Born in 1980 The cars that kicked off the decade of excess.

Launched 40 years ago, these cars reset expectations, sold like hot cakes and kicked off a decade. We take a look

Brilliant designs, game changers, cars that for entirely different reasons reset our idea of what a car could be. We have gathered four of them together for a closer look and a quick check as to what you need to do to buy one today. So come back 40 years with us to examine these 1980 superstars.

1982 ESCORT 1.6 GHIA

The Escort MKIII was a pivotal car for Ford and ushered in an era of collaboration within Ford of Europe. The body design was undertaken by Ford of Germany in Merkenich, while the powertrain development, chassis engineering and interior design took place at Dunton in the UK.

Most pertinently, the MKIII was the first Escort to use a transverse engine/front-wheel drive configuration, following the example set by the modernistic and innovative Volkswagen Golf.

The choice of front-wheel drive also aided the new car’s packaging, with greatly increased space available inside the cabin despite sitting on a similar wheelbase to the outgoing Escort MKII.

The delicate exterior styling was the work of a team led by Uwe Bahnsen and the ‘bustle back’ rear hatch allowed the Escort to better the Golf’s 0.43 Cd figure, coming in at just 0.389. The underpinnings were equally modern: leaf springs were out and a coil-sprung independent rear end was in, while Macpherson struts were used at the front. In order not to scare off the older-school Escort clientele, who loved its simplicity, the new model was marketed under the tag line ‘Simple is Efficient’. It worked – once the long-serving Cortina had been put out to pasture, replaced by the futuristic Sierra, the Escort MKIII became the UK’S best selling car.

Four decades after it was unveiled, enthusiasts are now beginning to take the Escort MKIII much more seriously, especially given that values of the rear-drive MKI and MKII have exploded over the past decade or so. Over-familiarity with the MKIII, especially the sporting variants, has masked both its impact and the fact that its numbers are now declining rapidly. It’s deserving of a closer look.

Driving impressions Matt George

With the 1.6-litre CVH lump burbling away happily up front, I select first gear via the slightly rubbery shift and the Escort immediately proves its easy-to-drive credentials. The clutch is light and the steering is easy despite no power assistance, a legacy of the slender tyres

Ford chose. Out on the open road and up to speed, the Escort zips along confidently and easily keeps up with modern traffic. In fact, compared to a MKII, the MKIII really is in a different league. Front-wheel drive?

It’s the future – I’ve tested it.

1981 AUSTIN MINIMETRO

It was the debut of the decade. In a frenzy of flag-waving, the clever little Austin ‘minimetro’ signalled a new beginning for a beleaguered company. While the nation was presented with rousing images of the Metro atop the white cliffs of Dover, our sister publication CAR Magazine proclaimed: ‘At last, a British car no-one needs apologise for’. Representing the revival of an industry’s hopes, good examples are now extremely prized. However, the Metro was much more than a shrewd marketing campaign.

It’s ironic the creators of the Mini took so long to join the small hatchback revolution. Back in the early Seventies, there had been a pitch to replace it with Issigonis’ innovative ‘BMC 9X’ concept, but the project was canned in favour of efforts to revive the company’s flagging mid-range offerings. That mistake was only rectified much later in the decade, when British Leyland began a frantic scramble to join the ‘supermini’ party and by the time the Metro was launched in 1980, the likes of Ford’s Fiesta, the Fiat 127, and Renault 5 were already dominant.

BL’S new baby was unveiled in Birmingham on October 8, 1980, where the chic-looking Metro was warmly received by the public for whom (unlike the Mini) the Metro was an instant sales hit. Within a few years the new model accounted for half of BL’S sales. Forty years later, enthusiasts are now embracing the charms of the Metro and prices have begun to reflect that. It’s smaller than most of its contemporaries, yet thanks to decades of experience in fine packaging, the BL team delivered a superbly roomy cabin with its Mini-like mechanical arrangement and that clever, ultra-compact Hydragas suspension. Naturally they’re good at rusting but parts availability is thankfully pretty good and they’re easy to work on.

From its debut four decades ago – to the last of the line Rover 100 models – the Metro is an important slice of the nation’s motoring past and a best seller that kept its maker in business for 17 years. Most of all, the 1980 Metro captures a moment in time when the British car industry made a stonking comeback, with a product to be proud of.

