{"id":57222,"date":"2022-08-09T09:56:46","date_gmt":"2022-08-09T13:56:46","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/motor-junkie.com\/?p=57222"},"modified":"2023-03-28T06:03:07","modified_gmt":"2023-03-28T10:03:07","slug":"these-discontinued-cars-will-stun-true-auto-fans-if-they-see-them","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/dev.motor-junkie.com\/these-discontinued-cars-will-stun-true-auto-fans-if-they-see-them\/57222\/","title":{"rendered":"These Discontinued Cars Will Stun True Auto Fans If They See Them"},"content":{"rendered":"
Many older drivers remember it fondly. American roads were simply much more interesting back in the day than they are today. Many different brands, models, nameplates, and shapes roamed the streets and interstates. Unfortunately, remarkably few major companies survived because of several reasons. This left true car connoisseurs to miss the old times and discontinued names as a result.<\/p>\n
So we compiled a list of the most remembered car models<\/a> and brands that once were common in the USA. These cars are now discontinued. But at the end of the day, people miss these cars due to the sheer nostalgia and good times they had. From economy cars to high-performance exotics, some are from way back and some are from the recent past. Take a ride down memory lane right here.<\/p>\n For a short time, it looked that America got a sports car<\/a> brand that could rival Europe’s finest companies. DeLorean presented an exciting concept of a sports car with those famous Gullwing doors, modern design, and a stainless steel body but a slow V6 engine (via Autozine<\/a>).<\/p>\n The importance of the DeLorean brand was that this was the first global sports car<\/a> company. The design came from Italy. But the engines were from France and Sweden and the cars were assembled in the UK. The owner was American. The DMC-12 had a lot of potential despite its problems with power and reliability. It’s a shame the lifespan of this sports car<\/a> was cut short.<\/p>\n The early ’70s saw the return of one of the most famous classic American<\/a> brands – Stutz. A New York banker resurrected the company and invested heavily in marketing, design, and bespoke production. Stutz commissioned various Italian companies to produce retro-inspired bodies. They were designed on Pontiac Grand Prix chassis and using its drivetrain and 455 V8 (via Auto Evolution<\/a>).<\/p>\n The first car was the Blackhawk, which entered production in late 1970. Due to its unique style and strong marketing, Stutz soon became one of the most in-demand American cars<\/a>. Although costing over $20,000 in 1971, close to the price of a new Rolls Royce, Stutz found many celebrity customers due to its many attractive qualities.<\/p>\n This exciting vehicle is primarily a military truck<\/a>, but a few were sold to civilian customers. Based on the Jeep Gladiator pickup, the Jeep M715 was introduced in the late ’60s.<\/p>\n The engine was a dependable and robust six-cylinder with just 130 HP. But it had a lot of torque, which was needed to move this three-ton truck due to its weight. The M715 was easy to service and highly durable. This was proven as a result of its performance in the Vietnam War. Kaiser Jeep produced over 30,000 of them until 1969 (via Silodrome<\/a>).<\/p>\n Over the years, Mercury sold numerous models under the Capri name. First, it was just a trim level on the regular Mercury sedan. It was then a re-badged Ford Capri from Europe. In the late ’70s and early ’80s, it was the Mercury version of the Fox-body Mustang. Finally, in 1991 it was a new model (via KBB<\/a>).<\/p>\n The 1991-94 Mercury Capri was assembled in Australia and sold in the USA. The cool-looking two-seater roadster had a 1.6-liter engine and front-wheel drive. Despite being a decent car in all aspects, it failed to gain significant popularity and was withdrawn in 1994 due to the poor sales.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Since downsizing was the name of the game in the mid-1970s, Mercury decided to go a step further and introduce its own model based on the ill-fated Ford Pinto. Called the Bobcat, it was released in 1974 and sold until 1980. The idea was to offer economy buyers more upscale features in this cost-oriented segment.<\/p>\n The car was practically the same as the Pinto, but nevertheless, there was one exciting version called the Bobcat Wagon. It was a compact three-door station wagon<\/a> with upscale features and a woodgrain panel option. The Bobcat Wagon was a perfect little urban runabout due to its compact dimensions (via Hemmings<\/a>).