Cars are freedom. Just ask any nervous kid with a learner’s permit, counting the days until they can finally pull out of the driveway alone.
Cars also play a big role in our pop culture, and nobody understood that better than ’80s kids. We recently took a look at the most iconic everyday vehicles of the ’80s, the ones that average people actually bought, drove, and maybe even dreamed about one day owning. But this list takes a bit of a sharp turn. These are the rides that lived in our imaginations, on our screens (big and small), and yes, even on our turntables.
The DeLorean Was a Flop — Until It Went ‘Back to the Future’
The DeLorean from ‘Back to the Future’ behind glass. (Kevin Dietsch, Getty Images)
The most obvious example and the perfect one to start with is the DeLorean from Back to the Future. In the hit movie, it symbolized freedom, carrying Marty McFly to a time and place that would change everything. Not so different from that kid with the learner’s permit.
MORE 1980s: Awesome Car Features From the ’80s That We Miss
What makes the DeLorean choice so interesting is how unlikely it was. The DMC-12 was actually a commercial flop. John DeLorean’s dream car company collapsed into bankruptcy and scandal in 1982, just three years after production began. But its gull-wing doors, unpainted stainless steel body (Cybertruck, anyone?), and genuinely futuristic look gave it an “otherworldly” feel that no car of the time could have matched.
How Many of These Iconic ’80s Rides Do You Remember?
Recognize this talkative Trans Am? It made our list. (Ethan Miller, Getty Images)
Can you guess our other picks? Some are obvious, like a certain talking Trans Am, a Ferrari that made Tom Selleck look even cooler than he already did (no small feat) — and some might genuinely surprise you.
LOOK: The 20 Most Iconic Cars & Trucks of the 1980s From Movies, TV, and Music
These weren’t the cars people drove to work — they were the ones that showed up on bedroom walls, Saturday morning cartoons, and the big screen.
Gallery Credit: Stephen Lenz
MORE CARS: These Photos Show Why 1970s Cars Were Something Special (and Obviously Better)
Big, bold, and built different — these ’70s cars looked and felt like nothing on the road today. Take a ride back and see them in their prime. [And we did our best to identify the models and dates, so if we got it wrong, gearheads, don’t come after us!]
Gallery Credit: Stephen Lenz
