The 1980s were a great period of years for the automobile world, as it would bring us some of the best cars of all time. There is absolutely no question that a significant amount of us would love to bring back some of the vehicles of this time and this is quite understandable. There truly were some great cars that many individuals would go on to love as time would continue to pass.

However, a lot of these cars will never be able to come back to us, as many car manufacturers have since ended operations. At the very least—and thankfully for us—we can collect these vehicles on the used market in many situations.

With all that has been stated thus far, we will be looking at 19 forgotten cars from the 1980s that we need back. It is very important to note that these cars will be coming from a wide variety of car manufacturers. Also, some of these cars may not have necessarily been hits during their times on the primary market but we will provide reasons why they should come back to the automobile world. At the end of the day, it is clear that the amount of love for cars from the 8os is still at a very high level and this speaks volume to the success of the decade.

Now, let’s look at these cars!

19 1985 CHEVY CAMARO IROC-Z

There is no question that the Chevy Camaro is one of the most popular car series in the history of the automobile world. However, even though this is the case, there is a somewhat forgotten version of the model that came in the form of the 1985 Camaro IROC-Z.

This vehicle is often regarded as a favorite by many car enthusiasts and one that we definitely would love to have back in the primary market. There is no question that this car was built in a great manner and will always be beloved because of the immense amount of speed that it is capable of reaching.

18 1988 AUDI QUATTRO

The 1988 Audi Quattro is a vehicle that definitely is met with a lot of praise today by car experts. However, it is also clear that not many people are aware of how amazing this car was, as it has been a number of years since its time on the primary market passed by.

There is no question that this is a vehicle that the car manufacturer should consider bringing back, as this series was short-lived. It definitely would be able to bring in a lot of sales. At the end of the day, it is clear that this vehicle was a top-notch one from the car manufacturer.

17 1986 MERCEDES-BENZ 190E

The 1986 Mercedes-Benz 190E is a vehicle that definitely did very well in the primary market and this, ultimately, makes sense. When seeing how this car had amazing style and was built in a very effective manner, it definitely deserved all of the praise it received.

This is a vehicle that definitely would be amazing to be able to bring back, as it was beloved by a number of individuals. There is no question that Mercedes as a car manufacturer has had an immense amount of success over the years but a recreation of this car could be even more beneficial for them.

16 1981 TOYOTA CRESSIDA

When looking at the 1981 Toyota Cressida, one might assume that this vehicle is very boring. However, when seeing how this vehicle was known for its immense amount of reliability, as well as for possessing a solid lifecycle, it is clear that this was a great car.

There is no question that Toyota has a very big following today and this is justifiable given their ability to create very nice and dependable vehicles. However, bringing back this car would be awesome for the car manufacturer, as it would provide them with yet another successful series to contend with their competitors on a higher level.

15 1986 MAZDA RX-7

The 1986 Mazda RX-7 was an amazing car and it is one that we all wish could come back to the primary market. This car truly thrived when it came to its overall speed but it is important to note that it had so many other amazing features, especially for its time.

This vehicle was built in a very good fashion, so it also had the ability to last its owners for a long period of time. There is no question that the car manufacturer did a spectacular job with this vehicle and even to this day, they still deserve a plethora of praise for creating it.

14 1982 JAGUAR XJS

The 1982 Jaguar XJS definitely is another car from this decade that ended up being a smashing success. This should not come as a surprise to many, as this car manufacturer has been able to release very solid vehicles at a consistent rate for a number of years.

Many people loved this car when it was first released because of its appearance but it would end up gaining more value because of how well it was put together when it came to its overall structure. At the end of the day, it is clear that this was a great car that we definitely would love to have back.

13 1987 TOYOTA CELICA

The 1987 Toyota Celica is a vehicle that many people would love to have back because of its immense amount of durability. When seeing how these cars had the ability to last for at least ten years consistently, it is clear that the car manufacturer did a great job with them.

At the end of the day, there is absolutely no question that this was another amazing car from the 1980s. Many individuals definitely would enjoy bringing this car back, as it was one of the most dependable cars of its generation. Perhaps the long-lasting series could make a return in the future.

12 1984 FERRARI 288 GTO

There is no question that vehicles from Ferrari are always beloved because of their high speeds and luxury components but the 1984 Ferrari 288 GTO definitely is far more than just that. This car was built in such a positive manner that it had the ability to last for many years.

This is a car that definitely would be very cool to bring back to the automobile world. There is no question that many car experts love this vehicle but it would be smart to potentially bring it back as a series. It very well could bring in some massive sales and this would make its return justifiable.

11 1988 FORD THUNDERBIRD

The 1988 Ford Thunderbird was a nice car and this is shown by the fact that so many individuals were interested in purchasing one when it was first released. The Thunderbird series is one that is heavily missed and it is largely because of the 1988 model.

