Hatchbacks were the car that got you from place to place, they were targeted towards students and the young professional that needed an affordable mode of transportation. These cars joined some of the classic trends of the 1990’s, including rollerblading, DIY bellbottoms, Bucket Hats and overalls with one strap down. There were wallets on chains, and mullet and bowl cuts were all the rage. Station wagons were the car of choice at the time. The different Hatchbacks stood out form the other cars including the Volkswagen Golfs, until they were replaced. This is a blast from the past as we relive the top 10 forgotten Hatchbacks.
- 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 possibilities, 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.