the bonnet.

That’s just how that territory deals with upping performance and, we have to say, we’re also big fans of the no-replacement-for-displacement theory.

Being outgunned by the 3-litre Alfa Romeo GTV, as we mentioned earlier, and similarly brawny BMWs, Ford South Africa needed to up the competitiveness of its Sierra on the race track, and the easiest and most cost-effective way to do that was to cram in the biggest engine on the shelf.

The rest of the XR8 was suitably tweaked, too, with revised bodywork at the front – to help cool that big V8 – plus suspension modifications to cope with the added weight and performance.

Just 250 roadgoing XR8s were made, making this one of the rarest performance Fords out there.

12. Holden Commodore (VK)

Based on the Opel Rekord Series E (Vauxhall Carlton in the UK), this generation of executive saloon was designed to compete with native rivals from Audi and BMW.

Its role in Australia was somewhat different, because the Commodore traditionally locked horns with the Ford Falcon in that territory’s infamous motorsport competition, the Australian Touring Car Championship.

It was also an endurance favourite with the 1000km battle at Bathurst going to GM in the VK’s inaugural year, thanks to drivers Peter Brock and Larry Perkins.

Other than being a serious circuit racer, the VK Commodore was also a hugely versatile and popular model (135,707 made up to 1986), with engines including a 1.9-litre four-cylinder, 3.3-litre straight-six, and 4.9- and 5-liter Holden V8s.

13. Lancia Thema

Did you know that Rowan Atkinson once owned a Lancia Thema? Naturally, it was the Ferrari-powered 8.32, but that still counts.

That same range-topping Lancia grabs what few bylines are directed at the Thema, of course, but that doesn’t mean the rest of the range isn’t worthy.

Its Type Four saloon platform was a co-development between Fiat, Alfa Romeo, Lancia and Saab, with all the above firms looking to develop a mid-size executive saloon around the same time.

The Thema’s basic architecture was therefore very similar to that of the Alfa Romeo 164, Fiat Croma and Saab 9000.

The Thema’s crisp styling sprung from the pen of Giorgetto Giugiaro, while at Ital Design, giving Lancia’s range-topper contemporary looks and keeping it fresh into the mid-1990s.

Not only was the Thema famous for boasting a Ferrari heart, its ‘lesser’ 1995cc ‘Lampredi’ twin-cam four-cylinder unit also formed the basis for the Lancia Delta Integrale’s multiple rally-winning engine.

14. Mercedes-Benz E-Class (124)

You might think that EVs are the answer to the climate crisis, but we think there might be another solution… Everyone gets a Mercedes-Benz 124!

We jest, of course, but seriously, this mid-size executive classic car does make a very good case for being the only model range anyone will ever need.

Its build quality, comfort and legendary reliability have been tested to the extreme for decades, with numerous examples reaching sky-high mileages while undertaking taxi services in some of the most extreme parts of the globe.

The E-Class that carries the 124 chassis code was introduced in 1984 and benefited to a great degree from the extraordinary expense spent developing its little sibling, the W201 190, launched two years before.

For example, both cars share the same multi-link rear-suspension design and several engines.

15. Opel Kadett E (Vauxhall Astra Mk2)

In the era when a 0-60mph time under 10 secs was considered brisk, the 7.7 it took the top-flight Opel Kadett E GSi (Vauxhall Astra GTE in the UK) to reach the same mph milestone was borderline ridiculous, especially for a hot hatch – that controversy came a bit later, in 1988, the regular Kadett E having first broken cover in 1984.

Straight-line speed wasn’t the Kadett’s only trick, though.

It displayed enough talent to scoop the 1984 European Car of the Year award, and went on to sell a whopping 3.75 million units by 1995; a third apparently badged as Vauxhalls. 

The practical, fun-to-drive, affordable and economical ‘world’ car struck a chord with buyers, whatever the region.

It was sold as the Kadett in its native Germany, Astra (Mk2) in the UK, Opel Monza in South Africa, Chevrolet Kadett/Ipanema in Brazil, Pontiac LeMans in the USA, Daewoo Cielo in South Korea and Passport Optima in Canada – and we’re pretty sure there are even more we’ve missed…

16. Pontiac Fiero

The fuel crises of the 1970s shocked American car makers to the core.

