8 ’80s Classics You Can Buy for $5000 or Less
It is getting quite difficult to find a car from the “Rad Era” for an entry-level price these days. The generations that enjoyed these cars when new—as well as a younger audience who might have experienced them on the used market—are recognizing their true worth as relevant historical tributes to a decade known for decadence.
It’s not just Lamborghinis and pre-merger AMGs that are getting the attention, either. Demographic changes and an increasingly globalized 1980s automotive marketplace spoiled “young urban professionals” for choice: cars ranging from a 1982 Ford EXP two-seater to an E32 BMW 7 Series luxury sedan each had their own enthusiast audience then, and they do once again today.
As a result, the list of ’80s cars that are in good shape and can be had for $5000 or less is a pretty short one. We dug into the Hagerty Price Guide for cars in #3 condition (a very clean, driver-quality example that runs well) that met our pricing and age criteria, and here’s what we found.
1984–2000 Jeep Cherokee 2.5-liter (XJ)
Some may forget that the AMC-derived, 2.5-liter four-cylinder motor in the Jeep Cherokee lasted so long, but you could indeed get this entry-level mill up until the 2000 model year. It even had a cool name by that point: “Power Tech,” though, given its 125 horsepower and 150 lb-ft of torque, the phrase risks overselling. (The next and final year of the Cherokee was exclusively powered by the 4.0-liter inline-six.) And when you opt for the big four in your Cherokee, you get the perk of owning a 2020 Bull Market pick, but with a more approachable transaction price.
That’s not to say all four-cylinder Cherokees sell below our promised ceiling of $5K. For the 1989 model year, a two-door, two-wheel-drive example averages at $4900; a four-door example goes up to $5000. Add the 4×4 option and prices for both four-cylinder Jeeps jump to $6600. In fact, the cheapest 4×4 is the 1984–85 base model with a one-barrel carburetor, and it will set you back an average of $5800. Interested in the rarer, turbodiesel four-pot Cherokee? Those go for a far steeper $8200.
1988 Buick Reatta
It is a shame that such a compelling and uniquely styled touring coupe made this list, but the Buick Reatta had a difficult time finding its place in the market. That isn’t likely to be the case for much longer, as only the first year of Reatta production (1988) can be purchased for $4800. This is up 4.3 percent, while 1988 Reattas in #1 condition are up 10 percent to a robust $22,700.
1980–83 Continental Mark VI
Unlike the 1980–89 Lincoln Town Car, which is experiencing a resurgence, the sistership Continental Mark VI can still be purchased for under five grand. The iconic Mark Series was downsized, contemporized, and computerized in the tail end of the Malaise Era, and being early in on that technology hasn’t earned valuations worthy of later Lincolns or earlier Continentals.
The more desirable Mark VI coupe can be had for $4500 in #3 condition, while the more staid sedan rings up for an even more modest $3500. It’s ironic that Continental Mark VIs originally sold for more than their Lincoln Town Car siblings, but the broader appeal and higher production volume of the Townie ensured a comfortable advantage in the classic car market.
1982–88 Cadillac Cimarron
While it takes some serious mental gymnastics to think GM’s J-body would make a car worthy of the Wreath and Crest, the last few years of Cadillac Cimarron production actually made for a decent car. By 1985, GM’s 2.8-liter V-6 had 130 horsepower. A five-speed manual transmission was available, and the front end looked far more like that of a baby ‘Lac and not a tarted-up Cavalier.
Too bad about that, because it wasn’t enough to save the Cimarron. And a mere $2500 in 2024 dollars is needed to buy a #3 condition example, with any powertrain configuration. A shame, because modern motoring could be fun in a 1988 Cimarron with a five-speed and those rad digital gauges, far less so in a 1982 model with its 88 carbureted horses and its less distinctive styling touches.
1982–85 Pontiac Firebird
How can a third-generation F-body go for this cheap? That’s a fair question, as only the older examples without the Trans Am trim level can be had for less than five grand.
