10 Forgotten 1990’s Classic Hatchbacks

The 90’s was a remarkable era that brought the invention of several interesting styles and inventions. We had Warheads, sweater vests, the TV guide and jelly bracelets. We wore washed out denim and searched for Waldo. Music included Nirvana, Britney Spears and Oasis while wearing harem pants with one leg rolled up and mood rings.

There was a variety in cars back then as well, there was the Ford Crown Victoria Police Interceptor, BMW M Coupe and other station wagons we remember. It was also a time when hatchbacks were cost-effective and never high-class. They were sold mostly to students, new grads andyoung professionals. They got you where you wanted to go, until they eventually disappeared, until now.

  1. Eagle Summit

Continuing the Chrysler Corp. tradition of importing small Mitsubishis, the 1990 Mirage arrived as an Eagle Summit. What was this Eagle brand all about, and why were its cars a mix of Renault, Chrysler and Mitsubishi vehicles? Eagle dealers didn’t have good answers for these questions, but one could also get this hatch as a Dodge Colt and a Plymouth Colt as part of Chrysler’s strategy being flooding every brand with a variant. A 1.5-liter four-cylinder was the base engine, producing 81 overstretched horses, while a 1.6-liter engine opened up a few more possibilties, like successfully merging into freeway traffic thanks to its 123 horses. Tiny 13-inch wheels made for slightly hairy handling, with four-speed and five-speed manual gearboxes providing a bit of slow-car-fast-fun for commuters and college students alike. If you wanted to be fancy-schmancy, there was also the sedan for trips to the opera house and evenings out with friends at a pricey steakhouse.

See more 1990’s hatchbacks here.