A fun way to see how much things have changed since Au Pair in America began in 1986 is with “then and now” comparisons. This week, let’s take a look at cars then and now. As you’ll see, the technology and style differences are pretty amazing — and really show how much can happen in 30 years.
To give you a general idea of what was going on in 1986, U.S. car sales hit a record high. Consumer’s appreciated government incentives to purchase, discount financing promotions and the fact that gas prices reached their lowest point since before the Oil Crisis in the 1970s. The price of a gallon of regular gas in 1986 was about $0.90 and today that figure is about $2.24.
In 1986, air bags were optional equipment — if they were available at all. Today, the U.S. requires driver and passenger airbags as standard equipment for new cars. 1986 was also the first year South Korean auto manufacturer Hyundai entered the U.S. marketplace. In 2016, Consumer Reports named the company’s Kia Sorento as the best midsized SUV. A lot can happen in thirty years!
Check out Car and Driver‘s annual list of the ten best cars then and now:
1986 (price capped at $30,000)
- Audi 5000CS Turbo Quattro
- Chevrolet Corvette
- Ford Taurus / Mercury Sable
- Honda Accord
- Honda Prelude
- Lincoln Mark VII LSC
- Porsche 944
- Saab 9000
- Toyota MR2
- Volkswagen GTI
2016 (price capped at $80,000)
- BMW M235i
- Cadillac CTS Vsport
- Chevrolet Camaro
- Ford Mustang Shelby GT350 / GT350R
- Honda Accord
- Mazda MX-5 Miata
- Mazda 3
- Porsche Boxster / Cayman
- Tesla Model S 70 / 70D
- Volkswagen Golf / GTI / Golf R
We hope you enjoyed this #aupair30 Flashback. For practical information related to this topic, check out this recent blog post about au pairs and driving.
