Why is it that all the interesting car companies are the ones that always die?
10.) Oldsmobile
If there's some space for them on the market, GM should find it again. Pcleez
The Oldest surviving American brand at its death: Oldsmobile. They built some badass cars back in the day. Stylish and technologically advanced (first automatic tranny!), yet affordable alternative to Chevy. That is, until GM turned them into terrible, boring, Chevy clones. And then murdered them.
Suggested By: Pcleez, Photo Credit: That Hartford Guy
9.) Alpine
While we realize Matra was way too crazy for this world, France deservers its own 911 fighter. Renaultsport knows how to make fast hatchbacks, but it's time for some rear-wheel drive action. With a manual.
Suggested By: gijsv, Photo Credit: Alexandre Prévot
8.) Saturn
Affordable compacts and fantastic customer service. Plastic fantastic. My X-type is too a real Jaguar:
Saturn, before GM ruined it and killed it. They made good, affordable, small cars with interesting features, but the kicker was the dealer experience. It was better than BMW, Mercedes or any other high end dealer and a hell of a lot better than Toyota or Honda.
Also they did not package their options, You want manual Window, Manual Locks and a power sunroof? Yes you can have that. You want a stripped out car with only AC and Cruise Control? Yes you can have that. They would build you the exact car you wanted. And when it showed up it had a nice note in the glove box.
It was the most customer friendly car buying and owning experience I have ever experienced.
Suggested By: My X-type is too a real Jaguar, Photo Credit: ljguitar
7.) Studebaker
To be honest, I just want an Avanti. With a four-speed stick. Ehisforadam:
I have a huge soft spot for Studebaker since I was born in South Bend and they had some truly wild and unique cars and ideas.
Suggested By: biglick2014, Photo Credit: RiverRatt3
6.) DeTomaso
Putting an LS or a Ford Modular into a modern Italian chassis would rock the world so hard...
Suggested By: DennyCraneDennyCraneDennyCrane, Photo Credit: Jack Snell - USA
5.) AMC
Having only the Big Three is getting boring. JEM:
Oh hell yes.
America needs a good value brand with kitsch. Hell, that's got hipster sales success written all over it.
Suggested By: MrTheEngineer, Photo Credit: Hugo90
4.) Duesenberg
There's a lot of new money out there, but Cord or Packard won't do it. America needs a new Duesenberg against the German Bentleys and Rolls-Royces.
An über Cadillac in the name of American ultra-lux?
Suggested By: macanamera, Photo Credit: Getty Images
3.) Triumph
The marque is currently owned by BMW. Go figure! BiTurbo228 - Garagista has a few ideas:
Here's how the lineup would go:
-3-series fighting compact sports saloon (Dolomite successor)
-5-series fighting executive saloon (2000 successor)
-MX-5/Miata fighting small sports car (Spitfire successor)
-Z4 fighting sports car (TR successor)
-SL fighting GT (Stag successor)
Actually, if I was really going to try and resurrect Triumph I'd go down an entirely different route.
I'd start by making a tube-framed kit-car small sports car. Like a Caterham 7, but with sex appeal. Perhaps powered by the Triumph triple motorbike engine, or maybe a development of the old, manic K-series. Failing that, any suitably nutty I4 would work.
Make it light, easy to work and a bit of a mentalist to drive. Target market: Caterham and Morgan 3-wheeler buyers, and Triumph loyalists excited about the return of the marque.
If that pans out well, make a new TR. Same format, but bigger. I6 powered. Target market: slightly richer Triumph loyalists, people who would buy a TVR if they actually sold cars
If that pans out well too, approach Jaguar and see if they'd be interested in taking on Triumph as a sub-brand. If they're interested, start development on a RWD hatch (and hot hatch variant) to compete with the BMW 1-series.
Beyond that, a FWD supermini/city car would be good :)
Suggested By: BiTurbo228 - Garagista, Photo Credit: exfordy
2.) Pontiac
Can you imagine Burt Reynolds or David Hasselhoff in a Buick? Exactly.
Suggested By: RazoE, Photo Credit: exfordy
1.) Saab
What you see in the picture is the last Saab 9-5 Sedan ever built.
NEVER FORGET!
Suggested By: SlabSheetrock, Photo Credit: SonnergardWelcome back to Answers of the Day - our daily Jalopnik feature where we take the best ten responses from the previous day's Question of the Day and shine it up to show off. It's by you and for you, the Jalopnik readers. Enjoy!
Top Photo Credit: Benoit cars