16 Pop-up headlight cars for sale in Australia

Cars with pop-up headlights STILL for sale in Australia in 2024

It's the 1980s, Bob Hawke is Prime Minister, Queen songs dominate the airwaves, and the roads are absolutely filled with Commodores and Falcons. But there, weaving in between whites and blues, heading to the sunset on the busy streets of Melbourne and Sydney just close to 8pm in the hot summer evening, is a car with pop-up headlights. It's a car that's different, a car that's cool, a car that's... a bit weird. Decades onward, no one can deny that cars with pop-up headlights have attained a classic car status.

They're cool, they're quirky, and they're just so much fun. But sadly, they're a dying breed. With the advent of pedestrian safety laws, and ANCAP.. pop-up headlights are no longer feasible on new cars since early 2000s. And with each years as those cars are retired, stored in garage, or just simply written off, the numbers are dwindling.

So, what's left? Well, there are still some pop-up headlight cars for sale in Australia in 2024. You'll be surprised at the number of models available with pop-up headlights. Here are some of the best ones and how much do they all cost.

Mazda MX-5 NA

The Mazda MX-5 NA is the first generation of the iconic Mazda MX-5. It was introduced in 1989, and was in production until 1997. It was the first mass-produced car to feature pop-up headlights since the 1970s. Nothing more says you're an enthusiast than owning a Mazda MX-5 NA. With an easy to operate soft-top, 5 speed manual transmission, an eager 1.6L engine, and most importantly rear wheel drive. It's a car that's fun to drive, and it's a car that's fun to own.

Mazda MX-5 NA is my personal top choice having driven one myself and having owned newer NB and ND generation. Even though on paper it's not fast, you will feel faster than ever driving this car. On used car market, at the time of writing, you can find a decent MX-5 NA for around $10,000-$15,000 with very excellent sample going as far as $20,000 and above. Before Covid it's possible to find a decent MX-5 NA for around $5,000, but those days are long gone. I noticed price has gone down a bit after Covid, but it's still not as cheap as it used to be. So get them now before it goes up again!

Toyota MR-2

The Toyota MR-2 is a mid-engined, rear wheel drive sports car harking back to the age Toyota was not a complete snoozfest of Hiluxes and Camrys. The first generation MR-2 (AW10) was introduced in 1984, and was in production until 1989. The second generation MR-2 (SW20) was introduced in 1989, and was in production until 1999. If you want to get the pop-up headlights the first and second generation are the ones to get as the third generation moved to fixed headlights.

Not only is MR-2 an actual rear mid-engined car inline with the likes of Lotus Esprit and Lamborghini Miura, but it also comes with a cracker of an engine. (If you get the right trim that is) The first generation MR-2 came with a 1.6L 4A-GE engine, the same engine that powered the legendary AE86, yup you know the name. The second generation MR-2 in GT trim came with a 2.0L 3S-GTE engine, the same engine that powered the legendary Celica GT-Four. The latter is turbocharged, and is capable of producing 200hp, ticking the box of a true Japanese sports car.

The MR-2 definitely needs a page of its own, but for now, if you want a mid-engined, rear wheel drive sports car with pop-up headlights, the MR-2 is the one to get. On used car market, at the time of writing, you can find a decent second gen MR-2 2.0l NA for as low as $16,000 with stock example asking for around $20,000. The turbocharged GT trim is a bit more expensive, with decent example going for around $25,000 and even reaching as far as $30,000. The first generation MR-2 is more expensive than second generation, with lowest example asking for $23,000 and even on the higher end in the $30,000 range.

Toyota Supra (Wait, is that a Supra??)

The Toyota Supra is a sports car that needs no introduction. It's the car that's been talked, written, and memed to death. While not having the same allure and prestige as the fourth generation (A90 or the Fast and Furious one), the previous second and third generation (A60 and A70) are still very much desirable. And they come with pop-up headlights standard!

For a quick introduction to the range, Toyota Supra originated from a trim level of Toyota Celica aptly called Toyota Celica Supra. It was meant to be a more comfortable, larger touring version of the Celica. The Celica itself was developed by Toyota back in the 1970s to compete with the likes of Ford Mustang and Chevrolet Camaro, having 2+2 coupe layout. Interestingly the Supra trim was introduced because Toyota wanted to compete with the likes of Datsun 240Z. They didn't expect Supra to be so popular, and eventually it became its own model. (They also didn't expect Paul Walker to jump off a bridge in one, but that's another story...)

