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30 Odd Production Cars From The 1980s

Vukasin Herbez June 12, 2019

The 1980s were a fun time. It was the decade of neon signs, crazy hairstyles, vivid colors, and confused automakers. It was different from the ’70s, which was full of innovative shapes and designs. The decade of the ’80s was a unique time for the car industry as well as popular culture. However, the ’80s were a time of brave attempts to introduce something that would create a revolution.

And not just a change in technology, but also in design. The computer age had begun and car design reflected that. They were a mix of pop-up headlights, wedge designs, fuel injection systems, turbochargers, and digital dashes. However, not all of the production cars turned out to be a success. Sadly, most remained on the margins of the driver’s collective consciousness. Keep reading on to learn about the strangest and most obscure production cars of the ’80s.

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30. Nissan Pulsar NX Sportbak

One of the most unique ’80s cars was the Nissan Pulsar and its NX Sportbak package. The idea behind this car was to combine a regular two-door coupe with the wagon body style, but not in the “Shooting Brake” kind of way. Nissan decided to make a normal coupe but add body extensions, which transformed the Pulsar into a wagon.

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When Nissan presented it in 1986, the Pulsar Sportbak received some positive attention from car consumers. But eventually, people turned to the more conventional coupe styling. Soon, the wagon canopy addition was less desirable and popular. They discontinued the Sportbak model in 1990. It still remains one of the strangest production cars they ever made.

Photo Credit: Hagerty

29. Dodge Rampage

Dodge was always an SUV and pickup truck brand in the Mopar world. Despite having a successful line of trucks, they always explored the possibilities for introducing new models. One of those experiments, although not especially successful, was the Dodge Rampage produced from 1982-84.

Photo Credit: Hagerty

Despite the solid idea behind the project, the two models were failures. In fact, they sold them in relatively low numbers before discontinuing them. The reason was that the front-wheel-drive passenger car platform was not tough enough for any serious tasks. Also, the diminutive 2.2-liter four-cylinder engine with 96 HP was not powerful or even able to tow.

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28. Ford EXP

Ford presented this little two-seater in 1982 to fight those affordable foreign sport coupes. The EXP was a genuine two-seater. In fact, it was the first Ford two-seat model since the iconic 1957 Thunderbird.

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However, they produced it with small four-cylinder engines and front-wheel drive. That is what killed Ford’s ambition to make the EXP the Mustang’s little brother. However, it was an interesting car and a cool attempt by Ford in the mid-’80s.

Photo Credit: Wikipedia

27. ARO

The ARO company was a Romanian military and off-road vehicle manufacturer that closed its doors in 2006. They established the company in the ’50s, producing military jeeps and armored vehicles. However, in 1980, ARO introduced the Model 10.

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It was a modern SUV vehicle with civilian styling. The company then added competent 4×4 mechanics. ARO produced it in several versions, even exporting the car to other countries.

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26. Subaru XT

The Subaru XT is one of many ’80s legends destined to be classics. But sadly, most car enthusiasts have forgotten about the car. With a coupe body, pop-up headlights, digital dashboard, and optional all-wheel drive, the XT was a capable, modern car for its time.

Photo Credit: DNA Collectibles

Subaru started production in 1985 and stopped it in 1991. Buyers loved its angular wedge design and its features, so they received it with general praise. But the best versions are the ones with the 2.7-liter flat-six engine with the Subaru signature all-wheel-drive system.

Photo Credit: Motor 1

25. Pontiac Grand Prix 2+2

Most domestic car buyers were surprised when Pontiac introduced an interesting 2+2 package for its popular luxury coupe in 1986. It was a muscle car the company lacked since the late ’60s. But best of all, it was an interesting version of the Grand Prix, which was a boring car in the ’80s.

Photo Credit: Mecum

Similar to the Monte Carlo SS Aerocoupe, the Grand Prix 2+2 used the same platform, rear glass, and rear spoiler they intended for NASCAR races. Unfortunately, Pontiac didn’t provide the 2+2 with an exciting performance for street use since all cars got the 305 V8 delivering 165 HP. However, the Grand Prix 2+2 handled much better than the Aerocoupe. That was because it had gas-filled shocks, stiffer springs, and sway bars as well as high-performance tires, which were all a part of the standard package. Pontiac produced this model for two years, in which time they made 1,225 cars.

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24. Nissan S-Cargo

Famously one of the ugliest cars ever produced, the Nissan S-Cargo has a cult following and not only in Japan, but worldwide. The reason is simply due to its unusual styling and design concept, which is unique in the car world.

