DIE. DIE. DIE.
Posted on 05/19/2012 11:32:20 AM PDT by TurboZamboni
Several years ago, there was a large reward posted for evidence that the Ivory Billed Woodpecker was not extinct as was previously thought. Strangely, the classic car world has yet to respond in like fashion for evidence that breeding pairs of Plymouth Crickets or Mercury Bobcats are still out there. To qualify for the list a car must have been produced in large numbers (10,000-plus) within the last 40 years with few (if any) roadworthy survivors. Here are some of our favorite threatened, endangered and extinct cars:
(Excerpt) Read more at foxnews.com ...
How about the Pacer, the Gremlin, or the Spirit? (all AMC)
RACISM!/s
I haven’t seen very many Gremlins about.
too ugly a body style. the Monza looked better.
The Pacer looked like a rolling fish bowl.
Aw gee, Now what am I supposed to do with my 409?
How about the Vega? It was the first car in which iron ore was just ground up and pressed into panels instead of wasting time refining the iron, making steel and having to wait for it rust.
1962 CORVAIR Monza
Back in the 80s, one of the off-road magazines featured a Pacer converted to 4x4 and riding on 33 in tires. It was the definition of awesome. Totally impractical, but pure automotive art...in an abstract sense ;) Seriously though, it was cool as hell.
My first car was a ‘75 VW Scirocco. It was a really fun car. It cracked in half a few months after I sold it.
I’m surprised the Dodge Omni/Plymouth Horizon was not on the list. I had two. One was a GLH Turbo. I saw a mint condition Horizon about two hours ago.
The Chevy Monza was one of the few good looking domestic smaller cars of the mid-late seventies, and the optional V8 was particularly intriguing but that chassis was just not up to it, being a Vega at heart as it actually was. We’re talking the original, sleek hatch and not the really Vega looking notchback, here.
A high school friend of mine had one, dark maroon with the oyster off white interior, pretty and very fast for the era. But, the engine bay was literally crammed full, it overheated and the tires wore prematurely due to constant alignment problems as well as scrubbing against the wheelwell. It rattled like a bucket of bolts, too, from new.
DIE. DIE. DIE.
This just said “threatened” not “good looking...”
I have seen any of those cars I listed in a long time.
Both the Gremlin and the Pacer have this geek-chic thing going for them, goofy but with a certain oddball charm, that make them desirable enough to stick around, those that survived thus far.
Subaru’s several efforts at a sport coupe are another, I especially admired that Citroenesque SVX, great ski cars, fast and stable. Didn’t care for the bifurcated side glass, but if it was going to roll down that’s how it was going to look, apparently. Very nice line and proportion otherwise.
The She-vette.
The Renault LeCar with the accordion sun roof.
The Ford MUSTANG II.
They rusted out almost as badly as the engines blew, right up there with the Fiat X1/9. The too cute name and marketing doomed it even if this weren’t the case. Being only available in beachball colors didn’t help, either.
The Chevy VOLT.
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