The second generation Supra (A60) was introduced in 1981, and was in production until 1986. The third generation Supra (A70) was introduced in 1986, and was in production until 1993 before the infamous A90 was introduced. Right now in 2024, you can still find second and third generation Supra for sale in used car market here in Australia. But they're not cheap and they're getting rarer.

The cheapest example for second generation Supra on Carsales is asking for $20,000, and the cheapest example for third generation Supra is asking for $30,000. Expect to pay higher premium for good condition examples, especially with manual. The manuals are a bit rare given these generations Supra were sold in Australia as touring car, and most of them are automatic.

Mazda RX-7

Mazda RX-7 was introduced first in 1978 as the spiritual successor of RX-3. It was in production until 2002, and was Mazda's flagship sports car. Like its predecessor RX-3, but unique amongst its competitors of the day and even to this day, RX-7 was powered by a rotary engine. No other manufacturer could claim to have a rotary engine powered sports car other than Mazda. The RX-7 to this day is still a very desirable car, and it's not hard to see why.

For our purpose, all Mazda RX-7 generations starting from the first (SA), to the second (FC), and lastly to the third (FD) generation all came with pop-up headlights. If you ask me though, my personal favourite would be the third generation FD. Feel free to disagree with me but I think it's the best looking RX-7 ever made, and arguably one of the best looking sports car in the world with its sleek unbroken line and beautiful curvature. It's also the most powerful RX-7 ever made, with the twin turbocharged 13B-REW engine producing 276hp.

Across all generations of RX-7 there are various trims and engine combinations. But the highlight to look for is the 13B in RX-7 FD as all FDs come turbocharged from factory as standard. The first generation SA also has turbo engine option but in Australia it's almost impossible to find one. The second generation FC has turbo engine option if you so choose. I would still recommend getting them in manual but auto version do exist.

You'll also be pleased to know that in 2024, there are many RX-7s for sale in Australia, with importing one from Japan being a popular option. The cheapest example for RX-7 on Carsales is asking for $23,000 (first gen SA), and the most expensive example is asking for a whooping $200,000. The latter is a very rare manual FD in Spirit R trim, and is in pristine condition. In general you'll find the third gen FD be the priciest, first gen SA be the cheapest, and FC be somewhere in between. (FD > FC > SA) The cheapest FD I can find starts from $50,000 going to $60,000 and more for good condition example and rare trims.

Unlike other cars in this list, due to the nature of the rotary engine, I must warn you that RX-7s are not cheap to maintain. They're known to require engine rebuilds. So if you're looking to buy one, make sure you have at least $10,000 to spare for engine rebuild, and most importantly you know a reputable engine rebuilder in your area that can inspect or rebuild the car. Rebuilt example will command higher price.

Mazda 323

Who could have guessed that the humble Mazda 323, a predecessor to the popular Mazda 3, would make it to this list? Well, it did! Introduced first in 1977 as a compact economy car, the Mazda 323 was in production until 2003, with its spiritual successor -- the Mazda 3 -- still selling as hotcakes in Australia and around the world. It was Mazda's answer to the likes of Toyota Corolla and Honda Civic. It was also Mazda's first front wheel drive car.

Now to get the pop-up headlights you'll have to get the sixth generation Mazda 323 (BG), and you have to get it in Astina trim. Unfortunately such a combination is rare nowadays, especially if you also want to get a manual transmission. The car was never a sports car and come with a humble 1.6l and 1.8l engine.

Ironically I was unable to find any listed on Carsales at the time of writing and only 1 example in FB marketplace, which speaks to the rarity of this car that it has the lowest volume compared to the likes of RX-7 and Toyota Supra. Looking at that one very example, it's listed for sale for $4,000 though I was able to find past auction result for a similar example sold for $500 in 2023...

If you own this rare Mazda 323 Astina feel free to contact us, we would love to hear from you!

