1990s Cars You’ve Totally Forgotten
Posted by Doug DeMuro in Feature on | 45 comments
The 1990s were full of unusual automotive happenings. Rodney King, for example, was beaten half to death early in the decade, presumably because he was caught driving a Hyundai Excel. And let’s not forget OJ Simpson, whose own murderous rampage was allegedly caused by his white Ford Bronco’s poor turning circle. Of course, this was never conclusively proven, since OJ’s defense team got the Bronco to admit on the witness stand that it was racist.
Automobilia wasn’t just difficult for celebrities. Automakers had their issues, too. Isuzu was forced to defend claims that its SUVs rolled over when a certain magazine’s test drivers entered a turn at 40 mph, pulled the handbrake, and, when that wasn’t successful, flipped the vehicles over with a forklift. And Ford responded to increasingly modern midsize Japanese sedans by launching a Taurus shaped like a globe, which was ironic since its panel gaps were the size of small countries.
Because of all the 1990s automotive struggles we endured, most of us have blocked out some of the decade’s more unusual cars. Fortunately, I’m here to remind you about some of the most interesting ‘90s cars you’ve completely forgotten.
Alfa-Romeo 164
Though it came out in the late 1980s, the 164 really hit its peak in the ‘90s. And by “its peak” what I really mean is Alfa’s death knell for the US market. Pricing was too high, build quality was shoddy, and why did the interior have that enormous center console with row after row of gray buttons? For all its faults, though, the 164 was certainly handsome. In a “did you hear about this new fad called pogs?” kind of way.
Audi V8 Quattro
Remember this? Neither does anyone at Audi. Really, ask them: they’ll cover their heads and walk the other way, like a prisoner being led from the cop car to a holding cell. That’s because the V8 Quattro wasn’t a very good car – and to drive that point home, Audi didn’t give it a very good name. Significantly, this came out in 1990 as Audi’s first entry in the full-size luxury sedan segment, which they’ve been desperately trying to claw into ever since.
Infiniti J30
Nothing screams “1990s” like Japanese luxury brands trying to find themselves. Acura had many false-starts, from the five-cylinder Vigor to the “Maybe we want to be cool” NSX. (Which was followed up by the “Nah, we don’t” SLX.) Lexus tried its hand at the world of stick-shifts, then ran away screaming. (As did buyers.) And Infiniti dreamt up four-wheel steering and this bizarre-looking monstrosity, with roly-poly lines that could’ve only been conceived during the forgiving 1990s.
Isuzu Impulse
Every single thing about the Isuzu Impulse was weird. It used the same engine as the Lotus Elan. It carried badges that said “Handling By Lotus.” (These are big finds at a junkyard, which is where all Impulses are now.) They did an all-wheel drive turbo version. And it was sold in Canada by a GM brand that used a fake German name, complete with an umlaut. Ladies and gentlemen, this could’ve only come from the ‘90s.
Mitsubishi Galant VR-4
The latest car to catch the attention of teenagers is the Nissan 240SX. Before that, it was the “AE86” Toyota Corolla, the Civic, and the “DSM” cars: the Mitsubishi Eclipse, Eagle Talon and Plymouth Laser. But what the DSM crowd – and you – have totally forgotten is the four-door version of those cars. Yes, that car was the Galant VR-4, which had all-wheel drive and a turbo, like virtually everything in the ‘90s. It also had an individually-numbered dash plaque so it could be identified after the police inevitably confiscated it for a noise violation.
Oldsmobile Aurora
In addition to Japanese luxury brands trying to find themselves, nothing said “1990s” like American automakers hell-bent on reinvention. Buick had Tiger Woods; Oldsmobile had this. The Aurora heralded a new age for Oldsmobile, with new styling, new emblems and no grille, which is an all-important characteristic that says: “We mean business.” (See the 1990 Passat, which certainly meant business for the VW dealer service department.) The Aurora was a standout model until it came time for a redesign. Then it just became another GM platform share, until Oldsmobile was finally killed off.