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Debuting in 1989, the S-Cargo was a highly-stylized urban Kei Car delivery vehicle. Although it came with modest power and dimensions, it had great usability and practicality. It got its power from a 1.5-liter engine they mated to a three-speed automatic gearbox. However, despite being unique and interesting, they only sold approximately 8,000 of them.

Photo Credit: Motor Biscuit

23. Renault 5 Turbo

The essence of the R5 Turbo was the mid-mounted 1.4-liter turbocharged four-cylinder engine that delivered 160 HP. They redesigned the whole car, re-engineering it to move the engine from the front hood to the space behind the driver. The rear track was much wider and they added side scoops for better cooling of the engine.

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However, such an extreme car lost one of the main hot hatch characteristics, which was practicality. Basically, it was a pure racing car they built for homologation purposes. However, it deserves an important place in turbo history as one of the craziest hot hatches ever produced. All that is what makes it one of the coolest cars of the ’80s.

Photo Credit: DNA Collectibles

22. Subaru BRAT

The Subaru BRAT, which stands for Bi-Drive Recreational All-Terrain Transporter, was conceived in the early ’70s. In fact, Subaru designed it to take advantage of the popularity of compact trucks in America. However, there were steep import taxes for foreign trucks, which destroyed all of Subaru’s profits.

Photo Credit: DNA Collectibles

So the company thought of a genius way to sell the truck as a passenger car by installing two seats in the back. The BRAT was an inexpensive way to get an AWD light truck, but with four seats. This feature made it one of the strangest cars of the 1980s.

Photo Credit: Hagerty

21. Buick Reatta

It seems like everybody has forgotten the sleek Buick Reatta. But when they introduced it in the late ’80s, the Reatta was Buick’s halo car. It was a cool looking two-seater coupe or convertible built on a shortened GM E platform.

Photo Credit: Hagerty

Under the hood was a 3.8-liter V6 they teamed up with an independent suspension with disc brakes all around. All Reattas were highly-optioned cars. Despite dating from the late ’80s, it featured board computers and lots of modern electronic systems. The production lasted four years and they built over 21,000 of them.

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20. Ford Mustang McLaren M81

Ford constructed this interesting car with the help of the well-known McLaren racing team at their American operation office in Michigan. The whole idea behind the project was to take a 2.3-liter turbo engine from a regular Mustang and transform it into a street racing beast.

Photo Credit: Classic Cars

And they did just that by adding a race-tuned suspension, lightweight body, and a host of other modifications. But best of all, McLaren and Ford added a tuned turbo engine that delivered 190 HP. That was a big number for the day, especially coming from 2.3-liters. With all that, they totally changed the looks of the Fox Mustang.

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19. Zastava Florida

The lengthy relationship of Zastava and Fiat produced numerous models they built on a Fiat base. But in late 1988, Zastava presented the Florida, a new, fairly advanced car. Although they based it on the Fiat Tipo, Zastava designed a different body, added several key components, and produced it in Yugoslavia.

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It got its power from a 1.4-liter four-cylinder engine that produced 70 HP. Compared to other Western models in its class in the late ’80s, it was a solid proposition at an affordable price. They ceased production in 2008 after building nearly 30,000 examples of it.

Photo Credit: Motor Authority

18. Shelby Dakota

The Dakota was a compact pickup truck from Dodge they sold between 1987 and 1996. It was dependable and tough-looking and came with a wide arrange of engines and trim levels. But Dodge wanted more and in the late ’80s, so the company envisioned a performance version. They enlisted Carroll Shelby to help since he was working with Chrysler Corporation at the time.

Photo Credit: Motor Authority

Shelby took a regular production Dakota and installed a 5.2-liter V8 engine with 175 HP. But even though the power output was relatively small, the Dakota was light and had lots of torque. That meant this compact truck delivered a convincing performance. Better yet, Shelby dressed up the Dakota with a special paint job, trim, rollbar, and wheels, which made this little truck stand out on the street.

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17. Fiat Ritmo Abarth

The original Italian hot hatch was arguably the Fiat Ritmo Abarth 130. It was the ultimate version of the standard Ritmo compact model they introduced in 1983. In fact, the Ritmo Abarth 130 was one of the fastest, most powerful cars in its class on the European market.

Photo Credit: Dyler

Under the hood was a 2.0-liter four-cylinder with two carburetors, eight valves, and 130 HP, more than enough for the 2,000-pound curb weight. Also, the power went to the front wheels over a five-speed manual transmission. And to top all that off, the Abarth racing department set the suspension for aggressive driving.

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16. Nissan Pao

Even before retro was a thing in car design, Nissan presented an influential and crazy looking compact model they called the Pao. It was only for sale on the Japanese market, so it came in the right-hand-drive configuration.