Ford Capri

We are all familiar with Australian made Ford Falcon, but do you know that in 1989 Ford Australia also made a convertible sports car? It's called the Ford Capri, and it's a car that's very much forgotten. It was in production until 1994, and was Ford Australia's answer to the likes of Mazda MX-5 and Toyota MR-2. It was also Ford Australia's first convertible car. The interesting thing about it was that it was based on the Mazda 323 platform and was meant to be exported to the US. However as we all knew the MX-5 was a huge success in the US and took over the market. It didn't help Ford Capri had FWD and was not as sporty as the MX-5.

Following Ford Australia tradition of slapping a turbo on everything, the Ford Capri also came with a turbocharged engine option, with which basically was a turbocharged version of the engine Mazda had in MX-5 NA. Talk about badge engineering! Did I mention that Ford Capri came with pop-up headlights? I do need to talk about Ford - Mazda partnership during this period of time, but that's another story.

Interestingly there are quite a few Ford Capri for sale in Australia in 2024 and guess what? Most of them are manual!. The cheapest example on Carsales is asking for $3,200, and the most expensive example is asking for $11,200. The latter is a very rare turbocharged version.

I cannot avoid mentioning how interesting Ford Capri was. The car came from Ford's Broadmeadows factory, the same as the Ford Falcon factory. Yet it's a convertible, it's manual and some of them came turbocharged!

Ford Probe

The story of Ford Probe is probably one that deserves its own book. It's a car that's so interesting, so weird, and so controversial that it's hard to believe it actually existed. It was a car that was meant to replace the frickin Ford Mustang! The car was a result of Ford's partnership with Mazda, and was based on the Mazda GD platform. It was in production from 1988 to 1997, and was Ford's answer to the likes of Toyota Celica and Honda Prelude.

As someone reading this in 2024, the story of Ford Probe is quite similar to how Toyota Supra became a BMW. It's a car that's so different from what it was meant to be, and it's a car that's so different from what it was meant to replace. The Ford Probe was meant to replace the Ford Mustang, but it was a front wheel drive car. It was meant to be a Ford, and it did have Ford badge but it was made in the US by Mazda who acquired Ford's Flat Rock factory in Michigan. Got your head spinning yet?

I can talk more about Ford Probe if you're interested but the important fact for this article is for all generations of Ford Probe, they all came with pop-up headlights. Yes, they were sold in Australia. At the time of the writing there are few Ford Probe for sale. To be honest I'm surprised with the number given they're quite rare in Australia. This is probably a secret car together with Ford Capri, something you can still get under $10,000. The cheapest example on Carsales is asking for $4,500, and the most expensive example is asking for $13,500. If you want a piece of automotive history that doesn't break the bank, this is the car to get. (Yes they will be reliable because it's a Mazda underneath...)

Nissan Silvia

If Toyota had the Celica line, the Silvia is Nissan's answer to the Celica. It was in production from 1964 to 2002, and was one of three Nissan's sports car flagship nameplates. (The other would be the Z car and the Skyline) The Silvia nameplates probably deserve its own article or even book given its various generations, trim levels, and engine combinations. It doesn't help that the Silvia nameplates changed and can mean to refer to different cars in different markets.

But for our purpose, as a car with pop-up headlights and what's available the most in Australia used market, I'm going to only refer to Nissan 180SX. It was in production from 1989 to 1998. The 180SX is pretty much Nissan Silvia S13 with a different name. Confusingly you can find the 180SX sold as 200SX in different market. The 180SX is a fastback coupe, and is a rear wheel drive car. It's also a car that's very popular in drifting scene.

The 180SX came with various engine combinations, but the most popular one is the turbocharged SR20DET engine. It's a 2.0L engine, and is capable of producing 200hp. It's also a very popular engine swap candidate, and you can find many 180SX with engine swap. Given its popularity in drifting scene and the fact that it's one of the classic 90s JDM, and of course pop-up headlights.. the price of 180SX has been going up in recent years.

The cheapest example in Carsales at the time of writing is asking for $22,000, while many sellers are asking for $30,000 and above. The most expensive example is asking for $58,000. The latter is a low kilometre stock example. The good thing about the 180SX is that it still has to compete in used market with its more younger S chassis siblings, the S14 and S15 hence the price, although going up and is quite high after Covid, is still not as high as the likes of RX-7 or Honda NSX.

