Disappearing Cars—The Automotive Threatened, Endangered and Extinct List

Fox ^ | 5-19-12 | Hagerty

[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:

[Chickensoup]

I loved some of the Renault line, that being a prime example. Not available in the US of course. We got the ridiculously foppish, tippy-toed Le Car painted up like an overblown Fisher-Price toy. There were awesome variants of the R5, which was the name by which the rest of the world knew that vehicle, very few of which looked so silly.

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I owned a Renault 16, oh perhaps a 68 or 70? Well designed little car with a heart. Blew its headgasket a couple of times. Got ridof it.

[Chickensoup]

I loved some of the Renault line, that being a prime example. Not available in the US of course. We got the ridiculously foppish, tippy-toed Le Car painted up like an overblown Fisher-Price toy. There were awesome variants of the R5, which was the name by which the rest of the world knew that vehicle, very few of which looked so silly.

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I owned a Renault 16, oh perhaps a 68 or 70? Well designed little car with a heart. Way ahead of its design time. Blew its headgasket a couple of times. Got ridof it.

[Peter W. Kessler]

Where did Mercury Capris go?

They rusted away to small piles of brown dust.

I know.

I owned one.

I loved it, but it was tough to care for.

[Mmogamer]

Haven’t seen a Maverick in awhile either.

[Harold Shea]

These new Ford one tons you have to raise the whole

body from the frame to service.

Saw a Chevy Chevette in town running around..thought

thats one thats been years since I`ve seen

Those Gremlins and othe AMC cars looked like junk

sitting on the new car lot...weather striping wasn`t

fitted right..bet they leaked within 6 months

[moehoward]

I’m fairly certain Alpine built them all, basically for homologation, so they weren’t imported through normal Renault channels. They were available though. That one in the pic was my second 85 evo model.

[Revolting cat!]

[KosmicKitty]

My high school boyfriend had a Chevy Vega

Yeah, they sucked in the 1970’s as did my high school boyfriend. Are there any still in existence??

[Straight Vermonter]

Haven’t seen a Maverick in awhile either.

You beat me to it.

[Western Phil]

My granddaughter has been driving a 1971 Omni to high school on occasion. The “occasion(s) coincide with the times everything operates. They bought the vehicle from a little old lady who hadn’t driven it much at all and very little in the last ten years. Unfortunately in addition to things going wrong when you drive a vehicle, there are a whole series of different problems you will see if you don’t drive the vehicle much. It seems they have it in pretty good running condition now, but it is not allowed outside the local area.

[ZOOKER]

There was a fix for the Monza sparkplug problem.

Mechanics would remove the front tires and drill access holes in the inner fenders, then plug them after changing the plugs.

I briefly owned one of the V-8 fastback models - very peppy but the body was a POS.

[terycarl]

Buddy of mine bought a new Monza — sharp. He was somewhat disappointed when he found out you had to partially raise the engine off its mounts to change the spark plugs, though.

I have a 2005 Cadillac CTS. I recently had the plugs changed...over $100 labor..the top of the engine has to come off to get to the plugs...GM engineering

[Neidermeyer]

R5 Turbo2 ,, THE KILLER “B” .... my favorite car of the 1980’s

[TurboZamboni]

I had a 72? Datsun Z many years ago. aftermarket triple Weber carbs. Fun little matchbox car.

[TurboZamboni]

Had one in high school. Ugly bondomobile (MN) ,but it was the “Grabber” package...302 V8. Fun on a frozen lake.

[BfloGuy]

..the top of the engine has to come off to get to the plugs...GM engineering

The Krauts and the Japs must laugh their a**es off.

[Tijeras_Slim]

Things Slim has had the misfortune to drive....

None survived...

[Vermont Lt]

Note to self: Slim NEVER gets to pick the car again.

[Tijeras_Slim]

Slim got smart, nothing but Nissan Frontiers for the last 12 years.

[martin_fierro]

Marty's Vehicular Wallafameshame:

1977 CJ-7, minus the nice phat tires & cool hood art. Beat the 4x4 bejeezus out of this thing. Universal joints lasted about 6 months at a time.

1979 Subaru BRAT. Beat the 4x4 daylights out of this thing, too. It had a little boxer 4-cylinder engine and surprisingly good 4x4 performance in the mud/snow. Snapped a torsion suspension rod on the Ohio pike while improvidently hauling a Harley SS 350 and Triumph Bonneville in the "pickup" portion. Finally unloaded it on some poor Michigan putz for $400 ca$h money.

1979 Caddy Eldo BRRTZ. Bought it used in 1986 with 79,000 miles on it, drove it hard (including x-country odyssey from MI to CA) until 2000. When the front McPherson struts frequently went out, that looong front end would bob majestically like a crab boat while rolling down the interstate. Donated it to the SPCA in 2000 with 180,202 miles on it. The Caddy that Would. Not. Die.

Used 1986 MBZ 420 SEL, built by drunken East Germans. WORST. CAR. EVER. Damn thing broke down monthly and consistently required gold-plated repairs. It finally threw a timing chain. I spit on its grave.