Porsche 968
In the late 1980s, Porsche was having trouble. The 964 was just an evolution of the ’60s 911. The 928 was a relic from the ‘70s that subscribed to the Lamborghini Countach’s “tack on more body panels to make it look newer” philosophy. So, to liven things up, the 1993 model year brought an all-new Porsche: the 968. Trouble was, it wasn’t all new. On the contrary, it was just an evolution of the 944, which was an evolution of the 924, which was about as old as OJ Simpson and just as slow. Most people have long forgotten the 968, except its owners, who consider it the finest Porsche ever made, except maybe for the Carrera GT.
Subaru Justy
Admit it: you’ve forgotten about the Justy, which was Subaru’s entry into the subcompact segment back when people walked onto dealer lots and actually said to themselves: “Hmm… Ford Festiva or Toyota Tercel?” That’s a shame, because it was a unique car in many ways. For one, it was the very last car ever sold in the US with a carburetor. But it was the first car sold with a CVT automatic. That means we can trace our hatred for those Nissans and Audis that whrrrrrr along all the way back to the Justy.
Suzuki X-90
The ‘90s were a great time for Japanese sports cars. Mazda was building the RX-7. Mitsubishi, the 3000GT. Nissan had the 300ZX, Acura the NSX and Toyota the Supra. Even Subaru joined the party with the SVX. And how did Suzuki answer the call? By offering a two-door, T-Top version of its Sidekick SUV. Most were purple. None were actually sold to retail buyers, unless it had four figures in its very small trunk.
Do you care to nominate any other 1990s cars that have long since faded in most peoples’ minds?
This story originally appeared on my Jalopnik Kinja.
45 Responses to “ “1990s Cars You’ve Totally Forgotten”
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I heard that the Isuzu Rodeo was the last car sold with a carb…
The last car with a carb sold in the U.S. was the 1990 Honda Prelude 2.0S.
The Justy went through ’90 with a carb also!
Toyota Celica All-Trac Turbo. For a while, I really wanted one. Now I just respect it from a distance.
Awesome choice. I would love to own one at one point.
Great pick. Love that car. Wish we got the second-gen, which I always thought was very nice looking.
We did get the second ge, the ST185. I was here but in limited numbers. We didn’t get the 3rd gen, the ST205, which I agree was the best looking. I would love to have one of those. The ST185 doesn’t really perform well enough to be considered relevant anymore, but the ST205 does.
Yes – correct. But there wasn’t an AWD model on the first-gen Celica, right? Just the second-gen got the All-Trac, if memory serves.
I’m not sure, but I thought all the turbo All-Tracs were AWD. There were 3 different ones, the T160, the ST185, and the ST205. At least that’s all I know of.
Inspired by the post on Hooniverse today, I would have to go with the BMW Z1 and BMW 8er. Both cool, quirky cars that I would like to own for a brief amount of time.
http://hooniverse.com/2013/04/29/greenwich-concours-preview-1990-bmw-z1/
I considered adding the Z1 but since it was Euro only, I decided against it. What an unusual car. I actually saw one last year in Zurich. NO ONE bought them because they were absurdly expensive.
Nominees:
Geo Metro Convertible
Nissan Pulsar with that funky “Sportback” thing
Hyundai Tiburon
Metro convertible! I ACTUALLY forgot it, which is why it didn’t make the list.
I would say for Infiniti, it would be the M30, not the J30. For Audi, it would be the Audi Cabriolet. Also, I’m hoping you remembered the Sterling (actually a Rover).
M30 is definitely forgotten. Sterling actually came out in the late 80s! By 1991 it was dead and buried…
Yep, the Sterling was introduced as a 1987 model and 1991 was the last model year. I’ve never admitted this before, to anyone, but I’ve always secretly wanted on the fastback models that were introduced in ’89. The ’90-’91 models were very well built in comparison to the earlier models. But most cars built by the Soviets had exceptional build quality and tank-like reliability compared to the early Sterlings!
There is a dude in PA who buys, repairs/restores and sells these things. He also sell spare parts (you should always carry an extra one of everthing in the trunk, after all) and he owns several that he and his family drive. I’m not sure if he’s eccentric, insane or some sort of automotive masochist??? His site is sterlingfixer.com.
I have a friend who just bought the fastback, totally aware of what will happen next. (Mechanical issues.) There is a following for EVERY car.