<\/p>\n <\/p>\n In one of the final attempts to resurrect Chrysler’s luxury<\/a> division Imperial, the company presented an exciting luxury coupe in 1981. They wanted to do the same thing to Chrysler as they had with Lincoln with the successful Mark coupe series (via Motor Trend<\/a>).<\/p>\n So in 1981, the Imperial was presented as a stylish two-door coupe built on the Chrysler Cordoba or Dodge Mirada chassis. The design was contemporary with several classic cues but it was still an aesthetically pleasing luxury car<\/a> as a result. Chrysler invested a lot in marketing and even used Frank Sinatra as the spokesperson. But sales were slim and it was discontinued because of this.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n The third-generation Cougar was introduced in 1974 and marked a departure from previous models. The car wasn’t based on the Mustang, instead moving to a heavier chassis. This meant Cougars were more personal luxury cruisers than muscle cars<\/a> even though Mercury tried to present them as such. Even with the optional 460 V8 with 220 HP, acceleration times were disappointing as a result (via Hemmings<\/a>).<\/p>\n Mercury moved the Cougar to the personal luxury segment and away from its muscle car<\/a> roots. Cougars were cars for middle-aged Mercury buyers who wanted something more sporty than a Thunderbird but with the same level of comfort.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n The Pacer is a car that is equally loved and hated but is legendary due to its track record. It was AMC’s effort to produce a compact car, but it turned out to have numerous flaws. Let’s discuss the design aspect of this infamous model (via Axleaddict<\/a>).<\/p>\n After the success of Gremlin, the Pacer was conceived to be more extensive and advanced. But its design was repelling as a result of the company’s focus. The large glass areas were practical but also looked like a bubble. The front end was far from beautiful and the silhouette was egg-shaped. Therefore, it was discontinued. But the car will turn the heads of many drivers of yesteryear.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n During the ’80s, General Motors invested heavily in mid-size models with modern engines and aerodynamic bodies. One of the first such cars was Pontiac 6000. Pontiac fans were used to model names that meant something, but 6000 was a number that didn’t mean anything.<\/p>\n The 6000 was available as a two or four-door sedan and wagon with new four and six-cylinder engines. Interestingly, Pontiac even offered a diesel unit in the 6000. Introduced in 1981 as a 1982 model, the 6000 received a warm welcome from the motoring press as well as the market as a result (via Motor Trend<\/a>).<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Mercury made trucks from 1946 to 1968. Designed and built primarily for the Canadian market, Mercury M-Series trucks were also sold in the USA. While just slightly different visually from its Ford counterparts, the Mercury M-Series trucks were mechanically identical to Ford pickups (via Motorbiscuit<\/a>).<\/p>\n Even though Mercury was Ford’s upscale brand, M-Series trucks sold across the border had fewer options since the Canadian market was smaller. The production lasted until 1968.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n The legendary Vector W8 is a wedge-shaped, V8-powered monster presented in 1990. It was an ambitious project by the Vector Aeromotive Corporation. Under the engine cover was a typical American powerhouse in the form of a Chevrolet small block V8 (via Car and Driver<\/a>).<\/p>\n They paired it up with twin turbochargers to produce 625 HP, which was impressive due to its sheer power. The production<\/a> figure is only around 20 cars so therefore if you own one, you have one of the most obscure American cars ever made.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n The Excalibur Company is the brainchild of famous car designer<\/a> Brooks Stevens. After Studebaker stopped producing cars, Stevens formed the Excalibur company dedicated to creating custom, retro-inspired vehicles. First, they were based on a standard chassis. Further, they had commonly found drivetrains with unique styling inspired by the Mercedes SSK from the late 1920s (via Hagerty<\/a>).<\/p>\n The production of the Excalibur SS was around 3500 cars, therefore making them relatively rare today and a good proposition if you’re in the market for cars from the ’70s.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n During the ’80s, Ford attempted to revive its performance image. For this reason, they introduced the Merkur XR4Ti model. It was basically a British Ford Sierra but packed with the special aero package and a 2.3-liter turbocharged four-banger (via Motor Trend<\/a>).