The cars West Aussies loved in the '80s

It was the era of WA Inc, the America’s Cup, shoulder pads and big hair. It was also the start of a big move to smaller cars, thanks to Japanese manufacturers.

Simon McGrath, The Classic Car Dude, ranks the most popular cars of the '80s on the Horizons by RAC YouTube Channel.

Mitsubishi Sigma

The Sigma started life as a Chrysler before Mitsubishi purchased the South Australian manufacturing facility in 1980, in turn affixing its badge on the mid-sizer. It was the start of many locally produced Mitsubishis that tried to rival Ford and Holden with a smaller-is-smarter promise. While large Fords and Holdens sprouted cylinders as the key to effortless performance and towing, Mitsubishi cashed in on the shift to smaller vehicles and the (relative) grunt of its optional 2.6-litre four-cylinder.

Nissan Bluebird

The Bluebird started life as a Datsun before shifting to Nissan in 1983 in line with a global move for the Japanese maker. Coming off the success of the Datsun 200B, the Bluebird had fans lining up. Underneath, there was plenty of 200B, right down to the engine and rear-drive layout (the last before a late ’80s switch to front-drive). But its sharper-edged mid-sized body was more modern. It was also doing nicely on Aussie racetracks in the hands of George Fury, who at times outpaced Peter Brock’s Commodore.

Toyota Tarago

In an era when four-wheel drives were actually designed to go off-road, the Tarago was a spacious alternative to the Commodores and Falcons that typically populated suburban driveways. A glance at its upright, boxy stance reinforced it was all about seats and space, although the heavily raked windscreen gave it a semblance of style. Big families loved them and the people mover (briefly) enjoyed some popularity… until the arrival of the SUV.

Volvo 700 Series

Safe and boxy: on paper the Volvo sales pitch just wasn’t on the agenda of car buyers during the 1980s. Yet there was something that appealed, in part because of the racing success of the smaller 240. But it was the 740 and 760 that changed things for Volvo. The car was big and had visions of challenging Mercedes-Benz and BMW with luxury. Any corner, line or edge was ludicrously sharp or straight, with curves apparently forbidden in what was a bold, almost imposing design. And if you wanted a wagon with space, the Estate had it in (boxy) spades.

Nissan Exa Turbo

In some ways, the Exa was an obvious move in the wake of Celica mania. Take the proven mechanicals of the Pulsar small car and wrap them in a sleeker two-door sports car skin. Utilising the diminutive 1.5-litre four-cylinder turbo from the Pulsar ET – one of the early hot hatches – the Exa had the performance to match its looks. The turbo was all but guaranteed to go bang (it was early turbo tech!), but that didn’t deter the enthusiasts.

Toyota Celica

By the 1980s, Japanese cars were getting sexier, courtesy of sports models such as Toyota’s Celica. The first-generation 1970s Mustang-inspired Celica put it on the map, but it was the sleek and edgy 1980s model that gave the Celica street cred, at least from the outside. Pop-up lights and a door wedge profile were all the rage in the stonewashed and permed ’80s. Behind the wheel, the promise of pace never materialised, courtesy of undernourished four-cylinder engines. But in 1985, the Celica rounded out and stepped it up with a high-revving motor that drove the front wheels for the first time. It was a big change but one Aussies warmed to.

Mazda RX-7

In a land of big cars with big engines, the Mazda RX-7 shouldn’t have worked. Yet it was the perfect antidote for those looking for driving enjoyment on a budget. It was small and impossibly light, in part because of the tiny rotary engine hidden beneath its comparatively long bonnet. The RX-7’s popularity was fast-tracked, courtesy of Canadian-born racer Allan Moffat, who successfully challenged the V8 Fords and Holdens on Australian racetracks, even picking up the 1983 Australian Touring Car Championship in his familiar blue and white RX-7.

Holden Commodore

Ted Bullpitt, from the iconic series Kingswood Country, would have been horrified to see his beloved Kingswood put out to pasture in the late 1970s to make way for this newfangled thing called a, gulp, Commodore. Smaller than the classic Holden large car that defined the 1970s, the Commodore was a response to the 1973 oil scare that prompted car makers to reduce fuel use. Of course, by the time the heavily reworked German Opel Insignia arrived, fuel supply had normalised, so Holden had a monumental task tempting families into its large car that wasn’t so large. By the late 1980s, the Commodore had ditched its Holden engine (briefly using a Nissan one before switching to its first V6, from Buick) and grown with the arrival of the ever-unreliable VN model.