After discovering a website for Tempo/Topaz enthusiasts, I can’t disagree with you…
There is even an Aveo forum.
There is an enthusiast site for the Lincoln Versailles, which a badge-engineered version of the Ford Granada with a Continental-style ‘hump’ on the trunk….and people are buying and restoring them…it’s makes no kind of sense!!! But I like having these sorts of groups to remind that, no matter how low I go, I’ll never be THAT much of a freakin’ loser….not that there’s anything wrong with that!
I thought the Sterling was Honda-based. What mechanical issues are common?
“What mechanical issues are common?”
Answer: All of them.
Paseo and Paseo convertible
When was the last time you saw or thought about the Nissan Stanza, Mitsubishi Expo, Mercury Villager [I give it's twin, the Quest, a pass b/c the name is still around], Hyundai Scoupe, Geo Storm [*especially* the Wagonback!], or VW Fox [sedan or wagon]. The Mazda MX3 or Nissan NX200 were both cool little cars and I suspect enthusiasts remember these, but still relatively “forgotten” at this point.
Storm wagonback! Fodder for a “GM Bad Idea” segment. Jeez, I’ve forgotten so many ’90s cars, and it really hasn’t been that long.
Loved the Paseo convertible. Honestly. I thought it was beautiful.
Owned an MX-3 and loved it, was slow but very fun.
I surprised myself and came up with several-
1990-91 Lexus ES250 – Toyota spent so much time, effort and money creating the nirvana-inducing LS400 that they forgot to engineer an acceptable entry-level model to launch the Lexus brand. If you want to know how to take a dull-as-dishwater ’90 Camry and make it even LESS attractive but sell it for about $7k (35%) more and ‘brand snobs’ will snatch up every one we can make- the Lexus ES250. Thankfully, it only lasted two model years. For the 1992 model year, the gorgeous, sleek and almost iconic ES300 was introduced!
1991-95 Hyundai Scoupe – you guys were talking about the Paseo, this was the Paseo’s dorky, cheap looking, poorly assembled but less expensive cousin-in-law. It was based on the Hyundai Excel (not a good starting point for anything at the time) but far less reliable since it appealed to young drivers who abused cars that were fragile to begin with! A turbo model was added in ’93 and accelerated the car’s disintegration more than anything.
1992-95 Mazda MX-3 – with the demise of the CRX in 1991, Mazda hoped to capture that customer base with their tiny sport coupe but made it a 4-seater (four whats? humans can’t fit back there) but it was sporty without being ‘cutesy’ and a blast to drive. There were two versions, the entry-level RS model had the 88hp 1.6L from the 323 thru ’93, the ’94-’95 RS got a boost to 106hp. The top-level GS model had an unusual engine that improved performance and smoothness drastically- it had a 130hp 1.8L V6, to date it is still the smallest V6 ever sold in a North American market vehicle! It was only used in the MX-3 and a JDM small upscale sedan, neither of which sold in great numbers. I’ve always wondered how much Mazda spent developing this engine, only to use it in a relatively small number of cars? It was rated at just 18/25mpg, so that may have been part of the probem…
I have one or two more, but I need to check my facts on a few things first….post to follow a bit later with those…
Scoupe is a great one. I considered MX-3 but I figured too many people remembered it. That 1.8L V6 was so ridiculous, though it fight right in with the F40′s 2.9-liter V8 that had just ended production.
ES250 is also good. My family had one! In blue/gray – they were ALL blue/gray, gold, or white. None were any good.
Ok now you’ve got me thinking. My Scoupe and Paseo have already been mentioned. Ooo, even spell check doesn’t recognize them. Let’s see…
Oldsmobile Achieva
Ford Aspire (to a better car!)
Toyota Camry coupe
And a couple weeks ago I thought that apparently the last of the old square back Grand Ams from the early 90s had been made into a new Tata and then saw one the very next day. It clearly was NOT a Quad4.
Nice to see you on here! Camry coupe is absolutely worthy. Confession: I actually think they were quite handsome… especially in red, with the SE alloy wheels. To Craigslist!
