The ship has definitely sailed on a number of cars from that blessed dial-up decade. Forget trying to find a clean Mazda RX-7 FD from those years, they’re all in enthusiast’s hands now. They know what they’ve got and they’re not letting go.
Even wagons like the wood-sided Buick Roadblaster or some other GM B-body wagon now command at least $15,000, and you get golden retriever hair thrown in for free. But there are still a few cars out there that haven’t inspired bidding wars on eBay Motors or require a pillaging of one’s 401k. Here are a few cars that you should keep your eye out for before they reach different sets of hands.
BMW 8-Series
![](https://carsandyachts.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/04/pexels-polina-hedzenko-5112899.jpg)
The 8 Series was introduced in 1990 under the E31 model code and was only available as a two-door coupé. It is powered by a range of naturally aspirated V8 and V12 petrol engines. The E31 started production just as E24 6 Series production ended, however, it is not considered a direct successor.
The original 8-Series is a wonderful GT car that you can now buy for a tiny fraction of the price of a new one. V-8-powered models can routinely be found for under $10,000, but if you want the mighty V-12, you’ll have to fork up a bit more cash. And be prepared to outlay extra on maintenance.
Aston Martin DB7
![](https://carsandyachts.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/04/pexels-jonathan-borba-5549340.jpg)
The DB7 was styled by Keith Helfet and Ian Callum, and engineered by Tom Walkinshaw’s TWR Group using a high proportion of parts from Jaguar, which was also owned by Ford at the time. The car was unveiled at Geneva in ’93 and in production the following year, at a factory in Bloxham where the XJ220 had been built. The car was available either as a coupé or a convertible.
The prototype was complete by November 1992 and debuted at the Geneva Motor Show in March 1993; the car was designed by Ian Callum and Keith Helfet. The six-cylinder DB7 (based on the Jaguar AJ6 engine) was positioned as an “entry-level” model below the hand-built V8 Virage introduced a few years earlier. This model was the highest produced Aston Martin automobile ever, with more than 7,000 built before it was replaced by the DB9 in 2004.
1990 Nissan 300ZX
![](https://carsandyachts.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/04/pexels-erik-mclean-4991565.jpg)
The 300ZX was another street fighter back in the dial-up days, but even before the ’90s ended, this coupe began to seem like an artifact of an earlier era. The 300ZX is a two-door sports car in Nissan’s Z-car family, produced from 1983 to 2000. The 300ZX had a lot going for it – great styling, superb driving feel, and lots of power since it was the first Z-car to be equipped with a V6.
This coupe entered a long period of hibernation and has only begun to emerge as the values of its competitors started to notch upward. As with its main competitors, the worst-kept examples of the 300ZX dropped some time ago, leaving only the best-kept ones and the slightly scuffed and neglected but repairable examples that could use a visit to a specialist shop.