Advancement of Integral drive in normal passenger cars
The Dutch do not like smoothness and drive in winter conditions. And to think that cars today are packed with safety and assistance systems. Four-wheel drive is also not even that special in normal cars. That was different in the 80s and 90s of the last century. We list a number of 4x4s (but of course no off-road vehicles) from that time. It’s not all of them, but that way you get a nice idea of ​​what was for sale with integral drive. And pay attention: you see photos of many 4x4s in the snow, because such versions were especially popular in the Alpine countries.
Vauxhall Calibra 4×4 (1990)
The Vectra was also available with an integral drive, but we opted for its sporty brother Calibra. In the beginning it was available with a 2.0 8V or 16V block, but from 1992 only with a two-liter with turbo, of more than 200 hp. That Calibra Turbo 4×4 had it as standard, on the two-liter without turbo you had to pay €4,000 to €5,000 extra.
Honda Civic Shuttle 4WD (1985)
One of the pioneers of the midi-SUV segment, and simply available with 4WD. Slightly raised and only with a modest 1.5 you. In the first years of construction you activated the 4WD system with a button on the dashboard, later Honda mounted an automatic viscous coupling.
Renault Espace Quadra (1988)
As if an Espace in the eighties wasn’t exotic enough, with the Quadra you had the best of all worlds. The additional cost of about €5,000 compared to the regular Espace was substantial. There was even a 4×4 of the 18 and the 21 Turbo Quadra is also fairly well known.
Ford Scorpio 4×4 (1986)
Four-wheel drive was reserved for the thickest six-cylinder in the Ford Scorpio, 2.8 or 2.9 liters, depending on the year of manufacture. You were also stuck with the chic Ghia trim level, although you also had it as a less luxurious GL in the first year. You also had four-wheel drive variants of the Sierra.
Fiat Tempra SW 4×4 (1993)
For the Alpine countries a logical addition to the range, in the Netherlands the interest in the 4×4 was limited. The Tempra shared the 4WD technology with group and platform mates Lancia Delta Integrale and Alfa Romeo 155 Q4.
Peugeot 405 X4 (1989)
Not only the fast Mi 16 was available with four-wheel drive, or the even faster T16, the sober 1.9i GR and SR were also listed as X4 in the price list. Only as a sedan, not as a Break. And only the 405s before the facelift in 1992, when the 4WD system disappeared. Incidentally, there were also the 504 and 505 Break from Dangel, the company that converted the large station wagons into 4×4.
Daihatsu Charade TXF 4WD (1988)
“The first and only in its price range with permanent 4WD,” the brochure exclaimed. That was for a reason, because the number of Charades 1.3i TXF 4WDs sold can be counted on one hand. It only makes this little Japanese even more exclusive.
BMW 325iX (1987)
You recognized a BMW 325iX from a distance. The four-wheel drive 3-series was slightly higher on its legs and had wheel arch edges and skirts under the sills to hide that a bit.
Mercedes 260E/300E/300D 4Matic (1987)
Mercedes had of course had the sturdy Geländewagen since 1979, but for the 200 / 300 series it came up with 4Matic. That designation is still on all-wheel drive Mercedes. You could get it on the W124, which would be called E-class in its later days on the six-cylinder 260E, 300E and 300D.
Audi 80 Quattro (1983)
The Audi Quattro naturally had the Quattro system as a USP, but the much more normal 80 was also allowed to benefit from the integral drive in 1983. In the 80 it was initially linked to the five-cylinder top version, later you could also get it in combination with a four-cylinder.
As described, this is just a selection of normal 1980s and early 1990s passenger cars you could get with 4×4. In Carbase you can find more 4x4s from the period (up to ’92) that we describe.
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– Thanks for information from Autoweek.nl