<\/p>\n Moreover, Ford envisioned it as a hot hatch<\/a> with rear-wheel drive, racing credentials, and better driving dynamics. Unfortunately, the Merkur XR4Ti proved unsuccessful since it was expensive and the American<\/a> market didn’t understand Ford’s attempt due to several reasons.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n The Callaway Company had much success in the ’80s thanks to its high-performing versions of the Corvette C4. However, Reeves Callaway wanted to go racing and introduced Super Speedster LM in the early ’90s (via Supercars<\/a>).<\/p>\n As a result, this was the ultimate version of the race-prepared Corvette C4 with a turbocharged LT5 V8 engine and 766 HP. However, this was much more than just a tuned Corvette in general. Markedly, the Super Speedster LM had numerous body modifications, a totally revised suspension, and race brakes.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n First, American manufacturers typically don’t do roadsters. As a result, GM’s decision to introduce a turbocharged roadster to American buyers in 2005 with the Saturn Sky was strange. Moreover, those cars were basically US versions of Opel GT from Europe (via GM Authority<\/a>).<\/p>\n Unfortunately, even though the Solstice or Sky was an exciting car to drive, it was a sales flop overall. Compared to the BMW Z4 or Mercedes SLK, GM’s roadster had a much lower price in general. Conversely, it also had up to 290 HP in the Pontiac Solstice GXP version and excellent handling overall. On the other hand, after a few years on the market, GM killed it.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n The story of the Fiero is one of the greatest “what if” tales of the American car industry. First, this compact sports car caused a big sensation when it was introduced in the early ’80s<\/a>. In general, everybody expected another GTO from Pontiac but got a small sports car that Italians might build (via Car and Driver<\/a>).<\/p>\n Above all, it was a bold move for Pontiac to introduce a compact rear-wheel drive car. In general, having the engine positioned in the center of the vehicle was a bold move. Pairing it with a five-speed manual transaxle gearbox was another somewhat odd choice overall. But for the standards of the day, this was the most advanced American production model.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n First, the original Meyers Manx is a kit car based on the VW Beetle. Yet this car has so much importance<\/a> because of the American off-road scene that it has to be a part of this list. Introduced in 1964, the Meyers Manx was the brainchild of Bruce F. Meyers, an American boat builder and surfer who wanted a dependable beach car (via Bloomberg<\/a>).<\/p>\n Therefore, its construction was simple as it used a fiberglass tub mounted on VW Beetle mechanics. The rear-wheel drive car was very light and could tackle almost any terrain. Some owners even installed more powerful boxer engines from Corvair or Porsche to make it more powerful as a result. Due to its distinctive design and excellent driving capabilities, the Meyers Manx became one of the symbols of surf culture.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Chrysler first presented the Eagle in 1989. It was supposed to be a fresh start for Chrysler as they produced new, affordable cars with an import flavor. Renault and Mitsubishi provided the technology and Chrysler invested their money and effort. The first model was the Eagle Premier, a big four-door sedan with front-wheel drive and luxurious features (via Hemmings<\/a>).<\/p>\n However, despite the qualities and comfort, the market didn’t respond well to the new brand and model. Chrysler discontinued the Eagle Premier in 1992 and the Eagle brand itself in 1999 as a result.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n New styling for the Pontiac brand meant a new approach to the performance market as a result. Conversely, it also meant the birth of one of the most powerful American muscle car<\/a> brands. Despite a few powerful models, Pontiac’s muscle quest started in 1958 with the introduction of the Bonneville with the Tri-Power option (via Auto Evolution<\/a>).<\/p>\n Moreover, this top-of-the-line model featured a 370 V8 engine with three two-barrel Rochester carburetors and up to 310 HP. Consequently, in late 1958, Pontiac introduced an even hotter setup with up to 330 HP designed for racers and NASCAR.