10 Of The Most Iconic Cars From Stranger Things

"Stranger Things" took the world by storm when it aired in 2016. Part horror, part sci-fi, part adventure, the TV series appealed to audiences worldwide and remains one of Netflix's most popular shows. Kids love it, young adults love it, parents love it. It's one of those shows that represents multiple generations.

Pinpointing what makes "Stranger Things" so good isn't easy, as the series has a lot going for it. However, the thing that stands out is the unparalleled world-building from creators Matt and Ross Duffer. The Duffer brothers were able to create a world that felt familiar, but still ethereal and otherworldly. With stunning visuals, a look at a time-specific way of life, and dozens of memorable characters, "Stranger Things" gets under the skin from the first episode.

An often-overlooked aspect of "Stranger Things" is the choice of cars. The Duffer brothers used them extensively throughout the show, each chosen specifically as a part of the story. In the show, these cars often revealed a character's personality before their actions did.

In this article, we'll take a closer look at the most iconic cars from "Stranger Things." We'll go into detail about how and why they suit their owners and also tell you more about each model. Naturally, the story contains some spoilers, so if you never watched the show, tread lightly. Now, let's dig in!

Joyce Byers (Winona Ryder) is by far one of the most complex characters in the "Stranger Things" universe. Not only did she struggle with anxiety after being abused by her ex-husband, but her family is in a dire financial situation, and her son Will went missing after being captured by the Demogorgon.

To add to all the struggles of this single mother, Joyce drove a green 1976 Ford Pinto, a car that perfectly suits her struggling personality. The Blue Oval's first subcompact became notorious for catching fire, killing 27 people and injuring 24 more. It happened because of a poor engineering decision to put the fuel tank above the rear axle, whose protruding bolts punctured the tank in the event of a collision — even a mild one.

But lousy engineering was only one part of the story. Ford knew about the issue even during the development period. Fuel leakage was a problem in early crash tests, and Ford could've solved the issue by installing some kind of shield between the axle and the gas tank. Still, the automaker decided to go with the original setup to cut costs. The Ford Pinto was designed with low cost in mind, after all, with Ford aiming for a sub-$2,000 price point.

Apart from potentially catching fire, the Ford Pinto wasn't a particularly exciting car. Its base 1.6-liter engine made only 54 hp, though a 2.0-liter producing 86 hp was also available. Later, there was even a 2.8-liter V6 option with 100 hp, but we doubt Joyce drove one of those.

Joyce's older son, Jonathan (Charlie Heaton), was also a victim of his father's actions. However, because he was the bigger kid in the family, he was also often overlooked by his mother. Left on his own, Jonathan does little to escape his fortunes and is presented as an underachiever by the series' producers. Sure, he was active in the search for his brother, but he was often overshadowed by other characters.

Considering his personality, the producers again did a great job by putting him behind the wheel of a 1970s Ford LTD. The large sedan isn't a bad car but was more than 10 years old when Jonathan drove it in the series, and was also quite beat up. Jonathan probably inherited the vehicle, as the LTD definitely wouldn't have been the first choice of a teenager. Despite being one of the Ford vehicles with a 385 Series V8 engine, the LTD was heavy, underpowered, and hugely uninspiring to drive.

Amusingly, Ford marketed the LTD as a luxury car, an alternative to Cadillac's or Rolls-Royce's luxury machines for the average buyer. Based on the Galaxie 500 full-size line, the LTD introduced classy interior trim, such as soft nylon tricot and deluxe carpeting. Ford also included better sound insulation and equipped the body with torque boxes to increase riding comfort.

In the eyes of automotive enthusiasts, the Byers family's choice of vehicles was questionable. Fortunately, the "Stranger Things" creators also gave us some cool cars, like Steve Harrington's 1983 BMW 733i. The luxury sedan shows Steve (Joe Keery) in the opposite light to Jonathan. He comes from a wealthy family and enjoys popularity in high school.

In the 1980s, no BMW was more luxurious than the 7-Series. The car that Harrington drove was a first-generation E23 model (1977 to 1986), equipped with a 3.2-liter inline-six engine that produced 194 hp and 206 lb-ft of torque. With the standard four-speed manual transmission, the 733i reached 62 mph in 8.9 seconds and had a top speed of 127 mph. Not a rocket, then, but perhaps quick enough to escape a Demogorgon. The sedan's fully independent suspension also made it much more manageable in the corners than the American idea of luxury at the time, the Ford LTD.

