What cars were popular when you were in high school? (trucks, sports car)

[Checkered24]

I graduated in the 90's, and any car was cool if you had one. Didn't matter if it was a later model, sporty something, or a 20 year old rust bucket.

I had a Ford Probe which I thought was cool, but not smug over. My friend had a 77 Caprice 2 door, which we all thought was just as cool. Why? We had wheels and could go places! Why be picky?

[C8N]

Early to mid 90's kid here and since I lived in Queens NYC, there weren't too many of us with cars in HS.
I had a 1990 Toyota Supra Turbo Targa and I remember the following cars my friends had...

late 80's Mustang GT
late 80's Ford Thunderbird GT
early 90's Honda Prelude
late 80's Acura Integra
early 90's Mitsubishi Eclipse
late 80's Nissan Maxima
late 80's Nissan Stanza

HS days back then in NYC, despite what kind of a car.... you were pretty cool if you even had one to begin with.
I had to beg my parents to help me buy a car so that I can hang with the cool kids!

[Native Transplant]

I never really noticed what people were driving for their first cars. I never got my license, myself. Plus, back then, I couldn't care less what my age peers thought about anything. It's their parents that were cool in my book.

I do remember going to the 1990 San Diego Auto Show and falling in love with the newest VW Golf when I sat in it. It was white with those plain silver-painted rims (not much of a girl-getter). I still like Golfs. They've evolved well, and I'm nostalgic for those old ones.

For whatever reason, I was also fixated on the newest Ford dualies. You know, the very first years that the body work became more "sleek".

Born in 1975, fwiw.

[slincoln3]

In the mid to late 80's.
Exp,Mustang Cobra 4cyl but new 5.0 were out too,SS Monte Carlo,Dodge Shelby Charger,1968 Dodge Charger,1971 Plymouth Barracuda those were some of my friends cars. I had a 1971 Plymouth 340 Duster and a 1976 Cordoba with big block 400. Later I got a 1988 Thunderbird Turbo Coupe and a 1987 Dodge Shelby Charger Turbo. I souped them up but they were never as fast as my first two.

[RogueMom]

Cameros, Pontiac Firebird Trans Ams with the big bird emblem on the hood, Journey playing on the radio...

Those were the days. Sigh.

[Fargobound]

There really wasn't anything that was popular, but there were cars that stood out.

The one that stood out the most was a bright red 1966 VW Bug with a front end drop on wide 5 Centerlines and a large dual Weber 48IDA engine.

I had a 1961 VW ragtop on Empi 5 spokes and a host of other stuff, but mine was a primer bomb.

The cars I lusted after were the 90-91 16v GTi. I later owned two Mk1 GTi's

[woxyroxme]

I was in high school 1978-1982, the farm kids had pick-up trucks, the motor heads had old muscle cars, Chevelles, Chargers, etc. a lot of Novas, Monte Carlos, Dusters, Monzas, Pintos, Chevettes, Mavericks, VW bugs and Fairmonts. There were not many Hondas, Toyotas or Datsuns here back then.

[Marv101]

When I graduated from HS in 1970, the Detroit Three ruled the roost out here on our roads & in every parking lots at any HS, college or retail center you could name.

By the mid-eighties, that dominance was gone courtesy of our clueless politicians, institutional arrogance in Detroit, and the first round of CAFE standards and import quotas straight out of the protectionist playbook, which were a disaster for them and a bonanza for the folks from the Orient, who haven't looked back since.

[seamusnh]

I was class of '76 so we had some nice used cars... Mine was a Chevy Malibu 350 with a 4 speed.....

[I_Like_Spam]

I graduated in 1974, the most popular cars among my peers were Plymouth Roadrunners, Camaros, Firebirds, Pontiac GTO's, Kharmann Ghias, Monte Carlos.

Although more kids were driving less popular cars- Rambler Americans, Chevy Biscaynes, Pontiac Catalinas, Comets, Falcons, VW beetles, Dodge Darts.