19891980s

Boxy sedans. Carburetors. Leaded petrol.

1,072
Variants this year
100 hp
Average power
8.1 L
Avg consumption
12.9s
Avg 0–100 km/h
Hatchback
Top body · 43%
01 — Body mix

What shape dominated.

Distribution of 1,072 1989 variants by body type.

hatchback43%
sedan32%
wagon18%
Hatchback
43.0%
Sedan
31.5%
Wagon
17.5%
Coupe
3.9%
Suv
1.7%
Cabriolet
1.6%
Mpv
0.7%
02 — Fuel mix

What moved them.

Petrol still dominates in absolute volume in 1989, but the share is sliding to electric and hybrid year over year.

petrol84%
diesel16%
Petrol
83.9%
Diesel
16.1%
03 — Top picks

The standouts of 1989.

Quickest, most powerful, most efficient — from variants documented with a 1989 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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