There is no question that the car manufacturer should consider bringing back this masterpiece in the future, as it would have the potential to bring in an abundance of sales for them. As buyers, all we can do is hope for it to return because anything is possible when it comes to Ford.

10 1981 DELOREAN DMC-12

Although the 1981 DeLorean DMC-12 ran into some major problems during its time on the primary market, there is no question that it is a car that has great style. It is a shame that we will never be able to have these released again, as the manufacturer does not exist anymore in its original form.

When seeing its place in pop culture, there is no question that this was a car that left an impact. It is disappointing that the car manufacturer will never have the chance to fix the issues from this model today but regardless, it was still a cool car when it came to its overall style.

9 1986 ACURA INTEGRA

The 1986 Acura Integra was an extremely reliable car and this is what would end up giving it such a positive reputation throughout the automobile world. There is no question that this car lasted its owners a very long time because of how well it was built.

At the end of the day, a car does not always have to be fancy to be successful and the 1986 Integra displays this perfectly. There is no question that these vehicles could have been successful today but alas, we will have to wait and see if they ever come back to the new car market again.

8 1980 CHEVY CITATION

The 1980 Chevy Citation may have been a lemon during its time on the primary market but this is a car that actually would be cool to bring back. The car manufacturer has a major blemish in their history with this series and they should look to redeem themselves.

There is no question that these cars actually had a very cool look to them but it is clear that they were built in an extremely poor manner. However, with Chevy still being one of the top manufacturers in the automobile world, they could make up for this massive mistake with a reintroduction of the Citation.

7 1986 HYUNDAI EXCEL

The 1986 Hyundai Excel was absolutely beloved when it first entered the automobile world and this ultimately makes a plethora of sense. When seeing how these vehicles were built in a very effective manner and looked nice, they were the perfect combination of affordability and reliability.

At the end of the day, it would be cool if we could have this vehicle again on the primary market, as it was so successful before. There is no question that the car manufacturer could thrive immensely by bringing it back and it very well could end up occurring some time in the future.

6 1988 MERCEDES-BENZ AMG HAMMER

The 1988 Mercedes-Benz AMG Hammer was a nice car with powerful performance and it is clear that it was very unique for its time. These factors would end up working out for it immensely, as it would go on to attract a very high amount of praise from the very start of its time on the primary market.

This would be a great car to bring back to the automobile world, as many people would love to drive it today. Although it obviously had far less technological advances than today’s cars, it easily keeps up in terms of overall quality, as well as in strong performance.

5 1984 AUDI 5000

The 1984 Audi 5000 can easily be deemed as one of the best cars to have ever come from the legendary car manufacturer. This is presented by the fact that these cars worked extremely well and they had the ability to last their owners for a long period of time, as well.

There is no question that this is a vehicle that many people would love to have brought back to the primary market. This is the type of car that made the 1980s such a strong decade when it came to the automobile world and it deserves all of the praise in the world for this.

4 1988 PORSCHE 924S

There is no question that everybody would love to drive a Porsche but the 1988 Porsche 924S may be the best one to try out. This car was spectacular during its time on the primary market because of its blistering speeds and overall luxury features.

This is the type of car that this car manufacturer needs to continue basing their current cars off of. There is no question that many people would love to be able to have this vehicle back on the primary market, as it was truly one of the best models to have ever come from the manufacturer.

3 1981 PONTIAC FIREBIRD TRANS-AM

The 1981 Pontiac Firebird Trans-Am is a beautiful vehicle from the 1980s that many people would love to see come back. Of course, this sadly cannot be the case, as the car manufacturer has ended operations. Maybe General Motors can create one through one of their other subsidiary brands, though.

However, this car was great during its time on the primary market, as it not only had amazing style but drove in a very effective manner. These were truly top sellers and this makes a plethora of sense, as these vehicles were truly some of the best to be released before Pontiac went under.

2 1987 BUICK GRAND NATIONAL GNX

The 1987 Buick Grand National was easily one of the top cars of its time, as it had the ability to last for a number of years despite serious power figures. There is no question that the car manufacturer did a very solid job with this car and it is one that we all wish would come back to us.

So many individuals would go on to love this car as the years would continue to pass because it was built in such a strong manner with boxy, simple style. When adding in the fact that it also had a fantastic appearance, it makes a plethora of sense that so many individuals would go on to love it immensely.

1 1986 FERRARI TESTAROSSA

The 1986 Ferrari Testarossa was an absolutely wonderful vehicle and there is no question that we desperately want it back on the primary market. This is a car that many individuals would go on to admire because it had great style, as well as wonderful performance.

The car manufacturer should consider bringing this car back in the future, as it definitely would bring in a lot of attention. People are naturally drawn to nostalgia and this car would seriously bring in an immense level of that emotion. At the end of the day, this car is a major part of their history.

Sources: Thrillist, Autobytel, and Car and Driver.