You can never have too much of a good thing, expect with cars. No matter how great a car is the manufacturer will eventually kill it off – like your favourite pet dog.
In memory of all the cars that have gone to ‘The Big Farm’ out wesht, here are JOE’s top five cars we wish were still in production. Rust in peace fellas…
1963 Chevrolet Sting Ray
One of the most iconic cars of yesteryear – or 1963 to be specific – was the Chevrolet Corvette C2, or the Sting Ray as it was affectionately known. The Sting Ray was one of the quintessential American Muscle cars of the 60’s and was made famous for being ahead of the competition when it came to performance.
In its day, the C2 Sting Ray could reach 0 to 60 in 5.6 seconds, which was pretty amazing stuff back then. The car only ran for about six years before Chevrolet decided to pull the plug.
VW Van
If there was ever a mode of transportation that should have stuck around for the hipster, it should have been the 1950’s Volkswagen Transporter, better known as the VW Van. The Transporter would become a classic 60’s icon, standing for more than just a means of transportation.
The Transporter brought a new sense of freedom to those who bought it, as the camper allowed people to live comfortably in it for days on end. It also gave the hippies somewhere ‘hang out’… man.
Mercedes Benz 300 SL
If we could resurrect a two-seater sports car from the past, it would have to be the Mercedes Benz 300 SL. Okay, so Mercedes did release the SLS AMG designed by their in-house tuning team AMG. The SLS AMG is somewhat of a homage to the 300 SL – but it’s not the same. It’s like when The Who go on tour – good but just… not the same.
A lot of the success that Mercedes experienced early on in the US was actually thanks to the 300 SL, which sold like fresh hot buns in post-war America. So we have a lot to be thankful for when it comes to the gull-wing beauty that is the 300 SL.
Aston Martin DB5
When you see the Aston Martin DB5 three words instantly pop into your head: “Bond, James Bond”. The DB5 is undoubtedly the ultimate Bond car and anyone willing to debate that argument is just plain wrong.
The DB5 was the dream motor of every child (who is of a certain age now) and if it were still in production today, we can only imagine the amount of customisation that we could do to it. Ejector seats, anyone? The car only lasted two years, which is a shame. A couple thousand more on the production line and they wouldn’t be as expensive now.
Delorean DMC 12
The Delorean DMC 12 is like the DB5 in some ways, as the public’s fascination with the car stemmed from its part in a popular movie. That movie was the classic flick Back to the Future, where the car was featured as a time travelling motor machine, once it reached 88mph of course.
Apart from looking like the most futuristic car of its time, the DMC 12 was pretty useless. The car quickly gained a reputation for being unreliable and pretty expensive to run. Coupled with the worst motoring industry the world had seen since the 30’s, the Delorean was doomed to fail during it’s short run in the 80’s. The DMC 12’s legacy still lives on today, but a re-run definitely wouldn’t go amiss.
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