1980 in motoring - AbsoluteAstronomy.com

United Kingdom

British Leyland introduced the Austin Metro, a compact three-door hatchback which will be sold alongside the Mini

Mini

The Mini is a small car that was made by the British Motor Corporation and its successors from 1959 until 2000. The original is considered a British icon of the 1960s, and its space-saving front-wheel-drive layout influenced a generation of car-makers...

and be powered by the 1.0 and 1.3 petrol engines that are familiar in other BL products. The Metro took five years and cost hundreds of millions of pounds (mostly taxpayers money) to develop, and left BL without enough money for any more immediate all-new cars. So the nine-year-old Morris Marina

Morris Marina

The Morris Marina is a car which was manufactured by the Morris division of British Leyland in the UK throughout the 1970s, which was a period of great turbulence and difficulty for the British car industry. It was known in some markets as the Austin Marina, Leyland Marina, and Morris 1.7...

, one of the most maligned British cars of the 1970s

1970s

File:1970s decade montage.png|From left, clockwise: US President Richard Nixon doing the V for Victory sign after his resignation from office after the Watergate scandal in 1974; Refugees aboard a US naval boat after the Fall of Saigon, leading to the end of the Vietnam War in 1975; The 1973 oil...

, has been restyled to become the Morris Ital

Morris Ital

The Morris Ital was a medium-sized saloon car built by British Leyland from 1980 until 1984.-Design and launch:The Ital was first launched on 1 July 1980. It took its name from Giorgetto Giugiaro's ItalDesign studio, who had been employed by BL to manage the re-engineering of Morris Marina, a car...

. An all-new large family car is not expected until 1984.

Ford's

Ford Motor Company

Ford Motor Company is an American multinational automaker based in Dearborn, Michigan, a suburb of Detroit. The automaker was founded by Henry Ford and incorporated on June 16, 1903. In addition to the Ford and Lincoln brands, Ford also owns a small stake in Mazda in Japan and Aston Martin in the UK...

Escort has finally moved into front-wheel drive hatchback format after 13 years as a rear-wheel drive saloon. As before, there is also an estate version available. The engine line-up is also new featuring Fords new CVH Engine in 1.3 and 1.6 form. The 1.1 Valencia OHV Engine from the Fiesta is also available. A performance version of the car called XR3 with a twin choke version of the 1.6 CVH Engine is Fords challenger to the VW Golf GTi. The new Escort wins the European Car of the Year

European Car of the Year

The European Car of the Year award was established in 1964 by a collective of automobile magazines from different countries in Europe. The current organisers of the award are Auto , Autocar , Autopista , Autovisie , L'Automobile Magazine , Stern and Vi Bilägare .The voting jury consists of motoring...

award for 1981.

At the beginning of 1980, Vauxhall

Vauxhall Motors

Vauxhall Motors is a British automotive company owned by General Motors and headquartered in Luton. It was founded in 1857 as a pump and marine engine manufacturer, began manufacturing cars in 1903 and was acquired by GM in 1925. It has been the second-largest selling car brand in the UK for...

began sales of its all-new Astra

Vauxhall Astra

Astra is a model name which has been used by Vauxhall, the British subsidiary of General Motors , on their small family car ranges since 1979. Astras are technically essentially identical with similar vehicles offered by GM's German subsidiary Opel in most other European countries...

front-wheel drive hatchback and saloon, which was launched in the UK before the end of 1979 as the German-built

Germany

Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...

Opel Kadett

The Opel Kadett is a small family car produced by the German automobile manufacturer Opel between 1937 and 1940, and then again from 1962 until 1991 , when it was replaced by the Opel Astra.-Original model :...

. It gives Vauxhall at least a match for the new MK3 Ford Escort, and is a far more modern and competent car than the ageing Viva

Vauxhall Viva

The Viva was a small family car produced by Vauxhall Motors in a succession of three versions between 1963 and 1979. These were known as the HA, the HB and the HC series....

that it replaces.

France

Peugeot

Peugeot is a major French car brand, part of PSA Peugeot Citroën, the second largest carmaker based in Europe.The family business that precedes the current Peugeot company was founded in 1810, and manufactured coffee mills and bicycles. On 20 November 1858, Emile Peugeot applied for the lion...

unveiled the new 505

Peugeot 505

The Peugeot 505 is a large family car produced by the French manufacturer Peugeot from 1979 to 1992 in Sochaux, France. The 505 was Peugeot's last rear-wheel drive car...

