Pennzoil Presents: Choose Your Daily Driver, 1980s Edition—Congratulations, ant! — Explained
You, our esteemed BaT community, came through with a variety of 1980s rides that certainly didn’t disappoint. Bravo! Of course, there can only be one winner, and this week our favorite comment of the bunch was left by BaT member @ant:
Having been born almost exactly 36 years ago, I was a longtime 1980s hater. The eighties were old, and the designs seemed boring and boxy and transitional at best (not that I was a fan of the 90s stuff either).
But as a mid-thirties-year-old, I’ve become quite nostalgic, and the decade-old cars that were common in the mid-nineties have grown on me. This struck me a lot more than usual about a week ago. I do this thing on road trips where I look out for any cars that are as old or older than my 93 Lexus – especially on the long stretches of Highway 5 where it’s almost certain folks are on a road trip. My uncle always said it was a remarkable thing for an “old” car to be on the highway like that, and when mine is the only “classic” on the freeway, I feel a bit proud. So I’m always on the lookout for like-minded car-folks traveling. Well, that weekday night I spotted the telltale dim, low, small, rectangular, red and amber lights of a classic.
My vision isn’t great, so I automatically assumed an old BMW or even a Mercedes, but darn it, it wasn’t easy catching up! In fact, I only caught it by the time the driver had slowed down for an exit, but when I did, the presence of that lowered, bright red, impact bumper-wearing Porsche was potent. It was ABSOLUTELY the coolest car on the road that night, and something in me shifted from being on the perpetual hunt for my out-of-reach-dream-car 912 to needing a G50. As someone who has never daily driven anything under 30-something years old, I don’t like the reliability issues and lack of fun that the 1980s oftentimes present…, but as I started window shopping, I keep finding 911 examples that are over 100k miles and realize maybe the 80s wasn’t so bad.
So here’s my choice for a daily-driven 1980s experience in 2026: a RoW 1987 Porsche 911 Carrera coupe G50
A late-1980s Carrera in good nick is about as reliable as a Porsche can be, and the G50 gearbox gives the car just enough of a modern feel—depending on who you ask, of course. The ROW-spec 3.2-liter flat-six has a bit more oomph when your right foot asks for it. The main hardship would be the anemic air conditioning system, but only in climates with a USDA hardiness rating of 9 or above.
So well said and congratulations, ant! We’ll be getting in touch with you shortly about your new 1/18 scale BaT Ford Roadster Hot Rod as well as a $50 credit to the BaT Gear Store!
Big thanks are also due to Pennzoil for sponsoring this series, and the BaT community for participating in some lively and entertaining discussion. Long may we drive, indeed! Don’t forget to cash in your rebate good for up to 6 quarts of any Pennzoil motor oil this summer.
ORIGINAL POST:
Driving is a necessity for most of us, so why not make it fun? When it comes to daily rides, we love to see people getting creative. And we appreciate seeing interesting old vehicles on the road, being driven the way they were always intended to be. Our partners at Pennzoil are of the same mind, and in the spirit of their “Long May We Drive” mantra, we’re piloting a bit of a thought experiment that we call “Choose Your Daily Driver.”
Today we’re asking you to imagine a world in which—perhaps as part of an elaborate plea deal—you must choose for your daily driver a vehicle built in the 1980s. And to keep it contained, we’re stipulating that this vehicle must be selected from those currently live right here on Bring a Trailer.
We’ve got a few suggestions below to get things started, but feel free to use the 1980s era filter on our Live Auctions page to help you identify other suitable candidates. The author of our favorite comment will win a BaT Hot Rod model as well as a $50 credit to the BaT Gear Store! We’ll announce the winner next week.
This Delphin Metallic E32 is pure class with three pedals. It doesn’t have the beefy M60 V8 that future generations would get, but when considering daily duty, the M30B35 straight six might be a more dependable option. After all, BMWs from this period can top 200k miles with ease when properly maintained. By 1988, the Bavarian flagship sedan was outfitted with cruise control, an onboard computer, a steering wheel airbag, and automatic climate control. If you need an iPad on the dash to feel more modern, that’s an easy retrofit.
1986 Toyota Land Cruiser HJ60 Diesel 5-Speed
The Toyota Land Cruiser almost always makes the shortlist of invincibly durable vehicles. The Canadian-market diesel-powered HJ60 amps up the utility even more. With just 106 horsepower under the hood it’s not going anywhere fast, but that might be a healthy change of pace for many of us.
Single-Family-Owned 1986 Ford LTD Crown Victoria
We didn’t set out to pick all gray cars, but this LTD Crown Vic has roughly the same lines as an aircraft carrier, so it feels appropriate. With velour benches, power everything, an EFI 5.0 under the hood, and a full-sized spare, this majestic boat is probably a better daily than any of the compact crossovers that could fit into its trunk.
The 1980s could be considered the golden age of the hot hatch, and representing the category today is the hottest model turned out by any of the Big Three during the decade. The Omni was overtly inspired by the VW Golf, and was designed with heavy input from Chrysler’s European division (which included remnants of ailing manufacturers Simca and Rootes/Hillman). But turning it into a GTI killer was a job for the Americans. Lee Iacocca brought in Carroll Shelby, who turned this practical five-door into a turbocharged, intercooled ripper able to juice all your oranges on the ride home from the grocery store.
Once again, the automobiles above are presented as a starting point, and users should feel free to peruse the 1980s Era Category to identify other suitable candidates. Let us know your favorite 1980s daily driver in the comments below, and the author of our favorite comment will win a BaT Hot Rod model as well as a $50 credit to the BaT Gear Store! We’ll announce the winner next week.
Oh, and don’t forget to take advantage of our rebate offer, good for up to 6 quarts of any Pennzoil motor oil. All BaT members are eligible!
