Time waits for no one, which is true of the automotive world. Many of us yearn for the return of classic cars that have long since vanished into history.
However, narrowing down which cars we want back takes a lot of work. There are many to choose from, but we’ve done an excellent job on this list.
We would love it if all the retro cars on this list came back, although we sadly don’t expect any of them to do so.
Honda Prelude
Honda produced this sports car from 1978 to 2001, spanning five generations, and it rapidly became one of the best-loved members of the Japanese manufacturer’s fleet. It was sleek, comfortable, and agile and could outperform its rivals, Porsche and Ferrari.
It is the second and third-generation Preludes that are the most remembered. The second generation had an all-new platform and initially had an A18A or ET-2, 1.8 L 12-valve twin carburetor engine under the hood. A 2.0-liter engine would become the top-of-the-range model, and the third-generation Honda would introduce a 2.1-liter inline-four to range with 140 hp.
Lancia 037
Lancia has become a shadow of its former self, but there was a time when it could produce exceptional cars. The 037 stands out as one of the best, and this sports car achieved most of its fame when it took on and won against the four-wheel drive Audi Quattro in the 1983 WRC season.
Lancia would release a few examples of the 037 for road use, each with a 2.0-liter supercharged inline-four under the hood. These engines produced 205 hp and 167 lb-ft of torque. Lancia produced less than 500 street-based 037s, which are now highly sought after.
Lamborghini Diablo
While the Countach is one of Lamborghini’s most popular cars, you could argue that the Diablo was the better of the two. It was faster, with top speeds over 200 mph, and Lamborghini made sure you could see out of the rear window this time!
The Diablo was also better than the Countach, with standard features such as fully adjustable seats and steering wheel, electric windows, and power steering. Under the hood was a 5.7-liter V12 engine with 485 hp and 428 lb-ft of torque. The Diablo GTR would utilize the bigger 6.0-liter V12, producing 390 hp and 472 lb-ft of torque.
Porsche 959
Porsche producing anything other than a 911 is an occasion to celebrate. But for all its greatness, the Porsche 959’s production run was much shorter than it should have been. Initially, the supercar was to compete in the WRC under the Group B regulations. However, the deaths of Henri Toivonen and Sergio Cresto at the 1986 Rally Corsica ended Group B forever.
But Porsche still produced the 959 for the road. Under the hood, it had a 2.8-liter air-cooled flat-six with twin turbocharging, enough to produce 505 hp. The electrically controlled four-wheel drive system provided plenty of grips, and the 959’s acceleration was impressive, as it could reach 0-60 mph in just 3.7 seconds.
Audi Quattro
The Quattro name has now become another term Audi uses to describe its four-wheel-drive vehicles. Yet it was once a legendary road and rally car, produced from 1980 to 1991, and a new version would bring back a lot of excitement to the Audi range.
Of course, the Quattro was most famous for its exploits in the World Rally Championship. Its four-wheel drive system was a revelation, as it dominated all but the Lancia 037 and swept to victory at the Pikes Peak hill climb. Audi introduced new Quattro concepts in 2010 and 2013, but sadly, neither made it to production.
AMG Hammer
In the 1980s, AMG was still an independent company, free of the shackles of the broader Mercedes-Benz corporation. Having built a fearsome reputation with its race-prepped 300SEL 6.3, AMG then took the Mercedes 300E to create the excellent AMG Hammer.
This was a W124 E-class sedan, with the straight-six removed to make way for a massive 5.5-liter V8 from the S-class. The twin-cam units were also added in place of the SOHC heads, increasing power output by 60 hp to 355 hp. At the time, that was 125 hp more than what the best Chevrolet Corvette could offer.
Talbot Sunbeam Lotus
It might not be the most exciting car on this list, but hear us out. The Talbot Sunbeam Lotus was born from Chrysler’s desire to take the Ford Escort RS onto the rally stage. The company drafted Lotus to turn the mundane hatchback into a hot hatch.
Under the hood, there was a 2.3-liter engine with rear-wheel drive, and the chassis was also stiffened to enhance its handling. The motoring press raved about the Sunbeam Lotus, but Chrysler struggled to sell them and built only 2,308 in two years.
