Triumph Acclaim

The story

British Leyland needed a new car quickly and struck a deal to build the Honda Ballade in Oxford. It was the first Japanese-designed car made in Britain. It was also by far the most reliable car the company had sold in years.

Inside

Neat, well-screwed-together plastics and velour seats. Everything worked first time, which was news in 1981.

In period colours

Tap a colour to respray the drawing.

Meanwhile, in 1981

Prince Charles married Lady Diana Spencer, and the first London Marathon was run.

Best-selling single of 1981: Don't You Want Me by The Human League

Before you buy a 1980s car

• Check for rust in the usual places, though many cars from this decade were better protected.
• Electrical and fuel system faults are common, so test everything.
• Parts for mass-market cars are usually easy to find.

General notes, not specific to this model. Check the model's own history before buying.

Rivals of its day

Picked automatically: cars on sale at the same time with similar size, speed and price.

See the real thing

These open in a new tab: the car on Wikimedia Commons, the interior and the badge as Google image searches.