It’s the summer of 1985, and you have a cool $15,000 burning a hole in your pocket. You’ve just been blown away by the band Queen’s performance at Live Aid, sitting there on your couch drinking a wine cooler as the whole concert event plays out on your 17-inch Sony Trinitron TV. Sure, the Led Zepplin set kind of sucked with Jimmy all strung out on something, but in general the whole show has been so good that you’re considering giving your own money to the cause.
Why not? You’re rich. You were smart enough to buy stock in a company owned by two California guys who built a computer in their garage, and now they’ve launched this new product with a cigarette box on a string attached to it called a “mouse.”
With a big commercial push after the Superbowl, it’s been a big success and now you’re able to share in some that go-go eighties goodness.
As much as you want to help Bob Geldof’s cause, you decide that you’re going to do the right thing and buy a brand new car to replace your dying hand-me-down green slant six Dodge Dart from Grandma instead. What will you get?
I was not old enough in 1985 to live out this hypothetical situation, but if I were my choice would be pretty easy. You see, I’d want something to be as reliable as that horrible Dodge Dart, and considering that I’ve had essentially three cars in the last thirty years and put about 18,000 miles on them every 12 months it’s got to a rock-solid machine. After suffering through owning a Dart I’d want something sporty and capable to make up for those lost years, but the thing would still have to be practical.
What malaise-era machine could check the boxes on such an expansive wish list? That’s easy: a 1985 Toyota Supra “sport” model with a five-speed.
I’d want this purplish-grey leather interior, though obviously with a row-your-own gearbox between the seats with the blood pressure gauge-style lumbar pump-ups:
I loved the looks of this thing, and the fact that Dan Gurney said such glowing things about it (well, was paid to) convinced me that this was The Car to have. Notice that Dan was too cool to jump:
In some ways it’s probably good I wasn’t in this situation back then, since I’d still be driving that same damn Supra to this day with like 670,000 miles on the clock.
How about you? So many good choices out there from hot hatches to sport coupes and even fun sedans. Put on your Members Only jacket, roll up the sleeves, grab that $15,000 in cash, and head out the door. What dealership’s lot are you going to drive into, and with what rad car will you drive out?
I would probably go for an AE86 Corolla GT-S, or wait until fall, for the ’86 models and get a CRX Si. …Or if I could stretch the 15k limit a little bit, both.
Back in 84 my parents did exactly this for each other. My dad bought my mom an 84 Supra P-Type (Terra cotta/auto) and my mom bought my dad an 84 Cressida (metallic blue/manual). They kept them until 1990 when the Cressida was traded in on a Toyota truck and the Supra traded in on a new Cressida.
You nailed it with the Supra. Make mine dark blue with the black hatch!
In 1985 I wanted to go on the road with my band, so I probably would have probably spent $15k on a Ford Club Wagon, or something similar. Basically a bus that could tow the gear.
Toyota Tercel 4WD SR5. 5 speed. 80’s graphics. Plaid interior. Perfection.
I had a used one of those in the early 90’s. So funky! I loved the semi-6 speed stick. (An extra low gear was available only when it was in 4WD.) Virtually unstoppable in the snow. But with only 60 some-odd horsepower, it was dull and noisy under any other conditions. But also very durable.
1985 me would have purchased a Toyota MR2 and pocketed the change.
Trans Am.
Audi GT please.
85! That’s the only time I bought a New vehicle! A Honda Shadow. As some have mentioned, there were Soo many great used cars for cheap in that time period. In 86, I picked up a 71 mustang convertible in decent, inspected, immediately drive-able condition, for $1.500! Never saw the appeal of a new car, only exception that comes to mind, when the Ford GT was announced, I told a very well off acquaintance, that drove a new Aston Martin, He should look into getting on the list.
Saab 900S.
Gotta go with the obvious answer and buy the brand new version of the car I have owned since 2001 – a 1985 Ford LTD LX. MSRP was $12K, so that would leave some cash on the table for day 2 modifications.
Regular cab K30 dually with the 454 and a dealer-installed Gear Vendors. Might have been a tad north of 15k but not by much.
Since I seriously considered buying a Starion in 1986, I’ll go with that. Although if I knew what I was doing, I’d probably be going for an MR2.
