The ‘80s and ‘90s were a time full of crazy rides, wild colors, and of course high performance vehicles outshining their ‘70s counterparts. While these cars don’t fit into the vintage car arena, albeit being up to 40 years old, they have made their mark on the car scene and deserve a place to shine. That place is RADwood, a show dedicated to the middle child of automotive. As this event begins to gain steam across America, its stop in Austin, Texas, at the Circuit of The Americas is one of the best. Circuit of The Americas is the perfect site to bring the cars, fanbase, and flamboyant attire to match for the mainstream to see. Here are a few of the Fords that we loved the most.
RADwood Fox Body Fever
As you could imagine the Mustang Fox Body crowd came out in droves. This two decade span is where the Mustang stole the limelight away from the others and introduced a lightweight and high performance package all in one. As these cars have become more and more rare (read: expensive) we’re starting to see the caliber of these cars take off. At RADwood we saw a Saleen Fox, Mustang Cobra and a variety of Hatchback and Notchback variations.
Clean and Classy Flareside
The life of a truck is usually a harsh one, especially when not geared as a collector piece or performance oriented unit. However the same restoration fever that hit the Mustang market has now entered the classic truck segment as well. We’re beginning to see some Old Body Style Fords completely restored. While these trucks are not as rare as the Ford Lightning, seeing one in mint condition is probably more rare than the sport edition truck.
Mystical Cobra
If you’re a Mustang maniac then you are well aware of the attention a Mystic Cobra can bring to the car show. The color-shifting paint was the first used on a production vehicle and depending on how the light hits it, can produce a variety of colors. This clean example was done right and included a rollbar and a supercharger with paint matched intake to pair with the rare factory paint.
‘80s Vibes Till We Die
Nothing screams “I love the 80s” like paint colors chosen from a Les Paul guitar catalog. Burnt Orange, hood emblems, and seizure-inducing interiors are part of the flare that separates this generation from the others. This prime example of an early-eighties Mustang Cobra Turbo sits pretty while atop a set of modern Mustang wheels.
Rowdy Race cars Of RADwood
Race cars of the ‘80s and ‘90s rocked extremely-wide fender flares, exposed ducting, and the widest wheels possible to give an aggressive, but functional, appearance. At RADwood Austin we saw an IMSA Mustang Trans-Am being towed by a Ford Lightning and a Hatchback set up for SCCA racing.
While 1980-1999 will probably never be considered the “golden years of automotive history,” it was the last of the analog cars backed by good craftsmanship. A time before digital cars and complicated electronics took over and dumbed-down society’s ability to work on their own vehicles. To the cars of this era, we salute your wild, flamboyant, and radical aesthetics. Check out the list of other RADwood sites across the country here.
