Tag Archives: 1982

Frazer-Tickford Metro

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1982 Frazer-Tickford Metro

Offered by H&H | Duxford, U.K. | November 17, 2021

Photo – H&H

There’s a lot going on here. Let’s start with the Metro part: this car started out as an Austin Metro, which was a small hatchback introduced by British Leyland in 1980. It was a no-frills economy car. But what if you wanted one all tarted up?

Enter Tickford, a coachbuilder whose roots dated back to the 1820s. They bodied all manner of British cars before and after WWII, and in 1955, the company was purchased by David Brown, owner of Aston Martin. In 1981, with Aston Martin company under new ownership, they created an engineering subsidiary called Aston Martin Tickford.

That company helped other manufacturers build high-performance models, including helping Ford with the Tickford Capri, Sierra Cosworth RS500, and the RS200.

Then there was a guy called Mike Bletsoe-Brown, who owned Sywell Aerodrome in Northamptonshire. He set up a company called Frazer (unrelated to the American one) and contracted with Tickford to build the best Metro they could.

And so the Frazer-Tickford Metro was born. Think of it as the Aston Martin Cygnet‘s grandfather. They took a Metro 1.3 S and stripped it down. A fiberglass body kit was added, as were Aston Martin badges, a sunroof, and an interior worthy of an Aston. The engine was beefed up too, and the 1.3-liter inline-four now put out 80 horsepower.

Aston Martin bought out the project in 1982, and a dumbed down version called the Tickford Metro was available in 1983. Only 26 examples of the Frazer-Tickford car were built, three of which were destined for the American market, including this one. It’s back in England now and has a pre-sale estimate of $47,000-$61,000. Click here for more info and here for more from this sale.

Update: Not sold.

Lancia LC1

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1982 Lancia LC1

For Sale by Girardo & Co.

Photo – Girardo & Co.

This car is the predecessor of the Lancia LC2 we features last week. It debuted in 1982 to contest the World Endurance Championship, which was held under the FIA’s Group 6 regulations.

The chassis for this car was designed by built by Dallara (by Mr. Dallara himself at that). It wears a Kevlar and carbon body and is powered by a turbocharged 1.4-liter Lancia-Abarth inline-four capable of 450 horsepower.

Only four examples of the LC1 were built. The competition history for this car, chassis #2, includes:

  • 1982 1000km Nurburgring – 1st (with Teo Fabi, Michele Alboreto, and Riccardo Patrese)
  • 1982 24 Hours of Le Mans – 36th, DNF (with Fabi, Alboreto, and Rolf Stommelen)

That Nurburgring victory was the highlight for the entire LC1 program, and the car is now presented in its original Martini livery. You can read more about it here.

Ferrari 126 C2

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1982 Ferrari 126 C2

Offered by RM Sotheby’s | Abu Dhabi, U.A.E. | November 30, 2019

Photo Courtesy of RM Sotheby’s

The 126C was Ferrari’s 1981 Formula One car. It replaced the 312T series of cars that dated back to 1975. For 1982, the chassis was heavily updated to C2 specification, and it was iterated upon thereafter through 1984.

Power is from a turbocharged 1.5-liter V6 that made about 600 horsepower in race trim. Driving duties for 1982 were split between Gilles Villeneuve (who died mid-season), Didier Pironi, Patrick Tambay, and Mario Andretti. No single driver competed in every race. The competition history for this chassis includes:

  • 1982 British Grand Prix – 3rd (with Patrick Tambay)
  • 1982 French Grand Prix – 4th (with Tambay)
  • 1982 German Grand Prix – 1st (with Tambay)
  • 1982 Italian Grand Prix – 3rd (with Mario Andretti)
  • 1982 Caesars Palace Grand Prix (Las Vegas) – 19th, DNF (with Andretti)

The car left Ferrari’s private collection in 2000 and has been used in events since. This race-winning F1 car from the Scuderia is the only survivor of seven examples of the type built. It should sell for between $2,000,000-$2,500,000. Click here for more info and here for more from this sale.

Update: Sold $2,143,750.

