Skip to content
May 18, 2022
condoritolapelicula

condoritolapelicula

Half the Automotive

Exclusive
Breaking News
19 ‘Biggest Single Threat Ever’ For Auto Business Bike to the beach and enjoy a boxed lunch from Partners Village Store in Westport Higher Standards Automotive to host car show Saturday Europe Car Forecasts Turn Negative, While Electric Sales Growth To Stall Filing tax returns for delivery drivers: Tips and advice
Primary Menu
  • Car & Automotive
  • Automotive Sales
  • Pro Bike Racing
  • Cycling Weekly
  • Bike Advice
  • Car Sales
  • About Us
    • Advertise Here
    • Contact Us
    • Privacy Policy
    • Sitemap
Watch Online
  • Home
  • ’80s saloon cars that time forgot
  • Car & Automotive

’80s saloon cars that time forgot

Katherine E. Ackerman September 7, 2021 8 min read

Table of Contents

  • Rare cruisers from the days of Depeche Mode
  • 1. Alfa 6
  • Alfa 6 (cont.)
  • Alfa 6 (cont.)
  • 2. Ford Granada 2.8i Ghia
  • Ford Granada 2.8i Ghia (cont.)
  • Ford Granada 2.8i Ghia (cont.)
  • 3. Toyota Crown Super Saloon
  • Toyota Crown Super Saloon (cont.)
  • Toyota Crown Super Saloon (cont.)
  • 4. Rover 3500 Vanden Plas
  • Rover 3500 Vanden Plas (cont.)
  • Rover 3500 Vanden Plas (cont.)
  • 5. Peugeot 604 STI
  • Peugeot 604 STI (cont.)
  • Peugeot 604 STI (cont.)
  • 6. Talbot Tagora GL
  • Talbot Tagora GL (cont.)
  • Talbot Tagora GL (cont.)
  • Send MSN Feedback












’80s saloon cars that time forgot












Related Posts:

  • Writer and Photographer Team Up to Detail '50 Cars Time Forgot'






Classic & Sports Car



Rare cruisers from the days of Depeche Mode

Ah, the barge: not a type of boat in this case, but rather a big saloon car with some semblance of luxury – usually designed with an executive in mind and at its best with a V6 or V8 under the hood.

For every big car that stood the test of time, though, many more were lost on the motorways of history.

In no decade was that more true than the ’80s: with a second fuel crisis in full swing, thirsty saloons lost their appeal and the market for hefty machines tanked.

As a result, many big tin-tops of the era are today little more than footnotes in automotive history. We think that’s a shame – so here we remember six of them.




Microsoft and partners may be compensated if you purchase something through recommended links in this article.

1. Alfa 6

First up in this jaunt down saloon memory lane is a near-mythical beast of the barge world – one of those cars that just makes you ask yourself: “why?”

Designed in the late ’60s to launch in the ’70s, the Alfa 6 was pushed back by the plucky Alfetta, eventually launching in 1979 – by which point the world was engulfed in an oil crisis and the Italian four-door’s formal, angular styling looked painfully dated.




Microsoft and partners may be compensated if you purchase something through recommended links in this article.

Alfa 6 (cont.)

Thankfully, the Alfa marketing department had a priceless excuse for the way its new saloon looked: it wanted to build a car that didn’t attract too much attention from the kidnappers, terrorists and assorted bandits that were residing in Italy at the time. 

Unfortunately, it didn’t attract much attention from, well, anyone – least of all potential UK buyers: only 134 were imported before the model was culled in 1986.




Microsoft and partners may be compensated if you purchase something through recommended links in this article.

Alfa 6 (cont.)

Remarkably, though, the 6 today makes for a much better classic than it ever did a serious executive saloon: the wonderful engine sounds much stronger than its 156bhp has any right to, and is also marvellously refined.

It also rides with most of the alacrity of the agile Alfetta, while the power steering is BMW-like in its swift and clean responses. For an obscure Italian car of the ’80s, it’s definitely aged well.




