THE CLASS OF ’82

Although Britain was finally emerging from a two-year recession by early 1982, it was still a tough year for many people. Unemployment in the UK continued to rise, passing the three million mark by the end of January. Inflation, however, was falling dramatically, and the motor trade received a boost when the government finally abandoned hire purchase controls, enabling manufacturers and dealers to offer an array of finance deal incentives.

The Falklands War that had begun on April 2 was over by mid-June, with Argentina signing a formal surrender. Meanwhile, 1982 also saw the launch of a fourth terrestrial TV station (logically named Channel 4), the opening of London’s Barbican Centre and the birth of Prince William.

On the motoring front, this was the year when the last of the traditional suffix-style age-related registration numbers was released, with August 1 seeing new-car buyers heading off in their Y-reg machines. A new-style system was to be introduced in 1983, kicking off – logically enough – with the A-reg prefix.

As in previous years, 1982’s biggest month for car sales was August, with the Ford Escort (now in front-wheel drive Mk3 guise) retaining its position in the top spot with 27,499 sold. The Austin Metro took second place in August, its 25,859 sales being just 107 cars ahead of its Ford Fiesta rival. The evergreen Cortina fell to fourth place in the sales chart, though it still managed to outsell the fifth-spot Vauxhall Cavalier.

Much was changing in 1982, a year that saw the demise of a number of popular models and the arrival of crucial newcomers. Here’s what happened…