Let’s welcome this year’s antiques: The class of 1992

Acura Integra GS-R

While variable valve timing is common on cars today, the Integra GS-R marked its first use on a mainstream model outside of the exotic NSX. The 160-horsepower 1.7-liter VTEC four-cylinder engine, five-speed manual transmission and handsome three-door body established the GS-R as one of the finest performance compacts of its era.

BMW 3-Series

If the second-generation 3-Series, known as the E30, built the 3-Series’ legend, it was the E36 specifically that solidified the series’s leadership among sports sedans. Designers abandoned the upright styling of its predecessors, and a sophisticated new engine and suspension endowed it with performance equal to that of the original 1988 M3.

Buick Roadmaster sedan

This last gasp of traditional Detroit engineering arrived with an equally ancient name. Like so many Buicks before it, this rear-wheel-drive, full-sized sedan had body-on-frame construction and a V-8 engine that could tow up to 5,000 pounds. A rolling anachronism with a Dramamine-inducing ride and bench seats, it truly was a time machine.

Cadillac Eldorado/Seville

These overlooked but important cars restored size and prestige to this duo of rides after disastrous 1986-91 models. Although they shared a 200-horsepower V-8 and four-speed automatic transmission, they boasted different styling and wheelbases. Their sophistication and refinement initiated Cadillac’s long crawl back from irrelevancy.

Ford Crown Victoria/Mercury Grand Marquis

Like the Buick Roadmaster, these were part of the last gasp of traditional Detroit engineering. However, Ford tried to modernize the formula by using four-wheel anti-lock disc brakes and a new 190-horsepower single-overhead-cam 4.6-liter V-8. An optional performance package added dual exhaust and 20 horsepower.

Honda Prelude

Having built its reputation as Honda’s technological showcase, the Prelude returned for 1992 with a dramatic new fastback look, being shorter and wider than the 1988-91 model. Its four-cylinder engine produced 135 or 160 horsepower, depending on model, and the Prelude’s unique four-wheel steering returned, but was an electronic, not mechanical, unit.

Jaguar XJ-S

Jaguar’s coupe and convertible finally received updates this year, thanks to Ford Motor Company’s takeover of the brand in 1989. Styling updates included new lighting, roof and instrument panel. More importantly, the car received a much-needed electrical upgrade. A 262-horsepower 5.3-liter V-12 and three-speed automatic were standard, as were anti-lock brakes.

Mazda 929

Mazda had ambitions to match Lexus and Infiniti with its own luxury marque dubbed Amati. The automaker abandoned its ambitions, fielding a new 929 instead. Priced higher than a Lexus ES 300, it did have a unique option: a solar-powered sunroof. The system used the sun’s energy to cool the 929’s interior when parked or recharged the car’s battery.

Mercedes-Benz S-Class

For the company that invented the automobile, its 1992 rendition was a departure. What it lacked in elegance it made up for in sheer weight, clocking in 800 pounds heavier despite being the same size as the model that preceded it. Available with a choice of V-6, V-8 and V-12 engines, it was the first Mercedes-Benz to get bloodied by the Lexus LS 400.

Nissan 300ZX Convertible

The spiritual descendent of the 1970 240Z, the first desirable Asian car in the U.S. market, is one that restored enthusiast’s faith in the nameplate. Thanks to its stunning looks, its potent 300-horsepower twin-turbocharged V-6, and the return of a convertible model after a 23-year absence, the new 300ZX reignited America’s passion for this sports car.

Subaru SVX

Leave it to Subaru, the company that sold a pickup with passenger seats in the truck bed, to market one of the oddest looking sports cars of the 1990s. Styled by legendary designer Giorgio Giugiaro, it featured a unique window within a window, allowing passengers to open the window while raining without getting wet. Of course, all-wheel drive was standard.

Toyota Camry/Lexus ES 300

Toyota lavished engineering attention on the redesigned Camry and its identical cousin, the Lexus ES300, and it showed. In fact, they were over-engineered for the price, sharing the same front-wheel-drive platform and 185-horsepower V-6. The Camry offered a wagon model and a 130-horsepower four-cylinder engine as well.

Other all-new models in 1992

Acura Vigor, Audi 100, Buick LeSabre, Buick Skylark, Eagle Summit Wagon, Ford Taurus, Honda Civic, Hyundai Elantra, Isuzu Trooper, Mazda MX-3, Mercury Sable, Mitsubishi Diamante, Mitsubishi Expo, Nissan 240SX Convertible, Oldsmobile 88, Oldsmobile Achieva, Plymouth Colt Vista Wagon, Pontiac Bonneville, Pontiac Grand Am, and Toyota Paseo.

Top hits of 1992