They Don't Make 'Em Like They Used To...

WARNING: This story has been posted by an otherwise car-loving commuter who Still Needs To Learn How To Drive.

From MSN Carpoint: Here is this year's list of ten vehicle models that will no longer be offered next year. The article cites the various reasons for the phaseout of certain models, from lagging sales (and the popularity of "utility" vehicles) to possible redevelopment, and (in the case of Oldsmobile) the phaseout of entire brands.

The vehicles named on this list may actually come as a surprise...

...because some of the vehicles on this list happen to be the darlings of the American car-collecting set. Take, for instance, the Chrysler Prowler, basically the last of the great hot rods. (The bulk of this year's Prowlers are currently being sold off as "collector's editions" featuring rare paint finishes.) Or the Chevy Camaro, long synonymous with the phrase "muscle car" in the same way that the Acura Integra will soon be associated with the phrase "rice rocket." Some of the 2002 models are but a pale shadow of the originals, to be quite honest (check out this Lincoln Continental and tell me if this ain't the same), but it's still a surprise to find out that some of these cars are even being manufactured at all.

Comments

I'm surprised that the Camaro's going. I guess, as usual, Hawaii's buying patterns are out of step with the rest of the country. That's a name guaranteed to return, though. As long as its second coming isn't like the Chevy Nova's. (Bleaugh.)

I'm not surprised the Lincoln pickup truck is going, though. I mean, a Lincoln pickup?

I've been prematurely mourning the loss of the entire Oldsmobile nameplate for a while now. And it really seemed they had revitalized the brand in the late '90s, too. Ah well. You can't expect a name that begins with the word "Old" to sell well forever.

(I still miss the old special-edition '79 Olds I owned a few years ago...)

My car was discontinued a couple years ago, and two things happened: first, the value went up (yay!), and second, it shot to #1 on the Most Stolen Cars in America list (boo!). I would know about that firsthand- my baby went missing last December. Bad car thieves!

Lisa - The Acura Integra is no longer in production? (Why am I doing the happy dance? Oh yeah, I remember now - because of a certain ex-boyfriend who used to drive a riced-up, stickered-and-tricked-to-the-max '94 model. Not sexy.) Sounds like those car thieves are on a "rice" binge, too, since the Honda Accord and the Toyota Camry have ruled the list in these past few years.

(Either that, or they got the wrong idea after watching The Fast and The Furious.)

Speaking of cars and sexy - as much as I bemoan the new Lincoln Continental, I read in one magazine that it has topped a highly subjective list of best cars in which to, ahem, get biz-ay.

ARGH! Why must I be tormented like this? Now it'll be harder to find my dream car, a dealer modified Camaro. And when I do.. it won't have a warranty!

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