Payne: Welcome to Cruise reunion, Class of 1989

Posted by hpayne on August 13, 2015

The cars of 1989 have now been recognized as "historic"

 

In 1989, the Detroit Pistons were NBA champions. Bill Cosby was Americas’ most beloved Dad on “The Cosby Show.” Michael Keaton was “Batman.” George Michael had the album of the year. My hair was brown.

Different times. But some things never change like our lust for speed, sizzle, and sports cars.

Which is why we love the Woodward Dream Cruise, that annual automotive class reunion when we gather with 1.5 million of our closest friends to remember the cars we loved. This year we celebrate the Class of 1989 which has been officially knighted as “historic” by the Michigan Secretary of State’s office (inexplicably, the SOS grants antique status at 26 years, not 25. Does this mean I don’t retire until I’m 66?).

It was a memorable class to round out a memorable decade. The auto industry bloomed again after the twin ’70s shocks of suffocating oil prices and government mpg edicts. Times were a-changin’. Bailed-out Chrysler picked itself up and swallowed AMC’s Jeep. The Honda Accord eclipsed the Ford Taurus as the No. 1-selling car. I bought my first wheels, a VW Rabbit GTI, that had birthed a new segment of front-wheel-drive, affordable hot hatches to rival Detroit’s affordable rear-wheel-drive pony cars. After their success in sedans, Japanese makers aimed to transform the luxury aisle with chariots like the 1989 Lexus ES that combined Camry-like reliability with dealer service that included monthly visits from six geishas to clean your home and cook your meals.

So welcome to the reunion, folks. Bolt on your historic plates at the desk and grab your class yearbook. Here are the highlights:

Corvette ZR1

Choose your nickname: King of the Hill, Big Man on Campus, the Corvette from Hell. Jointly developed with Lotus engineering to be the fastest sports car on the road, the 375-horse ZR1 was a limited-edition sensation. Its 4.5-second zero-60 time made it the second fastest car on the planet — second only to Porsche’s immortal 959. “Its power just plain warps the mind,” wrote Car & Driver. The ZR1 was distinguished from the base, C4 ’Vette by its huge rear rubber, and even huger sticker price.

Mazda MX-5 Miata

Can a Japanese sports car cruise Woodward with Detroit muscle? You bet. The Miata’s nostalgic vibe is what the Dream Cruise is all about. What’s more, it was designed in L.A. with Yanks in mind. Its father was Motor Trend journalist-turned-Mazda-product-planner Bob Hall, who sold Mazda on a fun, affordable roadster. The most-raced car in America, the fourth-generation MX-5 was just launched for 2016.

Ford Taurus SHO

The performance variant of Ford’s revolutionary Taurus, the SHO turned the family grocery hauler into a lethal weapon. Bearing the Taurus’ radical “jelly bean” shape, the SHO (Super High Output) was stuffed with a 220-horse, 24-valve dual-overhead cam V-6 that could go zero-60 in just 6.6 seconds on its way to a top speed of 143 mph. Now that’s a sleeper car.

Cadillac DeVille/Fleetwood

A Caddy is a Caddy and the nameplate will always turn heads — even the compromised ’89 model. The plush DeVille was no Cimarron — a perennial on Top Ten Worst Cars of the ’80s lists — but the front-wheel driver was a far cry from the grand boulevard cruisers of Cadillac’s heyday. The DeVille had also been disastrously downsized in 1985 and the enlarged ’89 model was an attempt to mute customer howls. But the redesign didn’t stop slipping sales and the badge was retired altogether in 2011. Today Caddy is resurgent with rear-wheel-drive stallions that rival BMW. A pity it took 26 years to get back there.

BMW 5-series

If Caddy had lost its way, BMW was the new standard of American luxury. Rear-wheel drive (all-wheel drive optional). Powerful V-6 and V-8 engine options. Bullet-proof reliability. Bullet-fast performance. The ’89 is dated by two things: those ugly period black rubber bumpers and a standard manual transmission. Heck, these days even a carbon-fiber, 2,400-pound, Alfa sports car doesn’t come with a manual.

Ferrari 348

Hello, junior. Living in the shadow of Ferrari’s spectacular, 12-cylinder Testarossa, baby brother 348 was still a looker. Its sleek skin carried the same, signature side strakes as the Testarossa with a 300-horse V-8 screaming right behind the driver’s ear. Zero-60? A fast 5.4 seconds that was half-second behind “King of the Hill” ZR1’s four-point-five. Oooh, what I wouldn’t give to see those two boys pull up at a stoplight late Saturday night.

Ford Thunderbird

“The most perfect, dazzling creature I’ve ever seen,” said Richard Dreyfuss of the 1956 T-bird (and its blonde occupant) in “American Graffiti.” But by the ’80s the Bird’s glory days were a distant memory. Completely redesigned for ’89, the T-bird was more Taurus than ’50s cruiser. With a supercharged V-6 and RWD handling, the Bird could fly circles around GM’s FWD products — but its niche was shrinking fast.

Porsche 911 Carrera 4

Timeless in design, relentlessly modern in engineering, the ’89 Carrera 4 introduced all-wheel-drive performance to the 911. The drivetrain was inspired by the 1986 Porsche 959 — a 195-mph cyborg from a future, more-advanced civilization. The all-wheel grip off the line made the Carrera 4 one of the quickest cars made with a 4.8 zero-60 time.

Pontiac 20th Anniversary Trans Am

The Carrera 4 went zero-60 in 4.8, eh? That’s loafin’. This Detroiter did it in 4.6. And with a 6-holer just like the Porsche. Whaaaaat? In 1989 GM needed a pace car for the Indy 500 so GM took the insane, 3.8-liter, fuel-injected turbo V-6 out of the defunct, deviant Buick Regal GNX and stuffed it in the Pontiac. Only 1,555 Trans Ams were made — all painted pearl white with tan interiors. Looked just like a regular Firebird — ’til you hit the pedal and put tire tracks over the Porsche in front of you.

Ford Probe

Ford’s new sport coupe was controversial from its front-wheel drive powertrain to its rear trunk badge. But what were they thinking in marketing? “Ford Probe, hummm, how’d you like to get hit in the rear end by that?” cracked Jay Leno. Worse, the front-wheel-driver — co-developed with Mazda — drew the wrath of Ford faithful when it was proposed as a replacement for the iconic, rear-wheel-drive Mustang. Replace the ’Stang with a FWD Japanese car? Grab your pitchforks, boys, we’re marching on the glass house! In the end, both survived with the bullet-shaped Probe GT making Car & Driver’s 1989 Top Ten list for its deft handling and blown 2.2-liter mill.

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