PetrolBlogPetrolBlogPetrolBlogPetrolBlog
  • Home
  • 70s cars
  • 80s cars
  • 90s cars
  • 00s cars
  • Manufacturers
    • CITROËN
    • PEUGEOT
    • RENAULT
    • Alfa Romeo
    • Audi
    • Dacia
    • Daihatsu
    • Fiat
    • Ford
    • Honda
    • Hyundai
    • Lancia
    • Matra
    • Mazda
    • Mercedes-Benz
    • Mitsubishi
    • Nissan
    • Opel
    • Proton
    • Saab
    • Seat
    • Skoda
    • Suzuki
    • Talbot
    • Toyota
    • Vauxhall
    • Volkswagen
    • Volvo
  • Features
    • 10 of the best
    • CarTunes
    • General Bunk
    • It’s time to appreciate
    • Major Waffle
    • New cars
    • Regrets
    • Reviews
    • Save Our Scrap
    • Shatchbacks
    • Shednesday
    • The Barn
    • Whatever happened to?
  • Garage
  • Shop
0

Club PetrolBlog: Best Cars of the 1990s

Published by Gavin Big-Surname at 4th November 2020
Fiat Tipo 16v

“What’s your favourite car of the 1990s?” That’s the question Club PetrolBlog members were asked via email last week. The aim: to identify the best cars of the 1990s, according to PetrolBlog’s most loyal fans.

The email was inspired by Giles Chapman’s new book Cars We Loved in the 1990s. The book got a brief mention in the blog post on the Citroën ZX 16v. Everyone who responded to the email will be entered into a prize draw to win a copy. It’s a perk of being a member of Club PetrolBlog. You can join today.

Without further ado, here are the best cars of the 1990s, as chosen by the Club PetrolBlog jury. ‘Best’ is probably a bit of a stretch, because the members were asked to name their ‘favourite’ car. But, you know, headlines and SEO. Hello Google robots.

Fiat Tipo 2.0 16v Sedicivalvole – Alex Wakefield

“I’m aware that you have a soft spot for obscure but undervalued hot hatches of French origin, but I need to explain why the best car of the 1990s was the Fiat Tipo 2.0 16v Sedicivalvole.

“I’m sure you’ll appreciate the value behind the rarity, obscurity and exclusivity – even in the 1990s they were a rare sight. But with the Tipo it was all about the engine. Specifically, the engine sound. The 1,995cc engine was delightful, and related to the turbocharged unit fitted to the famous Lancia Delta Integrale and powerful Thema Turbo of the same era.

“Installed in the Tipo, naturally aspirated, the experience was a truly spine-tingling combination of factory-specified induction sound and raspy exhaust notes, tempered by a counter-rotating balancer shaft that meant revving the car through the power band was a joy. All the better to soak up the addictive, intoxicating noise. No amount of tweaking with aftermarket induction or exhaust kits could improve on what came with the car as standard.

“Early cars came only as a five-door, and were factory rated at 148bhp. Not a massive amount of power by today’s standards, but the performance figures stacked up against the competition. I prefer the earlier cars, because the later three-door shape (pictured) was slightly down-tuned and lost some of the connection with that tuneful motor on account of improved build and a less aggressive set up.

“The Tipo was generally overlooked across the range, and even enthusiastic reviews of the 16v version didn’t translate into big sales, but the exclusivity was always part of the appeal for me. The way that Fiat only subtly marked out the potential of the car, by some modest side skirts, unique front grille, polished alloys, lightly tinted tail lights and a bold red ‘SEDICIVALVOLE’ boot handle meant that the Tipo was something of a Q-car. Those who attempted to modify and improve their cars didn’t seem to get that the discretion was all part of the package. They never improved on the factory standard.

‘Light whiff of Ferrari’

Fiat Tipo 16v location

“There was more to the Tipo than the engine. It didn’t get the praise heaped on the French competition, but the chassis was very well sorted, offering a good combination of decent ride, sharp turn-in and general handling balance that could be exploited by an enthusiastic driver in between bursts on that twin cam engine. Earlier cars had a truly lovely leather bound, three-spoke Momo steering wheel, with a small red leather section in the spoke at ‘six o’clock’, that created a light whiff of Ferrari in the cabin.

“Build quality wasn’t the best, and it was taken as read that some of the dashboard lights, dials and other electrical services would not be completely present and correct. But who doesn’t like a flawed hero? At least, from bitter experience in the past, metal treatment meant that corrosion was not an issue, to affect the boxy but characterful lines of the car. Time, wear, accident damage and expensive maintenance has reduced the number of survivors into double digits, and cars in good shape are sought after and fetch decent prices.

