The 1980s were a fascinating time for the automotive industry. The gas crisis of the 1970s slowly faded into history, and automotive manufacturers were trying to revitalize the industry with ever more radical, powerful, and enjoyable cars to drive.
This list, therefore, contains ten of the very best cars of the ’80s, some of which were genuinely radical. Each of them showcases how good a decade the 1980s were for the automotive industry after the doom and gloom of the late 1970s.
DeLorean DMC-12
While its performance wasn’t radical, the DeLorean DMC-12 was radical in other ways. The iconic gull-wing door sports car was the brainchild of former GM man John DeLorean. It featured a unique body made of stainless-steel panels and certainly looked the part.
Sadly, the DMC-12’s performance was abysmal, and it was also involved in the drug trafficking scandal surrounding John DeLorean. Under the hood, it had a paltry 2.85-liter Peugeot-Renault-Volvo V6, producing just 130 horsepower and 153 lb-ft of torque.
Ferrari F40
The Ferrari F40 will go down as one of the most raw and unhinged supercars ever made. Many view it as THE definitive sports car of the 1980s, and it was the final car overseen by Enzo Ferrari himself before he died in 1988.
The F40’s power came from a 2.9-liter twin-turbocharged Tipo V8 engine, producing 477 horsepower in US-spec and 471 horses in the rest of the world. Ferrari made just 1,311 F40s, and they can regularly sell for over $1 million today when they go up for auction.
AMG Hammer
Radical certainly sums up the legendary AMG Hammer, as it came at a time when Aufrecht Melcher Großaspach (AMG) had not become fully integrated with Mercedes-Benz as its tuning and sports division.
The AMG Hammer took a regular Mercedes-Benz 300E 5.6 AMG sedan and turned it into a monster. Power came from either a 5.5-liter or 6.0-liter V8 engine producing 355 or 375 horsepower, with an outrageous 0-60 mph time of just 5.0 seconds. It was a true monster and one of the earliest examples of AMG and Mercedes-Benz working together.
Lamborghini Countach
While it debuted in 1974, automobile enthusiasts love the 1980s editions of the Lamborghini Countach the most. Lamborghini further introduced more radical design work to the supercar, with features such as its impractical rear wing and special editions such as the 1982 LP500 S.
The Countach’s design rewrote the supercar rule book, showing that wedged shapes could look good on performance cars. The Countach is simply radical to look at, and it remains a cultural icon in 2024.
Audi Quattro
The Audi Quattro is one of the biggest automotive icons of the 1980s, making its debut at the start of the decade. The name Quattro comes from the Italian for four and is a clear indicator of the Quattro’s four-wheel drive layout, which would take it to World Rally Championship glory.
The Quattro also shot to fame as a road car, stunning its rivals with its performance and grip. Like the DMC-12 and Countach, it became an icon of the decade. The Quattro would remain in production until 1991, with over 11,000 produced.
BMW M3 E30
The BMW M3 deserves a place on this list simply because of the legacy it continues to create. The iconic sports coupe made its debut in 1986, with BMW looking to build at least 5,000 M3s so they could race them in the FIA Group A regulations for touring cars.
The M3 quickly became a European Touring Car champion. It was a radical-looking sports coupe with its flared fenders, new body kit, and large rear spoiler. Thanks to its S14 inline-four engines, it was also powerful, and the E30 generation may well be the very best M3 ever made.
Porsche 959
The striking Porsche 959 showed us that Porsche could build great cars other than the 911—even if they did look like 911s. The 959 was Porsche’s vision for the supercar of the future, and it was initially designed to meet homologation purposes for Porsche to enter the Group B rally.
That didn’t happen, but Porsche produced the 959 anyway, creating one of the wildest production cars of the decade. Power came from a 2.8-liter twin-turbocharged flat-six producing 444 horsepower and 369 lb-ft of torque. It was an absolute monster, and when it launched, it was the world’s fastest street-legal production car, with a top speed of 197 mph.
Fiat Panda
It might not look radical or extraordinary, but the Fiat Panda showed the world that cheap, reliable, and practical superminis still had a place on the automotive landscape. The Panda was first unveiled at the 1980 Geneva Motor Show, and its low-cost construction and excellent packaging were instant hits.
The Panda was a big hit, replacing the Fiat 126 and being far superior to the older Citroen 2CVs and Renault 4s also on sale. The Panda was so successful that Fiat also created a 4×4 version, which is now one of the rarest versions of the original Panda.
Lancia Delta Integrale
The gorgeous and glorious Lancia Delta Integrale deserves a place on this list, as it was the final Lancia to win a World Rally Championship event and world title. The Delta Integrale debuted in 1979, but it rose to prominence in the 1980s, dominating the WRC’s Group A regulations.
Known as the HF Integrale in the WRC, Lancia won the constructor’s championship six years in a row from 1987 to 1992. It also secured four driver’s titles, with Juha Kankkunen winning in 1987 and 1991 and Miki Biasion in 1988 and 1989. These titles ensured Lancia became and remains the most successful marque in the WRC’s history. The Delta Integrale also remains the series’ most successful car.
Honda CRX
The Honda CRX, a baby version of the already tiny Honda Civic, showed us that small and somewhat mundane cars could not only look good but be a lot of fun to drive. The CRX used a Civic platform but was shortened, and it had a new aerodynamic hatchback body with coupe styling.
Power came from 1.5- and 1.6-liter petrol engines, with the Mk2, which debuted in 1987, being the most fondly remembered. The CRX could rival any other hot hatchback of the era, yet somehow, it is one of Honda’s most underrated creations.