For much of the industry’s existence, fuel economy had been about as far down the priority list as it was possible to place it, yet suddenly, overnight, it became the number-one concern.

Plenty of automotive horrors were created in the interim as manufacturers tried to make their gas guzzlers more efficient, but some economy machines were actually pretty good.

The Porsche 924/944 was the poster child of the era and sold extremely well, prompting a slew of copycat highly efficient (alleged) sports cars.

One such machine was the Pontiac Fiero, though its mid-engine layout meant it was at least trying harder than Mazda with its RX-7 not to make a Porsche-a-like.

The ‘Iron Duke’ engine powering the Fiero wasn’t exactly frugal, and the new model was plagued by teething problems, but underneath it all was a sound little sports car that sadly ceased production before reaching its true potential.

17. Renault Espace 

Rarely do vehicles come along that foresee and propagate an entirely new automotive trend.

Though the Renault Espace was hardly the first people carrier – they’d arguably been around since the 1950s (if you include the VW Type 2 Transporter) – it was the versatility of the new Renault that truly set it apart.

Seats could be swung around, turned into tables or removed entirely, giving the Espace owner the ability to carry seven in comfort, move house or have a roadside picnic, all at will.

Families all over the world loved the versatility of Matra’s innovative design.

The Espace was originally conceived to usurp the Matra Rancho as that firm’s family leisure vehicle, but priorities changed and the Simca co-developed Espace prototype was instead offered to Renault. 

The Espace was so radical that it took a while to catch on, Renault allegedly selling just nine in its first month on sale, but soon after, the MPV concept took off and it’s one that’s still with us today.

18. Seat Ibiza (Mk1)

The first-generation Seat Ibiza might look like a fairly neat but thoroughly conventional ‘Euro box’ from the mid-1980s, but even being considered in the same company as the Volkswagen Polo, Fiat Panda or Ford Fiesta was an enormous leap forward for the Spanish maker.

The Ibiza was the first Seat to sell more than a million units (1,342,001 built to 1993), its Giorgetto Giugiaro lines clearly striking a chord with cost-conscious European buyers.

Even back before it was absorbed into the Volkswagen Audi Group, Seat had looked to German firms for development and engineering expertise.

The Ibiza was apparently prepared for production by Osnabrück-based coachbuilder Karmann, with Porsche also having a hand in the development of the cylinder head for the range-topping, 1.5-litre ‘System Porsche’ Ibiza.

19. Škoda Rapid (130) 

Autocar & Motor once famously put the Škoda Rapid on its cover, stating that it ‘handles like a Porsche’ and is ‘more fun than a GTI’.

While that’s likely taking things a little too far for a coupé that took 14 secs to get to 60mph and topped out at a modest 95mph, there was, nonetheless, no denying how much fun these cars were to chuck about.

The Porsche 911-like layout of engine out back driving the rear wheels certainly helped, but the Rapid was also quite a handsome machine.

Finding a good one these days, however, is quite the challenge.

20. Toyota Land Cruiser (J70)

Toyota’s preamble for its first ‘full model change’ in 29 years was suitably modest and typically Japanese, by which we mean it was almost entirely devoid of marketing hyperbole.

Its November 1984 press release simply stated the Land Cruiser 70 series as ‘Meeting diversifying needs in the 4WD vehicle market’.

What that meant was that the off-roader was no longer the sole preserve of the military or farming crowd, with more and more ‘lifestyle’ 4x4s coming to market in the 1980s.

Many of these came from Japanese makers such as Nissan with its Patrol, Mitsubishi with the Shogun and Isuzu the Trooper.

Suddenly, big, comfy but supremely capable 4x4s were selling by the boat load.

And the Toyota Land Cruiser’s ability has made it an enduring companion – there’s a reason why desert inhabitants across the world trust their survival to a Land Cruiser.