Nissan 300ZX

While the original Fairlady Z is an instant classic the moment it was introduced, the 300ZX is a car that's a bit more under the shadow, especially compared to the likes of Toyota Supra and Mazda RX-7. Introduced first in 1983, the 300ZX was the first complete redesign of the Z car since the original Fairlady Z. Yet despite the new design, and the fact that it moved to V6 from I6, it immediately became a contemporary success with Nissan selling a whooping 70,000 units until the model was discontinued.

The first generation of the 300ZX, the Z31, came with pop-up headlights as standard. It was actually sold in Australia through official Nissan Australia dealership, meaning you now can get an Australian delivered example in used car market. The car engine was a 3.0L VG30E V6 engine, and was capable of producing 160hp. It was also available in turbocharged VG30ET engine, and was capable of producing 200hp. Of course the turbo and manual is the one to get, but if you just want to get the pop-up headlights, the NA and auto will do.

Given the age of the car and the fact that it's shadowed now by the likes of Silvia and Skylines, there aren't many 300ZX for sale left in Australia. But if you do find one, you can expect to still get it for under $30,000. The cheapest example on Carsales is asking for $12,000 (auto), and the most expensive example is asking for $29,000. Unfortunately the turbocharged version of this generation is not available at the time of the writing.

Honda Integra

I've always got asked by my friends, what's the difference between Honda Integra and Honda Civic? Well the Civic it needs no introduction being the golden standard of economy car, the crown prince of Honda line-up. It's the compact economy car, the hatchback to get from Honda. The Integra on the other hand, you can see it as the sportier more upscale version of the Civic. Ever since its inception, it's been sold as coupe (or more accurately a 3 door liftback). At some point in its life, Honda introduced Type R trim and the rest is history.

Honda Australia sold all generations of Integra (except Acura's new model regrettably) so you can expect to find a lot of Integra in used car market, though if you want to get pop-up headlights, you'll have to get first generation DC1 or get its sibling, third generation Honda Prelude.

Unfortunately due to the age of first gen Integra and third generation Honda Prelude, I have not been able to find a lot for sale in Australia. At the time of the writing there's no Honda Integra first gen (DC1) for sale. I looked through Facebook, Carsales, Gumtree you name it. There was an example sold for auction in 2021 and that sold for $2,109. The third generation Honda Prelude is a bit more common, and you can find a example for around $7,000-$8,000.

Honda NSX

There is nothing else that says peak Honda in the late 1990s as the Honda NSX. With Honda development team led by Shigeru Uehara, the designer also responsible for another Honda's legend the S2000 and DC-2 Type R, the Honda NSX was the pinnacle of Honda's automotive engineering. Honda set itself very ambitious goal. Honda wanted to build a car that's as good as Ferrari, but more reliable, fuel efficient! and affordable.

Safe to say Honda succeeded. 34 years on since its inception in 1990, Honda answered all of the initial requirements and challenges for the NSX. It was all first with the NSX. With the 3.0l VTEC equipped engine having all titanium connecting rods, the first for mass produced car, and the NSX body equipped with all aluminium, again the first for mass produced car. Honda NSX was ahead of its time. Again as if it's not enough, Honda also made the NSX mid-engined, rear wheel drive, complete with pop-up headlights.

Given the legendary status of the car, and the fact that it's a Honda, it's not surprising that the NSX is one of the most expensive car in this list. The cheapest example on Carsales is asking for $100,000 (auto), with the manual starting at at least $159,000 and the lowest kilometre example asking for $225,000. The latter only had 18,870km on the clock.

Chevrolet Corvette

Can you guess what car Neil Armstrong, Buzz Aldrin, and Michael Collins drove around in after they landed on the moon with the Apollo 12? Yup you guess it, it's the Chevrolet Corvette also known as the 'Vette. The Corvette is a car that's so synonymous with American automotive history and tradition that it's hard to imagine USA without the Corvette. It's akin to having America without Elvis Presley or Marilyn Monroe. Heck it's even the official sports car of Kentucky... if that's not enough of a title.