“I’ve had plenty of cars since selling my last Tipo in 2001, but to this day it remains my benchmark for driver enjoyment, and no four-cylinder car I have driven before or since has come close to possessing such a strong, vocal power unit. I keep looking for another. When I find a completely original car, I plan to snap it up at any cost and relive those days, hoping that they’ll be as good as I remember.”

Lexus LS400 – Kenny Smith

Lexus LS400

“I would have selected the Volvo S70/V70/C70 range, but I don’t want to be ‘that guy’ who just happens to mention the car he owns in everything he writes. They are brilliant though. Just Saying. So I’ll pick the Lexus LS400.

“This car changed the landscape of the golf course car park in the 1990s. This is impressive when you consider the brand didn’t exist just a few years earlier. Superb as it was, the 1987 Toyota Camry 2.0-litre GLI would have not have sparked excitement at the 19th hole bar in the same way the LS400 did at the beginning of the decade.

“This new car, to quote Partridge, was indeed ‘A Japanese Mercedes’. Coogan’s creation had a point. It even resembled the W126 S-Class: the car that was often hailed as ‘The World’s Best Motorcar’. Toyota somehow managed to go one better at seemingly the first attempt. It had put a lot of practice in to achieve this – around 450 prototypes and 1.7 million miles of testing – but Toyota achieved a mechanical hole-in-one.

“The LS400 deserves a place in automotive history. It is an example of typically precise engineering, and also a example of a time when Japanese manufacturers grew in confidence by taking on new vehicle segments they had previously kept away from with the use of technical innovation and world-beating build quality.

“It is telling that fellow Japanese rivals like Xedos and Infiniti struggled, and nowadays people call their children Lexus. The name, like the car, will be around for a long time.”

Nissan Skyline GT-R R34 – Paul Insley

Nissan Skyline GT-R R34

“Excellent question. I was going to consult my Daily Express World Car Guides 1995-97 to help decide, but they are hidden somewhere in the loft. I’m also too embarrassed to associate with anything with the Daily Express these days.

“As for my favourite car of the 1990s, it was going to be the McLaren F1. However, after much soul searching I’ve plumped for the Nissan Skyline GT-R R34. I must have spent countless hours racing and tuning the car on Gran Turismoand Gran Turismo 2.
“It’s not a very PetrolBloggy car. My second choice was the Renault Clio Williams. Am I doing this right?”

Mazda Xedos 6 – William Dickey

Mazda Xedos 6
“I nominate the Mazda Xedos 6: the car that pre-empted both the Jaguar X-Type and the first Lexus IS, and was better styled than both its rivals. Unfortunately, the second Hyundai Lantra looked a little too much like it in side view and may have contributed to its demise.
“Why we don’t have a national network of Xedos dealers is one of the inexplicable failures of the late 20th century, although they would probably now be reduced to flogging posh Mazda SUVs with fancy grilles. When did you last see one?”

Alfa Romeo 156 – Matteo Licata

Alfa Romeo 156

“Having owned four, I should probably pick the Mazda MX-5. But I think it’s important to remember the Alfa Romeo 156. The Alfa Centro Stile, under the direction of Walter De Silva, made a masterpiece that’s aging beautifully now and it literally saved the brand in period.

“It was a commercial success, the likes of which Alfa has yet to see again, and it went on enjoying a good competition career as well. Keyboard experts will now moan about front-wheel drive, but the 156 looked so good and went so well nobody cared which were the drive wheels, and rightfully so.”

Citroën XM – Russell Wallis

Citroen XM
“With absolutely no surprise, my car of the 1990s is the Citroën XM. Why? Because I have owned two and wanted one since I was 8 years old (1989-90 when they were launched).
“They look amazing – a sharper Citroën SM, if you like. They still turn heads today. The hydractive suspension is extremely clever and works very well,  combining smooth ride with tighter corning ability. It might not have the bonkers interior of a CX, but is still wonderfully French and very comfortable. Plus it has two rear windscreens!
“If you want the ultimate rare model, then an early 24v V6 is the one. But the 12v V6, smooth ES9J V6 and diesels are all impressive. That is my unsurprising entrant!”

Renault 19 16v – David Austin

Renault 19 16v 5-door

“My car of the 1990s? As easy as it would be to say something incredibly exciting like an Alpine A610 or some such, I think my choice would be a phase 2 Renault 19 16v, in that dark metallic green. Yes, I know that’s a phase 1 – ed.