Microsoft and partners may be compensated if you purchase something through recommended links in this article.

2. Ford Granada 2.8i Ghia

From obscurity to the everyday: the Granada was a big sales success, succeeding where other barges failed – not because it offered any blinding technical revelations or insights, but because it was properly engineered and Ford had done its market research.

From 2-litre poverty models, via 2.3-litre and 2.8-litre V6 variants, to the plush-but-pokey 2.8i Ghia, the second-generation Granada range was finely tuned to suit the ’80s paying public.




Microsoft and partners may be compensated if you purchase something through recommended links in this article.

Ford Granada 2.8i Ghia (cont.)

There was no awkward overlap anywhere: each entry in the line-up offered a clear step up in price, trim and performance – something which can’t be said of many ranges in the ’80s.

What’s more, Uwe Bansen’s crisp, three-box shape – launched in 1977 – remained appealing throughout the decade and, indeed, has aged well today.




Microsoft and partners may be compensated if you purchase something through recommended links in this article.

Ford Granada 2.8i Ghia (cont.)

While the Granada is now regarded as a kind of blue-collar classic, spool back 30 years and the Mk2 Ghia was a seriously swish and sophisticated machine.

Made in Germany, it was immune from the unreliability woes affecting its British contemporaries – this was a competent, eminently drivable saloon.

Nor did any excuses have to be made for its finish: its goodies, which included powered, tinted windows, tilt-and-slide sunroof, headlamp washers and remote-control door mirrors, gave it instant executive appeal.




Microsoft and partners may be compensated if you purchase something through recommended links in this article.

3. Toyota Crown Super Saloon

If the Granada was a sturdy European with an option for everyone, the Toyota Crown was a mid-Pacific oddity that never quite found its niche.

In fact, most continental buyers probably rejected the Japanese saloon because of its looks, rather than how it drove – and that was their loss.




Microsoft and partners may be compensated if you purchase something through recommended links in this article.

Toyota Crown Super Saloon (cont.)

Although descended from a long line of wobbly and ornate saloons built for conservative Japanese business people, this seventh-generation version – with its fuel-injected, straight-six engine and four-speed automatic transmission – was a much better car than it appeared.

Then again, that’s not saying much. The Crown was the product of an entirely distinct cultural design language and Toyota either hadn’t grasped what it took to woo Western big-car buyers or was simply more interested in keeping its enthusiastic home market happy.




Microsoft and partners may be compensated if you purchase something through recommended links in this article.

Toyota Crown Super Saloon (cont.)

Sit inside one today and you’ll find an interior that’s a cheese-fest of unappealing synthetic materials, styled with maximum fuss in a way that only the Japanese could – yet look beyond the chintz and you’ll find all kinds of conveniences as standard (air-conditioning; a coolbox in the rear parcel shelf) that were rare in the early ’80s. 

The Crown was also unique in its focus on rear-seat passengers, giving them radio and A/C controls of their own. Perhaps it was the perfect car for the penny-pinching tycoon after all?




Microsoft and partners may be compensated if you purchase something through recommended links in this article.

4. Rover 3500 Vanden Plas

Next, a sorry reminder of Leyland’s malign influence over the once noble house of Rover: for all the promise the SD1 showed at launch, less than a decade later it was derided as a joke, its reputation in tatters thanks to abysmal quality and reliability.

Launched in an attempt to save the name, Rover went back to basics with the new model, building a saloon along simple lines but refining the details.




Microsoft and partners may be compensated if you purchase something through recommended links in this article.

Rover 3500 Vanden Plas (cont.)

Unfortunately, the notion that it would be easier to service didn’t account for the camshaft-snapping, gasket-popping frailties of the 2.3-litre and 2.6-litre variants.

And that’s a shame, because it cut a striking figure on British roads (with its chisel nose and hatchback rear), while in punchy 3500 V8 guise its shell proved relatively aerodynamic – something used to great effect when it went racing as a touring car.




