The 10 Best Coupes Of The 1990s

Nothing says motoring in the 1990s quite like the sporty mid-range coupe. Indeed, while the bolshie boom-turned-bust days of the late 1980s - a period defined by cars that were outrageously ostentatious in their lavishness or performance - were firmly in the rear-view mirror by the mid-90s, that didn’t stop the buying public craving a slice of that yuppie culture a few years on.

As such, the period gave rise to the mid-size coupe category to target those ‘Mondeo Men’ who desired something a touch more glamorous to pound the miles in, not to mention give you something to show off to the nosy neighbours.

Here are ten coupes that got the Jones’ curtains twitching 30 years ago…

Volkswagen Corrado

Volkswagen was always going to have a task on its hands to succeed the much-loved Scirocco but largely rose to the challenge with the Corrado.

While it wasn’t immune to the same issues that blighted the MkIII Golf it was based on - bloated weight and size predominantly - and struggled to stand out against its hatchback counterpart’s sportier trims, the Corrado was handsome, well-built and more useable than the majority of coupes in its class.

Alas, fondness for the Scirocco and the ubiquitousness of the Golf made the VW Corrado something of a forgotten gem in the German marque’s range, but whether you’re opting for the supercharged four-cylinder G60 or going right ahead and selecting the 2.9-litre VR6 variant, it was fast and fun.

Toyota Celica

A pioneer of the mid-size coupe class, the Toyota Celica traces its roots back to the 1970s but arguably reached its peak status as a motoring glamourpuss for the masses in the 90s.

Proof that Toyota needn’t rely on the evergreen Corolla for fun, for many it is the fifth generation ‘T180’ Celica - launched in 1989 - that typifies the lineage, helped in part by its roaring success in the World Rally Championship.

For this iteration, Toyota traded the sharp, custom-esque approach of previous models in favour of a curvier, more delicate design. It’s a shame then that the sixth-generation update of 1994 ditched the signature pop-up headlights in favour of a more divisive dual-lamp set-up

Hyundai Coupe

Hyundai has come a long, long way over the past 30 years and it is the Coupe - launched in 1996 - that arguably stands apart as the brand’s transformative moment.

Better known for its humdrum but cheap offerings in Europe and the United States, the Korean company proved it could turn on the style with the Coupe, its slinky lines and curvy silhouette proving quite the departure from Hyundai’s other products, the achingly dull Accent, Lantra and its best-forgotten predecessor, the boxy (and terribly named) Scoupe.

Helping to turn buyers onto Hyundai for the first time, it’s fortunate the disastrous restyle of 1999 - with its gawky upright twin-headlight configuration - didn’t undo all of that hard work before the significantly reworked third generation arrived in 2001.

Vauxhall Calibra

You’d have been forgiven for thinking there wasn’t much you could do to give the ordinary Vauxhall Cavalier an elegant makeover, but the Calibra remarkably proved everyone wrong.

With a sleek, understated design propagated by a drag coefficient that made it the most aerodynamic model on sale at that time, the svelte Calibra at least looked the part.

It even talked a good talk about whether you selected the refined 2.5-litre V6 flagship or you traded on the Calibra’s racing heritage in the German-based DTM/ITC series’ by picking the turbocharged 204bhp 2.0-litre variant, the latter coming complete with four-wheel drive.

Fiat Coupe

Remember Chris Bangle, the penman who revolutionised the design language for BMW in the 90s (for better or worse, depending on your opinion…)?

Well, if you wanted to know what he was doing before he got his hands on the 5-Series, then the Fiat Coupe is it.

Arguably the leftfield choice for those in the market for a mid-size coupe in the 90s, the Coupe eschewed the more universal flowing curves in favour of a sharp look distinguished by its 70s-esque wedgy snout and abrupt, upright rear haunch.

Standing out on the outside, the colour-coded dashboard made the Coupe similarly striking inside, while it was also arguably the best handling car Fiat has ever produced, despite the limitations of the front-wheel drive format.

The 2.0-litre five-cylinder turbo with a whopping 217bhp made the Fiat Coupe a riot to drive, even if it had a tendency to chew through its front tyres a little too eagerly.

While time hasn’t been kind to the Coupe in that iffy durability from Fiat in the 90s has killed many of those bought at the time, it has become something of a collector’s item today.

Alfa Romeo GTV

With Fiat going for a bit of shock and awe with its Coupe, sister brand Alfa Romeo stuck to what it knows best with its more elegant cousin, the GTV.

More sporty and bluff than the sister Spider, the Alfa Romeo GTV deftly combined sportiness with sophistication to give the Italian marque a convincing head-turner to prise people away from the en vogue saloon-based coupes of the time from rivals BMW and Mercedes.

Though interior plastics were hard and the build quality iffy, the GTV was a perky performer in 2.0-litre Twin Spark guise, though the 237bhp flagship 3.2-litre V6 was a touch too powerful for its front-wheel drive chassis.

Ford Probe

Ford had two goes at getting the mid-size coupe formula correct during the 1990s but both, the Probe - which we feature here - and the Cougar, are not fondly remembered.

With expectations heightened by Ford’s legendary potential in the category courtesy of the timeless Capri and arch-rivals Vauxhall providing an impressive salvo in the Calibra, the Probe fell flatter than its Jetson-style design.

Aimed primarily at the US market as a successor for the Mustang, the Probe was a striking - if not terribly attractive - model that looked out of place next to the Mondeo, while the front-engine, front-wheel drive chassis was more wallowy than poised.

Despite the offer of a 2.5-litre V6, at 166bhp, the Probe was underpowered thanks largely to its hefty kerb weight. Sales were slow, so it was little surprise it was quietly discontinued just a couple of years later, by which time we’d all fallen in love with the smaller Ford Puma anyway.

Subaru SVX

Still a relatively new brand to many in the early 1990s and arriving before the Impreza’s success on the World Rally Championship stage transformed the company’s image, the Subaru SVX was a curious contender in its class.

Boasting an unusual edgy, layered design that was somehow both dated and futuristic-looking, the Subaru SVX went bold with a 3.3-litre flat-six that with 231bhp held its own amongst the big hitters.

Launched in 1991 and staying on sale for another five years, alas the SVX impressed less with its quirky slender centre console and big dials that made it feel very much a lower rent proposition than its rivals.

Honda Prelude

A tale of two halves for Honda and its Prelude, a model that was killed off on the back of a misjudged restyle in 1996.

Going toe-to-toe with the Toyota Celica as it flitted between sporting nimbleness and svelter GT abilities, the fourth-generation model of 1991 went down the latter route with its more rounded silhouette and fabulous high-revving 2.0-litre VTEC engine.

Alas, though the 1996 update returned the Prelude to a slimmer, more taut and ultimately superior dynamic set-up, few could look beyond the awkward, boxy redesign that turned many buyers off. 

A new Honda Prelude is set to return to Europe as a hybrid coupe.

Nissan 200SX

A car that gained notoriety for its ubiquitousness in Gran Turismo, the Nissan 200SX - otherwise known as the Nissan S14 Silvia - is one car that has survived the decades for its popularity on the custom and drifting scene.

For those not so interested in entering Tesco car park sideways in a plume of tyre smoke, then the 200SX was actually one of the more elegant yet cheekiest coupes of the 90s.

Criticised for being bland to look at on launch, the 200SX has nonetheless aged fairly well, while its strong, durable engines have kept many running where others have been lost to time. You'll pay dearly for one these days, though.