Do You Remember These Cars?

At one point, these cars ruled the roads. Maybe they were best-sellers, maybe they had cultural cachet. Either way—today, they have neither. Sure, car people and gearheads might remember them (fondly or otherwise)—but their place in public conversation has disappeared faster than a GPS signal in a tunnel.

So, do you remember these cars?

Triumph Dolomite

Movie fans might be familiar with the 1975 Blaxploitation film Dolemite—and geography nerds will know all about the Dolomites, an Italian mountain range. But would any of them remember the Triumph Dolomite automobile?

In America, you have an excuse to not remember it, given that it wasn't as successful here as it was overseas. But in Europe and Australia, this rear-wheel drive sports sedan was quite the popular vehicle in the 1970s.

Subaru SVX

Folks in Japan might remember it as the Subaru Alcyone SVX—while to us here in North America, it was just the SVX. Produced in the 90s, this sports car with the aircraft-inspired "window-within-a-window" side glass, had its fans—and you'll still see a few of these things on the road even today. But how many people know what they're looking at when they see it? Probably not many.

GMC Syclone

This high-speed, high-power pickup truck from GMC was much-loved for the year it was available. But yes, it was only produced for one year. Folks who were around in 1991 still pine for this one—while the rest of you don't even remember it ever existed.

Plymouth Road Runner

The Plymouth brand was produced by Chrysler from 1928 until 2001. So, there are probably folks who don't even remember the entire brand, let alone some of its specific cars—like the very cool-looking Plymouth Road Runner which it produced from 1968 to 1975.

Nissan NX2000

In 1992, Road & Track magazine included the NX2000 among cars like the Acura NSX, Porsche 911, and Lotus Elan—in a test of the world's best-handling cars. As more and more things from the 90s become cool again, maybe more people will remember the Nissan NX2000.

Maserati Biturbo

Do you remember the Maserati Merak? Yes, most of us remember this widely-successful Maserati. Well, the Biturbo is the can they put out after the Merak. Maserati made their play for the middle-class market with this stylish car, but it's probably fair to say it got overshadowed in our auto memories by the Merak.

Oldsmobile Cutlass

From 1961 to 1999, there was some kind of Cutlass being made. From compact to luxury, the Cutlass name was being used as a sub-marque by Oldsmobile, with a bunch of lines bearing the name: Cutlass Calais, the midsize Cutlass Ciera, and the Cutlass Cruiser station wagon, to name a few.

Which Cutlasses do you remember and which have been completely forgotten?

Mercury Bobcat

Based on the Ford Pinto, the Mercury Bobcat has a much better reputation but isn't as remembered (although, not being remembered as one of the worst cars ever made—as the Pinto is–is probably a good thing). The Bobcat was an important car in making Mercury a success, and if you do remember this one, you probably remember it pretty fondly.

Pontiac Solstice

The Solstice was Pontiac's answer to the Mazda Miata—and it was a pretty big hit with buyers when it launched in 2004. However, it couldn't save Pontiac. The Pontiac division was closed soon after the 2008 recession and the Solstice ended its run not long after that.

Mitsubishi Starion

The Mitsubishi Starion (known as the Chrysler Conquest in North America) was one of the first Japanese turbocharged, fuel-injected sports cars and was pretty important in Mitsubishi's 80s portfolio of cars. It definitely had a distinctive look and style that helped it stand out—and was also the first production car to employ ABS.

Chevrolet Apache

Introduced for light-duty trucks in 1958, the Apache made quite the impression on the auto market all those decades ago. It might be fair to say that the Apache is the reason Chevy trucks became what they are today and that we wouldn't have the popular Silverado series had the Apache not been as stylish and popular as it was.

Isuzu Impulse RS

The Isuzu Impulse RS looks very 1980s—and we mean that in a good way. The distinctive styling and power mean that those who remember it are very excited when they find one. However, as well as they sold back in the day, Impulses are pretty rare these days (probably adding to their forgettability).

Ferrari Mondial

This one is a little different in that the reason it was so well-known back in the day was because of the fact that even the slightest rear-end collision would cause the car to blow up. Ferrari faced lots of bad press and lawsuits over it (as you might imagine). So, if you do remember the Mondial, it's probably because of that.

Chevrolet Corsica

Although they were everywhere in the late 80s and much of the 90s, some might say that the Chevrolet Corsica was already pretty forgettable back then. And even if you never owned one, there's probably a good chance you drove one if you ever rented a car.

Mitsubishi Galant VR4

With all-wheel drive, four-wheel steering, and a turbocharged engine, the VR4 seemed to have it all and sales numbers suggest people liked what they saw. But would you recognize one if you saw it on the road today?

Subaru BRAT

The Subaru Bi-drive Recreational All-Terrain Transporter (BRAT) was weird. This car/truck mashup with exterior rear-facing seats certainly had its fans, and still does. But most people probably don't have any idea what they're looking at when one drives by.

Chevy Nova

With the original run between 1968 and '79, the powerful Chevy Nova had quite a lot of fans and is no doubt fondly remembered by many. But its cult classic status means the general public has, unfortunately, all but forgotten about this iconic muscle car.

Dodge Dart

Although the name was revived in 2012, the new Dodge Dart wasn't anything special and barely made an impression with consumers. However, the original Dart that was produced in the 60s and 70s—that's the one that made an impression (good and bad) but has mostly been forgotten.

Ford Thunderbird

Yes, we know—to some, saying that the Ford Thunderbird is forgotten is crazy. But, as popular as the T-Bird was in its day, the truth is that the modern age has started to forget this gorgeous vehicle.

Toyota Celica

Produced from 1971 to 2006, the Celica was a popular sports car that at least one of your high school friends owned back in the day. However, with it having been almost 20 years since the last Celica drove off the lot, memories have faded on this one.

VW Karmann Ghia

This oddly-named offering from Volkswagen was a luxury car at an affordable price and it was hit in North America—where it sold over 360,000 units. The Italian-inspired design allowed it to stand out from other VW offerings and while it is now a very coveted collectible—the general public seems to have forgotten all about this one.

Chevrolet Vega

The Chevy Vega started off very popular—even taking home Motor Trend's Car of the Year award in 1971. However, issues with reliability and durability plagued the car in the years following—and its popularity fell rather drastically.

Suzuki Samurai

Introduced in 1985, the fun and affordable Suzuki Samurai was a very popular car in America (and around the world). However, a 1988 Consumer Reports article about the rollover concerns with the Samurai led to a steep drop off in sales in North America. Maybe one reason it has been all but forgotten?

AMC Eagle

The AMC Eagle was a mild hit upon its release in the early 80s, as buyers were intrigued by the four-wheel drive on a regular car (something that wasn't the norm back then). However, after pretty solid sales for the first couple years, the Eagle saw those sales numbers dip after that, until being discontinued in 1987.

Jeep Wagoneer

To be fair, if you had one of these wood-paneled bad boys in the 80s, there is no way you would ever forget about it. Luxury and power combined in this one and the nostalgia former owners have for their Wagoneers is something special. However, today when people think of Jeep—they think Cherokee and Wranglers, but not Wagoneer.

Ford Tempo

The Ford Tempo was produced for 10 years from 1984 to 1994 and it was one of the top 10 best-selling cars in America for many of those years. Affordability and fuel efficiency were key factors in making it such a popular car (because it definitely wasn't its design aesthetic).