Okay folks, here are the final few I came up with-
1991-93 Nissan NX – the replacement for the Pulsar NX and definitely the Mazda MX-3’s closest competitor. But somehow the MX-3 had lines that were attractive, almost graceful from some angles….the NX was just plain odd-looking and you would never hear words like ‘sharp’, ‘pretty’ or even ‘cute’ describing it! It came is two versions- the NX 1600 and NX 2000. The 1600 had 110hp 1.6L 4cyl shared with most Sentra models. But the 2000 was the enthusiast model, complete with a 140hp 2.0L engine from the legendary Sentra SE-R. The 2000 also had t-tops, just like the Pulsar NX that it replaced! Handling was amazing for the day, but it was still a triple bagger- two to cover it up so you can’t see it and another for your head in case those two fall off so no one will see you driving it!!! =)
This car may be too well known to qualify, but I’m including it because it was the most blasphemous car ever made by Honda-
1993-97 Honda Civic del Sol – my first car was a 1985 CRX Si and I also owned an ’88 and ’91 CRX Si as ‘weekend’ cars at various times over the years. From the first sketches in the late 80s to spy photos as late as early 1992, the del Sol was hyped as the next-gen CRX and they actually named it the CR-X del Sol in European markets. But few, if any, CRX fans felt anything but contempt for this thing. It wasn’t good looking from any angle, it was HEAVIER than other Civic models, so the entry level S was slower than the Civic DX/LX Coupe or Sedan and the Si was slower than the Civic EX/Si models. Handling was compromised by a standard removable roof panel (targa) and creaks and leaks were standard equipment within the first year! The current CR-Z Hybrid is more like a CRX than the del Sol ever was! And I hate the CR-Z….the del Sol went away in ’97 and, wisely, Honda didn’t attempt to replace it…
This car was technically introduced in 1987, but it’s this particular trim level that I find amusing and it didn’t appear until the 1992 model year-
1992-94 Plymouth Sundance DUSTER – The Plymouth Sundance and twin Dodge Shadow were dreadfully mediocre cars, as were all vehicles based on the Chrysler K-car platform or a modified version of it. For some reason, they created a sporty/performance version of the Sundance for ’92 and gave it the “Duster” name from previous ‘sporty’ Plymouth models. The bar wasn’t set high since the last use of the Duster name was on the Plymouth Turismo (the 2-door hatchback version of the wonky Horizon)! A friend of mine had a Turismo Duster in high school and the CV-joints were bad from the day I met her. It was burgandy on burgandy and you could hear it coming from a mile away with the whompa-whompa CV-joints grinding, clicking and popping! Back to the ’92 Duster, it had a 141hp 3.0L V6 from Mitsubishi but it replaced the 2.2L turbo which had higher hp ratings and made 9lb-ft more torque, so performance was unchanged. Making the use of the V6 even more inexplicable, it cost a good bit more to buy a V6 from Mitsu than it did to build the 2.2L Turbo I, perhaps they wanted to attracted would-be foreign buyers and felt the V6 and Duster name would do the trick…we’ll never know! It also had a 5-speed manual, unique alloy wheels, gold decals and that was basically it. They even offered a “V6 delete” option in case you just wanted those snazzy alloy wheels that looked like Wal-Mart plastic wheel covers and the gold striping. Plymouth really built some sad cars…..I’m glad they’re gone….
That’s all I got folks! Maybe Doug will find the inspiration to do a similar posting for cars from the 80s….I already got my list started! (HINT, HINT!)
Thanks, I think, for reminding me of the del Sol.
Hi Doug,
The picture of the Suzuki X-90 brought back memories for me of other vehicles from Japan that were so odd/hideous in their styling that they were appealing, in a sick,demented way. Very high on my list of such machines was the Isuzu VehiCROSS, only offered in the US from 1999-2001. It’s snout bore a strong resemblance to a mutant catfish, including titanium teeth in the grille and “contortionists-only” access to the back seat (a/k/a cave). Despite its appearance, it was reputed to be a very sophisticated and capable off-roader. I have a late-90′s Landcruiser, and periodically I suggest to my wife that a VehiCROSS would be a much more “interesting” vehicle to have in our fleet than the LC. Thus far, my suggestion has been ignored.