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But the design kind of resembled the Austin Farina or Mini. However, underneath the body, the Pao was an advanced car with an independent suspension and 52 HP engine. Nissan offered the Pao for just three years between 1989 and 1991, making over 50,000 of them.

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15. Chrysler Le Baron Town and Country Convertible

The venerable K-Car platform saved Chrysler from bankruptcy in the early ’80s so the company used it for most models in its lineup. They even built minivans and compact sedans on it since it was inexpensive and easy to produce. However, in 1986 Chrysler decided to introduce a luxury convertible named the Le Baron.

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Unfortunately, the 2.2-liter four-cylinder engine wasn’t the best choice for this car. On top of that, the Chrysler stylist gave the Le Baron faux wood panels on the sides to mimic those classic ’50s and ’60s station wagons. Sadly, many buyers were turned off by the crazy and ludicrous mix of styles they featured on this car. As a result, Chrysler sold less than 2,000 of them.

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14. Renault Fuego

One of the last Renaults sold on the American market was the Fuego. It was a nice-looking coupe Renault sold until 1985. The Fuego was an advanced car for its day with its front-wheel-drive layout, turbocharged engine, plastic body, and numerous interesting features.

Photo Credit: Motor 1

However, quality wasn’t the best so its performance wasn’t up to the standards of the day. Also, most AMC dealers were more into moving Jeeps and leftover Eagles than promoting those sporty coupes from Europe. And that is why the number of Fuegos Renault sold in the U.S. is small, so this French car is a rare sight on American roads.

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13. Ford Mustang SVO

The third-generation Ford Mustang appeared as a 1979 model. It brought necessary modernization to the Mustang. The so-called ‘Fox-body’ Mustang was sleeker, more modern and aerodynamic. It was also somewhat lighter and more nimble, which reflected in the performance. However, the biggest news was the introduction of the turbo engine, a state-of-the-art device at the time. Ford’s Special Vehicle Operations (SVO) department introduced a special Mustang SVO for 1984.

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It featured a 2.3-liter turbocharged four-cylinder with 175 HP, a lot of power for a small engine. This engine in a light car made the 1984 Mustang SVO highly popular. The package included four-wheel disc brakes, a stiffer suspension, and sharper steering, transforming the little Mustang into a capable sports car. For 1985, SVO upped the power to an impressive 205 HP, attracting the motoring public to the third-generation Mustang.

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12. Buick GNX

Back in 1982, Buick started experimenting with turbocharging its line of standard V6 engines. The results were intriguing, so Buick engineers developed a performance version with better acceleration figures. Soon, there was the Buick Grand National with 175 HP. The number wasn’t impressive, but it was a start. In the next couple of years, the Grand National got a bigger engine with more power, jumping from 175 HP to 200 HP and finally to 235 HP. With those numbers came 0-60 acceleration times of less than six seconds, making the black Grand Nationals seriously quick cars. In 1987 came the ultimate version called the Grand National Experimental (GNX).

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It featured the same 3.8-liter turbocharged V6 but pumped out 275 HP with a 0 to 60 mph time of 4.7 seconds. Suddenly, Buick’s turbocharged V6 coupe broke every classic muscle car mold. It was even faster than a Ferrari. At that time, the Buick GNX was the fastest-accelerating production vehicle in the world. At $29,000, it was expensive. However, legend says some GNX owners paid for their cars by street racing them. Unfortunately, the Buick GNX was a one-year-only model and the company made 547 of them. Today, those cars are as equally praised as they were in the late ’80s.

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11. Chevrolet Monte Carlo SS Aerocoupe

Despite being in production for just two short years, the Aerocoupe is one of the most interesting 1980s muscle cars. Basically, it was a regular Monte Carlo SS with a few design tweaks. Chevy introduced the Aerocoupe in 1986 and even homologated it for NASCAR races. The GNX featured a panorama-style back window with a back spoiler.

Photo Credit: Auto Week

The new rear glass provided a slight fastback profile, improving the aerodynamics on NASCAR superspeedway tracks. Mechanically speaking, the Aerocoupe had the same 180 HP 305 V8 engine as the regular SS. The production for the 1986 model year was just 200 examples. This was enough to homologate the car, but for 1987, Chevrolet produced an additional 5,852 cars.

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10. Dodge Shelby Charger

Dodge combined two of the greatest names in the American performance portfolio in the 1980s – Shelby and Charger. With front-wheel drive, a Dodge Omni platform, and a turbocharged four-cylinder engine, the Shelby Charger wasn’t your typical muscle car. However, it provided strong performance as well as decent power and acceleration times.

