Did you ever wonder what the Frankfurt Motor Show looked like 30 years ago? Well, you need to look no further than the…2013 Frankfurt Motor Show, as the organizers set up a special exhibition that will no doubt awake some memories among visitors.
Called “The stars of 1983 – where are they now?” the exhibition shows the most important vehicles that debuted that year at the IAA. One can say 1983 was a really good year for making cars, judging from the crop of vehicles assembled together in the unusual 1,000-square-meter exhibition.
Iconic production cars like the VW Golf Mk2, Mercedes 190 or BMW 524td were introduced that year, along with performance vehicles like the BMW M635 CSi and Audi Sport Quattro as well as concept cars like the Porsche “Gruppe B” design study. All these 30-year-old models (minus the concept obviously) can now be registered as historic vehicles in Germany as long as they are in their original condition and have no technical defects.
To put things into perspective, the exhibition also includes a 1963 Opel Kapitän L and a 1993 Opel Calibra Ecotec V6. If you happen to be in Frankfurt during the show (September 12-22), make sure you visit Hall 3.1 to enjoy for a wonderful trip back in time. Now let’s have a detailed look at the stars of the 1983 Frankfurt Motor Show.
By Dan Mihalascu
Audi 80 Quattro
The all-wheel drive version of the forerunner of the Audi A4, the Audi 80, was unveiled in 1983, following the launch of the original Audi Quattro in 1980. The car on display was powered by a five-cylinder gasoline engine with a capacity of 2,144cc and 136 horsepower.
Audi Sport Quattro
Limited to 214 units necessary for the homologation of the Audi Quattro as a Group B rally car, the Sport Quattro was the most expensive German production vehicle when it went on sale in December 1984. At 195,000 Deutschmarks, it cost twice the price of its contemporary, the Porsche Carrera Turbo. The water-cooled, turbocharged 2,133-cc five-cylinder engine had four valves per cylinder and developed 306 hp.
BMW 524td
1983 marks a very important milestone in the history of BMW, as the Frankfurt Motor Show that year saw the introduction of the brand’s first diesel engine in the 524td model from the E28 generation. It was a turbocharged inline six cylinder engine with 2,443 cc that produced 115 hp. Later on BMW also launched a naturally aspirated version of the same engine in the 524d which developed 86 hp.
BMW M635 CSi
The M635 CSi is a legendary model among BMW enthusiasts. In 1983, the already sporty BMW 635 CSi received a more hardcore version called the M635 CSi that was designed by BMW Motorsport GmbH, but was actually built by BMW AG. Equipped with a 3.5-liter six-cylinder inline engine that developed 286 hp, the M635 CSi could reach a top speed of 255 km/h (158 mph). It cost 89,500 Deutschmarks when it went on sale.
Lancia Beta Coupe VX
Produced between 1972 and 1984, the Lancia Beta came in various body styles, including a coupe. The flagship model, the Beta Coupe VX, was introduced at the IAA in 1983. Featuring a 2.0-liter gasoline engine boosted by a Roots compressor, the model had 135 hp and was built in a limited number of 1,272 units. Only 32 vehicles of this type are currently registered in Germany.
Mercedes-Benz 190 E 2.3-16, 190 D
The “Baby Benz”, as the Mercedes-Benz 190 was known at the time, was introduced in December 1982, marking the brand’s entry into the medium segment. Two more variants were launched at the 1983 IAA: the 72hp 190 D diesel model and the performance model 190 E 2.3-16. The latter was equipped with a 182hp 2.3-liter 4-cylinder engine with four valves per cylinder developed in collaboration with Cosworth. The car also featured a distinguishing body kit that made it look more aggressive than base models.
Opel Monza GSE
Unlike its 2013 nemesis, the 1983 Opel Monza GSE was a production car that represented the top-of-the-range model of the Monza coupe launched in 1978 and facelifted in 1982. The GSE came with standard features including Recaro seats, a leather-covered steering wheel and an on-board computer. It was powered by a 3.0-liter six-cylinder gasoline engine with direct injection that developed 180 hp. The Monza was built until 1986.
