19801980s

Boxy sedans. Carburetors. Leaded petrol.

298
Variants this year
87 hp
Average power
8.7 L
Avg consumption
14.5s
Avg 0–100 km/h
Sedan
Top body · 42%
01 — Body mix

What shape dominated.

Distribution of 298 1980 variants by body type.

sedan42%
hatchback33%
wagon14%
coupe9%
Sedan
41.9%
Hatchback
32.6%
Wagon
14.4%
Coupe
8.7%
Cabriolet
1.7%
Suv
0.7%
02 — Fuel mix

What moved them.

Petrol still dominates in absolute volume in 1980, but the share is sliding to electric and hybrid year over year.

petrol83%
diesel17%
Petrol
83.2%
Diesel
16.8%
03 — Top picks

The standouts of 1980.

Quickest, most powerful, most efficient — from variants documented with a 1980 model year.

In context · 1980s

Boxy sedans. Carburetors. Leaded petrol.

Before catalytic converters were mandatory. Before electronic fuel injection became universal. The 1980s belonged to the wedge, the three-box sedan, the steel bumper. The Audi 100 broke aero records at 0.30 Cd in 1982; almost nobody else cared yet. The hot hatch arrived (Golf GTI, Peugeot 205 GTI, Renault 5 Turbo), and so did the European turbo diesel.

Audi 100 C3BMW 3 Series E30Volkswagen Golf Mk2Peugeot 205
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