Still, speed was only a part of the 733i's story. As BMW's first entry into the highest echelon of the market dominated by the Mercedes S-Class, the first-gen 7-Series was full of luxury features, including power windows, central locking, leather trim, an electric sunroof, ventilation controls for the back seats, cruise control, heated seats, and even automatic air conditioning. Safety was also a big priority, with the 7-Series being the first BMW equipped with an anti-lock braking system (ABS).

Jim Hopper (David Harbour) is one of the most beloved characters in the series. As the Hawkins police chief, Jim is portrayed as a masculine, no-nonsense character, though he later changed course and became a loving and caring person. Still, he was always eager to help the people from Hawkins, and proved to be quite resourceful several times.

What better car to go with such a character than the beige 1980 Chevy K5 Blazer police vehicle? A rugged SUV designed to tackle everything you throw at it, the K5 Blazer is the automotive embodiment of Jim Hopper. With its simple, macho looks, the old-school Blazer remains an attractive retro option for off-road enthusiasts to this day.

The show's creators were smart to choose the 1980 model, which had the headlights and turning lights packaged into one neat frame. Chevy redesigned the Blazer in 1981, giving it dual rectangular headlights. These also look cool, but perhaps less iconic than the pre-facelift model. Or maybe we are under too much "Stranger Things" influence.

Regardless, the K5 Blazer also proved perfect for any road or terrain in Hawkins, as Chevy equipped the second-gen model with a full-time 4WD system. Thanks to the imposing dimensions, the K5 Blazer's cabin was very spacious, too. The producers didn't let this fact escape and shot many scenes inside the K5 Blazer.

Billy Hargrove (Dacre Montgomery) was brought in during season 2 of the series with one thing in mind — to replace Steve Harrington as the new high school bully. But he didn't only replace Steve, Billy brought the bullying to a whole new level. Seemingly cool, with a particular passion for heavy metal and fast cars, he made a big splash in the series.

But what kind of car did Billy drive in "Stranger Things"? Like most automobiles in the series, the producers found just the right set of wheels for Billy in the form of a 1979 Chevrolet Camaro Z/28. Aggressive, brash, and loud, it had just the qualities you'd associate with the character. It grabs the spotlight, too. In fact, we were introduced to the Camaro before Billy. That's how important it was in building the character.

Of course, the second-gen Camaro Z/28 is one of the quintessential muscle cars of its era. It packed a carbureted 5.7-liter small-block V8, good for 175 hp and 270 lb-ft of torque. Not much, but the world was still recovering from the oil crisis, so fuel economy was also important. Chevy's engineers put more focus on handling this time around, too.

Even with those figures, the V8 was potent enough for a zero-to-60 mph time of 8.7 seconds when paired with a four-speed manual. A three-speed automatic was also available, but you certainly didn't imagine Billy with anything other than a stick shift, right?

Nancy Wheeler (Natalia Dyer) is one of the biggest protagonists in the series, using bravery, sheer determination, and rebel spirit to help fight the monsters. However, she also comes from a relatively conservative nuclear family. Thus, she's often seen driving her family's 1987 Mercury Grand Marquis Colony Park wagon, which would be the perfect family car.

The Colony Park is as American as a wagon gets to be, with faux wood grain on the doors, plenty more on the inside, and a footprint nothing short of gargantuan. This thing is 218 inches long and 79.3 inches wide, putting even modern crossovers to shame.

Moving this wagon giant was a 5.0-liter V8 that was good for 160 hp and 280 lb-ft of torque. A four-speed automatic was the standard transmission on offer, and in this case, it suits the car pretty well. The combo could propel the Colony Park to 60 mph in 10.2 seconds, which is not bad for a massive wagon.

Curiously, the show producers used a 1987 model, even though the first season was set in 1983. In that sense, it's an error, but looking at it, the Colony Park looks much older than other cars from the 1980s. So, with its retro design, the Mercury wagon was still a perfect match for the general theme.