Jet Electrica 007

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1982 Jet Electrica 007

Offered by Bonhams | Tupelo, Mississippi | April 27, 2019

Photo – Bonhams

No one may look back at the Dodge Omni and think “sporty,” but that didn’t stop Chrysler from trying when they introduced the Omni 024 3-door hatchback in 1979. Built through 1982, the car and its Plymouth counterpart, the Horizon TC3, were supposed to be an early-80s sports hatch. There was even a De Tomaso trim level.

Meanwhile, during the energy crisis, the U.S. Department of Energy started handing out money to companies that said they would develop and sell electric cars. Jet Industries, primarily known for their snowmobiles (even though they were based in Texas), actually ended up producing about 3,000 “Electrica 007s,” which were just altered Omni 024s.

The Chrysler engine was replaced with a 23 horsepower direct-current electric motor. The hatchback area was full of batteries, and the car could hit 70 mph and attain 60 miles of range (though not at the same time). This would’ve been the perfect Back to the Future car. Only 50 are known to exist, and this one should bring between $5,000-$10,000. Click here for more info and here for more from this sale.

Update: Sold $12,320.

Rolls-Royce Camargue

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1982 Rolls-Royce Camargue

Offered by Historics at Brooklands | May 19, 2018

Photo – Historics at Brooklands

There are Rolls-Royces from the 1980s that you can acquire for about $10,000. I’m not saying it’s a good idea, but it’s possible. Not so here. The Camargue was a luxury coupe built by Rolls-Royce that was even more unattainable than the Corniche. It was the most expensive car sold in the U.K. at the time of its launch.

And that didn’t really help its cause. While certainly a statement on wheels, the Camargue was outsold by the Corniche (which could also be had as a convertible). Built between 1975 and 1986, Rolls managed to sell just 531 examples of this monstrous coupe.

This one-owner Camargue is powered by a 6.75-liter V-8 that made somewhere between 220 and 250 horsepower. RR wasn’t big on quoting actual figures at the time. This chassis was originally sold to a Middle Eastern royal family and has covered less than 5,000 miles since new. It’s likely the nicest example extant and can be yours for between $84,000-$105,000. Click here for more info and here for more from this sale.

Update: Sold $99,318.

Phillips Berlina

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1982 Phillips Berlina

Offered by Mecum | Kansas City, Missouri | December 1-3, 2016

Photo - Mecum

Photo – Mecum

Hello neo-classic fans! The 1980s were a weird time: people rolled up the sleeves on their white sport coats, wore huge glasses with big hair, and wanted to drive modern cars that looked like they were built in the 1930s. These weren’t replicas, but luxury cars with classic looks.

Charles W. Phillips decided to build just such a car. From 1980 through 1983, the Phillips Motor Car Corporation of Pompano Beach, Florida, built the Berlina Coupe in limited numbers. It’s not a kit car, but was sold as a fully-built automobile, even though it is based on a stretched C3 Corvette chassis. The body is fiberglass and made to evoke the pre-war Mercedes-Benz 540K.

This car is powered by a 5.7-liter Chevrolet V-8 making 200 horsepower (Corvettes weren’t all that sporty in 1980). Top speed was about 110 mph. It has leather interior and is decked out with about all the features you could hope for in 1982. They’re certainly striking and less than 90 were ever made. The cost when new was about $85,000 – but it will bring less than that at auction. Read more about it here and see more from this sale here.

Update: Sold $17,500.

The 1983 24 Hours of Le Mans Winner

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1982 Porsche 956

Offered by Gooding & Company | Pebble Beach, California | August 15-16, 2015

Photo - Gooding & Company

Photo – Gooding & Company

Group C was new for 1982 and a whole new wave of closed coupe prototype race cars came flying out just about of all of the world’s major manufacturers. Porsche (and their 956 and 962 models) defined the Group C age with unrivaled success. The 956 was built between 1982 and 1984, with the 962 replacing it for 1985. They are different cars, but one could be forgiven for not being able to immediately differentiate between the two.