Porsche “Gruppe B” design study
This must have been the car that stunned the crowd the most at the 1983 IAA. The “Gruppe B” design study was the forerunner of the Porsche 959. The name comes from the fact that Porsche wanted a Group B rally car based on the 911 SC. The four-wheel drive study had a six-cylinder boxer engine with a capacity of 2.85 liters and 450 hp. Interestingly, the 959 production version only came in 1987, as Porsche had problems building the necessary 200 units for homologation due to strikes and the complexity of the project. The Porsche 959 was the first production vehicle to have twin turbocharging, with two water-cooled turbochargers connected in parallel along with charge-air coolers. Eventually Porsche built 292 units, with the cheapest version costing 420,000 Deutschmarks in 1987.
Renault Fuego Turbo
Launched in 1980, the Renault Fuego gained a more powerful turbocharged version at the 1983 Frankfurt Motor Show. The top-of-the-range Fuego was powered by a 1.6-liter engine developing 132 hp. It had four disc brakes as standard (unlike too many 2013 models), an on-board computer and electric side mirrors. Renault sold around 24,000 Fuegos in Germany, but only 112 are still registered in the country. Maybe that’s because reliability was not the Fuego’s strongest asset…
Volkswagen Golf II
Probably the most significant premiere at the 1983 IAA was the second-generation VW Golf, which replaced the very successful model introduced in 1974. Available in three- and five-door hatchback versions, the Golf Mk2 was 17cm longer than the Mk1, had a 7.5cm longer wheelbase and weighed 95kg more. It also had fewer sharp edges in order to be more slippery. Launched with the C, CL, GL and GLX variants, the Golf Mk2 clocked up sales of more than 6 million units until 1991, when the Mk3 launched.
Lancia Delta HF
The Lancia Delta HF was the road equivalent of the Delta Turbo 4×4 rally car. However, the car didn’t feature all-wheel drive like its more famous successor, the Delta HF Integrale, for which it paved the way. It was powered by a 1.6-liter turbocharged engine with 130 hp and could reach top speed of 195 km/h (121 mph).
Fiat Ritmo Bertone S85
The cabriolet version of the Fiat Ritmo compact car received a new engine at the 1983 IAA, a 1.5-liter 85 hp unit that sported the S85 moniker (Super85). Like the VW Golf Cabriolet of that era, the Ritmo cabriolet featured a rollover protection bar above the front seats.
Ford Sierra XR4i
The XR4i performance variant of the Ford Sierra came in 1983 with a 150hp 2.8-liter V6 gasoline engine sourced from the Ford Capri and a restyled version of the 3-door Sierra bodywork. The XR4i sprinted from 0 to 60 mph (96 km/h) in 7.8 seconds and reached a top speed of 130 mph (209 km/h). Ford built over 25,000 units between 1983 and 1985, when the significantly improved XR4x4 was introduced. The car was sold as the Merkur XR4Ti in the United States, where it featured a smaller 2.3-liter turbocharged engine.
Porsche 928 S
Originally introduced in 1980, the 300hp V8-powered Porsche 928 S was on display at the 1983 IAA because it had completed a famous reliability test. To demonstrate its solidity, Porsche took a standard car to the Nardo high-speed track in Italy that year, where it was pushed to its limits for a total of 24 hours at full speed. The car clocked 6,033 kilometers (3,749 miles) at an average speed of 251.4 km/h (156.2 mph) without any problems.
VW T3 Caravelle Carat
Introduced in 1981 as an upscale minivan, Caravelle received a more luxurious version in 1983 called the Caravelle Carat – a modern-day equivalent of the Multivan. The Carat featured double rectangular headlights, all-round plastic sheeting in the lower body area, exclusive metallic paints. The interior featured six individual seats with armrests and the side panels and floor were covered in velour. It was also available with a folding conference table and air conditioning with roof vents in the rear. At launch, the Caravelle Carat was powered by a 90hp 1.9-liter water-cooled boxer petrol engine.
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