These ten cars were all holdouts of a bygone era.
10.) 1996 Buick Roadmaster Estate
The huge body-on-frame V8 wagon was once a mainstay of suburban driveways in America, but by the mid 1990s it was replaced by the SUVs and minivans. GMs majestic B-Body wagons were the last of the dying breed.
Suggested By: K5ING, Photo Credit: Buick
9.) Ferrari 458
The 458 will be the last Ferrari sports car with a naturally aspirated V8, but beyond that, it’s sort of signals the end of an era for all naturally aspirated sports cars.
Don’t get me wrong, the N/A sports car still has some life left in it, but when Ferrari and soon Porsche are going turbocharged, you know the era is coming to an end.
Suggested By: Hoonidan, Photo Credit: Ferrari
8.) 1959 Cadillac Eldorado
Throughout the 1950s Cadillac kept making their fins bigger and bigger, until 1959 when they reached peak fin.
Appropriately, at the turn of the decade Cadillac began toning down their outlandish design, and an era was ended.
Suggested By: DennyCraneDennyCraneDennyCrane, Photo Credit: Cadillac
7.) Lamborghini Murcielago
Everyone who talks about cars has been bloviating on about how Audi ruined Lamborghini, and that the Diablo was the last real Lambo, but I’m here to set you straight.
The Murcielago was the last old-school Lambo because of its engine, the legendary Bizzarini V12 that could trace its origin all the way back to the 350GT. Couple that with the fact that you could have it with a gated manual and it becomes obvious why this is truly the last old-school Lambo.
Suggested By: TheStigSpanishCousin, Photo Credit: Lamborghini
6.) Ford Excursion
I lament the ends of era that many of the cars on this list represented. Not this one. Good riddance.
Yes, you can still buy a big Chevy Suburban, but they’re not big and excessive on the scale that the Excursion was. This thing was unrepentantly gigantic.
Suggested By: Gamblour, Photo Credit: Ford
5.) Porsche 911 (993)
Not only was the 993 the last air-cooled Porsche, it was really the last old-school Porsche in a variety of ways.
It had an incredibly solid build quality that’s unlike anything you see today, and it was a true sports car. They weren’t trying to make something that was all things to all people, it was just simply a sports car.
Suggested By: evoCS, Photo Credit: Porsche
4.) Dodge Viper (4th Generation)
When they made the 5th generation Viper, Dodge knew they couldn’t sell something quite as insane as the previous one. That’s not to say that the current Viper isn’t wild, but it isn’t actively trying to kill you like the no-electronic-driver-aids Viper that preceded it was.
It was truly the end for the batshit insane, untamed sports car. Amazing that Dodge was able to sell it for as long as they did.
Suggested By: For Sweeden, Photo Credit: Dodge
3.) 1979 Lincoln Continental Collector’s Series
Yes, the Crown Victoria soldiered on well into the 21st Century, but the ‘79 Conti Collectors Series was the last real American land yacht.
Lincoln new an era was ending, so they sold a limited amount of Collector’s Series Conti’s loaded with every option you could get plus a gold grille and a big block V8.
Suggested By: xequar, Photo Credit: Alden Jewell
2.) 1993 Dodge Ram
In 1994 Dodge unveiled a new Ram that heralded the end for the honest work truck. Sure, you could (and still can) get a stripped out model, but the full sized truck’s climb upmarket began here.
That means that the 1993 Ram marks the end of the era of the full-sized truck as a tool.
Suggested By: clutchshiftington, Photo Credit: Alden Jewell
1.) Duesenberg Model J
How’s this for bad timing? Dusenberg released the incredibly majestic Model J in 1928, one year before the stock market collapsed. Shit.
It soldiered on until 1937, but this car was really the end of the incredibly majestic American luxury car, and a symbol for the death of the 1920s.
Suggested By: Brian, The Life of, Photo Credit: RM Auctions
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Top Photo Credit: Dodge
Contact the author at chris@jalopnik.com.