I grew up in the 80s and learning to drive in the 90s my used car pool was 80s Camaro IROCs, and Trans Am GTAs. Didn't care for the Mustang (really never have). I ended up buying a 1984 Camaro Berlinetta (Star Wars - digital dash) from a family friend who was an aircraft mechanic. Car had 116,000 miles and was in really good shape.
I remember my Dad and I looked at a Firebird Formula and remember the owner telling my Dad it was a safe car because "of how many times he tried rolling it." Needless to say I went with Carmaro from the family friend but I really wanted a Trans Am.
I don't remember Mopar cars in the 80s, at least didn't pop up on my radar. Were the 80s a low time for Mopar? Just curious?
Chrysler sat out the 80's while Ford sold every 5.0L mustang they could build, and GM sold every muscle car they had (Monte Carlo SS, Camaro IROC's, Turbo Buicks, etc). My wife had an 83 Mustang GT 5.0, and for the times, I was very impressed by that car (Chrysler had some turbo 4 cyl cars during that time, but no performance V8's). After lving through the disappointment of performance cars from the late 70's, the early 5.0 Mustangs and Camaro Z-28's were a welcome change of pace. I bought my first 5.0 after my 74 Cuda got side-swiped by a drunk at a red light. I owned multiple 5.0 Fords in the years to follow becasue they were cheap, plentiful, easily modified, and fun to drive. But.....during that time, I also bought a 72 Challenger R/T with a 340, a 64 Dodge Polara that I put a 440 into, 2 Power Wagons, a few Ramchargers and numerous Ram trucks thrown in for good measure, so Mopars were always in arms reach for me, and still are to this day.