Argyle (Eduardo Franco) was a fan-favorite character introduced in season 4 of "Stranger Things." A California surfer boy with a foolish attitude and inclination toward getting high, Argyle was the breath of fresh air that the series sorely needed. As you might expect from a person who takes life a bit less seriously, he works as a delivery boy for Surfer Boy Pizza and drives around in a pizza delivery van.

The van in question is the Volkswagen EA162 Vanagon, the direct successor to the legendary Type 2 bus. Thus, the Vanagon has a similar hippy vibe that is perfectly in line with Argyle's personality. Like the Type 2 Bus, the Vanagon was also equipped with small, air-cooled flat-four engines ranging in volume from 1.6-liter to 2.0-liter. We can't know for sure which engine Argyle's van had, but none were quick, anyway. Still, according to a 1980 Car and Driver review, the 2.0-liter Vanagon glided surprisingly easy on the highway.

Later, Volkswagen replaced the air-cooled engines with water-cooled units, though they weren't particularly reliable. Fast-forward to today, and Volkswagen van evolution has brought us the ID.Buzz, a retro-looking, all-electric van.

The story of "Stranger Things" involves government cover-ups, making it a perfect playground for conspiracy theorist Murray Bauman (Brett Gelman). Only, as an investigative journalist, Murray is right in most cases, making him an integral part of the series. He is also quite the eccentric and weird fellow who drives a first-gen 1986 Toyota Cargo Van.

Yup, Toyota called its first van bound for America the Van. This is hardly surprising, as for most of the company's history, Toyota's pickups were called the Pickup. However, Toyota wanted to call it Van Wagon at first. That sounds awfully like Vanagon, so Volkswagen threatened with a lawsuit, forcing Toyota to change the name.

Unlike its German counterpart, though, Toyota's Van had a futuristic design. It even looks cool from some angles. Oh, and its engine is situated between the two front seats for packaging reasons. The 2.2-liter unit was good for 101 hp, and came standard with a five-speed manual transmission. A 4x4 model was also available. Fun times!

Silent, geeky, and mostly avoided in school, Barbara Holland (Shannon Purser) hasn't been the most prominent character in the show. In fact, she was killed in episode 3, which, as it happens, made her a fan favorite.

Still, although the creators aimed to make her uncool by dressing her in dull clothes, Barb drove a cool car — a first-gen Volkswagen Cabriolet. This was not incidental. Barb came from an upper-middle-class family, making the convertible a perfect fit. Interestingly, Barb's exact 1988 Volkswagen Cabrio went up for sale in 2018 with an asking price of $15,000, a number that only makes sense if you are a real "Stranger Things" fan.

Like with Nancy Wheeler's Mercury wagon, the producers made a factual error with the model year. The plastic-covered bumpers and smaller inner headlights reveal that it's a 1988 model, while season 1 took place in 1983. You might also be wondering about the name, because we mostly remember this car as the Rabbit Convertible. Well, VW's compact topless car was initially sold as the Rabbit Convertible, only to be renamed Cabriolet in 1985. Regardless, the Cabriolet has never been an enthusiast's car, but more of a lifestyle vehicle.

The 1980 base model was equipped with a 1.6-liter engine that produced 76 hp, good for a zero-to-60 time of 12.8 seconds. If you wanted a bit more oomph, a version with the 90 hp, 1.8-liter engine from the Rabbit GTI was also available. Of course, every model had a body designed by Karmann Coachworks and a cloth roof that folded neatly into the rear of the car.

After Hopper's K5 Blazer caught fire in the middle of a chase (season 3, episode 5), he did what every other movie policeman would do — snatch a vehicle from a passerby at the gas station. That vehicle was a beige 1984 Cadillac Eldorado Biarritz convertible, a much more luxurious alternative to the Volkswagen Cabriolet. It was a nice change of pace for Hopper after he escaped the Soviet prison as a changed person.

The Eldorado Biarritz Convertible was as plush as convertibles got at the time. With a high-quality interior dressed in button-tufted leather, functional add-ons like automatic climate control and AM/FM cassette radio, and a powered soft cloth roof, the Biarritz was one of the nicest convertibles of the 1980s.

Don't confuse it for sporty, though. It came with a 4.1-liter V8 that produced just 135 hp and 200 lb-ft of torque, paired with a four-speed automatic. Predictably, it was slow off the line. In fact, its 12.6-second sprint to 60 mph is similar to the 1.6-liter Volkswagen Cabriolet.