TURBO Badges of the 1980s
I came of driving age during the 1980s, and of course the new car I most wanted as a 17-year-old was the Mitsubishi Starion. Why? Partly due to its futuristic lines, but also because it had more TURBO badges than any other car available. As the 1980s wore on, car manufacturers in Japan and the United States vied for the coolest-looking TURBO badges on their cars (European manufacturers used turbocharging just as much but were more restrained about externally visible badging).
There was no way to out-TURBO the seat belts in the Starion.
The Starion had the word TURBO in so many places that it made sense for the seat belts to be stitched with that most powerful of 1980s automotive words.
All the best engines had valve covers like this Sunbird's.
I have gone through my vast collection of 1980s car photos and extracted some of my favorite TURBO emblems. On doors, on windows, on valve covers -- wherever there's a 1980s car with turbocharging, you will find this word.
