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.
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.
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.