You will need exactly $5000 to buy a 1985 Firebird with a 165-horse 5.0-liter V-8 with a four-barrel carburetor, but a 1985 Trans Am is nearly triple the price ($13,800) with the same engine. Considering the long-term appeal of Firebirds in general, the 1985 Firebird V-8 might be one of the best bargains currently on the market.
1984–88 Pontiac Fiero 2M4
The addition of “2M4” to the title is crucial here, as it stands for “two-seat, mid-engine, four-cylinder.” We aren’t talking about the 2.8-liter, six-pot Pontiacs, just the Iron Duke examples that are currently at $4100 in #3 condition. The smaller engines clearly lacked the performance of those in later models, hotter commodities that include the 1988 Fiero V-6 Formula ($7700), and the 1988 Fiero GT ($12,300).
Consider the Iron Duke Fieros as easily approachable fun from the Rad Era, with style that’s hard to beat at any price. And whenever the lack of power becomes impossible to ignore, give V8 Archie a ring to make those pricey V-6 Fieros nothing but a speck in your rearview mirror.
1985–88 Cadillac Sedan DeVille
Much like the aforementioned Cimarron, values for the baby DeVilles do not reflect their regular updates and powertrain improvements. Numerous internal upgrades were done to the worrisome HT4100 V-8 engine in 1986, and the increase in displacement (from 4.1 to 4.5 liters) made the 1988 DeVille a rather fantastic luxury vehicle with wonderfully tidy proportions. But none of this seems to matter, as all 1985–88 Cadillac DeVilles go for an average of $3500 (up nine percent last quarter), no matter the quality of the engine.
And what of the Coupe DeVille from the same time frame? Those two-door Caddies are above our threshold, running a $5400 asking price (up 10.2 percent) in today’s market.
1985–91 Subaru XT
Perhaps we saved the best for last, as the Subaru that tried to be normal is such an eye-catching example of 1980s excess. How exactly has the most aerodynamic car not achieved the return on investment seen by cars like the Mazda RX-7 (FC) and Nissan 300ZX (Z31)?
We may never know, but it likely has something to do with Subaru’s more workaday front-wheel-drive architecture (though AWD was optional) and more limited reach thanks to lower production (around 98,000 units globally, less than 30 percent of FC RX-7 production), and a relatively small dealer network in this era. The end result is that a Subaru XT in the high-spec “GL 10 Turbo” trim level only fetches $4700 in modern times. And that’s a bit of a shame, as the looks alone should push it above the $5000 mark.
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Back in the day the Cimarron embodied everything that was going south with the car market. Calling that little econo-box with leather interior a Cadillac was blasphemy in my book.
Exactly, MY dad was in car sales and avoided the Cimarron like the plague.
Wow, your Dad missed the boat then. I was in the business from 83 to 2004 and as a buyer/wholesaler those pre owned Cimmeron’s were great little profit makers. What was an over priced package in the new car sales, the used Caddy J bodies were quite the bargain.
Mr Contrarian, I was in the leasing business, the Cimmeron was a dog we couldn’t give away for what we had in them.
You got that right! None of these cars are at all interesting, save for the Subaru, in the AWD version, and maybe the last year of the Fiero (when they finally got close to getting it right). These cars are all boring, underpowered, not well built at all and essentially rust buckets if you can find one. Back then. I had an R5Turbo and a Volvo turbo wagon with a factory boost kit.
There is a reason that these “classics” are “affordable”. Nobody wants them, and for good reason.
You have truly awful tates in cars if you can’t find joy in a Firebird or a Cherokee. Typical that the Subaru would catch your eye but everything else is beneath you.
Sounds like why everything we drove looks like an Isuzu Vehicross because ooo it’s Quickly and weird.
I agree….. and if you remember the audio ad slogan they said, ” It’s BY Cadillac” not “It’s A Cadillac”. They were very careful in the ad marketing.
Yeah. That car was basically a joke.