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n First, most people don’t know about the De Soto brand. But this is understandable since they discontinued this make in 1961. However, it was an exciting brand with different trims, powerful engines, and affordable prices. Conversely, however, this wasn’t enough. Every model year was worse than the one before it as a result. One of the better models from the period was the Adventurer. It was a cool-looking mid-size model with V8 power and an attractive design (via Auto Evolution<\/a>).<\/p>\n Unfortunately, the good looks and strong engines just weren’t enough. Chrysler lost their patience and shut down the production of the De Soto in 1961 because of its poor sales. Today; De Soto models are collector items due to their rarity and history.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n In the late 1970s, Plymouth decided to try its luck in the off-road SUV<\/a> market with the Trailduster. It was a two-door, four-passenger, all-wheel drive vehicle identical to the Dodge Ramcharger (via Drivingline<\/a>). Plymouth offered an all-wheel drive at an affordable price to promote the product in that market and more equipment than Dodge.<\/p>\n But they still had no luck. Therefore, after a couple of years, they discontinued the Trailduster. Today, some Mopar fans claim the Trailduster was more dependable than other Dodge products from the same period.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n The Hot Rod culture is one of the critical ingredients of the American automotive landscape. However, no company ever dared to present a factory-built Hot Rod<\/a> until 1997 when Plymouth offered the Prowler. It was a retro-futuristic roadster with a V6 engine (via Car Throttle<\/a>).<\/p>\n Plymouth imagined it as a follow-up to the Viper. Meanwhile, the Prowler was a hit on the show circuit and Chrysler wanted to capitalize on that. Despite its initial success, the car was a failure due to its low power. Its demise was mainly because of the fact that customers expected V8 power, not V6 power.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Imagined as a luxury coupe, the Marauder<\/a> had a fresh design with some exciting features. These especially included concealed headlights, a massive front end, and a sloping rear end with curved rear glass. It was a big, heavy car for cruising rather than street racing (via Motor Trend)<\/a>.<\/p>\n It was equipped with a 429 V8 engine with 360 HP, bucket seats, heavy-duty suspension, and blackout rear trim. The Marauder line was relatively famous, but the X100 didn’t become a best-seller and in two years of production, Mercury made just over 8000 as a result.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n The Rambler Rebel is an attractive early muscle car<\/a> that was born by chance. Squeezing a 327 V8 engine from the Nash Ambassador into a compact, light Rambler body created one seriously fast yet unassuming muscle machine. The 327 V8 delivered 255 HP, which wasn’t that much (via Hemmings<\/a>).<\/p>\n However, in the compact Rambler body, it produced 0 to 60 mph times in just seven seconds. But this powerful engine option raised the price of an affordable Rambler. There were few buyers ready to pay extra for the privilege of outrunning anything else on the road. Rambler made only 1,500 of them as a result.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n In the early ’60s, Studebaker management decided to invest in a luxury coupe to fight their poor sales. In 1962, they presented the sleek, modern-looking Avanti. The innovative design, construction, and technology were impressive and the car received praise from the motoring press as a result (via Classic Motorsport<\/a>).<\/p>\n The base version wasn’t powerful so Studebaker introduced its supercharged R2 option delivering 289 HP. But they included some performance upgrades, turning the Avanti into a fast machine. During its short production run<\/a>, Studebaker produced just over 4,600 Avantis. Only a handful of those were the incredible R2.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Back in the late ’70s, the American performance car<\/a> segment was a pale shadow of its former glory due to restricting emissions standards. Although there were a few surviving models, performance was just a word used in magazine ads. But in 1977, Pontiac introduced the Can-Am (via Auto Evolution<\/a>).<\/p>\n The Can Am was a one-year-only model<\/a> that was the last real muscle car. It had big block power they packed in a unique body style and white color. Under the hood scoop from the Firebird Trans Am, there was a big 455 engine with 200 HP. That was more than any other muscle car<\/a> on the market at the moment.