It’s a fairly simple concept: You force more air into an engine to improve volumetric efficiency and thus increase horsepower. Turbocharging is so common these days that cars are very rarely named or badged as turbos. Every single 2020 Ford Escape, for example, is turbocharged.
Overview
However, there was a time when the word turbo attached to a vehicle’s name meant that you were dealing with something special. Near as we can tell, the historic epicenter of turbocharging madness came in 1984, when most brands available in the U.S. were marketing a turbocharged model or two.
We’ve looked at classic ads featuring turbocharged cars before–you can check out that collection here. This gallery specifically highlights cars and trucks of the late Seventies and Eighties. If you’ve spent time with any of these boosted rides, tell us about it. The place to leave comments is down below.
Classic Turbo Ads
1978 Buick
Market Crash Madness! A Gallery of Depression-Era Car Ads
1980 Chevrolet Monte Carlo
Travel Madness! A Gallery of Classic Rental Car Ads
1980 Mercury Capri Turbo RS
Memory Lapse Madness! A Gallery of Forgotten Car Ads
1981 Fiat Spider Turbo
Pigskin Madness! A Gallery of Football-Themed Auto Ads
1981 Pontiac Trans Am Turbo V8
Forward Look Madness! A Gallery of Classic Plymouth Ads
1981 Volvo GLT
CVCC Madness! A Gallery Of Classic Honda Ads
1983 Renault Fuego Turbo
Luxury Madness! A Gallery Of Classic Lincoln Ads
1984 Dodge Turbo Colt/Plymouth Turbo Colt
Dynaflow Madness! A Gallery Of Classic Buick Ads
1984 Dodge Conquest Turbo/Plymouth Conquest Turbo
Performance Madness! 10 Classic Car Ads Featuring Horsepower Numbers
1984 Ford Thunderbird Turbo Coupe
National-Pastime Madness! A Gallery of Baseball-Themed Auto Ads
1984 Mitsubishi Cordia Turbo
Model-Year Madness! 12 Classic Ads From 1985
1984 Subaru “Turbo-Traction”
Model-Year Madness! 15 Sporty Car Ads from 1984
1985 Chrysler Turbo New Yorker
Pony-Car Madness! A Gallery of AMC Javelin Ads
1985 Pontiac Sunbird S/E Turbo
Pentastar Madness! A Gallery of Classic Chrysler Ads
1987 Toyota Turbo SR5 Xtracab Sport
Micro Madness! A Gallery of Classic Mini Car Ads
1989 Plymouth Voyager
Cocktail Madness! A Gallery of Cars in Liquor Ads
Classic Turbo Ads