Driving impressions James Walshe

I have countless Metro memories – from my grandad’s ‘Opaline Metallic’ City X to a student mate’s fruity MG Metro, complete with defective drivers window that required him to lift up the carpet to flick his spent cigarette butt through the big rust hole in the floor. They all shared the same attributes though: the Metro is beautifully packaged and a hoot to drive. Even the odd bus-like driving position lends itself to making you feel like you’re driving a fairground go-kart. The Metro has never been more appealing than it is right now.

1981 AUDI QUATTRO

When we first met the quattro it was immediately obvious that the automotive world would never be the same again. All wheel drive, physics-defying road holding, 200 turbocharged bhps and a 0-60mph time of (in one test) 6.3sec made it fractionally faster than the Porsche

928 – all in a package that would do the shopping and carry the family.

It was launched March 1980, at the Geneva Motor Show, and overnight ushered in the era of Vorsprung durch Technik – Advancement through Technology. It was a fingerpost for the decade to come. It didn’t just redefine how the world saw Audi, it redefined how the world saw the motor car.

Yes, the Spyker 60hp of 1903 had AWD and Jensen FF (Ferguson Formula) was the first commercial vehicle to put four on the floor, beating Audi by almost 14 years, but the quattro was the first volume produced car and used a system that was so good it is still sitting under modern VAG group cars in a modified form.

That system, which made quattro possible, is the ‘hollow shaft’ that sends 50 percent of the power along the propshaft to the rear axle, the other half of the drive torque being sent to the front axle’s differential along an output shaft rotating inside the hollow secondary shaft. Clever. It permits tension-free all-wheel drive and was compact and efficient, having no need for a transfer case or second propshaft; AWD was now suitable for high-performance and high-volume production.

It is also suitable as a classic purchase today, but check the following: Digital dashboard, and unique switchgear and trim. Check for rust on nearly cars, panels are getting scarce. Check for blue smoke (turbo issues), listen for ticking when cold (manifold issues) and crunching or groaning from the gearbox and AWD system (make sure that you go through all the drive options).

Driving impressions Danny Hopkins

The right-hand-drive quattro arrived in the UK in 1982 so this, a 1981 car (part of Audi UK’S heritage collection), is a left hooker. It lacks ABS, but no matter, this car is so sticky I won’t be needing brakes. The first thing that knocks me out is the noise… that in-line five churn is as distinctive as a V8 and past 3000 it yowls like a randy bull.

It doesn’t handle like one though. Once the turbo is roused, it busies me through five-gears to high-speeds and then allows me to play with mind boggling predictability. What a car. Understeer, but the fun type, 50/50 power delivery and four-wheel drift that doesn’t scare the horses (or cows). Addictive.

1980 BENTLEY TURBO R

1980 saw the launch of ‘Project SZ’ with the Mulsanne (Bentley) and the Silver Spirit (Rolls-royce). Despite being maligned by some as simply a ‘rebodied Shadow’, development of the new car represented a massive £50million investment. Eighties excess starts here. Plush electric memory leather seats cosset the driver, there’s walnut aplenty, thick pile carpets and beautifully subtle winged ‘B’ motifs within each gauge reminding you of the prestige that surrounds you.

In 1982 the Mulsanne Turbo debuted, followed by the Eight in 1984. But it’s the Turbo R, launched in March 1985 and photographed here that is perhaps the ultimate at combining elegance with driving pleasure, with much tauter suspension than the Mulsanne giving it far improved cornering characteristics. Contemporary marketing described, ‘understated elegance’ and it’s that subtlety in the painted, as opposed to chrome, grille that denotes the Garrett TO4 turbocharger lurking beneath the bonnet. The 328bhp isn’t shouted about; but toned down. Those who know, know. Those who don’t would never guess.

Those considering owning a Mulsanne derivative today, be it a Mulsanne, Mulsanne Turbo, Eight, Turbo R or Mulsanne S, should be aware that keeping one on the road in good condition is an expensive endeavour – despite asking prices being temptingly cheap given what’s on offer. It’s likely that anyone other than the most experienced or ambitious home mechanic will require specialist help to keep the car on the road, and to that end it is well worth buying a car with a comprehensive history file.

Driving Impressions Matt Tomkins

Closing the heavy door of the Bentley, I’m immediately isolated from the outside world. Turning the key gives a sense of occasion as the 6.75-litre V8 woofles into life. Flick the beautifully weighted column shift into Drive and move off. Motion is seamless and serene as 2.25 tons of class surges forth. As the Garrett turbo spools up and the auto ’box changes seamlessly, you feel cosseted and confident to press on towards your destination.