, a rear-wheel drive range of saloons and estates which were designed as an eventual replacement for the long-running 504

Peugeot 504

The Peugeot 504 is a large family car manufactured by French automaker Peugeot between 1968 and 1983, with licensed production continuing until 2006.-1968 — introduction:...

and a competitor for the likes of the Ford Granada

Ford Granada (Europe)

The March 1972 released Granada succeeded the British Ford Zephyr, and the German P7-series as Ford's European executive car offering. At first, lower models in the range were called the Ford Consul, but from 1975 on they were all called Granadas. The car soon became popular for taxi, fleet and...

, Rover SD1

Rover SD1

Rover SD1 is both the code name and eventual production name given to a series of large executive cars made by British Leyland or BL through its Specialist, Rover Triumph and Austin Rover divisions from 1976 until 1986....

and Vauxhall Carlton

Vauxhall Carlton

The Vauxhall Carlton was an executive car that was sold by Vauxhall in the United Kingdom from 1978 to 1994.-Mark I :The first Vauxhall Carlton was introduced in late 1978 as a replacement for the ageing VX1800/VX2000 saloons...

.

The Peugeot-owned Talbot

Talbot

Talbot was an automobile marque that existed from 1903 to 1986, with a hiatus from 1960 to 1978, under a number of different owners, latterly under Peugeot...

marque (created on the company's acquisition of Chrysler Europe

Chrysler Europe

Chrysler Europe was a division of the Chrysler Corporation that operated between 1967 and 1979.-Formation:In the 1960s, Chrysler sought to become a world producer of automobiles. The company had never had much success outside North America, contrasting with Ford's worldwide reach and General...

in 1979) has seen the launch of the Tagora

Talbot Tagora

The Talbot Tagora is an executive car that was developed by Chrysler Europe and produced by Peugeot Société Anonyme . The Tagora was marketed under the Talbot marque after PSA took over Chrysler's European operations in 1979. PSA presented the first production vehicle in 1980 and launched it...

, a large four-door saloon which is to be built in France

France

The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...

in limited numbers. The Alpine hatchback now also forms the basis of the Solara saloon.

Production of the Renault 12

Renault 12

The Renault 12 is a family car produced by French automaker Renault between 1969 and 1980. Available as a saloon and estate , it was also produced under licence in many countries across the globe into the early 21st century....

finished two years after the launch of its successor - the R18

Renault 18

The Renault 18 is a large family car produced by French manufacturer Renault between 1978 and 1993 .-Development:...

. The R12 had been on sale for 11 years, though Romania

Romania

Romania is a country located at the crossroads of Central and Southeastern Europe, on the Lower Danube, within and outside the Carpathian arch, bordering on the Black Sea...

n production of the car continues under licence by Dacia

Dacia

In ancient geography, especially in Roman sources, Dacia was the land inhabited by the Dacians or Getae as they were known by the Greeks—the branch of the Thracians north of the Haemus range...

Italy

Fiat

FIAT, an acronym for Fabbrica Italiana Automobili Torino , is an Italian automobile manufacturer, engine manufacturer, financial, and industrial group based in Turin in the Italian region of Piedmont. Fiat was founded in 1899 by a group of investors including Giovanni Agnelli...

introduced a new entry-level three-door hatchback - the Panda

Fiat Panda

The Fiat Panda is a city car from the Italian automobile manufacturer Fiat. The first Fiat Panda was introduced in 1980, and was produced until 2003 with only a few changes. It is now sometimes referred to as the "old Panda". The second model, launched in 2003, is sometimes referred to "New Panda"...

- as a more modern and practical alternative to the rear-engined 126

Fiat 126

The Fiat 126 is a city car introduced in October 1972 at the Turin Auto Show as a replacement for the Fiat 500. Most were produced in Bielsko-Biała, Poland as the Polski Fiat 126p until 2000...

. It shares a 652cc two-cylinder engine with the 126, but this version of the Panda is only sold on the domestic market. Spanish

Spain

Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...

customers will be offered the SEAT Panda.

Lancia

Lancia

Lancia Automobiles S.p.A. is an Italian automobile manufacturer founded in 1906 by Vincenzo Lancia and which became part of the Fiat Group in 1969. The company has a long history of producing distinctive cars and also has a strong rally heritage. Some modern Lancias are seen as presenting a more...

began exporting its new Delta

Lancia Delta

The Lancia Delta is a small family car produced by Italian automaker Lancia with the first generation being produced between 1979 and 1994, the second generation running from 1993 until 1999, and the third generation Delta entering production in 2008. It was first shown inFrankfurt Motor Show in 1979...

range of five-door medium sized hatchbacks, designed as direct competitors for the Volkswagen Golf

Volkswagen Golf

The Volkswagen Golf is a small family car manufactured by Volkswagen since 1974 and marketed worldwide across six generations, in various body configurations and under various nameplates – as the Volkswagen Rabbit in the United States and Canada , and as the Volkswagen Caribe in Mexico .The...

