The 1987 model year promised to be a tough one for some car makers, particularly General Motors. As the 1986 model year drew to a close, the General had a million or so unsold cars clogging dealer lots and was forced to drop interest rates to an unheard of 2.9 percent to attract buyers. Ford and Chrysler, meanwhile, were forced to drop their interest rates to stay competitive with GM but were obviously reluctant to make the move since their cars were selling briskly. The Japanese car companies kept a somewhat low profile for 1987, although a few new entries made their debut. The European luxury car makers expanded their lines with even more powerful and expensive cars. Mercedes 14 models were the most that it had on the market at one time up until then.
If there was one thread that ran throughout the industry was performance. Virtually every car company had one or more models that at least looked fast. While that was good news for people who liked cars and driving, there was something for everyone in the 1987 lineup, with 39 brands and 167 models to choose from.
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