Unlike the other negative comments, my wife and I bought a 1983 de Oro. We loved its economy plus good looks and a comfortable leather interior. (besides, we couldn’t afford the more expensive de Ville…that came 3 years later.) I wish we had held onto it as someday it will be a collector’s item.
I had an 87 Coupe DeVille. The armrests lasted a year. Got them replaced under warranty and they lasted till just after the 2 year warranty period ended. In the next few years with still under 50K miles if my memory serves me correctly, the steering rack(!) and the ac went. Somehow the front seat backs kept leaning further and further back for no reason other than normal use (we were not heavy people) The O2 sensors became a frequent replacement part. Just a horrible car and my first and last Cadillac. And my 90 Lincoln Continental was worse. They are the reason I drive an Audi today.
a glutton for punishment?
From a Cadillac Coupe De Ville to a Lincoln Continental to an Audi?. Looks to me like you’re just a glutton for punishment. That’s called out of the frying pan and into the fire. The sensible people looking for quality typically went either high end Camry or a first or second gen Lexus LS400.
Until the motor puked in your LS 400
Try changing oil and doing other services
In 89 we were looking for a new car for my wife. One car we looked at was a left over 88 5 speed Cimarron at our local Caddy dealer. I didn’t have a problem with it being based on the Cavalier because we were quite familiar with the Cavalier, our trade in was an 86 Cavalier Z24
The Cimarron really wasn’t a bad little car, especially with the 5 speed. The injected version of the 2.8 in a little car produced decent acceleration, and the Cimarron’s upgraded suspension and fat Goodyear Eagle GT’s produced what was actually a good handling and fun little car. The downfall of the Cimarron was it’s price compared to it’s other GM cousins. The price was what kept us from buying it. This was early 89 and the car had been sitting as a left over on their lot for at least 8 months, but they still weren’t willing to move much off of the sticker, and low balled us on our trade. In the end we made the mistake of buying an 89 Taurus SHO instead, a fun car to drive, but the most troublesome and worse built car we’ve ever owned.
Wow, I bought an ’89 SHO new, drove it for 110K miles with only a few issues: A/C leaked a few times, a cam sensor went, a motor mount went under warranty, and where the doors sealed to the body, in one spot, it wore through the paint…warranty, too. GIven that was it over 10 year, it’s was the most reliable car I’ve ever owned. Loved that car. Only regret was not trading up to a ’90 or ’91 with the new dash and the emerald green color they had for a year or two.
I owned a 1991 Taurus SHO for many years. It remains the best-shifting standard transmission I ever experienced.
Cadillac discontinued the Cimmaron after the 1987 model year. That this other one had been sitting on the lot for nearly a year ought to have been your first clue. That ’89 SHO might have been worth something in the classic car market had you kept it, certainly a better candidate than the Cimmaron.
Wow, you even saw a five speed Cimarron! I also had a five speed Z 24 and was looking to maybe go to the Cimarron as I wanted 4 doors and a manual. went to the Caddy dealer at the time they didn’t have one. The salesman said the five speed only existed on paper.
I went out with a girl in high school who drove a white one with 5 speed. I think it was 2 or 3 years old at the time. She looked good in it, but then again she would have looked good in a Chevette!
You said Chevette, lmao..
Shyt-vettes and Cadillac-Cavaliers
I completely agree!! The same thing happened to the Mustang badge as it would be blasphemy to call of ‘those cars’ Mustangs.
I’d agree. To call the Cimaron a dog is an insult to dog. What’s misting in this story is the Jeep XJ’s sister, the MJ or Comanche Pickup truck.
They mentioned the Caddy ( joke) but forgot to. Mention the K car or even the Omni? The Lincoln mark six was the only car worth collecting there from Detroit! Let’s face it, a coffee table book about Detroit 80s autos would be pretty short!
“Coffee Table Pamphlet”, perhaps ??? 😁👏
You mean “coffee table napkin”
A buddy of mine got the owner of a Cimarron all butt-hurt when he called it a “Citation with leather seats.”