and Ford Escort. Sales began in Italy at the end of 1979 and the ultra-modern Delta was voted European Car of the Year

European Car of the Year

thanks to its contemporary styling, impressive ride and handling, and quality which suggests that is a more durable product than some of the rust-prone models which have tainted Lancia's image in recent years. For the Swedish

Sweden

Sweden , officially the Kingdom of Sweden , is a Nordic country on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. Sweden borders with Norway and Finland and is connected to Denmark by a bridge-tunnel across the Öresund....

market, there will also be a Saab

Saab

Saab AB is a Swedish aerospace and defence company, founded in 1937. From 1947 to 1990 it was the parent company of automobile manufacturer Saab Automobile, and between 1968 and 1995 the company was in a merger with commercial vehicle manufacturer Scania, known as Saab-Scania.-History:"Svenska...

model known as the 600

Saab 600

The Saab-Lancia 600 is a rebadged Lancia Delta, sold by Saab after a deal with Lancia.The deal was a part of the 1980s co-operation between the Swedish car manufacturer Saab and the Italian Fiat Group, which includes Lancia and Alfa Romeo in addition to Fiat...

.

1980 saw a relaunch of Lancia's Monte Carlo

Lancia Monte Carlo

The Lancia Montecarlo is a mid-engined sports car which was produced by Lancia in Italy from 1975 to 1982.Cars from the first series, which were produced from 1975 to 1978, were known as Lancia Beta Montecarlos and those from the second series, produced from 1979 to 1982, simply as Lancia Montecarlos...

sports car, a year after it was withdrawn from production. The re-launched Monte Carlo sports a much improved braking system - with refinements being made in response to heavy criticism over safety issues - but few other significant changes.

Spain

Fiat

decided to withdraw its subsidisation of the SEAT

SEAT

SEAT, S.A. is a Spanish automobile manufacturer founded on May 9, 1950 by the Instituto Nacional de Industria , a state-owned industrial holding company....

marque, a venture between themselves and the Spanish government. Though production of SEAT's Fiat-based models will continue, licensing reasons will prevent them from using the same nameplates as the Italian models from which they are derived.

Sweden

The recently-launched Saab 900

Saab 900

The Saab 900 was a car produced by Saab Automobile from 1978 until 1998 in two generations. The first generation from 1978 to 1993 is known as the "classic"; the generation from 1994 to 1998 is known as the "new generation" ....

range of upmarket hatchbacks has been joined by a smaller, entry-level model - the Saab 600

Saab 600

- which is a clone of the Lancia Delta

Lancia Delta

and will only be sold in Sweden and Norway.

Germany

Volkswagen

Volkswagen is a German automobile manufacturer and is the original and biggest-selling marque of the Volkswagen Group, which now also owns the Audi, Bentley, Bugatti, Lamborghini, SEAT, and Škoda marques and the truck manufacturer Scania.Volkswagen means "people's car" in German, where it is...

updated the 30-year-old Transporter

Volkswagen Transporter

The Volkswagen Transporter, based on the Volkswagen Group's T platform, now in its fifth generation, refers to a series of vans produced over 60 years and marketed worldwide....

range to give it an entirely new bodyshell, but the air-cooled engines and rear-wheel drive chassis continued largely unchanged. The new range of vans and people carriers had a much-improved braking system as well as much improved specification levels, with some models even having power steering and air-conditioning.

Volkswagen also expanded its commercial vehicle range by launching the Caddy

Volkswagen Caddy

Released in 1980, the first Volkswagen Caddy is a coupe utility, and van based on the Volkswagen Group A1 platform, shared with the small family car Volkswagen Golf Mk1.Volkswagen Typ is:*147 = LHD*148 = RHD-Caddy debuts internationally as a Rabbit:...

, a Golf-based

Volkswagen Golf

range of compact vans and pickup trucks.

Eastern Europe

Lada

Lada is a trademark of AvtoVAZ, a Russian car manufacturer in Tolyatti, Samara Oblast. All AvtoVAZ vehicles are currently sold under the Lada brand, though this was not always so; Lada was originally AvtoVAZ's export brand for models it sold under the Zhiguli name in the domestic Soviet market...

facelifted its decade-old Fiat-based

Fiat 124

The Fiat 124 is a mid-sized family car produced by the Italian manufacturer Fiat between 1966 and 1974. It was the replacement of the Fiat 1300 and Fiat 1500...

range of saloons and estates and renamed them "Riva"

Lada Riva

The VAZ-2105, VAZ-2104 and VAZ-2107 are a series of medium-sized family cars built by Russian car manufacturer AvtoVAZ, introduced in 1980 in the Soviet Union, and progressively in other European markets through the early 1980s and sold in both saloon and estate versions...