The Corvette was introduced in 1953, and was still in production at the time of the writing. It's the longest running American sports car. Now, without going too much details into the various trims (well they only come with V8) and generations of the Corvette, together with its special editions and limited editions that I don't think I can do proper justice of, if you want to get the pop-up headlights you have the choice of 4 generations of Corvette, starting from the second generation (C2) to the fifth generation (C5). That's a lot of cars to choose from given the whooping 40 years timespan between the second and fifth generation.

Here in Australia, as always, we are pretty lucky given the Corvette and American car enthusiasts have imported a lot of cars from the states. For some generation of Corvette notably those who are reaching 25 years old, you can even import them from the US yourself. We're talking about the US here home of the Corvette so you can expect to find a lot of options, from the most pristine example that Mr Armstrong had driven himself, that will cost you a fortune, to the most affordable, project car grade example, that will cost you a fortune as well.. but less.

In general the rule of thumb is the older the generation the more expensive it is. The cheapest generation would be the C4 but I don't think they'll remain cheap for long. Even though Corvette come with manual transmission, there are more auto in the market. The cheapest example on Carsales is asking for $20,500 for an auto convertible, and the most expensive example is asking for a whooping $310,000. The latter is a pristine C2 Corvette Stingray with only 22,500 KM and it's a manual. I would say realistically if you want to get something that's a best bang for your buck, you can get a C4 Corvette for around $30,000. The C5 Corvette is also a good contender though more expensive. You can see them for sale for as low as $40,000 to $50,000.

Porsche 924

Now if there's one thing that's always true with Porsche enthusiasts is you'll see them arguing about which Porsche is the true Porsche or if a particular car even deserve that badge in the first place. Some people will say that the truest Porsche is the 911, and it has to be air cooled of course, nothing less. Well what about the 356? The 944? The Boxster? Is Cayenne, a 2 ton SUV a Porsche, isn't it basically a VW? I certainly don't want to stir up hornet nest in this blog with such provocative questions. But you can't argue that Porsche 924 is the car that kick started this whole debate in the first place.

Developed "in partnership" with Volkswagen, the Porsche 924 was first introduced in 1976. If you're Porsche enthusiast reading this please forgive me on the word "partnership" as clearly it just overlooks the drama and history surrounding the development of the 924. But alas it was the first Porsche to use water cooled engine (blasphemy!) and a front-engine, rear wheel drive layout. It was also Porsche's entry level car at the time, and was meant to replace the 914. The 924 come with pop-up headlights as standard and offered brand new look altogether compared to the iconic 911. (Why do you think Mazda RX-7, Toyota Supra, and Nissan 300ZX all came with pop-up headlights and have similar design? They're all Porsche 924 copycats! :P)

Porsche 924 was sold in Australia with 2 engine options. There's the basic 4cyl 2.0l VW developed engine, and of course following tradition that Porsche still follows until this day with the electric Taycan, there's the "Turbo" version. The Turbo version is a 2.0l 4cyl engine with turbocharger, and is capable of producing 170hp. The Turbo version comes with the iconic 4 cooling vents on the bonnet. Surprisingly compared to the 911 and 944, there aren't many 924 left for sale. At the time of the writing there are only 4 for sale in Carsales. The cheapest is an auto asking $8,000 while the most expensive is the Turbo version asking for $30,000. Fear not though as the 944 is still available in abundance and is our next topic.

Porsche 944

There's always this tradition in Porsche world that the first generation of a new model is always the most controversial. Whether it's the 996, the first air-cooled 911, or the 924 as we just discussed. However as with tradition, the second generation then slowly becomes accepted and loved by the enthusiasts, as Porsche slowly ironed out the kinks and improved the car in many levels. The 944 is no exception. Being the second generation of the air cooled, entry level, front-engine, rear wheel drive Porsche, the 944 was introduced in 1982 and become one of Porsche best sellers, in fact the number 1 best seller with 163,192 units sold before Boxster/Cayman came along.

Of course following the 924, the 944 comes with pop-up headlights standard and its design quickly becomes that classic 80s sports car look, offering a clear contrast between it and the 911. For some time period before Covid, 944 and the Boxster were the cheapest Porsche you can get in used car market. For me, the 944 also offers another level of competition to the classic JDM cars like the RX-7 and Supra. It's a Porsche, it's a classic, and it's a pop-up headlight car. What more can you ask for? Perhaps that's the main reason why the 944 eventually climbed in price.

