Classic Turbo Ads
1981 Fiat Spider Turbo

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.

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

1987 Buick Turbos Ad
1978 Buick Turbos Ad

Market Crash Madness! A Gallery of Depression-Era Car Ads

 

1980 Chevrolet Monte Carlo

1980 Chevrolet Monte Carlo Turbo
1980 Chevrolet Monte Carlo Ad

Travel Madness! A Gallery of Classic Rental Car Ads

 

1980 Mercury Capri Turbo RS

1980 Mercury Capri Turbo RS
1980 Mercury Capri Turbo RS Ad

Memory Lapse Madness! A Gallery of Forgotten Car Ads

 

1981 Fiat Spider Turbo

1981 Fiat Spider Turbo Ad
1981 Fiat Spider Turbo Ad

Pigskin Madness! A Gallery of Football-Themed Auto Ads

 

1981 Pontiac Trans Am Turbo V-8

 1981 Fiat Spider Turbo Ad 1981 Pontiac Trans Am Turbo V-8
1981 Pontiac Trans Am Turbo V-8 Ad

Forward Look Madness! A Gallery of Classic Plymouth Ads

 

1981 Volvo GLT

1981 Volvo GLT, Volvo Turbo
1981 Volvo GLT Ad

CVCC Madness! A Gallery Of Classic Honda Ads

 

1983 Renault Fuego Turbo

1983 Renault Fuego Turbo
1983 Renault Fuego Turbo Ad

Luxury Madness! A Gallery Of Classic Lincoln Ads

 

1984 Dodge Turbo Colt/Plymouth Turbo Colt

1984 Dodge Colt/Plymouth Colt
1984 Dodge Turbo Colt/Plymouth Turbo Colt Ad

Dynaflow Madness! A Gallery Of Classic Buick Ads

 

1984 Dodge Conquest Turbo/Plymouth Conquest Turbo

1984 Dodge Conquest Turbo/Plymouth Conquest Turbo
1984 Dodge Conquest Turbo/Plymouth Conquest Turbo Ad

Performance Madness! 10 Classic Car Ads Featuring Horsepower Numbers

 

1984 Ford Thunderbird Turbo Coupe

1984 Ford Thunderbird Turbo Coupe
1984 Ford Thunderbird Turbo Coupe Ad

National-Pastime Madness! A Gallery of Baseball-Themed Auto Ads

 

1984 Mitsubishi Cordia Turbo

1984 Mitsubishi Cordia Turbo
1984 Mitsubishi Cordia Turbo Ad

Model-Year Madness! 12 Classic Ads From 1985

 

1984 Subaru “Turbo-Traction”

1984 Subaru "Turbo-Traction", Classic Turbo Ads
1984 Subaru “Turbo-Traction” Ad

Model-Year Madness! 15 Sporty Car Ads from 1984

 

1985 Chrysler Turbo New Yorker

1985 Chrysler Turbo New Yorker
1985 Chrysler Turbo New Yorker Ad

Pony-Car Madness! A Gallery of AMC Javelin Ads

 

1985 Pontiac Sunbird S/E Turbo

1985 Pontiac Sunbird S/E Turbo
1985 Pontiac Sunbird S/E Turbo Ad

Pentastar Madness! A Gallery of Classic Chrysler Ads

 

1987 Toyota Turbo SR5 Xtracab Sport

1987 Toyota Turbo SR5 Xtracab Sport
1987 Toyota Turbo SR5 Xtracab Sport Ad

Micro Madness! A Gallery of Classic Mini Car Ads

 

1989 Plymouth Voyager

1989 Plymouth Voyager Turbo
1989 Plymouth Voyager Ad

Cocktail Madness! A Gallery of Cars in Liquor Ads

Follow Tom on Twitter

Classic Turbo Ads

Share this: