The automotive industry has witnessed some hard-wearing cars in the past. Such cars might not have deemed much success in the global market but they did succeed in leaving a strong impact in auto aficionados' minds. These models carried the legacy of their respective companies and were mostly appreciated for their massive engines and sporty attire. At present, these cars are rare collectibles for auto fanatics who are willing to shed huge amount of bucks to get one of them in their respective garage. Let us make an attempt to explore the long forgotten glory of such cars, which still are a part of nostalgia in the world's prolonged automotive industry.
Starting with the 1982 Buick Riviera Convertible, this car comprised the sixth generation of Riviera by General Motors home brand, called Buick. It was the first model to be designed on a two-wheel drive chassis and the first convertible from the company and shared its platform with Cadillac Eldorado and Oldsmobile Tornado. It was available in only two colour shades of white and red and was equipped with a V8 engine. With the advent of this car, Riviera sales got double and considering its achievements, the model was chosen the pace car of 1983. Buick Riviera Convertible was a limited production car from the company but it did gain quite a popularity in its days.
The 1988-1991 Buick Reatta was a sports coupe by General Motors and the first two-seater car by Buick, since its 1940 model called Buick 46. Interestingly, this car was hand-made and a high-powered 3.8-litre V6 engine was incorporated in it. Seemingly, it also shared the platform with Cadillac Eldorado and Oldsmobile Tornado. It was initially offered as a hard-top coupe but a convertible version was added to the existing line-up later in 1990. The instrument cluster of this car was a touchscreen panel that featured radio and climate control functions. Disappointingly, the car could not create much thunder on streets and was officially disbanded by the company in 1991.
1987 Ford Thunderbird Turbo Coupe was the ninth generation of Ford Thunderbird. Its first version was launched in 1982. It came in two versions, namely LX and Sports where the former was equipped with a V6 engine and latter was incorporated with a V8 mill. A new 4-speed automatic transmission was introduced in the 1987 model along with a 5-speed manual gearbox. The car generated quite a buzz during its time and was accorded with the tile of Trend Car of the Year 1987.
Next in line is 1986 Mercury Capri, which was introduced as the second generation version in the line-up. It was developed by the Lincoln-Mercury division of Ford Motors. The 1986 version of this car was converted into coupes and convertibles by American Speciality Cars (ASC). Constant upgrades were carried out in its design, and suspensions were enhanced for much rigid driving. A total of 115 models of this car were made during the year and all were available either with Oxford white or midnight blue colour schemes.
Last model to be recollected is 1988 Pontiac Fiero, a mid-engined sportscar with exclusive hidden headlights. Pontiac was a domestic division of General Motors and this car was produced between 1984 and 1988. The 1988 model of Pontiac Fiero resembled strongly with the likes of Lotus designs, which was a division of General Motors as well, at that time. It was equipped with upgraded suspensions and a power steering for comfortable driving experience. A number of improvements were employed in the 1988 model of Pontiac Fiero that to this date, it is the most favoured car among auto enthusiasts of the world.