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Ford<\/a> conceived the Mercury Cougar as a luxury pony car and built it on a stretched Mustang platform. This meant all the engines they installed in the Mustang could easily fit into the Cougar (via Carscoops<\/a>).<\/p>\n In 1969, Ford introduced<\/a> the Boss 302 and Mercury got its version too. They called it the Cougar Boss 302. However, they didn’t advertise this competent pony car<\/a> widely enough so it remained obscure and rare. Mercury produced just 169 of them. It remains a mystery as to how many survived.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Studebaker, as a brand, disappeared in 1966 after years of trying to stay relevant to the American market. However, in the mid-’50s, it was still one of the best names in the business. One of the best Studebakers ever built was the elegant ’56 Golden Hawk (via Studebaker Museum<\/a>).<\/p>\n Conceived as a cool-looking personal luxury coupe<\/a>, Golden Hawk had Packard-derived 352 V8 engine with 275 HP, which was pretty impressive for the day. The performance was also significant with a 0 to 60 mph time of fewer than nine seconds.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Before the Fury was a separate model, it was an option on Belvedere. For 1958, this model benefited from Chrysler’s new Golden Commando engine. The mighty Hemi was gone, but Chrysler didn’t abandon the performance market. The Golden Commando had 350 CID displacement, hotter equipment, and 305 HP (via Old Cars Weekly<\/a>).<\/p>\n Plymouth even experimented with a fuel injection setup. But the system proved very problematic, which caused the factory to compensate owners with a conventional four-barrel format. If the fuel injection worked as it should, it could produce up to 315 HP.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n For the 1949 model year, Oldsmobile presented two important things – the 88 model series and a new 303 CID V8 engine called the Rocket V8. Both proved very influential in Oldsmobile’s history. The 88 model was relatively light and compact. And the Rocket V8 was considered a hot engine with a two-barrel carburetor and 135 HP on tap (via Top Speed<\/a>).<\/p>\n The combination of light body and powerful engine in the form of the 1949 Oldsmobile 88 was arguably the first muscle car from Detroit<\/a>. The new model was available as a two and four-door model and the four-door was more popular with the buyers.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n In 1951, Hudson introduced the Hornet, a full-size sedan with an affordable price and a few exciting features. Its sleek design with a sloping roofline made it longer, wider, and sportier. The second was an all-new “Step down” construction that merged chassis and body in one structure, which helped Hornets achieve a lower center of gravity and better handling. The third important feature was an improved straight eight-cylinder engine with 308 CID and up to 170 HP (via Hemmings<\/a>).<\/p>\n This gave the Hornet a significant advantage on the race tracks<\/a>. Hudson dominated NASCAR races from 1951 to 1954, becoming one of the sport’s biggest legends.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n In the ’60s, Mercury produced the Marauder, a high-performance version of regular Mercury performance sedans<\/a>. Decades later in 2003, Mercury decided to introduce the final Marauder model based on Ford’s Panther vehicles (via Edmunds<\/a>).<\/p>\n Despite the fact the Grand Marquis was never intended to be a performance car<\/a>, Mercury decided to turn it into one by installing a highly tuned 4.6-liter V8 with 302 hp, revised suspension, gearbox, and brakes. All those changes turned this comfy sedan into a sharp muscle car.<\/p>\n <\/p>\nDeLorean DMC12<\/h2>\n
Stutz Blackhawk<\/h2>\n
Kaiser Jeep M715<\/h2>\n
1991 Mercury Capri<\/h2>\n
Mercury Bobcat<\/h2>\n
1981 Imperial<\/h2>\n
Mercury Cougar<\/h2>\n
65. AMC Pacer<\/h2>\n
Pontiac 6000<\/h2>\n
Mercury M-Series<\/h2>\n
Vector W8<\/h2>\n
Excalibur SS<\/h2>\n
59. Merkur XR4Ti<\/h2>\n
Callaway Super Speedster LM<\/h2>\n
Saturn Sky Red Line<\/h2>\n
Pontiac Fiero<\/h2>\n
Meyers Manx<\/h2>\n
Eagle Premier<\/h2>\n
Pontiac Bonneville Tri-Power<\/h2>\n
De Soto Adventurer<\/h2>\n
Plymouth Trailduster<\/h2>\n
Plymouth Prowler<\/h2>\n
Mercury Marauder X-100<\/h2>\n
Rambler Rebel V8<\/h2>\n
Studebaker Avanti R2<\/h2>\n
Pontiac Can Am<\/h2>\n
Mercury Cougar Boss 302<\/h2>\n
Studebaker Golden Hawk<\/h2>\n
Plymouth Fury<\/h2>\n
Oldsmobile Rocket 88<\/h2>\n
Hudson Hornet<\/h2>\n
Mercury Marauder<\/h2>\n