Let’s Take a Drive Back to 1982

Auto sales are apparently at their lowest point since 1982. Sad news for the automakers…but it got me thinking. What were we driving back in 1982? So let’s take a cruise back in time:

One of my favorite all time cars, for reasons even I don’t understand: The 1982 Cadillac Seville. Nevermind it’s bustle-butt, I thought it was pure class.


I would probably have been driving around in this 1982 Honda Prelude:


The Mercury Cougar -- Ours was YELLOW and my mom drove me to school in it EVERY DAY:


My brother had one of these, a 1982 Chevy Chevette. It didn't have a floorboard and we hit an armadillo on the way back from Church one night. The vermint ended up in the backseat after flying through the hole(true story):


In 1982, these were probably slowing down traffic. My Grandma still has one and is still slowing down traffic. I imagine you can still find hundred's that’s only been driven to church and back, a 1982 Oldsmobile:


Or maybe you were on the cutting edge, and bought the new Renault (introduced as a 1983 model). I’m nearly positive my aunt had one identical to this:


Or how about that perennial best seller, the Ford F-150?


We can blame slow auto sales on the economy in 2009 but just by the photos displayed here I think I can guess the problem in '82.

So, what was everyone else riding around in back in 1982?