Can it be unleaded?
04/19/2022
In the 1980s, the introduction of unleaded gasoline was a big deal. And the new fuel, which had to do without the valve seat lubricating lead, caused confusion in some places. Can your own car run on unleaded, do you have to change anything on the car, do you need additives? These were the questions back then. And similar questions naturally arise again today when you buy a car from back then.
In the 1980s, the automotive media naturally tried to shed some light on the subject. In 1986 , for example, ADAC Motorwelt published an overview of all brands and it was possible to see at a glance whether current models in particular were able to cope with unleaded petrol. The owner of an Alfa Romeo immediately saw that all models from 1976 onwards should actually be compatible with Super Unleaded (95 octane). The GTV6 models (as shown in the picture above) were therefore unrestrictedly unleaded-compatible.
However, many questions remained unanswered. Anyone driving a BMW, for example, was referred to manufacturer-specific requirements. But the magazine "auto motor und sport" provided clarification here too. In a series that ran from 1986 under the title "Wer verträgt was?", brand after brand was discussed in many episodes and over months, and there were also recommendations for older models as to what was best to fill up with. Whether BMW, Porsche, Fiat or Citroën, it was described in detail whether it was safe to fill up with unleaded gasoline or whether you had to be careful with which model variants. For BMW, for example, episode 1 stated that the BMW 325i Cabriolet could run on unleaded, but that an ignition adjustment was recommended.
Thanks to our magazine archive, the articles from back then can of course still be viewed today and your own brand can be found quickly. Practical, isn't it?
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