19831980s

Boxy sedans. Carburetors. Leaded petrol.

495
Variants this year
85 hp
Average power
7.7 L
Avg consumption
14.1s
Avg 0–100 km/h
Hatchback
Top body · 45%
01 — Body mix

What shape dominated.

Distribution of 495 1983 variants by body type.

hatchback45%
sedan37%
wagon10%
Hatchback
44.6%
Sedan
37.0%
Wagon
10.1%
Coupe
6.5%
Cabriolet
1.0%
Mpv
0.8%
02 — Fuel mix

What moved them.

Petrol still dominates in absolute volume in 1983, 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 1983.

Quickest, most powerful, most efficient — from variants documented with a 1983 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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