A video from the 80s at a Florida high school acts as a time capsule preserving what car culture was like back then
- Car culture in the 80s was very different from what we have now
- In the video, we can see what kind of cars the teenagers preferred
- A lot of them are manual, which is also quite a surprise
Published on Jan 13, 2025 at 3:46 PM (UTC+4)
by Nalin Rawat
Last updated on Jan 14, 2025 at 10:48 AM (UTC+4)
Edited by
Tom Wood
An old video from a Florida high school shows what car culture was like in the 80s.
The video shows the scene of the last day at Boca High in 1987.
This particular time saw the emergence of many bold cars and we can’t help but notice the mix of cars leaving the high school parking lot.
So let’s take a trip down memory lane and see what kind of car culture they had in the 80s.
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Old high school video from the 80s
In the YouTube video, uploaded by Josh Braun, we can see a lot of American muscle cars, old land yachts, and econoboxes.
As expected, we can also see a lot of Camaros and Mustangs being driven by the students as they leave their high school for the last time.
Surprisingly, many of the cars are manual.
This means the older generation had to work with three pedals and a shifter.
It shows the direct contrast in today’s car culture where most Americans prefer an automatic car.
In fact, we have even seen some automatic drivers baffled after seeing how a manual ‘stick shift’ works.
80s car culture
Watching these kids and their preferred cars is also quite interesting.
Many of the combinations fit the stereotypes and the car culture of the time.
It’s like watching a John Hughes high school movie.
Unfortunately, we only see a few Pontiac Firebirds, despite them being very popular in the 80s.
“Time has come for us to leave Boca High and we leave with a smile,” says one teenager before driving off.
It’s videos like these that remind us of how different things have become in the modern age.
Even the automobiles we drive are more focused on form and function rather than how cool they look.
Which is quite a far cry from the bold style of American muscle cars from the 80s.
If you want to know more about different car cultures, check out this article right here.
Nalin started his career by working with various national newspapers in India. He has also worked as a writer/editor for many popular websites, while still pursuing his journalism and mass communication degree. Working as a digital nomad has allowed him to inform and educate through his work. When he is not writing, you can find him playing video games or travelling the mountains on his bike.