Some of the brands who are no longer with us are gladly forgotten, while others left us wonderful memories of motoring days gone by. Join us as we look at some of the best cars built by automakers no longer around:AMC: Eagle (1980)
AMC’s most notable contribution to the automotive edition of Noah’s Arc is the Eagle. It was a family car on stilts which relied on serious four-wheel drive hardware and ample ground clearance to tackle tough trails and knee-deep snow.
In many ways, the Eagle was the modern crossover’s predecessor. Have you noticed the rising popularity of SUV-coupes? AMC did it first with the Eagle SX/4, and it had two doors like a proper coupe should.
So what happened to AMC? The company was bought by France’s Renault in 1979, but AMC’s range of mostly smaller cars suffered as fuel became relatively cheaper during the ‘80s. Renault CEO Georges Besse - who championed the firm’s American presence - was murdered in 1986 by terrorists, and his successors lost interest and sold the firm to Chrysler in 1987, and the AMC badge then quickly came to an end.Austin-Healey: 3000 (1959)
When it made its debut in 1959, the Austin-Healey 3000 stood out with a 3.0-liter engine and front disc brakes. The big Healey was a force to be reckoned with in European rallying events, but convertible-hungry buyers in North American scooped up most of the production run.
It was one of the greatest British sports cars of its era, and it was continuously updated throughout the 1960s.
So what happened to Austin-Healey? The deal between Austin and Healey ended in 1972 after 20 years. There have been talks of a revival since, including under BMW’s ownership of Austin successor company Rover, but nothing has appeared. The name itself is now owned by China’s SAIC. PICTURE: Austin-Healey 3000 Mk3.Autobianchi: A112 Abarth (1971)
When Volkswagen takes credit for pioneering the hot hatch, it overlooks the Autobianchi A112 Abarth.
Admittedly, the A112 was easy to miss due to its Matchbox-like dimensions. It was introduced in September of 1971 (before anyone knew what a Golf was) as a hotter version of Autobianchi’s successful Mini-punching model. Early models used a 58 hp four-cylinder engine, though power climbed to 70 hp later in the production run.
So what happened to Autobianchi? The company was a joint venture between bicycle-maker Bianchi, Pirelli, and Fiat. Fiat took full control in 1968, and then folded the operation into Lancia. The badge disappeared in 1995.Daimler: SP250/Dart (1959)
Once a supplier of motor-cars to royalty, Daimler grew out of the German company, but soon built its own models. The SP250’s engine had an interesting configuration; while being only a 2.5, it was a V8. Elegant but interesting to look at, it was a spirited drive, good for 120mph, and determinedly different from its stately predecessors. It was famously used to police speeds on Britain’s first motorway, the M1.
So what happened to Daimler?
The company was sold to Jaguar in 1960, its cars eventually becoming badge-engineered Jaguar derivatives. The brand disappeared in 2007, though Jaguar still has the right to use the name in many markets, though given it’s now also the name of the parent company of Mercedes-Benz (this story is complicated…), this seems unlikely.De Tomaso: Pantera (1971)
Ferruccio Lamborghini went through the excruciatingly difficult process of developing an entire car from scratch to take down Ferrari. Alejandro De Tomaso took a simpler route: he designed a breathtakingly gorgeous car and bought a V8 from Ford to stuff behind the seats.
America’s appetite for performance cars ensured a steady cash flow for De Tomaso in spite of the Pantera’s quality issues.
Unreliability caused Elvis Presley to shoot his Pantera on numerous occasions, presumably as a punishment. It’s not known if this helped. Ford stopped importing the car to the United States in 1975, but production carried on for other markets (including Europe) until 1992.
So what happened to De Tomaso? De Tomaso merged with Maserati in 1975 and that brand was always more prolific, but De Tomaso sales carried on in small numbers until 2004 when the firm died. The trademark was sold on, and a De Tomaso concept car appeared at the 2011 Geneva motor show, but nothing’s been heard since.Facel Vega: Excellence (1958)
The most luxurious French car you can buy today is about on par with a low-end BMW 5 Series – on a good day. It wasn’t always that way. Facel Vega was a brand favored by the world’s most image-conscious and self-adoring stars, and it built the Excellence to take the fight directly to Rolls-Royce. From its stately design with suicide rear doors to its hand-built interior, the Excellence easily lived up to its name. It served as the flagship for the brand, and for France’s entire automotive industry.
So what happened to Facel Vega? Competition from larger luxury-car rivals like Mercedes-Benz did the company no favors and it closed down in 1964.Hudson: Hornet (1951)
The Hudson Hornet dispels the myth that all American cars looked alike in the 1950s. Granted, it had big round headlights and enough chrome trim to be seen from outer space, but the similarities with its peers stopped there.
It boasted a long, sloping roof line that flowed into a pontoon-like rear end. Were it built today, it’d be classified as a four-door coupe in the same vein as the Mercedes-Benz CLS. It was fast, too; the Hornet dominated NASCAR racing in the early 1950s.
So what happened to Hudson? It merged with Nash-Kelvinator in 1954, to form American Motors (AMC). The Hudson badge survived until 1957.