Hoo boy. I think it’s a tossup between a Mustang SVO and a Dodge Daytona Turbo Z.
Since it’s under the threshold for anything else I’d like that year, I’ll go with Buick Regal T-Type.
Probably a Mustang SVO. I knew a guy that bought one and it was something else.
I envied him at the time, but could not afford one.
I have always wanted a square body stepside pickup. Even when I was 14 in 1985. Back then, I’d have gotten it with the biggest engine I could get with a stick, but if it’s me now looking back…
Still whatever the biggest engine could be had with a stick. Or maybe the diesel version! With 4 wheel drive!
I’m kinda similar, but for me it was a 5.0 Mustang. I vowed to never give up that desire, and get one when I could. Which I did, but by then she’d acquired retro inspired bits and a 4.6. And I still have her, 23 years later.
Same answer as today: the sickest manual early model C3 I can get my grubby paws on
Civic Wagon 5MT
or
Volvo 240 Wagon. 5MT
I’m a bit torn. Probably the Volvo.
I was going to say 240 Volvo wagon as well.
I want to say the Volvo M47 5MT wasn’t released until 1990.
1985 would have had a M46 four-speed MT with Laycock de Normanville J-Type push button overdrive.
https://jalopnik.com/at-6-000-is-this-11985-volvo-240-wagon-a-good-deal-1850734481
Regal T-Type or Grand National if you can swing it. Must have T-Tops.
And I am blasting Dokken’s “Under Lock and Key” which came out in 1985.
Also tempted by the Fiero, Shelby Daytona, K5 Blazer and a Nissan Hardbody 4×4.
I think the Grand National would bust our budget (unless you were able to blackmail the salesman or something). But the T-Type is right on the money. Order it in black and people won’t be able to tell the difference from 10 feet away.
I didn’t see a price for it, just other posts here suggesting it was in budget. I like the idea of the “grandma” model with the turbo motor.
I’d get a 4Runner, or maybe a Land Cruiser if they weren’t too expensive.
I mean, are we talking 1985 with 86 models on the floor? Or 1984 only?
85 only, id love an SVO Mustang. Factory 4 wheel disc, abs, turbo 4, as much power as the GT. And TTOPS please.
If 1986 freshness is on the lot? Buick Regal T-Type. Silver, bench seat. Grandma spec with the turbo-6. And T Tops.
Rabbit Mk1 GTI (1984), Golf Mk2 GTI (1985) – either comes in under that. (To be clear, you could have still gotten a 1984 model year new in early 1985, ima a guessin, depending upon where you lived – I certainly remember being a teen at that time lusting after them on the lot. The Mk2, while objectively better in every mechanical way, way kinda portly to me)
If you want to know MSRP for 80s-90s cars, go to this page and pick your year.
https://www.michigan.gov/sos/vehicle/ownership/vehicle-base-prices
Me? I’m gonna spend $13,415 on a stickshift Volvo 245DL wagon. Probably add A/C and still be under $15k. If I treated it well and avoided rust, I could still be driving it today.
That’s useful. Thanks!
What a neat site. Who knew Michigan archived all that.
There was a period where Michigan based registration fees on MSRP less a depreciation factor. That’s why these are archived.
But they only used the MSRP of a particular trim. Which led to some interesting “Michigan Special” cars. For example, take a base Olds Delta 88 and throw the entire options list at it, which creates a car that’s much cheaper to register than the next trim up.
That’s why I used to transfer my plate from my Range Rover to my 86 Trans Am around renewal time, the $15 transfer fee (twice) plus the $48 renewal fee worked out much better than the $198 renewal fee on the Rover
That is a great site – going on the bookmarks. Thanks for sharing!
The audacity that the Cimmaron was twice the pricetag of the Cavalier just makes this all the more impressive what GM tried to do.
It was cheap for a Cadillac though, so mission accomplished on that point.
That’s so depressing, the cars I bought in 85, 86 were almost twice the us price.
OMG. Look at the weights of them!
Yeah. An 85 CRX Si was under 2,000 #! Great username, BTW
Sorry, I’m going for the SX/4 coupe.