This car is powered by a 2.7-liter twin-turbo flat-6 making 630 horsepower. It is not a slow car. The 956 holds the lap record at the Nürburgring. This was one of 10 Porsche factory race cars and it’s competition history includes:

  • 1982 24 Hours of Le Mans – 2nd (with Jochen Mass & Vern Schupppan)
  • 1982 1000km Spa – 1st (with Jacky Ickx & Mass)
  • 1983 24 Hours of Le Mans – 1st (with Al Holbert, Hurley Haywood, & Schuppan)

It was raced a few times after that and then Porsche sold it to Vern Schuppan who kept it until 1996. The new owner restored the car and it has led a privileged life since, having been kept mostly off the track and in the hands of a few other owners. Only 22 Porsche 956s were built and only 10 were lucky enough to be factory race cars. They do not come up for sale often, and this, a Le Mans winner, is one of the best. It should sell for between $7,000,000-$9,000,000. Click here for more info and here for more from this sale.

Update: Sold $10,120,000.

Audi Quattro A1

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1982 Audi Quattro A1 Group B Rally Car

Offered by Bonhams | Chichester, England | March 21, 2015

Photo - Bonhams

Photo – Bonhams

Nobody did rally cars in the 1980s quite like Audi. They brought 4WD to the sport and revolutionized it. Their cars were boxy, powerful, and scary fast. The Quattro was a production car that was also sold as the Audi Coupe and they were introduced in 1980. The rally variant debuted that year as well.

This car was an Audi factory rally car that competed in Group 4 and Group B rally – the most famous (and awesome) period of rallying in history. It is powered by a turbocharged 2.1-liter straight-five making 300 horsepower in race trim.

Initially, it was built as a Group 5 rally car and it finished 2nd in the 1982 Monte Carlo rally with Hannu Mikkola at the wheel. He would go on to win the World Driver’s Championship that year. In 1983, Audi converted the car to the Group B spec you see here. It spent the next 12 years or so in Finland on the rally circuit and in a museum.

The current owner acquired it in 1995 and had it thoroughly gone over. It’s a pretty awesome example of the most intense years of rallying. You can buy it for between $370,000-$430,000. Click here for more info and here for more from this example.

Update: Sold $368,210.

Lancia 037 Stradale

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1982 Lanica 037 Stradale

Offered by RM Auctions | Paris, France | February 4, 2015

Photo - RM Auctions

Photo – RM Auctions

Here’s another wonderful homologation special brought to you by the legendary Group B Rally regulations. Group B has been responsible for some pretty epic road cars from the 1980s. This is one of the coolest.

When Lancia threw its hat into the almost-anything-goes-as-long-as-you-build-a-road-version ring, they called in Dallara, Abarth, and Pininfarina for assitance. The body is made out of Kevlar reinforced fiberglass and it looks sort of like a badass version of the rust bucket Lancia Montecarlo.

The engine is a version of the one found in the Fiat-Abarth 131 – it’s a supercharged 2.0-liter straight-four making 205 horsepower. It is mid-engined and its on-track success was legitimate: Lancia won the 1983 World Rally Championship constructors’ title with the 037. It’s one of the last great RWD rally cars.

Only 207 road versions were built, with this one being #45. It’s being sold by its original owner with less than 14,000km on the clock. While the power output might not be extreme, this is one of the coolest, rarest cars from the 1980s that you can buy. Click here for more info and here for more from RM in Paris.

Update: Sold $384,720.

Lynx Eventer

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1982 Lynx Eventer V12 HE

Offered by Silverstone Auctions | Silverstone, U.K. | September 20, 2014

Photo - Silverstone Auctions

Photo – Silverstone Auctions

If you’re even mildly observant, you’ll notice that this is a Jaguar XJ-S from the early 1980s. The XJ-S was Jaguar’s grand touring model that was built from 1975 through 1996. The XJ-S H.E. was built between 1981 and 1990 and was offered as a coupe, targa, or convertible. But this is a wagon.

The Lynx Eventer was an aftermarket shooting brake – or two door, British wagon. Lynx was a coachbuilder and in the 1980s they offered this very nice conversion (hey, isn’t a lynx kind of like a jaguar?). The supposed price for one of these conversions was nearly $90,000. It uses the same Jaguar 5.3-liter V-12 making 295 horsepower that the car came with.

This was the first Eventer to be sold of the 67 built total and is featured in the Lynx factory literature. It has covered 116,000 miles and is not currently running after having been in storage for 15 years. But it looks great and the body style really is nice – I like it more than any XJ-S I’ve seen. Even in this condition, it should still sell for between $40,000-$50,000. Click here for more info and here for more from this sale.

Update: Sold $46,863.