No kidding. Really was a bad car that when my friends and I would see one we always broke out in laughter and made every effort to see who was driving. What was their excuse for owning this car.
Well here is the deal on these cars.
Yes you might be able to buy a poor example for $5,000 today. You tow it home and begin to work on it and find that there are no parts for these cars easily found. Then you finally get it running and get things fixed then you need paint. At this point you will have more invested in the car than it is worth.
Many of these models like the Fiero with a V6 or a Reatta can be found for $15K to $20K today in low mile good clean condition needing no work. This will be less than the cost of restoring a car that you bought for $5,000.
It has gotten to the point some cars are just not economical to restore and best to spend the money up front and buy a good example to start with.
Some of these like the Cimarron and V6 Firebirds are not the worth to pay the entry price.
What you display here at this price is not much more than a good parts car.
Parts for all these cars are hard to find. NOS is pretty used up and expensive if you find it. Few junk yards are sitting on these anymore and most have gone to disassembling cars on more recent late model cars and stocking them.
Interior trim is near impossible to find in many cases. Reproduction parts are sporadic at best.
The truth is of these cars only invest in those versions that will show promise like a V6 Fiero or V8 Firebird.
Base models are not cars to invest in unless you are doing a body kit for a Fiero.
Cars like a Cimarron really will never have any investment interest. The Reatta is ok but the convertible is the one to have but beware if the dash fails it is a major issue.
Personally, I would buy a lot of those examples for transportation moreso than collector value. Most of the examples have pretty common drivetrains and plenty of available parts. Even the Subaru probably has pretty much the same gear forward of the A pillar that my GL wagon had back in the day. The interior stuff – yeah that’s going to be tricky but most of the mechanicals can probably be found at the local Napa
Just bought a 1984 Fiero SE with the factory upgrades like A/C and auto trans for $5500. The car has 25,800 miles on it. Yes it needs the usual like fluid changes and brakes and rotors but it is in super condition with everything working. Parts are no problem on Amazon and especially Ebay.
That sounds like a hell of a deal! That would be a fun little summer car. I loved Fieros back in the day. They weren’t fast, but were fun to drive. They are really scarce on the roads these days.
Good price for a 84.
Yeah good luck finding those cars fixing those cars are being able to drive those cars. Why don’t you pick some more obscure cars like americor xr4ti or a late ’80s Pontiac LeMans
Mechanicals are not the issues. You can get most of those parts. It is trim and body parts.
The Fieto and Firebird lend themselves to customizing but the rest?
The Reatta Dash may be the most difficult. It had one of the first touch screens.
True, but additional dashboard parts could be found from the buick Riviera which were shared with the Reatta, including the new updated dash in 1990.
Not many of them left either. Both suffer shortages of good parts.
Had a friend tell me about a car deal he walked away from. Went to look at a LeMans, the guy told him it was a GTA and my friends interest picks up and he corrects the guy, you mean a GTO and the guy says no its a GTA. Friend says guys an idiot who doesn’t know cars so I didn’t bother wasting my time. Just walked away shaking my head.
You are correct on the parts issue. As far as power/drive train parts are readily available. What happens when you need interior plastic? Cracked arm rests and dashboards? Good luck. Even getting white wall tires for the Lincoln can present a challenge.
Yes but a true #3 is supposed to be a clean driver not needing significant work. The condition that you are describing is not a #3. Parts condition cars of these varieties are only worth a few hundred. If you pay $5000 for that its on you my friend.
My comment was in reply to hyperv6
You have not priced good parts cars of late. If it has parts of any value it is more than a couple hundred dollars.
A decent Fiero parts car can go for several thousand dollars parted out. Tail lights, wings, seats etc are of great value today due the lack of good parts.
Things like door glass is non existent. T top seals in poor condition can be $400.
I saw a NOS shifter plate for $400 recently.
