Although, the cars with pop-up headlights have long gone some of us still can’t forget the vintage look cars used to have during the era of pop-up headlights. The last car made with pop-up headlights was manufactured in 2004. Since then the safety requirements and laws have made them disappear permanently. So one thing which we have to keep in mind is that pop-up headlights are not coming back.
But you don’t need to worry because still there is a huge scope of these cars in the used market. You can have a number of affordable offerings of pop-up headlights to revive the old car look. We have collected a list of the 15 best most famous and stylish cars with pop-up headlights.
Best Pop Up Headlight Cars
You can look into these to decide whether any one of them is suitable for you or not.
1. Porsche 924
You can find a Porsche for between $3000 to $9000 depending upon its condition. The Porsche’s first car featuring pop-up headlights was the 914, it was debuted in 1969 but only 15,000 of them were managed to be sold, and then 924 replaced it. Porsche 924 comes with an engine of 2.0 L Volkswagen EA831 I4, 2.0 L, or a 2.5 L Porsche M44/40 I4. The transmission options available are 4-speed manual and 5-speed manual.
If we talk about its dimensions it has a 4,200 mm, height of 1,270 mm, and a width of 1,685 mm.
2. TOYOTA MR2
If you ask about our opinion on the MR2 with pop-up headlights the MR2 first generation will be our recommendation. It’s because of its aesthetic looks and vintage feel. It was the first car with a mid-engine arrangement to emerge from Japan and Toyota also made this car in a way reach its full potential.
Later other models like Honda NSX and Beat also followed Toyota. Till today there are only a few mid-engine Japanese sports cars have managed to survive. The starting price of MR2 is $3000.
3. Volvo 480
This hatchback with a unique look was produced until 1995. It was Volvo’s first car with front-wheel drive as well as the first and last vehicle with pop-ups. Despite having plenty of space to adjust the headlights on the front the designers decided to add some pop-ups. If you do some hard work you can easily find Volvo 480 at the price of $2,000.
4. Mazda 323F
Let us make one thing clear the Mazda 323 is not so fast and may not be an exciting thing to drive. But the cheap price of $1000 and pop-up headlights giving vintage looks can easily make you forgive the drawback of this car. You may be surprised to hear that Mazda 323F takes 10 seconds just to hit 60 mph from the static position.
After all, you can’t get a perfect car with pop-up headlights as these cars have been stopped coming a long time ago. You can give this car a try if your requirement is just pop-ups.
5. Honda Prelude
Although Prelude has five generations, only two of them come with pop-up headlights. The fourth generation has a fancy dashboard and bhp of about 190. In addition, this Honda model also has a feature that can make your car look like a drunk by turning the lights on and off. You can get a Prelude anywhere from $2000 to $4000.
6. Ford Probe
Ford collaborated with Mazda which resulted in the formation of the Ford Probe. The first generation of the Ford Probe resulted in the direct replacement of the Mustang. You may have to search a lot to find one for you as the Probe is in a very low quantity nowadays. Probably only a few hundred can be seen on the roads. In addition to the pop-up headlights, Ford Probe also has a smooth 2.5 liter Mazda KL V6. You can get a Ford Probe for yourself for just $3,000.
7. Lotus Elan
Lotus Elan is a stylish car with pop-up headlights. Because of its small size, it is also called a mini sports car. Lotus Elan is powered by a 1.6-liter turbocharged Isuzu-Front engine which has the capability of producing a horsepower of 160. You can get this all-wheel drive vehicle for $9,000 easily.
8. Chevrolet Corvette C4
Chevrolet Corvette is another car with pop-up headlights and aesthetic looks. Although it’s not the car which you often see on the road but still is a good option to go for. Its vintage-looking pop-up headlights, stylish looks, and comfortable seats when combined make the perfect package for any car enthusiast. You can get this car for less than $10,000.
9. Mazda Miata MX-5
Mazda Miata MX-5 was inspired by Lotus Elan and is doing great for the last 30 years. First debuted in 1989 and remained the cheapest sports car which is fun to drive, has aesthetic looks, a reasonable engine, and pop-up headlights. It can be a good companion during your commute inside a city. It’s not a bad idea to invest some cash in this car. If you do a good search you can easily get this car for $7,000.
10. Opel GT
The second production of Opel was started in 2007 and stopped right after some time. The exact reason was not clear till today. However, if we talk about its first generation which is Opel GT it was made as an experiment and became very famous in a very short time. Its rotating Pop-up headlights attracted a large number of headlight fans of that time. It’s powered by a 1.9-liter engine and a total of 100,000 copies were sold. The starting price of Opel GT is $8,000.
11. Nissan 300ZX
This sports car is one of the most famous models of its era. Despite lacking the flash of Lamborghinis and Ferraris Nissan 300ZX has plenty of other things to offer. This car is considered a full package for car enthusiasts. It was sold until 1987 and at the time production was ceased about 300,000 vehicles were sold. The lowest price at which you can get this car is $8,000.
12. Pontiac Fiero
Pontiac Fiero came into existence right after Toyota MR2. It was considered the first mid-engine vehicle to become famous. It’s a two-seater sports car designed in a way that keeps it as economical as possible. Depending on the condition keep in mind $5,000 to $15,000 for this car.
13. Cord 810
Cord 810 is the first car to be sold with hidden headlights. In its era, it was the must-have car for wealthy people. Cord 810 is a front-wheel drive and was first came to the market in 1936. 810 is powered by a V8 engine having the capability of producing a horsepower of 125. Cord 810 impresses car enthusiasts with its innovative design and cutting-edge styling. It is the rarest car to find with pop-up headlights.
14. Lamborghini Miura
The reason behind Miura’s popularity is not its pop-up headlights. Car enthusiasts like Miura because of the gorgeous looks it offers. It’s a mid-engine car powered by a 3.9-liter V-12 engine which has the ability to produce 350 horsepower. Miura is not affordable for normal people. It is so expensive that nobody takes the risk to drive it in public.
15. Acura NSX
It’s a two-seater mid-engine coupe sports car manufactured by Honda from 1990 to 2004. Pop-up headlights were first spotted on Acura NSX in 2002. Acura NSX used to have 270 horsepower until 1997 but after that, it was upgraded with a 3.2-liter V6 engine having the capability of producing a horsepower of up to 290. The fans of Acura NSX were shocked in 1991 when it offered a performance like a supercar. All this happens due to the Japanese-backed reliability and day-to-day increasing comfort.
We hope that this article has increased your knowledge about cars with pop-up headlights and will help you find the best one for yourself. Finding a good car can be an exciting as well well as a hectic job. Especially in the case of a used car you have to do a lot of research and need to meet a lot of dealers and private car owners to get a perfect car. Any slightest mistake can result in a loss of a lot of cash. Don’t get into a rush after seeing your dream car do a proper inspection and it’s even more batter to hire a professional to check the car. Don’t make a buying decision until you are fully satisfied with your desired car. Best of luck!