• By Murilee Martin
    Apr 29, 2008 9:00 AM 4,172
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    #1980s

    Back When Automotive Interior Designers Weren't So Slick: SECU- RITY Indicator Lamp

    Engine Of The Day: Ford Kent

    Deal Of The Year: Bustle-Back Ex-CIA Seville Limo For $350- Ran When Parked!
    read more: #downonthestreet, #1980s, #1982, #1982mazda, #1982mazda626, #626, #alameda, #malaiseera, #mazda626, #malaise, #mazda

    1982 Mazda 626 Luxury

    I must admit that the Mazda 626 has spent its entire existence without really registering on my personal automotive radar screen. A generic-looking Mazda sedan with no rotary? Yet the first-generation 626 sold quite well and gained a reputation for reliability... and now most of them are gone forever, fed into the ravenous jaws of The Crusher. So even though it's no AE86 or RX-7, this car has earned DOTS status by surviving everyday use for 26 hard years.



    1982 was the last year of rear-wheel-drive 626s sold in North America. And, hey, it's the much-coveted Luxury edition!


    The 626 Luxury sedan listed at $8,895 in '82, nearly $2,500 more than the '82 Chevy Cavalier sedan.


    This one is pretty rough, covered with battle scars and daily-driver glory. The mismatched wheels add to its tough-veteran appearance.

    1982 Mazda 626 Down On The Street



    First 200 DOTS


    Send an email to Murilee Martin, the author of this post, at murilee@jalopnik.com.