11 Extinct Car Designs We Wish Were Still Around

Many historical car designs have come and gone over the history of the automobile industry, and we frequently deplore and lament their demise.

Some of the most vintage or iconic cars of the past were, at the time, just ordinary or unimpressive automobiles.

Some of the automobiles were built to fill a specific niche and hence had a limited manufacturing run, while others are among the most mass-produced vehicles ever.

Some of them are still in use today as enthusiast cars and can be had for a reasonable price, while others have become extremely uncommon and are only available to collectors with large pockets.

Here are a few vintage car designs we wish were still available.

Plymouth Barracuda

Extinct Car Designs We Wish Were Still Around
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In 1964, Plymouth introduced the Barracuda, a two-door pony car. The Barracuda was unfortunately another victim of the 1973 energy crisis, and it was retired in 1974.

The Barracuda is searched on Google around 75,000 times a month by collector car aficionados, despite the fact that it only lasted a decade on the assembly line.

1963-67 Chevy Corvette

Extinct Car Designs We Wish Were Still Around
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The Chevrolet Corvette has been in production since 1953, spanning eight models and more than 60 years. That’s a huge spectrum of automobiles, all of which had their own special appeal.

But probably the most memorable is the second generation of the 1960s, whose design was inspired by a Mako Shark caught while deep-sea fishing by Bill Mitchell, GM’s styling director!

Pontiac Firebird

Extinct Car Designs We Wish Were Still Around
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This pony car, which debuted in 1967, was created to compete with the Ford Mustang. The Trans Am package, which was available on versions made between 1969 and 2002, was arguably the most popular Firebird.

In 2002, Pontiac ceased production of all Firebirds.

Rolls-Royce Dawn Drophead

Extinct Car Designs We Wish Were Still Around
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The first original Silver Dawn dropheads rolled off the assembly line in 1949, during the immediate aftermath of WWII.

Only 64 Silver Dawns were constructed between 1949 and 1955, and only 64 of them had distinctive coachwork.

Furthermore, just three of the original 28 dropheads sold in the United States exist, making it one of the most sought-after automobiles in the country today. Rolls Royce is currently working on a replacement.

Pontiac Fiero

Extinct Car Designs We Wish Were Still Around
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From 1983 through 1988, GM produced the Fiero, a mid-engine sports vehicle. Unfortunately, the car’s production quality was compromised due to a shortage of funds.

It had a front suspension based on the Chevy Chevette, no power steering, and the car was powered by the Iron Duke, a garbage heap of an engine that liked to catch fire from time to time.

Pontiac attempted to repair the car’s image with modifications, but the damage had already been done, and the Fiero was phased out of manufacturing in 1988.

Mercedes SL 300 Gullwing

Extinct Car Designs We Wish Were Still Around
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During its production run from 1954 to 1957, this two-seater sports automobile had gullwings, following which it was available as a convertible from 1957 to 1963.

It was the fastest production car of its day and a sports car racing champion, with a top speed of up to 163 mph.

The abbreviation “SL” stands for “super light” in German, and it also works in English. At the turn of the millennium in 1999, the Mercedes-Benz 300 SL was named the “sports car of the century.”

Hudson Hornet

Extinct Car Designs We Wish Were Still Around
source:wikipedia

Hudson Motor Car Company produced this short-lived sedan from 1951 to 1957. Until 1954, when American Motors Corporation bought Hudson Motors and based the Hornets on the senior Nash vehicles, the initial generations featured Hudson’s distinctive “step-down” design.

Hornets dominated the stock car racing scene in the early 1950s, but production halted when the Automobile Manufacturers Association banned factory-sponsored racing in 1957.

DeTomaso Pantera

Extinct Car Designs We Wish Were Still Around
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The De Tomaso Pantera was an Italian sports automobile with a Ford V8 engine in the mid-engine position. Despite the fact that only 7,000 cars were ever made, it was the most popular model of the Italian automaker.

Ford sold the Pantera in the United States through its Lincoln-Mercury dealers, and a substantial number of the vehicles were sold there.

AC Cobra

Extinct Car Designs We Wish Were Still Around
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From 1965 to 1967, the Shelby AC Cobra was an American-British sports automobile powered by a Ford V8 engine.

Only 348 Shelby Cobras were made, making them extremely rare and expensive collector cars.

McLaren F1

Extinct Car Designs We Wish Were Still Around
source:wikipedia

This British supercar debuted in 1992 and broke the world record for fastest production car six years later, clocking it at 242 mph. Even still, only 106 of these speed demons were ever produced.

It was named “high-tech supercar answer to Porsche and Ferrari” by Formula One icon Gordon Murray.

It was also mentioned that it didn’t work “It didn’t just exceed the benchmarks they set; it obliterated them. Driving an F1 is a breathtaking display of power, braking, and control.”

Saab 9-3

Extinct Car Designs We Wish Were Still Around
source:wikipedia

The Swedish automaker Saab produced this tiny vehicle from 1998 and 2014. The 9-3 was a popular automobile, however, due to Saab’s bankruptcy and subsequent acquisition by Nevs, the 9-3 was phased out in 2014.

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