Even the lack of plastic got inside a Firebird is shocking. Rear quarter covers fell apparat due to sun damage. Finding just decent ones to cover the bare metal are not easy.
My Fiero has factory deep tinted windows and a rear defroster.
Rear defrosters are rare as the engine heated the glass. I have it too. Most had factory tint.
hyperv6 said: “Cars like a Cimarron really will never have any investment interest.”
With the exception of a few very special cars, no cars will have any investment interest. If you are buying a car as an investment, then you are a foolish person.
Hence why I say buy a car you like do if it is worth nothing you have a car you like.
We see it here all the time where people and stories push to up values of cars.
Two cars many bought for investment were the original ZR1 and 928. Both have under performed. So media nd auctions push stories on both to try to up values of collectors dumping investments.
Unless you trade in Cobras or specific Ferraris cars in general are not great investments. You can hardly restore a GTO for a profit anymore. That is why many build resto mod as some money guy will pay got that.
I agree with just “buying a car you like”. I bought a 1994 M-Benz SL500 5 years ago, and nicknamed it my German Rubik cube. It only had 52,000 miles. Early on, had ASR limp mode due to crumbling wire insulation on Electronic Throttle Control. Found a place that rebuilds ETC, and cured the false ASR symptom. Next has been the “perspiring distributor caps” which occur with the M119 engine in tight roadster quarters (heat problem at 100 Centigrade. Recently sprayed with high grade “moisture repelling” dielectric, space age $30 a can, and having good results. Our point is, cars are like an old “best friend dog”. It’s hard to “put ‘em down” just because their diabetes, etc. costs >= $5,000 / year…
My cars are drivers. I buy it because it appeals to me. Consider purchase price the price of admission. If I want to invest I buy gold and silver. Works for me, YMMV.
I’m 73 years old and have been buying and selling cars for investment and profit since I was 21. It takes time and patience and you have to love it but there are still bargains out there and some very good investments. I guess you would call me a flipper but I have been able to own and enjoy some cars that I would never have had the opportunity to if I weren’t.
That’s always the theme, buy the best that you can afford. Early on (and even now) I didn’t have the funds to write the big check. What I did have was good skills, time, and patience. I’ve ended up with a nice stable of cars I enjoy wrenching on and driving. As a bonus, their values have been increasing.
I mostly agree with your comments. High mileage (and that is relative for a 40 year old car) Fieros in excellent condition are still available for under $5,000. I am the original owner of a moderately equipped 1985 Fiero Sport Coupe (one step above a base vehicle), that is valued at $5,000 even though it has been driven over 108,000 miles. You are correct about parts availability. Parts are difficult to find and expense. There are some enterprising people who are remanufacturing some Fiero parts, some of which are manufactured to GM specs or better, and are licensed by GM to do so. However, even those parts are expensive. Low mileage examples are selling for $10,000 to $20,000. Lastly, if you aren’t good with working on cars yourself, finding someone that wants to work on them is also becoming difficult.
Yes Christopher, finding mechanics to work on 80s American cars is difficult since most weren’t even born then. If the vehicle has carburetors, forget it. Fuel injection a computers really killed it for older cars. One would think it would be easier, but mechanics only know how to see the electronic read-outs to find or see the problem. No fun there.
If you own a car with a carburetor and you can’t fix it yourself, you should sell it and buy a Kia. There are DAYS of videos on YouTube, plus racks of books on the subject.
Heck, I have a spiral bound notebook of my own Holley, Rochester, and Motorcraft carb tuning tips.
I started building Quadrajets in high school, when all that was being sold with them was 307 Oldsmobile powered station wagons. It isn’t brain rocketry.
Early 80s carb cars are great when the folks can’t figure out how to make them run.
I know it’s not on your list but my first new car was a 87 Olds Cutlass. From time to time go looking for one. You can find them for $500 but usually have no motor or trans. No if it’s a halfway decent car they want 10k. So how are you going to find that Buick or Fiero which fewer were made for less than 5k ?
Not an issue. They still take spark, air and fuel.