Microsoft and partners may be compensated if you purchase something through recommended links in this article.

Rover 3500 Vanden Plas (cont.)

Even better, the Vanden Plas variant – launched to allay reliability fears – was a would-be executive saloon equipped with full-leather interior, alloy wheels and a powered sunroof. Plush.

In truth, for the price, it was as good as anything in its class: blighted by the reputation of its siblings, on the road the 3500 was stable, swift and firmly resistant to body roll – not to mention a consummate cruiser. Which only makes its fate more shameful.




Microsoft and partners may be compensated if you purchase something through recommended links in this article.

5. Peugeot 604 STI

A belated return to the big-car fray, the 604 wasn’t Peugeot’s first mid-range motor: the French marque already had a reputation for making some of the world’s best-riding saloons, and that trend would continue with its late-’70s/early-’80s barge.

Styled by Pininfarina, the tin-top only enhanced the firm’s reputation for making conservative but refined machinery – even if the shape didn’t grab everyone.




Microsoft and partners may be compensated if you purchase something through recommended links in this article.

Peugeot 604 STI (cont.)

With its quietly elegant profile, appealing chunky tail and large, square doors, it was a shoe-in for ministerial duties – and it took over from the Citroën DS as the de facto French government car.

Offering just enough of everything to satisfy without being particularly astonishing, the V6 motor lacked the muscle of the Rover or the exotic appeal of the Alfa, yet was more impressive than the thrashy Granada’s V6 or the characterless Toyota engine.




Microsoft and partners may be compensated if you purchase something through recommended links in this article.

Peugeot 604 STI (cont.)

Head for a corner and the 604 rolls rather a lot – but such is the pay-off for the Peugeot’s pièce de résistance: its ride. Even by the time the marque killed off the 604 in the mid-’80s, it still offered a level of sophistication – in terms of civilisation and comfort – that was beyond anything in its class.

Only the Jaguar XJ outshone its ability to deal with all kinds of roads and, even today it’s hard to think of a big, modern car that rides with such a light touch. Truly the mark of a brilliant barge.




Microsoft and partners may be compensated if you purchase something through recommended links in this article.

6. Talbot Tagora GL

Finally, a saloon so forgotten you’ll struggle to find one on the road today: too far into development to be cancelled when Peugeot took over Chrysler Europe in 1979, the Tagora became the first model launched under the new PSA regime.

Unfortunately, with a shape penned in 1976, the Tagora was outdated before it even left the factory. Production didn’t begin until 1980 and it was all over by 1983, with just 23,400 built.




Microsoft and partners may be compensated if you purchase something through recommended links in this article.

Talbot Tagora GL (cont.)

It wasn’t that this French barge was a bad car, just that it was pointless – offering nothing new over the competition and little in the way of on-the-road excitement.

Quick in V6 SX form, the more common 2.2-litre motor was hesitant, with no sense of enthusiasm – a waste, given the supple, sophisticated chassis – while the cabin, though airy, was an austere and brittle place to be.




Microsoft and partners may be compensated if you purchase something through recommended links in this article.

Talbot Tagora GL (cont.)

Ironically for a barge born into a world that didn’t car, the Tagora is now one of the rarest saloons on UK roads, its ranks thinned by rust, banger racing and apathy towards the Talbot brand – making survivors a rare sight indeed.

In 2015, there was just one Tagora GL on the road. Today? None are registered.




Microsoft and partners may be compensated if you purchase something through recommended links in this article.


19/19 SLIDES






Opens in a new window
Opens an external site
Opens an external site in a new window




Tags: 80s Cars forgot saloon Time

Continue Reading

Previous BMW’s i Vision Circular Is a Sustainable, Recycled EV
Next Android Auto Vs Android Automotive: What’s The Difference?

More Stories

3 min read
  • Car & Automotive

19 ‘Biggest Single Threat Ever’ For Auto Business

May 18, 2022 Katherine E. Ackerman
2 min read
  • Car & Automotive

Higher Standards Automotive to host car show Saturday

May 18, 2022 Jaime E. Love
3 min read
  • Car & Automotive

What Are The Different Varieties Of Auto Industry Jobs?

