Why Was Datsun Abducting Customers In 1981?
"Datsun is going to pick you up". Thanks to the upbeat singers it sounded like a good thing, but no one in this…
See How A Full Sized Chevy Blazer Stacked Up To The Competition
Although it wouldn't take much to talk us into purchasing either of these full-size SUVs, back in 1981 when they were…
Make Being Tough A Full Time Job With The Dodge Ram 50
You don't always have to look tough to be tough, at least that is what it seemed Dodge was attempting to illustrate…
1981 Mercedes 300TD has a V8 secret under the hood
What do you do when the trusty 5 cylinder diesel in your 1981 Mercedes 300TD finally requires a replacement? While most…
1981 Toyota Trekker was the forerunner of the 4runner
Several years before the 4runner was introduced to the world an odd collaboration between Toyota and Winnebago produced…
See what the 1981 Buick Regal and figure skaters have in common
The 1981 Buick Regal and figure skaters (specifically Icecapades star Charlie Tigner) had a lot in common, at least…
Rare AMC Eagle Sundancer is ultra-weird fun in the sun
We aren't sure there is such a thing as a normal AMC Eagle, but we feel safe saying other models of the 4x4 car were a…
1981 Chevrolet Monte Carlo makes you want to do drum solos
If you had other ideas when "they" told you to go into medicine, the strikingly new 1981 Monte Carlo was the car for…
1981 Fiat Strada
Welcome to Down On The Street, where we admire old vehicles found on the streets of the Island That Rust Forgot:…
Malaise? What Malaise? Popular Mechanics Does Supercars, 1981 Style!
You know you're in the Malaise Era when the best quarter-mile times for the wildest street cars money can buy are…
Buy a New '81 Mercury, Pay Just 12% Interest!
After a few years of double-digit annual inflation in the late 1970s, Americans had become accustomed to Malaise Era…
All-American 1981 Plymouth Horizon Stomps On "World Car" Ford Escort
Yes, what could be more American than a Volkswagen-engined Plymouth based on a Simca design? Actually, big spenders…
1981 Volkswagen Rabbit LS Diesel
Welcome to Down On The Street, where we admire old vehicles found parked on the streets of the Island That Rust Forgot:…
1981 Toyota Corolla Tercel Coupe
Welcome to Down On The Street, where we admire old vehicles found parked on the streets of the Island That Rust Forgot:…
PCH, Southern Grab Bag Edition: Fiat-Lancia-Fiat Combo or L'Automobile Ventura Plus VW Fastback?
Welcome to Project Car Hell, where you choose your eternity by selecting the project that's the coolest... and the most…
Evil Clint Gets A Few Loose Bolts, Buys DeLorean And Honda Z600 For Personal Hell Garage
When you're 21 years old and you've already owned a Yugo, a Fiat Spider, and numerous air-cooled Volkswagens, what's…
The Jalopnik Top 10 Vintage Ford Mustang TV Commercials
More than any car we've seen, the Mustang has always been marketed as a product that can transform its owner's entire…
Smooth And Fast As A Bullet Train: The 1981 Renault Le Car
Was the Renault Le Car (aka Renault 5) really the best-selling front-wheel-drive car in the world in 1981? From the…
Why All That Expensive Safety Equipment Is Required At The 24 Hours Of LeMons: Audi Versus Wall
Though the cars themselves must cost less than $500, the cost of the required safety equipment pushes the build cost of…
1981 Datsun 810, aka 1981 Nissan Maxima
Welcome to Down On The Street, where we admire old vehicles found parked on the streets of the Island That Rust Forgot:…