What Should I Buy? - Square Bodies & Round Headlights - The 80s!

Heralded as one of the greatest decades in history… when greed was good, Jordache jeans were worn above the belly button, Hair stood on end with the aid of Aquanet, bands like Depeche Mode ushered in a new generation, a next generation of SciFi was born, and cars were seen as superheroes. This the only time where there is a juxtaposition of both analogue and digital while a generation of petrol heads were both living their best lives and early adopters simultaneously. 

The Malaise era might have been the start of the “square bodies and round headlights” movement, but the 1980s… oh the 80s! That was the era of MTV, Killer-Bs, Body Kits and a massive evolution in the automotive industry. Where arguably, some of the iconic cars of our generation were born and carry on through today.  

And like all What Should I Buy (WSIB) episodes… we have some shopping criteria. This time, we’re going to settle a long standing argument about “Hot Hatches.” What is the actual difference between a shooting brake, liftback, hatchback, wagon and a sports coupe? Our panel of petrol-heads are challenged to solve that mystery as well as find our “first time collector” the best econobox that will make their friends go “where’d you get that?” at the next Cars & Coffee. 

Picking up where we left off, the year is… 1983 and there is NO CORVETTE, but instead the world is introduced to GTI. Joining us tonight are veteran WSIB panelists… our 90’s expert Mark Shank, Don Weberg from Garage Style Magazine, William Ross from Exotic Car Marketplace, bowtie man and square body historian Mountain Man Dan, and returning guest Jeff Willis, along with our executive producer: Tania! 

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00:00:00 Introduction to the Panel and the 80s Car Culture

00:01:16 Debating Hot Hatches and Body Styles

00:02:12 Personal Stories of 80s Car Ownership

00:05:14 Exploring Unique 80s Cars and Trucks

00:33:27 The French Car Invasion

00:39:00 Obscure 80s Cars and Hidden Gems

00:40:42 The ASC McLaren Capri and Mustang Evolution

00:41:39 Convertible Craze of the 80s

00:42:31 The Rise of Affordable Classics

00:42:43 The Iconic M81 Mustang

00:45:54 Audi's Experimental Era

00:48:40 The AMG Hammer and Other German Legends

00:55:45 American Muscle and Tuners

01:03:12 The Underrated 80s Sedans

01:11:52 Japanese Icons and Oddities

01:22:35 Nissan Maxima vs. Infinity Q45

01:23:06 The Power of the Q45

01:23:46 Nissan's Branding Challenge

01:25:08 Lexus SC 400 vs. SC 300

01:26:20 Toyota Century: The Ultimate Japanese Luxury

01:30:23 British Car Gems: TVR Tasmin and Austin Minis

01:32:46 Aston Martin's 80s Revival

01:33:33 Lotus Esprit: The 80s Supercar

01:36:53 The Quirky Saab 900 Turbo

01:44:52 BMW's Underrated Classics

01:51:41 Ford's Sleeper: The LTD LX

01:55:49 80s Car Wishlist: Final Thoughts