. The car's technology remained unchanged, with power still coming from 1.2, 1.3, 1.5 and 1.6 petrol engines. The new model will follow where its predecessor left off, retailing at a low price wherever it is sold.

Japan

A year after going on sale in its homeland, the latest generation of the Toyota Corolla

Toyota Corolla

The Toyota Corolla is a line of subcompact and compact cars manufactured by the Japanese automaker Toyota, which has become very popular throughout the world since the nameplate was first introduced in 1966. In 1997, the Corolla became the best selling nameplate in the world, with over 35 million...

went on sale in Europe

Europe

Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...

. The traditional rear-wheel drive chassis and saloon bodystyle continues, as do the 1.3, 1.6 and 1.8 petrol engines. The latest Corolla will have the same virtues as the old - low running costs, a competitive list price, good space and comfort, solid build quality and cast-iron reliability.

Toyota gave its rear-wheel drive mini-car, the Starlet

Toyota Starlet

The Toyota Starlet is a small automobile manufactured by Toyota from 1973 to 1999, replacing the Publica, but retaining the Publica's "P" code and generation numbering. The Starlet was marketed as the Publica in some Toyota export markets.-40 Series:...

, a major facelift which included square front headlights instead of round ones. The old 1.0, 1.2 and 1.3 power units were replaced by new 12-valve ones which gave more power and even better economy.

Honda

Honda

is a Japanese public multinational corporation primarily known as a manufacturer of automobiles and motorcycles.Honda has been the world's largest motorcycle manufacturer since 1959, as well as the world's largest manufacturer of internal combustion engines measured by volume, producing more than...

introduced a new medium-sized family saloon - the Ballade

Honda Ballade

The Honda Ballade was a subcompact automobile built by Honda of Japan. It began as a four-door version of the Civic in 1980. The Ballade was developed at the same time the Honda Vigor appeared, which was a higher content Honda Accord...

- which gave traditionalists a viable alternative to the Civic

Honda Civic

The Honda Civic is a line of subcompact and subsequently compact cars made and manufactured by Honda. The Civic, along with the Accord and Prelude, comprised Honda's vehicles sold in North America until the 1990s, when the model lineup was expanded...

hatchback. It will be imported to the USA as a Civic, but the British

United Kingdom

The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...

version will go into production next year as part of a venture with British Leyland.

The Civic, Honda's best-selling model, was facelifted to exhibit a more aerodynamic shape and a more extensive range of trim levels. The 1.3 and 1.5 petrol engines are both new to the range, replacing the outdated 1.3 power unit from the original Civic range.

Nissan bolstered its Datsun

Datsun

Datsun was an automobile marque. The name was created in 1931 by the DAT Motorcar Co. for a new car model, spelling it as "Datson" to indicate its smaller size when compared to the existing, larger DAT car. Later, in 1933 after Nissan Motor Co., Ltd...

brand to give European buyers a new, more credible alternative to the Ford Cortina. Its latest generation Bluebird

Nissan Bluebird

Although Nissan's own materials indicate that the Bluebird name emerged in 1959, some records show that the name first adorned a 988 cc, four-door sedan in 1957, which was part of the company's 210 series...

comes in a range of saloons, estates and coupes which are hardly exciting but offer high levels of refinement, quality, comfort and economy. The coupe version comes in "SSS" form with a more powerful version of the already good 2.0 power unit. The standard 1.6, 1.8 and 2.0 petrol engines are carried over from the previous range, though the under-powered 1.4 unit has been discontinued.

Mazda

Mazda

is a Japanese automotive manufacturer based in Fuchū, Aki District, Hiroshima Prefecture, Japan.In 2007, Mazda produced almost 1.3 million vehicles for global sales...

moved to front-wheel drive for its popular 323 hatchback, which will be sold in Australia

Australia

Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...

as the Ford Meteor

Ford Meteor

Introduced in 1981, Ford Meteor was the name given to the sedan version of the Ford Laser, based on the Mazda Familia in markets including Australia and South Africa. Following much the same strategy in Europe was the Ford Orion, a four-door saloon which had Escort mechanicals...

and Ford Laser

Ford Laser

The 1985 KC Laser/GC Meteor was the model's first major redesign. All body styles were carried over, with the addition of a station wagon from 1986. A new "TX3" variant, which was half-way between "GL" & "Ghia" in specification level, replaced the "Sport" variant from the KB series. Unlike the...

as part of Mazda's venture with Ford. The latest 323 will have 1.1, 1.3 and 1.5 petrol engines, and the car's contemporary body was designed with the help of Ford's design team. Production of the rear-wheel drive estate, part of the pre-1980 range, will continue for at least a couple more years.

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