JSwain

Advertising the 1980s: 44 of the Most Bodacious Car Ads of the ’80s

1980s Ads Lead
-The malaise that was the 1970s dribbled over into the 1980s, with ads touting Corvettes that made all of 190 horsepower, gussied-up econoboxes parading as Cadillacs, and dubious technology such as the Moleculetor promising improvements in fuel economy of up to 23 percent—yours for just $214 (plus $5 shipping)! And there’s John Z. DeLorean hawking Cutty Sark scotch, with nary a kilo of coke in sight. With apologies to Mr. Dickens, it was the worst of times, it was the worster of times.

A few bright spots managed to punch holes through the darkness. Turbocharged engines began to appear under the hoods of a number of cars, including the Datsun Turbo ZX, the Mazda 323 GTX, the Porsche 944 Turbo, the Volvo Turbo, and even the Subaru XT Turbo.

Nascent technologies also made some of their earliest appearances in these pages, with ads for Apple’s Macintosh desktop computer, Panasonic’s TV with a 1.5-inch screen, and the Maxwell Portable Cellular Phone with one hour of talk time for $695. And if the Maxwell was too pricey, you could order a fake “Cellular Fun Phone” and “enjoy the status of owning a car phone for just a fraction of the regular cost.” Cost: $49.95.

The decade couldn’t end soon enough.

(Note: Click or tap an ad to enlarge.)

Pontiac Grand Prix – April 1980
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The Sharper Image Xernus – June 1980
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International Harvester Scout – June 1980
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Mercedes-Benz – July 1980
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Energy Efficiencies Inc. Moleculetor – September 1980
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Jeep CJ – October 1980
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Panasonic TravelVision – October 1980
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Chevrolet Corvette – December 1980
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Chevrolet Citation X-11 – August 1981
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Ronrico Rum Sweepstakes – September 1981
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Jeep Scrambler – October 1981
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Renault 18i – November 1981
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Chevrolet Corvette Collector Edition – January 1982
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Jeep CJ – February 1982

K40 Radar Detector – February 1982

De Lorean Motor Company – February 1982
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Volvo Turbo – February 1982
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Volkswagen Scirocco – March 1982
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Cutty Sark Scotch – April 1982
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Volvo Turbo Wagon– April 1982
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Alpine Car Audio Systems – June 1982
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Megaforce – June 1982
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Ford Motor Company – June 1982
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Datsun Turbo-ZX 5-speed – September 1982
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Cadillac Cimarron – October 1982
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Porsche – October 1982
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Callaway Turbosystems – March 1983
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Cadillac Cimarron – March 1983
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Saab – April 1983
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Nissan Truck – April 1983
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Chrysler Laser XE – October 1983
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Dodge Omni GLH – October 1984
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Apple Macintosh – December 1984
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Ford Motor Company – November 1985
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Chevrolet Corvette – July 1986

Subaru XT Turbo – July 1986
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Pioneer DEX-77 – December 1986
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General Motors Parts – March 1987
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Daihatsu Charade – February 1988
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BMW Motorsport Division M-Cars – April 1988
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READ MORE: Original Tests of the 1987 BMW M6 | 1987 BMW M5 | 1988 BMW M3

Cellular Fun Phone – April 1988
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Ford Taurus SHO – April 1989
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Maxwell Portable Cellular Phone – April 1989
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Isuzu Amigo – June 1989

2016 Audi A6 3.0T Quattro Test: Still on Top

-The Audi A6 was facelifted for 2016, but it’s barely any different from the A6 of 2015 and the years prior. That, however, is a very good thing, since we’ve long ranked it at or near the top of its segment. Audi’s mid-sizer started winning comparison tests in 2009. Since then, A6s have been victorious three more times. We’ve been suckers for the cars’ smooth powertrains, responsive handling, intuitive interfaces, comfortable cabins, and smart styling. READ MORE ››

VW Diesel Fix To Be Announced in a “Few Days”

2015 Volkswagen Beetle TDI

With just eight days left for Volkswagen to present a solution to its emissions-cheating diesels, the automaker has announced that it has come up with a “service procedure” aimed to put the 11 million affected cars into compliance. These vehicles used the EA189 diesel engine and were not equipped with an exhaust-cleaning aftertreatment system. According to VW, some five million of the total carry Volkswagen badges; the balance includes cars from brands such as Audi, Škoda, and SEAT.

In a statement released today, VW says that it “and other Group brands whose vehicles are affected will present the technical solutions and measures to the responsible authorities in October.” We take this to mean VW intends to meet the deadline imposed by the German authorities.

This official statement comes after Reuters reported that CEO Matthias Müller said that Volkswagen would contact TDI owners within “the next few days” to bring in their cars for repair. Müller could be referring to European customers, as Volkswagen and Audi of America have not initiated an official recall. Reached for comment, a U.S. VW spokesman said, “We don’t have any information on what the remedy might be at the moment, but we are working on it as a matter of the utmost urgency.”

On September 27, Germany’s Federal Motor Transport Authority demanded the automaker plan its repair schedule by October 7 or face an outright ban on the affected cars from driving in the country. On Monday, a report claimed that Bosch—the supplier behind VW’s engine-management software—told the company in 2007 that it was illegal to use the software on anything but test vehicles. Another report claimed that Volkswagen shelved the use of a urea-injection system when it was developing the diesel engines in 2005 because the move saved $335 per car. (It’s worth noting that the 2015 models included in this scandal use the newer EA288 diesel engine and are fitted with urea-injection systems; these cars, however, also had the so-called “defeat device” software code.)

Here is the full text of today’s statement:

Volkswagen AG is announcing its action plan to correct the emissions characteristics of diesel vehicles.

In a first step, the customers affected will be informed that the emissions characteristics of their vehicles will be corrected in the near future. All vehicles are technically safe and roadworthy.

Under the action plan, Volkswagen and the other Group brands whose vehicles are affected will present the technical solutions and measures to the responsible authorities in October.

Customers with these vehicles will be kept informed over the coming weeks and months. All of the Group brands affected will set up national websites to update customers on developments.

An internal evaluation on Friday established that a service procedure is required for some five million vehicles from the Volkswagen Passenger Cars brand out of a total eleven million Group vehicles worldwide. These vehicles from certain models and model years (such as the sixth generation Volkswagen Golf, the seventh generation Volkswagen Passat or the first generation Volkswagen Tiguan) are fitted with Type EA189 diesel engines.

VW of America has already set up its website for information about its noncompliant TDI models at vwdieselinfo.com.

This story was published prior to the release of VW’s official statement and has been updated.

Wednesday, September 30, 2015

Advertising the 1980s: 44 of the Most Bodacious Car Ads of the ’80s

2016 Audi A6 3.0T Quattro Test: Still on Top

VW Diesel Fix To Be Announced in a “Few Days”