Ford Sierra RS Cosworth
Everyone loves a fast Ford, and the Sierra Cosworth might be the ultimate example. Built as a homologation special during the 1980s, it was able to compete in Touring Car and Rally championships.
Ford produced the car from 1986 to 1992, and under the hood sat a 2.0-liter turbocharged inline-four Cosworth engine with 204 hp. Add the new body kit with the whale-tail rear spoiler, and you have a car that perfectly represents the 1980s, even if it became the target of thieves due to its poor security systems!
Lamborghini LM002
The Lamborghini LM002 might not have been the sales success the Italian manufacturer had hoped for. But it was a sensational leap into the SUV world for the company, born from the ashes of the Cheetah and LM001 projects and infinitely better looking than the modern-day Urus. Lamborghini built just 301 LM002s, making them one of its rarest products.
As a performance SUV, it worked great. Under the hood was a substantial 5.2-liter L503 V12 producing 444 hp and 369 lb-ft of torque. If you wanted more power, Lamborghini would add a 7.2-liter L804 marine V12, the engine in many class 1 offshore powerboats. This V12 would produce 612 hp, a massive jump over the 5.2-liter L503.
Citroën BX
Citroën used to produce some of the most fantastic cars in the world. The BX of the 1980s was no exception, yet despite the Marcello Gandini styling, they have become an endangered species. Citroën produced the large family car from 1982 to 1994 and built over two million of them.
It was light and used as few body parts as possible, and Renault used plastic for most of them. Yet, this didn’t compromise the GTA’s safety. Under the hood, there was a range of inline-fours, from the XW to the N9T3 16-valve turbocharged inline-four and some diesel engines. The BX was particularly popular in Britain, yet as of 2016, just 485 examples remained on British roads, with that number now likely even lower.
Volvo 850 T5-R / 850R
The era of Volvo station wagons is now coming to an end. This allows us to reminisce about some of the finest boxy creations from Swedish manufacturers. One of the best is the excellent 850 T5-R and 850R, which became famous when Volvo teamed up with Tom Walkinshaw Racing to field the station wagon in the British Touring Car Championship.
Yet even the road-going versions were punchy and a lot of fun to drive. The 850 T-5R had a 2.3-liter turbocharged five-cylinder under the hood with 237 hp, and the 850 R produced 225 hp, so these practical family cars were no slouches.
1980s Audi 100 Wagon
While the Quattro was a big highlight for Audi in the 1980s, it was far from the only one. Enter the Audi 100 Wagon, which debuted in 1982 with some of the best aerodynamics of any production car up to that point.
Not only did it have a record-breaking drag coefficient of just 0.30, but it was also light thanks to its lightweight materials. The most one could weigh was 3,505 lbs. Inline-fives were the engines of choice, and the optional four-wheel drive gave the 100 a significant advantage over its rivals. This was the same four-wheel drive system honed to perfection in the mighty Quattro.
Renault Alpine GTA
Despite its popularity with the motoring press in the early 1980s, the Renault Alpine GTA was a rare beast, even rarer in 2024. While it was officially classed as a sports car, the mid-mounted 2.9-liter V6 and exotic design made it look like a supercar shrunk in the wash.
The GTA would later recieve an upgrade to the bigger 2.5-liter turbocharged engine, with 200 hp and 214 lb-ft of torque. The GTA was also light, weighing just 2,646 lbs thanks to its fiberglass body. Renault and Alpine produced just 7,400 GTAs.
Ford Fiesta XR2
The 1980s was a perfect time for Ford. Not only did it produce the Sierra Cosworth RS, but it also gave us the Fiesta XR2. This was the main rival to the Peugeot 205 GTi, and while it couldn’t quite match the French car’s popularity, it was more than capable of taking it on.
Under the hood, the hot hatch packed a 1.6-liter Cosworth engine with just 94 hp. Yet in a car that weighed just 1,850 lbs, that was plenty, and the XR2 was exemplary in the corners and on tight, twisty roads. In 1986, Ford introduced a lean-burn variant of the XR2 with a revised cylinder head and carburetor. This reduced power slightly, but it did cut down on