21. Toyota MR2 (Mk1)

Naturally, mid-engine machines had been around long before the Toyota MR2. The little Japanese sports car did, however, pull off the same trick as the VW Golf GTI.

What do a mass-market hot hatch and a mid-engine sports car have in common? Both democratised and improved upon their respective concepts.

As the Golf refined and built upon its hatchback progenitors, the MR2 took the formerly exotic concept of the mid-engine layout and made it affordable and reliable.

Trust Toyota to take a layout that’d previously been viewed as either too expensive or fragile and make it suitable for a mass market.

And that’s not to say that the original MR2 lost any of the excitement and balance of a sorted mid-engined motor – quite the opposite, in fact.

22. Volkswagen Citi Golf

Volkswagen had built several satellite factories around the globe to keep pace with the demand for the Beetle, and these included plants in Brazil and South Africa.

The latter didn’t seem to want to let go of the Beetle’s replacement, arguing that it should hold onto the original Golf, even after its replacement arrived.

VW South Africa got its way and developed its own facelifted and brightly coloured version of the Mk1, instead of adopting the Mk2 like most of the rest of the world. 

The Citi Golf proved so successful that it was only removed from sale in 2009, 35 years after its progenitor first appeared.

Naturally, plenty of mechanical, interior and bodywork bits were upgraded over the years, but essentially the Citi Golf remained a Mk1, right to the end.

Volkswagen SA certainly knew its audience, with the Citi Golf selling a not inconsiderable 377,484 units during its 25-year run.

23. Volkswagen Golf Mk2

Volkswagen’s next generation of people’s car had to capitalise on the monstrous success of the first Golf (known as the Rabbit in America).

The success of the Golf GTI had even taken VW by surprise – it had famously only ever envisioned the go-faster Golf selling just 5000 units.

By the end of Mk1 production in 1983, a staggering 461,690 – of the near 7 million first-generation Golfs and Jettas made – had GTI badges, making its successor a part of the starting line-up.

The second VW Golf lost the crisp lines of the Giugiaro original and instead offered a more rounded, yet familiar riff, on the Golf theme. It was longer and wider, too, with better passenger accommodation, safety and toys.

The second Golf would go on to be available with four-wheel drive, ABS, a lambda computer-controlled emission system (including a catalyst), and even 16-valve and supercharged variants.

This was the Golf that really saw the model come of age.

24. Volkswagen Scirocco Storm Mk2

The mid-1980s was a busy time at Wolfsburg. Not only, as we’ve just seen, had 1984 seen the introduction of the second Golf (in the UK), it also saw some important developments of the previous model.

The A1 platform, which underpinned the first Golf and its Cabriolet sibling, also provided the base for the Caddy pick-up truck and the Scirocco coupé.

Those same Golf Mk1 underpinnings were carried over to the second-generation Scirocco, launched in 1981. Styled by VW’s new design team, headed by Herbert Schäfer, the dramatically wedged Scirocco was also built by Karmann in Osnabrück (just like the first Scirocco and the Golf Cabriolet).

The Scirocco name comes from a desert wind, which is why the special-edition UK Mk1 and Mk2 Sciroccos were labelled ‘Storm’.

The 1984-only Scirocco Storm came in just two colours: 300 in Cosmos Blue and 300 in Havana Brown.

There was a complimentary leather interior and electrically operated goodies including windows and an aerial, as well as a bespoke, body-coloured bodykit.

This Storm is one of the rarest VWs but, somehow, it’s yet to find its feet in the market.

25. Volvo 740

There are an awful lot of reasons to love an estate over an SUV.

But, today, the latter seems to have supplanted the stretched saloon as the family hauler of choice.

Estates are lower, usually lighter and handle pretty much the same as the saloon car upon which they’re based.

Often that also means they’re more aerodynamic and fuel efficient, yet for some reason, the buying public of today seems to prefer the mammoth SUV to the svelte estate.

Not so back in 1984 when Volvo launched its 740. Not only was this saloon and estate range sold alongside its posher six-cylinder 760 stablemate, but its production also overlapped the 240, which was still proving to be immensely popular.

The seemingly indestructible 740 even got a spicy turbocharged variant.