Tons of mechanical parts sone cheap.
My V6 distributor on my Fiero fully loaded was $40 my cost. I could not rebuild the old one for that.
Carbs are not hard to work on if you just learn.
A lot of people never learned cards hence the smoke on a number of collector cars. They never grasped they have yo tune them not just adjust the air fuel.
Just bought a 1984 Fiero SE with the upgrades for $5500. The car has 25,800 miles on it. Yes it needs the usual like fluid changes and brakes and rotors but it is in super condition with everything working.
An interesting list for the Rad 80s. Yes the 80s were rad. So guess what I’m still driving my rad 1985 Mitsubishi SWB Montero. Is that rad enough? Before that I had a 1982 Chevy Camaro. It did look rad but it was more or less junk. Too many reasons to list. Let’s just say it started to self-destruct after 40k or so miles. I actually needed a 4×4 to take the shortcut to work every day. In the 1980s San Diego did have the 56 freeway as they do now. That didn’t come until sometime in the 90s. So to get to my workplace was not a simple straight shot to say the least. Yes theat 85 Montero 4×4 was a godsend. It saved a ton of commuting time plus was about as fun as a commute as one could get. Well that area of what was the San Dieguito River bottom has now been fully developed with a vast amount of track homes. So after I left that job in early 1994, I did not want to let go of my Montero. All of that off-roading did take a toll on the truck. Since then I have re-built the front suspension, the engine and tranny, the brakes an other things like rear shocks along with a few bits of rear exhaust parts. So to get to the point I still have it. Yes the 1980s were rad at least for my commute to work.
Strong BCAS energy with that hero pic, sir. But for me, Cimarron is inseparable from the SML of 1996… “After the demise of the Cadillac Diesel, Cimarron came on the scene in 1982 to fill a much needed gap in the US car market – overpriced, unreliable economy, under a luxury marque.”
The original post (mars.superlink.net/~rriegler/sml/) is long gone, but lives on in the wayback machine.
BCAS? Nah, it’s just a super cool black and gold d’Oro Edition I swear.
Brown Car Appreciation Society
S#!+box Market Letter
(Unexplained acronyms are presumptuous.)
(No disrespect intended! Was replying to self, but failed to reload first.)
None taken! I know BCAS because I probably came up with that acronym. Just wanted to make it clear that this Cimarron is not brown…thought the gold bits are a brilliant brown in my book.
Classic…?.. No.. Interesting…Okay.. Except the Subie XT that sneaks in..but in the 80’s ‘also ran ‘ category what are AMC Eagles going for? Not that I’d want one but more so than the Jeep.
Chrysler M bodies should be on this list. Cheap with ancient tech with the bullet proof 318. It’s a parts been of old Mopar with a body that doesn’t rust.
No body wanted them then let alone now. I recall the local police restored their Nova police cars because the 318 m bodies could not catch anything. They could not even get close enough for a plate.
Check the 1981 Michigan State Police vehicle tests. The Nova isn’t there, but the Malibu 350 is there with the 318 M-bodies. Guess who gets to 105 mph (distance) first? Higher top speed? Quarter mile trap speed?
You probably guessed wrong.
Don’t get me wrong-Ms were slugs but so was everything else.
I wish I could find the 1980 test. The F-body (Aspen/Volare) could be had with a 360 (non-Lean Burn?) 4V. Fast for the time. I’d like to see the comps on that.
These cars are in fact cheap. They’re cheap because most of these are famously terrible cars. A 4cyl XJ doesn’t cost that much less than a 6cyl, but is grossly underpowered and gets worse mpg. The Cimmaron is classic and famous only for how awful it is. The 4cyl Fiero is in the same boat.
There’s a reason these are cheap, and it’s because smart people don’t want to buy them.
C’mon, Hagerty. Old doesn’t mean classic, it just means old. Stuff that was unimpressive 40 years ago is still unimpressive today. With the possible exception of the Fiero (it’s only a 2M4), there is nothing special to be seen here.
