30 Legendary Cars That Didn’t Deserve To Be Discontinued

Some cars are so cool that their departure from production leaves a void that auto fans and drivers mourn. These 30 vehicles were discontinued for various reasons, but in my humble opinion, they did not deserve it.

These cars had style, speed, and an “it-factor” you could spot from a mile away. Yet, their production lines fell silent for various reasons, leaving fans with a sense of loss and longing.

The Chevrolet El Camino may not be everyone’s idea of an iconic ride, but this car is recognized everywhere it goes. Unfortunately, it faced discontinuation as its sales dwindled, dropping by a third to just 14,163 units in its final year of production. These sedan pickups failed to resonate with a significant portion of car-buying Americans, and some speculate that it’s because there wasn’t enough passenger space for the baby-boomer families of that time.

The discontinuation of the Mitsubishi Eclipse was driven by the company’s shift towards meeting environmental targets on a global scale. As environmental concerns gained prominence, Mitsubishi redirected its resources and efforts towards developing battery technology and more eco-friendly vehicles. This change in focus led to the Eclipse being discontinued.

As Porsche engineers progressed with updates and changes to the 944, they realized that so many parts were being modified that they had effectively created an almost entirely new vehicle. This realization prompted Porsche to shift its development efforts away from the 944 S/S2 and towards the car that would ultimately replace the 944 entirely, known as the Porsche 968. Instead of reinventing the wheel, the 968 would utilize enough universal parts to make its production sustainable. Production of the Volvo P1800 series came to an end in 1973. Several factors contributed to its discontinuation, including the growing impact of emissions regulations and vehicle standards rules. The P1800, although beloved, was also considered to be looking somewhat dated at the time. People weren’t into “retro” styling yet, so Volvo probably saw an opportunity to refresh its lineup with more modern designs.