“Why? Back in 1995 I worked for a Volkswagen dealer (yes, I too am feeling old). I owned a Renault 11 TXE, but my colleague owned a 19 16v which I used to drool over it as I munched on my lunchtime sandwiches. I never managed to get one, as a bout of sensibleness saw the Renault 11 replaced by a Citroën AX diesel. Oh well.”

Mazda 323 ZXi V6 – Ben Hooper

Mazda 323 ZXI V6
“I love the Rover R8 GTi models, but as that car was developed in the 1980s I am not entirely sure if it will count. Instead, the car of the 1990s that I want to get my hands on is the Mazda 323 ZXi. With the 2.0-litre V6 engine and great looks, I feel it fits perfectly. Indeed, I would say it is one of my dream cars.
“My favourite cars are notorious for changing on a regular basis, but this is a car I have pursued for a long time, and actually almost bought on one occasion. Right now, I am designating it as my choice.”

Vauxhall Carlton – Richard Neilson

Vauxhall Carlton GSI 3000

“I couldn’t drive in the 1990s. This means I don’t know how the Vauxhall Carlton handled or if it was a nightmare to own. But it’s the car that we had (twice) that I was fondest of. I remember sitting up front, watching the fields of Lincolnshire fly by on the way to Pizza Hut for a meal out including the ice cream factory.

“Pretending to be asleep in the back when we arrived home after spending Christmas at my aunt and uncle’s house. Being carried back in the house. Granny directing us from the back seat when Mum and I went with her to Ireland to see the places she grew up and meet distant cousins. It was my favourite family car of the 1990s.”

Isuzu Vehicross – Alan Bradley

Isuzu Vehicross

“Working on the basis that someone has to go waaaaay left-field. And after quite a lot of narrowing down a very long list, I’m going to nominate the Isuzu Vehicross.”

Ford Mondeo – Ben Day

Ford Mondeo V6 Ghia Mk1

“I’ll say my Ford Mondeo. I’ve written a blog on it. It was a game-changer for Ford. It’s also been largely forgotten.”

Renault Clio – John Garland

Renault Clio RN Mk1

“I’ve never really been around or seen cars from the 1990s, as I was born in 2001. However, I have seen many a photo on the internet and in magazines. I do love French cars of the 1990s, but I’m not sure why.

“If I had to chose one, I’d go for the Mk1 Renault Clio. It’s the cheeky looks and design that manages to be curvy and straight at the same time!”

Peugeot 306 GTi-6 – Daniel Dearden

Peugeot 306 GTI-6

“My favourite car of the 1990s that I personally owned was a Peugeot 306 GTi-6. It was one of the greatest cars. I still regret the day I sold it.”

Renault Clio Williams – Paul Stanton

Renault Clio Williams

“My favourite car of the 1990s? It has to be the Renault Clio Williams.”

Renault Twingo – Chris Hendrie

Renault Twingo Mk1

“You need to ask?!”

Many thanks to the Club PetrolBlog members who entered the competition and submitted their entry for the best cars of the 1990s. The names will be drawn out of a Renault Safrane glovebox during the next rubbish YouTube video.

Click here to join Club PetrolBlog and support independent blogging. You know it makes sense.

Share
2


Related Waffle


Club PetrolBlog most beautiful

Club PetrolBlog members at their most beautiful

Aug 20, 2021
Renault Avantime in Geneva

You won’t believe these facts about French cars

Aug 19, 2021
Renault 14 Safrane

The Renault 14 Safrane was a hatchback for the aristocracy

Jun 15, 2021
1993 Clio Baccara for sale

Buy this Renault Clio Baccara and be like PetrolBlog

May 14, 2021

2 Comments

  1. Ben Hooper says:
    4th November 2020 at 5:44 pm

    Love this feature, please do more!

    Reply
    • Gavin Big-Surname says:
      7th November 2020 at 1:36 pm

      There will be more. Club PetrolBlog email coming soon!

      Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Latest PetrolBlog Videos:

https://youtu.be/fXRLAHLNX7M
https://youtu.be/0vnsNaXh7KM

PetrolBlog in print!