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Based on the Dodge Omni GHL, the Shelby Charger shared the drivetrain and 2.2-liter turbo engine which pumped 175 HP. For such a small, light car this was loads of power. The Shelby Charger could accelerate to 60 mph in just 7.5 seconds, making it one of the fastest-accelerating American production cars for 1987. Despite the famous name and good performance, this edition of Chargers aren’t that collectible, but they deserve recognition and respect. After all, they are a part of the American performance portfolio from the ’80s as well as a budget-friendly way to obtain a genuine Shelby car.

Photo Credit: Car And Driver

9. Yugo GV

Back in the late 1980s, the ex-Yugoslav car manufacturer, Crvena Zastava, made a brave attempt to enter the American market with the compact model they called the Yugo. The Yugo was a nice-looking three-door hatchback they built on a Fiat 127 base with improvements in design and technology. Under the hood was a 1.1-liter four-cylinder engine with electronic fuel injection. But for the U.S. market, the buyers got updated equipment, radio, and even air conditioning as an option. From today’s standpoint, the Yugo was a basic and even primitive car. However, for the middle of the ’80s, it was a decent proposition as well a solution to the economy car dilemma. The Fiat mechanics were relatively common in the U.S. since Fiat had just left the American market in the early ’80s. So why did the Yugo receive such bad reviews from Consumer Reports back in the day? The reasons were simple: driving dynamics and quality.

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Both were horrible, even by the standards of the day. The engine sent 65 HP to the front wheels over a badly-assembled five-speed manual gearbox. The performance was painfully slow, but that was not the worst thing. The fit and finish were bad. And to make things worse, Yugo importer, Malcolm Bricklin didn’t import enough spare parts. So, if your Yugo broke down, the spare parts had to travel for months from Yugoslavia to America. Despite all that, the Yugo was a sales success because they sold more than 40,000. The price of $4,000 was one of the reasons. The Yugo was the most affordable automobile on sale in America when they introduced it.

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8. Dodge Spirit R/T

The Spirit was a compact, front-wheel-drive model Dodge introduced in 1989. In its base form, it was popular with consumers since it had a modern design. It was also good quality and had up-to-date features at a somewhat affordable price. However, the R/T version was far more interesting. It’s a shame most people have forgotten about it except for the most dedicated Dodge fans. Since the performance and power output of the base Spirit was nothing to write home about, Dodge decided to introduce a hot rod version. They called it the R/T to resurrect a famous moniker they used in the muscle car era.

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The base 2.2-liter four-cylinder motor only produced 90 HP, so they gave it a turbo upgrade. After that, it produced an impressive 224 HP and 218 lb-ft of torque. For the 1991 model year, this was a hefty power level from an economy car and raised performance to a new level. In fact, the Spirit R/T could accelerate from 0 to 60 mph in less than six seconds, which made it enter Corvette territory in 1991. At over $17,000, it was expensive but offered fantastic driving dynamics and performance for an economy sedan. Unfortunately, the market didn’t understand this car, so Dodge made less than 1,500 in the two years the Spirit R/T was available. Today, most people have forgotten them, but if you find one for sale, you’ve found an interesting piece of Dodge’s performance history.

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7. AMC Eagle Wagon

Conceived in the late ’70s, the Eagle was AMC’s answer to the rising popularity of AWD vehicles and SUVs. AMC decided to combine their compact sedan and wagon lineup with a tough and proven Jeep AWD system. The result was a surprisingly capable vehicle with the comfort and luxury of a sedan and compact dimensions. It came in a relatively low weight with extremely good offroad characteristics.

Photo Credit: Mecum

The Eagle was one of the first crossover/all-wheel-drive station wagon models in the world. Only today do most people see how important and influential this car was. As expected, the Eagle was a relatively popular car, especially in areas with harsh climate and long winters. Unfortunately, AMC was losing money elsewhere and went out of business in 1987, which meant the death of the Eagle as well.

Photo Credit: Chedot

6. Eagle Premier

The 1980s were interesting times for the Chrysler Corporation. Because they were under new leadership, the company flourished. The introduction of the Chrysler Voyager, the first minivan, brought the company a great amount of money. It also inspired them to try something new. First, Chrysler bought AMC and later discontinued it, keeping the Jeep brand alive. Then, later in the decade, they struck a deal with Renault, introducing a new brand to the U.S. market. Also, they presented the Eagle in 1989. It was supposed to be a fresh start for Chrysler, who wanted to produce new, affordable cars with an import car flavor.

Photo Credit: Chedot

Renault and Mitsubishi, as two of Chrysler’s foreign partners, provided the technology while Chrysler invested their money and effort. The first model was the Eagle Premier, a big, four-door sedan with front-wheel drive and luxurious features. It was the Chrysler vision of an import premium model for American car buyers. The car had good driving dynamics and decent power. The main selling points were its smooth V6 engines and loads of interior space. However, despite those, the market didn’t respond well to the new brand and model. They discontinued the Eagle Premier in 1992 and the Eagle brand itself in 1999. Today, the Premier is a rare, mostly forgotten car.

Photo Credit: Cnet

5. De Lorean DMC 12

The infamous John Z. De Lorean founded his car company in the late 1970s. Soon, they marketed his De Lorean as the next big thing in the sports car world. For a short time, it looked like America got a sports car brand that could rival Europe’s finest companies. De Lorean presented an interesting concept of a sports car with Gullwing doors, a modern design, and a stainless steel body.

Photo Credit: Super Cars

However, they delayed production so when they finally revealed the car, it turned out to be slow, underpowered, and riddled with quality problems. Due to its prominent appearance in the “Back to the Future Movies” and numerous music videos, the DMC 12 is still a popular car. There’s still no doubt that it’s one of the coolest automotive symbols of the 1980s.

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4. Lamborghini LM002

To be honest, the LM002 is somewhere between a truck and an off-road SUV/truck since it has four doors, a double cab, and a truck bed behind it. This crazy creation debuted in the mid-’80s as Lamborghini’s attempt of entering the world of luxury SUVs and widening its appeal. The LM002 uses a special chassis, suspension, and Lamborghini’s famous V12 engine. The 5.2-liter engine with 400 hp was the same one you’d find in a legendary Countach. For buyers who thought 400 hp was not enough, the factory could supply the LM002 with a 7.3-liter monster V12 engine from a racing boat.

Photo Credit: Motor Authority

Nicknamed “The Rambo Lambo,” this truck was a rugged and desert-going version of the supercar Lamborghini is well-known for making. Despite the enormous power and tough looks, the LM002 was a failure since it was hard to drive on the road. It had an enormous thirst for fuel and problems with offroad stability. It was also extremely expensive. Just to have your tires changed on your Lambo LM002, you will need $20,000. As you could imagine, production for this strange vehicle was not high. Only 301 models left the Lamborghini factory, still, a considerable number knowing all the facts.

Photo Credit: Automobile Mag

3. Toyota MR2

Back in the mid-80s, Toyota shocked the automotive world by introducing the MR2. It was a small, mid-engined sports car with great performance and superb road holding at an affordable price. However, in those days as well as today, people think of Toyota as a dull manufacturer of economy models without any interesting cars. But the MR2 changed all that since it was different from other Toyotas, appealing to fans of spirited driving and dynamic handling.

Photo Credit: Automobile Mag

They debuted the first generation MR2s in 1984. They featured a 1.5-liter or 1.6-liter four-cylinder engine they mounted centrally behind the driver, between the cabin and the rear axle. That is what gave this little car fantastic handling. The second generation lasted into the ‘90s and was more modern-looking with better technology and sharper handling. But the version drivers should look for is the 1.6-liter supercharged model they named the SC for supercharger delivering 145 HP and 140 lb-ft of torque. Although those power output figures don’t sound earth-shattering today, the MR2 could accelerate from 0 to 60 mph in just seven seconds, which is quite respectable.

Photo Credit: Motor 1

2. Nissan MID 4

The 1985 to 1987 Nissan MID 4 is a solid and competent mid-engine sports car concept that unfortunately didn’t become a production model. Even though it is mostly forgotten today, it is still an interesting piece of engineering that deserves a closer look. The MID 4 had a mid-mounted 3.0-liter V6 engine producing around 200 HP.

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Nissan equipped it with specially-designed all-wheel drive and an almost perfect weight balance. Nissan envisioned it to fight sports cars from Ferrari and Porsche. Unfortunately, the company pulled the plug at the last moment, leaving the MID 4 as a concept that influenced the Honda NSX.

Photo Credit: Automobile Mag

1. Sterling 825

If you don’t know what the Sterling 825 is, nobody can blame you. Once marketed as the next big thing in the luxury car segment, Sterling is now a forgotten brand in automotive history. However, Sterling was a British company that began in the late ’80s with Honda capital and Rover styling.

Photo Credit: Auto Week

The finished product was attractive with a stylish interior and decent power coming from the Honda V6 engine. But after the introduction in 1987 and the promising sales numbers in the first few months, problems showed up. The Sterlings were poorly constructed, the electronics were troublesome, and some cars even developed rust issues. Honda tried to improve the production process, but by the early ’90s, Sterling was gone.

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