The cheapest 944 on Carsales at the time of the writing is asking for $19,000 while the most expensive example is asking for $74,000. The latter is a pristine turbo version. I would say the sweet spot for the 944 is around $30,000. You can get a decent example for that price. For myself I would prefer a post facelift 1986 944 as it comes with newer interior or 944 with S2, as the S2 come with a 3.0l engine and is capable of producing 208hp. Just note that these pricing will not last! The 944 is a classic Porsche and it's only going to go up in price. If you have a look at the 911 you'll know the ceilings some of these cars can reach.

Porsche 968

Porsche 968 is the penultimate version of the front-engine, rear wheel drive, water cooled Porsche that originated from the humble 924. It was produced only in very short time period however starting from 1991 to 1995. The year after 968 rolled out of the factory, Porsche would introduce the Boxster and began a completely new era for the company. Because of this the 968 is a bit of a forgotten car, and is a car that's not as popular as the 944. It's kind of sandwiched between the 944 and the Boxster.

Like the 944, the 968 also comes with pop-up headlights standard. Its engine however has been upgraded to use 944 S2 3.0l engine as standard. While the 968 was sold in Australia, like the rest of the world, it wasn't sold in large number, as such there are not many 968 for sale in Australia. At the time of the writing there are only 13 for sale in Carsales. The cheapest is asking for $36,000 while the most expensive is asking for $109,999. The latter is a pristine Clubsport (CS) example.

Unless you really want to get a 968, Porsche used car market is quite competitive and you can get either a 944 S2 for cheaper or a Boxster/Cayman twin for around the same price the 968 is asking for. At the most expensive Clubsport, you can get a 981 Cayman S for around the same price or even a 997 911.

Triumph TR7

If you're for some reason a fan for British Leyland era cars and you want to get a pop-up headlight car, the Triumph TR7 is the one to get. Introduced in 1974, the TR7 was in production until 1981. Forgetting the tumultuous nature of British Leyland or British auto industry in the 70-80s aside, the TR7 is a genuine British sports car. It's a 2 seater, front-engine, rear wheel drive car. It came with both coupe and convertible body style. It can be said that Japanese light sports car of the 90s like the MX-5 and MR-2 were inspired by the like of TR7, MGB and Spitfire.

Market wise the TR-7 should not be underestimated given that through its production run from 1975-1981, the TR-7 sold 141,232 units. It was also the best selling TR model. The TR-7 was also sold in Australia, and you can find a few for sale in used car market today in 2024, though there aren't a lot of them any more. At the time of the writing only 2 Triumph TR-7 are for sale in Australia, the cheapest being $11,500 while the other is asking for $20,000.

If you want a piece of automotive history, a British one at that and you want to get a pop-up headlight car, the TR-7 is the one to get. We can all talk about how MG, Mini, Jaguar are now different and they are no longer British. But the Triumph TR7 came from the era of long gone British motoring industry. It's purely British. Plus given its rareness these days you can expect the price to only go up in the future. After all do you think the rotary engined RX-7 is going to be as reliable as the Dolomite powered TR-7?

Bonus: AE86

Whether you're driving downhill of Mount Akina to deliver that latest batch of fresh tofu, or you're just cruising on the Wagan highway on hot summer night listening to Junko Ohashi latest release, the AE86 rear wheel drive chassis together with its high revving Yamaha developed 4AGE will not disappoint you.

The car that kickstarted the whole JDM craze, the AE86 is a car that's so popular that it's hard to believe it's still available in used car market in 2024. You would think every single example has been snapped. But yes you can still buy it in Australia or import them direct from Japan.

Due to its popularity, it's not a surprise that the AE86 is actually more expensive than some of its European and other JDM cars of higher performance counterpart. The cheapest example on Carsales is asking for $55,000 while the most expensive example is asking for $66,000. Yes for the same price you can probably get a faster more modern cars, or other classics for that matter, but what's the price of a having everyone stare at you as you go down King Street in hot summer evening, or the price of the legend itself?