It’s common practice in the motoring industry for cars to be discontinued after a while.
Some just pass their sell-by date, others prove to be unsuccessful in sales and others simply just make way for new machinery.
But sometimes, a car will go out of production too soon in the eyes of many, and it’s not long until a comeback is clamoured by the masses. So, we’ve come up with 10 discontinued cars we think need to make a return.
Lancia Stratos
One of rallying’s most legendary icons, the Stratos is something any car enthusiast would have on their drive.
Featuring a Ferrari-designed V6 engine, the Stratos was a real supercar that so happened to be handy on the dirty, winning the World Rally Championship in 1974, 1975 and 1976.
It went out of production in 1978, and although there was attempt by one enthusiast in 2010 to revive the name, Lancia themselves have not explored a replacement. Maybe now is the time…
Mazda RX-7
Sure, Mazda created a successor to the RX-7 with the RX-8, but despite it being a perfectly fine machine in its own right, it never quite had the appeal of its predecessor.
With sleek and sexy styling, coupled to a glorious rotary engine, the RX-7 is a legend of the 90s and will no doubt be a future classic. Mazda just needs to take the essence of that car and create an icon of today.
Lotus Elan
The Lotus Elan was so good, it was said to inspire the Mazda MX-5.
It’s about as Lotus as a car can get — no compromise in the search of lightness, while delivering an unrivalled driving experience.
In fact, McLaren F1 designer Gordon Murray said the only disappointment he had with his hypercar creation was that he “couldn't give it the perfect steering of the Lotus Elan”.
Go on Lotus, you know a new one makes sense…
Volkswagen Scirocco
Recently discontinued in favour of Volkswagen’s T-Roc SUV, the Scirocco’s discontinuation illustrated the changing trends of today’s car market.
While we understand that most buyers don’t want a compact coupe, we were still sad to see the Scirocco go.
It boasted good looks combined with the impressive driving dynamics of the Volkswagen Golf. We’re still holding out for a new generation someday…
Ford Capri
If your dad or grandad didn’t own a Ford Capri, it’s the car they definitely lusted after.
It brought coupe ownership to the masses and is often considered the British Mustang.
The last example rolled off the production line in 1986, which for us, is 31 years too long…
Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution
Perhaps the most iconic car to come from Mitsubishi, the Lancer Evolutions are just a few airbags away from being a pure rally car from the road.
With high power turbocharged engines, the Evos are some of the most sought-after cars from Japan’s bubble era. The Evo X recently went out of production, but here’s hoping an XI is not far in the horizon…
Subaru Forester STI
In 2004, Japan got a rather special version of the otherwise mundane Forester — the STI.
It took the internals from the Impreza WRX STI and packaged them into the off-roader, creating a practical but very fast monster.
The Forester is still around, as is the WRX STI (although not for long), so surely a resurrection wouldn’t be out of the question.
Toyota Supra
So, the Supra looks set for a comeback, but nothing concrete has been confirmed yet.
The last was made in 2002, and it grew a reputation as a real Japanese supercar — partly in hand to its appearance in the Fast and Furious franchise.
We’ll be keeping our fingers crossed the supposed revival is true…
Nissan Silvia
Sure, Nissan makes the 370Z, but that’s quite a weighty machine.
The Silvias of the 90s were lightweight, with just enough power to have some real fun but not quite enough to be dangerous with.
Think of them in the same vein as the Toyota GT86 — we’re hoping Nissan decides to rival that.
Citroen DS
Citroen split the DS brand in 2015 in an effort to create a premium brand.
If it’s serious about that image, it should make a modern version of the original DS — a high-tech cruiser than oozes style.
Citroen’s last C6 was along those lines, but a modern effort under the DS brand could arguably be the key to the new brand’s success.