Classic.Retro.Modern

Support PetrolBlog – Buy Stickers

  • PETROLBLOG laptop sticker PetrolBlog laptop sticker £3.00 £2.50
  • Tollfoolery sticker Tollfoolery car window sticker £4.00
  • Tollfoolery sticker Tollfoolery car bumper sticker £3.50
  • Too Good to Scrap TOO GOOD TO SCRAP window sticker £3.00
  • Too good to scrap bumper sticker TOO GOOD TO SCRAP bumper sticker/plaster £3.00
  • Waffle & Bunk laptop sticker Waffle & Bunk laptop sticker £3.00 £2.50
  • French Tat window sticker #FrenchTat window sticker £4.00
  • PetrolBlog sticker PetrolBlog car sticker £4.00
  • My car is the goat bumper sticker My car is the G.O.A.T bumper sticker £3.00
  • GOAT My car is the G.O.A.T window sticker £3.00

What you’re saying

  • 18th December 2022

    davidgrayson commented on Would you look good getting out of a Toyota Sera?

  • 12th December 2022

    Lorraine commented on Your reminder that the Lancia Ypsilon is still alive

  • 15th November 2022

    J. Darion DuBois commented on Save it from the ‘Banger Boys’: Peugeot 604

  • 7th November 2022

    Mahmood Razak Bahman commented on Whatever happened to the Proton Coupe?

  • 21st October 2022

    Joey Deacon commented on Whatever happened to the Invacar?

Fresh waffle

  • Citroen 2CV resting on the back of a truck1
    PetrolBlog: the chump is coming back
    13th May 2022
  • 2022 Dacia Jogger in Terracotta1
    The Dacia Jogger is a practical remix of the Matra Rancho
    14th December 2021
  • Toyota Land Cruiser No Time To Die2
    No Time To Die in a Toyota Land Cruiser
    13th December 2021
  • Fahnome Knight Rider build your own KITT0
    Sponsored: K.I.T.T. from Knight Rider is now available as a kit
    17th November 2021
  • Hyundai Heritage Series Grandeur rear light7
    The Hyundai Heritage Series Grandeur is the future we want
    12th November 2021
  • Club PetrolBlog most beautiful1
    Club PetrolBlog members at their most beautiful
    20th August 2021
  • Renault Avantime in Geneva0
    You won’t believe these facts about French cars
    19th August 2021
  • 2008 Citroen C51
    Berlin or bust: the Unmistakeably German ad campaign
    12th August 2021
  • Bridgestone Potenza Sport tyres1
    PetrolBlog looks at Bridgestone Potenza Sport tyres
    11th August 2021
  • Toyota Camry V6 and Porsche 9243
    An unexceptional day out in the Toyota Camry V6
    2nd August 2021

Newsletters

PetrolBlog
ABOUT | ADVERTISING / SPONSORSHIP | PRIVACY POLICY | TERMS & CONDITIONS | CONTACT US

The world’s least influential car blog since 2010.

Copyright © PetrolBlog.

0
We use cookies to offer you a better browsing experience and analyse site traffic. We also share information about how you browse our site with our advertising and analytics partners who may combine it with other information that you have provided to them or that they have collected for your use of their services.
Cookie SettingsAccept All
Manage consent

Privacy Overview

This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Out of these, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. But opting out of some of these cookies may affect your browsing experience.
Necessary
Always Enabled
Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. These cookies ensure basic functionalities and security features of the website, anonymously.
CookieDurationDescription
cookielawinfo-checkbox-analytics11 monthsThis cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Analytics".
cookielawinfo-checkbox-functional11 monthsThe cookie is set by GDPR cookie consent to record the user consent for the cookies in the category "Functional".
cookielawinfo-checkbox-necessary11 monthsThis cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookies is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Necessary".
cookielawinfo-checkbox-others11 monthsThis cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Other.
cookielawinfo-checkbox-performance11 monthsThis cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Performance".
viewed_cookie_policy11 monthsThe cookie is set by the GDPR Cookie Consent plugin and is used to store whether or not user has consented to the use of cookies. It does not store any personal data.
Functional
Functional cookies help to perform certain functionalities like sharing the content of the website on social media platforms, collect feedbacks, and other third-party features.
Performance
Performance cookies are used to understand and analyze the key performance indexes of the website which helps in delivering a better user experience for the visitors.
Analytics
Analytical cookies are used to understand how visitors interact with the website. These cookies help provide information on metrics the number of visitors, bounce rate, traffic source, etc.
Advertisement
Advertisement cookies are used to provide visitors with relevant ads and marketing campaigns. These cookies track visitors across websites and collect information to provide customized ads.
Others
Other uncategorized cookies are those that are being analyzed and have not been classified into a category as yet.
SAVE & ACCEPT