Commodore 64C

The Commodore 64C of 1986 wasn't a new computer at all; it was a sharp new suit for an old champion. It repackaged the wildly successful C64 in a sleeker, cream-coloured case styled to match the Commodore 128, while staying completely compatible with everything that had come before.

That last point was the whole trick. Buyers got the identical, beloved C64 experience, with its vast games library and famous sound, in a more modern-looking box and at an ever-keener price as the machine matured. Why redesign a runaway success when you can simply refresh it?

The 64C kept Commodore's evergreen best-seller selling strongly long past the point at which most computers would have been quietly discontinued. It is proof of just how much life remained in the original 1982 design, and of Commodore's happy knack for getting every last drop out of a winner.