The Best Family Cars of the '80s

For those who had the pleasure of growing up in the 1980s, it is best remembered as the decade of sheer excess – big spending, even bigger hair, culture-defining films, new pop icons and space-age technology.

From Madonna to the Rubik’s Cube, E.T. to ‘yuppies’, the 80s was the step into a brave new future across the spectrum… which is fitting for the decade gave us the ground-breaking Sinclair ZX Spectrum home computer too.

The same could be said for the automotive industry as cars shifted away from the flamboyance of the 60s and 70s in favour of more technologically advanced models that put the emphasis on safer, more practical cars the whole family could enjoy.

It led to a series of revolutionary family cars, which would go on to influence the industry for years and decades to come…

Renault Espace

Renault took a major risk with the Espace. Developed by French engineering firm Matra, the Espace – an odd-looking, seven-seat multi-purpose vehicle - was rejected by Peugeot before Renault picked up the reins.

MPVs weren’t a new phenomenon per se – the Japanese had been doing it for years – but the Espace was Europe’s first attempt to popularise a non-van-based people-mover and the result was revolutionary.

Designed with families firmly in mind, while many initially had a hard time getting past the quirky looks, it eventually found its niche with its huge, airy interior and sheer flexibility that made similarly priced saloons look stingy.

It changed the way manufacturers thought about family cars and prompted rivals to scramble to the drawing board to get a slice of the action.  

Ford Sierra

Much like the Espace, the Ford Sierra paid a price for thinking outside the box – literally – with its design.

Ditching the familiar angles of its predecessor, the Cortina, and rivals like the Vauxhall Cavalier at the time, the Sierra – with its so-called ‘jelly-mould’ profile - didn’t get a friendly welcome when it hit the road in 1982.

However, the Sierra was still lauded for its spacious and well-designed interior and a driving experience assisted by its more aerodynamic shape.

So, when the buying public eventually got accustomed to the Sierra’s looks – helped by rival manufacturers busily adding curves to their new models – what they found was a class-leading family car.

Helped along by its riotous motorsport success – which led to a series of iconically fast RS and Cosworth spin-offs – the Sierra ended up becoming one of the best-selling cars of the 80s.

Vauxhall Cavalier

If a family didn’t own a Ford Sierra in the 1980s, chances are they had a Vauxhall Cavalier on the driveway.

The two models embarked on a fierce rivalry for affection among families and reps throughout the 1980s, which stimulated a direct Ford vs Vauxhall rivalry that endures today.

Indeed, for many the Sierra remained too ‘out-there’ for them, paving the way for the Mk.2 Cavalier to mop up sales, so much so that it actually out-performed its Ford rival overall.

Mercedes 190E

Burned by the success of arch rivals BMW with its 3-Series, Mercedes-Benz embarked on the unthinkable in the 80s by choosing to downsize and target the compact executive sector.

For some that represented a devaluing of a brand that was held in esteem with Porsche and Jaguar as the ultimate symbol of luxury.

Which is why Mercedes went to immense lengths to distil all of that prestige and lavishness, just in a more compact package that could bring the three-pointed star to a wider audience.

The result was the Mercedes 190E, a ‘baby-Benz’ that retained all the German marque’s upmarket feel without tainting the image-conscious brand.

While standard models eschewed the sportiness of the BMW 3-Series for luxury, Mercedes corrected this by launching a hugely successful motorsport programme that would go on to dominate touring cars in the early-90s.

Volkswagen Golf

With the first-generation Volkswagen Golf weathering the challenge that came with replacing the almighty Beetle as the marque’s ‘people’s car’, the second-generation was a more confident effort.

Growing all-round in size but retaining the same signatures of its predecessor – namely the circular headlights and tapered profile – the Golf leaned into its status as a family car for all.

Always considered a cut above the likes of the Ford Escort and Vauxhall Astra, the Golf Mk.2 was hailed for its quality interior and involving dynamics, particularly in sporty GTI trim, a hot hatch that continues to appreciate in value to this day.

BMW 3-Series

While the BMW 3-Series nameplate originates from the 1970s, it was the second-generation model – also known by its codename, E30 – that propelled the brand’s image on a global scale.

With an objective to create a high-quality, sporty saloon, BMW nailed the brief to ensure the 3-Series always came across as a luxury alternative to the average family car.

While it was only humble in size, the BMW 3-Series’ premium image was so appealing that it was just as easily lapped up by Hollywood stars as it was your average family.

Citroen BX

There is a strong belief that Citroen didn’t get enough appreciation for the series of innovations it introduced with models like the Citroen DS and Citroen SM, some of which still influence models of today.

Fast-forward to the 1980s and Citroen were looking to the family car sector as its chance to make a different kind of impact. The result was the quirky Citroen BX.

Gone were the elegant lines of the GS it replaced and in came a stockier, angular treatment that made the Ford Sierra look bulbous and the Vauxhall Cavalier seem boring.

Penned by the same man who gave us the Lamborghini Countach – possibly the most 80s car of all – the BX retained several technological advancements, including self-levelling suspension and lightweight materials.

It did the trick with more than 2.3 million being built during its 12-year tenure.

Volvo 240

While there are plenty of soft-edges and not a single load-lugger in its range today, it’s telling that Volvo is still widely associated with big, boxy estates.

It’s not necessarily a bad thing, the Swedish marque’s commitment to a string of popular estate models being synonyms for safety and practicality that endures many decades later.

Much of this image is attributed to the Volvo 240 of the 1980s, which is arguably most famous in its biggest estate guise.

While far from glamorous, the Volvo 240 Estate found its niche among those who appreciated its gargantuan boot and bulky profile which – while a touch challenging to drive on smaller roads – earned it a reputation for keeping the family nice and safe.

Better yet, Volvo’s Swedish origins gave it a premium air too, while it even the similarly unwieldy saloon defied its looks by enjoying some surprising motorsport success. 

Lexus LS400

While the Lexus LS400 – the era-defining first model to come from Toyota’s newly-founded premium Japanese arm – would go on to have a major impact in the 90s, it makes this list because it was first unveiled in 1989.

If anything, this just goes to show just how ahead of its time the LS400 was, Lexus spending a large portion of the 80s putting finishing touches to the lavish saloon in its ambitious attempt to break a German and British deadlock of dominance in the highest echelons of motoring.

The LS400 with its silky V8 engine was a major hit, especially in the United States, being lauded for its attention to detail, ultra-refined driving experience and extraordinary first-class customer service.

While many expected Lexus and Toyota to fail, the LS400 set the brand up for the success it would go on to enjoy.

Ford Escort

The UK’s best-selling car of the 1980s, the Ford Escort might not have been considered a class-leader, but the buying public could not get enough of them throughout the decade.

This was the Mk.3 Escort and – unlike the polarising Sierra – it was a stocky, angular and conventional, but that appealed to the sensibilities of the average family at the time.

One of the major strengths of the Escort was its sheer versatility as a package with everything from cheap base models, premium Ghia-badged trims, a spacious estate, classic hot hatches and desirable convertibles ensuring there was something for all.