May 17, 2022 Katherine E. Ackerman
May 2022
M T W T F S S
 1
2345678
9101112131415
16171819202122
23242526272829
3031  
« Apr    

Categories

  • Automotive Sales
  • Bike Advice
  • Car & Automotive
  • Car Sales
  • Cycling Weekly
  • Pro Bike Racing

Archives

  • May 2022
  • April 2022
  • March 2022
  • February 2022
  • January 2022
  • December 2021
  • November 2021
  • October 2021
  • September 2021
  • August 2021
  • July 2021
  • June 2021
  • May 2021
  • April 2021
  • March 2021
  • February 2021
  • January 2021
  • December 2020
  • November 2020
  • October 2020
  • July 2020
  • June 2020
  • March 2020
  • November 2018
  • October 2018
  • December 2016

Recent Posts

  • 19 ‘Biggest Single Threat Ever’ For Auto Business
  • Bike to the beach and enjoy a boxed lunch from Partners Village Store in Westport
  • Higher Standards Automotive to host car show Saturday
  • Europe Car Forecasts Turn Negative, While Electric Sales Growth To Stall
  • Filing tax returns for delivery drivers: Tips and advice

Tags

automotive Automotive Auctions Near Me Automotive Blue Book Pricing Automotive Calculator Payments Automotive Car Shops Automotive Dealers Near Me Automotive Fair Market Value Automotive Floor Mats Automotive Insurance Auction Automotive Junkyard Parts Automotive Junkyard Parts Search Automotive Mechanic Near Me Automotive Mechanic Shop Automotive Part Locator Automotive Part Search Automotive Parts Search Automotive Parts Search Engine Automotive Part Used Automotive Price Estimator Automotive Repair Shops Near Me Automotive Repair Stores Automotive Salvage Yard Search Automotive Service Stations Automotive Used Part Bar Automotive Repair business Car Cars Department Of Automotive Repair Dept Of Automotive Repair Enterprise Automotive Group Formula 1 Automotive Gmac Automotive Bank Honda Automotive Finance Local Automotive Service Online Auctions Automotive Pep Boys Automotive Pet Boys Automotive State Farm Automotive Insurance Summit Automotive Parts Used Automotive Body Parts Used Automotive Parts Used Cars Sale Automotive Used Parts Automotive Www Bureau Of Automotive Repair

Visit Now

business lawyer near me
Intellifluence Trusted Blogger

BL

LP

TL

promo toyota malang

Rëlätëd Artïċlë

3 min read
  • Car & Automotive

19 ‘Biggest Single Threat Ever’ For Auto Business

May 18, 2022 Katherine E. Ackerman
2 min read
  • Pro Bike Racing

Bike to the beach and enjoy a boxed lunch from Partners Village Store in Westport

May 18, 2022 Jaime E. Love
2 min read
  • Car & Automotive

Higher Standards Automotive to host car show Saturday

May 18, 2022 Jaime E. Love
3 min read
  • Car Sales

Europe Car Forecasts Turn Negative, While Electric Sales Growth To Stall

May 18, 2022 Jaime E. Love
condoritolapelicula.com © All rights reserved. | Newsever by AF themes.
This website uses cookies to improve your experience. We'll assume you're ok with this, but you can opt-out if you wish. Cookie settingsACCEPT
Privacy & Cookies Policy

Privacy Overview

This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Out of these cookies, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. But opting out of some of these cookies may have an effect on your browsing experience.
Necessary
Always Enabled
Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. This category only includes cookies that ensures basic functionalities and security features of the website. These cookies do not store any personal information.
Non-necessary
Any cookies that may not be particularly necessary for the website to function and is used specifically to collect user personal data via analytics, ads, other embedded contents are termed as non-necessary cookies. It is mandatory to procure user consent prior to running these cookies on your website.
SAVE & ACCEPT