mlaur71 In 1963, a Pontiac engineer named John DeLorean had an idea his bosses told him was reckless.
He wanted to drop a massive V8 engine into a lightweight mid-size car and sell it to everyday Americans who wanted raw, unapologetic performance without a luxury price tag.
General Motors banned the idea outright. The company feared embarrassment in front of conservative customers. So DeLorean and a handful of engineers developed the car quietly, then walked into management with a stack of dealer orders already in hand. GM had no choice but to approve it.
The Car That Started Everything
The Pontiac GTO sparked an entirely new vehicle category. Without it, cars like the Ford Mustang and the Dodge Charger might never have taken the shape they did.
Four decades later, GM tried to revive the GTO. They had a genuine V8 coupe, competitive performance, and one of the most beloved nameplates in American history. The styling drew criticism for being forgettable, the price climbed too high due to Australian import costs, and by 2006 the GTO left production after just 40,808 cars.
Not a bad car. Just the wrong moment, the wrong packaging, and a personality too specific for the market it landed in.
The Cars That Stayed With Us
Some of the most iconic discontinued models share that story. Bold personalities. Perfect timing that somehow still missed. Vehicles the world moved on from but enthusiasts never forgot.
The original Volkswagen Beetle brought joy and quirkiness to millions before production ended. The Ford Thunderbird defined elegance and effortless cool across multiple generations. The DeLorean DMC-12 was unconventional, visionary, and unlike anything else on the road.
Each one discontinued. Each one unforgettable.
So Which One Are You?
If you were a discontinued car model, which would it be? The bold and powerful GTO? The warm and cheerful Beetle? The effortlessly stylish Thunderbird? The mysterious and ahead-of-its-time DeLorean?
Take the quiz below and find out which discontinued car model matches your personality. Eight questions, no wrong answers, and a result that might surprise you.
