From the Vaults: ’80s Car Commercials

The sights and sounds ’80s are having quite a resurgence these days. With movies like Ready Player One, TV shows like Stranger Things, the 8-bit NES Classic Mini console, and countless tunes borrowing from the era, us Gen Xers are reliving our youth like on a daily basis.

So with that in mind, I figured I’d share this fun compilation I spotted over on YouTube, jampacked with commercials for some of the many everyday cars of the 1980s. Retro Rabbit Ears compiled this clip, which includes everything from a Hyundai Excel racing a Maserati, to the innovative 4-wheel steering on the Honda Prelude SI, to the launch of the ill-fated Chrysler brand Eagle. Most of the commercials appear to be from Canada, but it’s pretty much the same stuff we were seeing here in the states.

Between the big hair, the bag phone, and the cheesy music, that Nissan Pulsar NX commercial basically sums up the ’80s in 30 seconds. Also, when did they stop calling it “Nis-san” and switch to “Knee-san?”