Maybe it’s my age; I was a designer during the ‘Rad’ era and this fascination completely escapes me. These cars were crap then and they’re crap now. This isn’t about cars, it’s about consumer objects as markers for nostalgia for a demographic group with a little extra disposable income. The lower your standards. the more vehicles qualify as ‘interesting’.
@Tom Coradeschi No exciting cars from this era?
Cough cough, IROC Z (1985 to 1990), Camaro 1LE. Firebird Trans Am GTA, 25th Anniversary Edition. Fiero GT, Formula, especially the final year model when they finally got the suspension right. 1988 – 1991 Suburu XT (especially the later flat six models). 1988 to 1991 Buick Reatta (especially the convertibles – the 3800 3.8L 165 hp V6 was nothing to write home about powerwise but was rock solid reliable powertrain).
There’s some great stuff from this era if you keep your eyes and your mind open.
Let’s not leave out the Renault Alliance. They are getting harder to find in restorable condition, particularly the convertibles and GTA’s. Despite the fact that AMC and Renault are commonly maligned, until you own one, their qualities are not apparent. Presentable examples are around for less than $5000, though convertibles and GTA’s are creeping up in value. I think this has something to do with a small group of dedicated owners who are solving the parts shortages in creative ways.
You might be able to find one for 5K or less but why would you?
So as marketing goes, find the now average age 50 year old’s dream car when they were around 17 years old? If you adjust the current average age, that means they were admiring cars in the late 80s and early 90s.
This list is great for nostalgia buys, but are they “dream’ cars?
What was your dream car when you were in your teens?
That doesn’t mean they were admiring new cars in that period. I was 17 in 1966. I had several dream cars. The oldest was a 1932 Ford and the newest was a ’63 Thunderchicken.
One of my dream cars in my teens was the Allante… which I actually now own, even though it is considered a joke in the collector world. I imagine at least some of those above cars fit the bill for someone.
I see you and will wave from my TC!
Yikes! I guess I’m just too old. To me the 80’s was the decade of ugly cars.
Thank you.
Reattas of all years are available for $5000 and up. You just have to look for them. What many people do not realize is how few were made. In 4 model years they made 19,314 coupes and 2,437 convertibles
as of 2018 from R.L. Polk there were less than 7,000 registered in the US. That means 2/3 of them are either scrapped or in collections and not registered. The Reatta was the most expensive Buick each year it was produced. It came with most options that would cost extra on other cars. All Reattas had anti-lock brakes and 4 wheel disc. and power everything. Convertibles are very rare but many have been saved and their prices are creeping up. While all the glass and body panels were unique to the Reatta, may of the unseen parts are shared with Riviera, Eldorado, and Seville….so those parts are not as hard to find.
Engine and transmission are common GM 3800 V6 so engines and transmissions are plentiful.
Thanks Barney. Your comment makes me feel a whole lot better knowing my ’88 Reatta is somewhat rare. Also rare are the times the stunning dashboard and CRT work, either singly or together. I think it’s a short but I have no idea where to start sorting it out. But driving it is a pleasure, every time. It’s the only car that I’ve ever owned, and I’ve owned many, that starts at the first turn of the key. It basically jumps into life. It’s a pretty cool car, all in all.
Cadillac Cimarron, Cadillac Sedan DeVille, Subaru? Are you kidding?
Your credibility regarding collector cars suffers with each publication of these lists. Stop now.
Some will read this and think “Depends on what you think a ‘collector car’ is.” I, for the record, am not one of them.
So Bob, what is in your stable or maybe just on your want list that can bought with $5,000. or less?
I’ve been looking at a couple of Thunderbird SC’s recently. I had an ’89 that I bought new and kept for 20 years. Great road car with decent power and fuel mileage. Parts availability is the obvious downside.
I wouldn’t buy/own any of those things. LOL
I agree the I was alive when these cars came out and they all turds, except the fiero and with that only the V6 models.