As of late, I have noted the regression of styling of the Japanese cars, as the front and rear lights, and other protuberances, begin to emerge, wart-like, from their sheet metal. Perhaps the X-90, VehiCROSS and other similar rides from the 80s and 90s will enjoy a renaissance as the designers revert to more “organic” forms.
Keep up the great work!
I appreciate the kind words.
The X-90 certainly lived in that world of Japanese cars that were appealing due to their oddity and hideousness, as did the VehiCROSS. But for God’s sake, don’t give up your Land Cruiser for one! I’ve heard the VehiCROSS has more than a couple major issues, whereas the Land Cruiser will, of course, run forever, even if you don’t change the oil. Or have any oil.
I think the days of the Japanese doing things like the X-90 and VehiCROSS are over. They’ve learned their lesson.
I would NEVER give up my LC…My plan is to be buried in it. That is one suggestion my wife might actually entertain.
I envision owning a VehiCROSS a a set piece for a campy yard art collection (particularly in bright yellow with black accents), or perhaps for use as a driveway prop to frighten off would-be burglars or trick-or-treaters on Haloween.
The days of the doing things like the X-90 and VehiCROSS may be over, but there are still some mutant strains appearing…including the Cube & IQ, Suzuki Twin Hybrid, ALL the recent issue from Infinity, and even, most regrettably, the current Landcruiser. Have all the good Asian stylists moved to Korea???
Hah! The truth is you’ll probably be able to be buried in your Cruiser, since it’ll outlast all of us. I’m always stunned when people say they ‘don’t get’ the Land Cruiser. I have to explain that “Land Cruiser” itself is a brand, and there’s a long history there, and a lot of families have had actually owned them for generations.
As for styling, what do I know: I actually like the current Land Cruiser!
Love this post because I totally love the 90s. A bunch of my favorites have already been added. Here are some more that I strangely remember:
1. Peugeot 405 Mi16. I really wanted one when it came out… and still do. Wasn’t the tagline “beyond the obvious?” The only obvious thing about that car was its cliff-like depreciation and fondness to shed parts.
2. Subaru SVX. Maybe this one is too memorable. I liked the fake plastic “rosewood” interior trim, that stupidly-shaped parking brake lever, and oh, the windows.
3. Mercury Capri. That weird Aussie-built cabrio, not the Mustang re-badge. When the top was up it looked like a pointy witch’s hat.
4. Volkswagen Fox. I guess this one came out in the mid-80s, but they still sold it through the early 90s I think. I liked the 2-door wagon body. Plus the fact that it resembled an original Jetta from the late 70s. And that it was only available with a manual transmission. My old colleague told me that by the 90s VW couldn’t give these cars away, and a bunch were collecting dust in a Texas warehouse. The $99/month employee lease deal still didn’t seem to pique any interest either.
5. Isuzu Stylus. Wasn’t this the sedan version of the Impulse? I remember it having a very square offset front air intake. I don’t remember anything else.
6. Mitsubishi Diamante Wagon. The perfect car for the beginning of the SUV era.
7. Speaking of which… Mazda Navajo. Mazda’s fruit of the Ford-Mazda relationship. It was just a re-badged Explorer 2-door. So it was more like rotten fruit.
8. Mitsubishi Expo and Expo LR-V. So cool that they introduced two separate cars with almost the same name. They were both mini-minivans, but one had 4 conventional-hinged doors and the other had one rear sliding door. I think that was supposed to be the ‘sporty’ one. They even made an Eagle out of it, called something like Summit Wagon. Wikipedia even had some trouble remembering this one…
9. Reminds me… Wasn’t there something called the Nissan Axxess? It was another mini-minivan. According to Wikipedia it was sold in the US only in 1990. That can’t be right, could it?!
10. The Axxess was replaced by the slightly larger 1st-gen Quest and its Mercury counterpart, the unforgettable Villager. Weren’t they marketed as refined, luxury minivans?
My family had two first generation Mercury Villagers when I was growing up. They were excellent vehicles. The second one we sold with 180K miles and it was still running like a top with absolutely no issues, and that’s with two teenagers thoroughly abusing it. Solid, solid vehicles.
Was any of them the Nautica version with the blue & white leather interior and the yellow stripe down the side??
What’s the deal with the 90s and all that weird co-branding? Ford had the Eddie Bauer Explorer, and not to be left out of the party, Jeep came out with the Grand Cherokee Orvis Edition. For some strange reason Subaru never made a Birkenstock Legacy but settled on an Outback LL Bean (in the early 2000s). Lexus RX was all posh with Coach, and VW was all sporty with Jetta Trek and Jetta/Golf K2. I’m sure there was even more that I’m forgetting…
Don’t forget the Ford Focus Kona edition…Lincoln MarkWhoCares Bill Blass edition, etc
Chrysler seems to be keeping the love alive with the Fiat 500 Gucci and 300 John Varvatos editions. I wonder if there will be a Chrysler 200 Gloria Vanderbilt edition as a last hurrah.
yes! the Kona! I actually wanted one of these… (don’t ask me why)
Ford milked the Eddie Bauer edition far beyond it’s expiration date! It was available (and popular) right up until the end of the last generation Explorer in 2010. The later versions didn’t have “Eddie Bauer” in cursive script embossed onto every seatback, door panel and interior trim piece….but it as still the same two-tone exterior with tan/gold on the bottom and tan/beige interior.
My mom had a 2007 Eddie Bauer 2WD with the standard 4.0L V6 that could barely get out of its own way. It was Dark Cherry and the bottom portion was ‘Arizona Beige’…and two-tone was so two decades ago! When Lexus did on the ES300 in the early 90s, it was classy…but the EB was just tacky.
Thankfully, the transmission started acting ‘hinky’ and I convinced her to trade it in ASAP. I have a Mazda3 and I’m a Mazda fan in general, but I kept my mouth shut (it almost killed me) and let her decide what she wanted to test drive. My plan was to reserve my opinion until she had looked at everything she wanted to consider, then manipulate her to buy the right one, regardless of whether she had considered it or not! =)
Thankfully, she wanted another 7-seater (3-row) which narrowed things considerably. She only wanted to check out two- the Honda Pilot and Mazda CX-9. We test drove both the day before Thanksgiving and went back the day after (on Black Friday, awesome day to buy a car) and got her 2012 CX-9 GT for $9k off sticker!
Thankfully, Mazda has avoided the whorey marketing practice of co-branding their vehicles. Most of the car companies that attached whatever designer or brand name of the moment to their vehicles did so without any foresight…lack of foresight seems to be a job requirement to be an exec at most of those companies. But what did they expect to happen if the brand name went out of style suddenly or, even worse, the brand failed? Oh, wait, the dealers and pathetic owners would be the ones stuck with them, so it was irrelevant!
Jeez – this is a great list, and the Axxess is probably the best one on it. I’m not sure if it was 1990 only, but it wasn’t sold for long – I think there were severe safety issues. The first-gen was the Stanza Wagon!! That is a 1990s car I actually, 100 percent, forgot.
Peugeot 405 is a great one as well, although it didn’t make it very far into the 1990s…
thanks! that Axxess…
Rumor on the street is that you’re a windshield wiper aficionado, and the Axxess doesn’t disappoint. Unlike the Honda Fit with its dinky little passenger-side wiper, the Axxess has a larger-than-average one. It looked like the owner went to Pep Boys and accidentally selected the wrong size blade. But that’s the way they all came from the factory.
If you’re still awake after reading this post, this page should do the trick to conk you out: http://hooniverse.com/2011/08/14/hoonivere-lost-car-weekend-the-1982-88-nissan-stanza-wagon-and-the-1990-nissan-axxess/
More so than the Aurora, how about the 1997-1999 Oldsmobile Cutlass…the rebadged Malibu. Remember the slogan for the 1997 Malibu? “The Car you knew America could build” …if the Malibu was the car we knew America could build; then the Cutlass was the car we knew America WOULD build.
What a disgrace to the Cutlass name! Despite my general disdain (violent hatred) toward GM vehicles prior to 2010 or so, the Olds Cutlass is the one exception. My mom had a ’74 Cutlass Supreme, ’77 Cutlass Supreme Brougham and ’86 Cutlass (Salon) 442. On my 16th birthday, I jumped a hill in the 442 and the front wheels landed first causing the nose to slam into the pavement…cosmetic damage was surprisingly minimal, but the motor mounts weren’t so lucky! =)