The 50 Most Underappreciated Cars of All Time
 

After encountering a vehicle disabling event in my RAV4 Prime today that couldn't be technologically possible last year, I'm longing for the good old days and ran into this article tonight that rubbed it in.

It isn't complete for some here like me (Lotus 7), but it's a trip through memory lane. I've owned 14 of those listed and have the best memories about the Avanti and Alfa. How about you?

https://www.insidehook.com/feature/5...-cars-all-time

Ftfy

LOL Not to bad at a total of 5 I have only owned 10% of that list!

Yeah, some of the best stuff didn't make the cut but counted at least 34 of the 50 that were sold outside North America.

I'd have added Holden Monaro sold here as Pontiac GTO.

Thanks for sharing.!
It always makes me second guess myself when I see these. My first car was an 86 Starion but I sold it to keep my Frs. Part of me wishes I kept her and swapped in a reliable motor with the money I would of got from the zn6 ^^;

I've owned exactly none of them.

0% uptake here as well.

Gosh! the Corvette is sooo underappreciated they had to list it twice.
Underwhelmed!

I wonder if they realize they forgot the Mitsubishi Starion?! And the Celica AllTrac? Neither of these cars get attention. If you want to get technical, the Plymouth Laser sure didn't get any attention, only the Eagle and Mitsubishi offerings are well known

I've owned 4 and had access to 4 more I drove regularly in the family. There's a lot of cars on this list I would happily drive today.

Had:
Chevrolet Corvair
Mercury Cougar
Chevrolet Monte Carlo
AMC Eagle (x 2)
Dodge D100


I would take any of the ones (well maybe not the truck) I had again since now they wouldn't be old beaters that I just kept going because they were dirt cheap. I would do them up right. There are many others on the list that I would take as a toy.

Had:

Corvair (although technically my Grandmother's but it was my ride for several months so may be in the "access to" category)
Monte Carlo
Fiat X1/9
MR2

Had access to:

Ranchero
Cougar
Dodge D100
Prelude (multiple versions)

The Dodge truck attracted rust so I doubt many of them are still around. Of the others, I'd take one in good shape. Would love an old Cougar with the hideaway headlights. And of course, the MR2.

Not exactly the same since it was a W200 but we used the military pattern Power Wagons a lot back in the 70s. I still see a bunch of them around (no longer military of course) so somehow they escaped the rust issues.
https://images-wixmp-ed30a86b8c4ca88...NJ_43hyKUozwv8

I've had zero, but will gladly take an LC500 to make the list.

How do Corvettes,MR2,CRX,Alfa’s ,Miata’s get on a list of Underappreciated cars?
They were pretty high on my appreciative list at the time!

I only managed to snag ONE on this list and Im still keeping it for a few more years. See sig… Exactly like in their picture.

It was one of my stranger car buying choices by far. Previously I had Preludes, Si, SIR
Had 3 decades of regular if not monthly Theft ,vadelism and Hit & run history with my cars as happens when you work shift & Overnight in the big Shitty. After 14 years it does not even have a major door ding yet. At the time I no longer believed I was allowed to have a nice vehicle. And this funny looking thing was parked in the corner of the Honda lot. The salesman gave me the keys to try it out solo… what a step down I thought as I sat in it, but quite liked the sound the 100 or so Hamsters made when stepped on and reminded me of my 89 SI in so many ways.

Unbelievably practical for the size. Cheap maintenance exept for my habit of Grenadeing pressure plates every 100K KM.(have a Stage 1 ready on standby got real cheap for the next time) and eats inside rear SDrives tires for some reason. Call it my secret sports car when Im in town. The best is it’s always in the same place I left it!

Cars not mainstream I always liked and appreciate seeing are Jensen Interceptors and Javelin’s…

Even if these lists are doomed to be flawed, It brings back memories of knowing someone who had one.

The Starion is the 23rd one down? They have a picture of the flatty but the text does mention the widebody.

We are the oddballs. This list is underappreciated by the bulk of the consumers not "car guys". Even the worst appreciated cars have their following that don't understand why nobody else likes them.


I have owned a few others I would add to the list of unappreciated. You may notice a trend.
https://i.pinimg.com/originals/b3/e1...3cf5169a89.jpg
https://vignette.wikia.nocookie.net/...20180409142153
https://thumbor-production-auction.h...5/31774/17.jpg
https://encrypted-tbn0.gstatic.com/i...c4L2A&usqp=CAU

I must've missed it! Thank you, I have renewed appreciation for this article

Was looking at Gremlins back in 76-77 as a first car, still Like the Chopped off rear look.

One thing I really missed this year is doing my rounds on Sunday mornings at the old car shows. The regulars always show up but once in a while there are some great cars you don’t get to see these days. Last year a special treat was an immaculate Subaru Brat, I think I only ever saw 2 and that was on camping trips into Vermont early 80's.

Car clubs have been a big nothing burger this year with covid. Such a bummer.

Brats were plentiful in NorCal. I even helped a friend replace a blown motor in his back in the 80's.

I want a supercharged Studebaker Wagonaire. Who wouldn't?!!

I'm in but I have a things for mid 50s to late 60s wagons of any make.

My second car was a light blue (don't remember the official color) '64 Falcon station wagon. Loved that car! it was great for Friday night cruising with the gang.

Pretty much exactly like this one.

https://bringatrailer.com/wp-content...vor_resize.jpg

I also had a red two door coupe Falcon for a while, after the wagon.

I traded my 70 Coronet R/T for a 65 Comet Caliente and a 67 Fairlane 500


Like this only more rough around the edges.


https://cf-img.autorevo.com/1964-mer...jpg?1605391943

What I really want is a 66 or 67 Vista Cruiser. I have all these plans for it when I get one ;) but one of those Wagonaires with the opening roof and factory supercharger would be pretty fkn awesome.

Grand dad had one like this ... sorta.
Got to drive that for high school and haul the nets full of rubber sponge out to the track for high jump and pole vault.
The roof got scratched up a bit. Two door full size wagon low riding.
300 inch straight six, three on the tree and dog dish hubcaps ;)

Attachment 195128

You're weird. Me too. Here's another underappreciated oddball like the one I owned, same color and all. That "little" V8 and 4-on-the-floor was the first drift car for me but thought oversteer was expected coming from a VW Bug. I sold it to a friend who totaled it in the rain the next weekend with me in the passenger seat. I felt worse than him.


https://i.ebayimg.com/00/s/MTA2NlgxN..._id=8800005007

The Pontiac GTO and G8 GT/GXP should have definitely made that list.

I was just going to post the same thing. The G8 GT was a great option to have; I wish it was still around as a new Chevy (but looked similar to the Pontiac styling).

Fun article! It's yet more evidence of just how not right in the head I am. I've had 13 of the cars on that list!

There are so many other cars that could be added. I second the addition of the Pacer (you gotta give AMC credit for trying something different, it could have been so much better with the Wankel engine originally planned for the car) and Gremlin (again, credit for making something different on a limited budget).

I'd add a few more to the list -

1991-1993 Nissan NX2000 and Sentra SE-R - if you've never driven one of these pocket rockets you're missing out. I had a 1992 NX2000 back in the day. It was quirky, fast, a whole lot of fun, and inexpensive. It was even available with T-Tops! At the time it was a budget 300ZX. It's one of the (many) cars I regret selling.

Mazda RX8 - it doesn't have the same love as the RX7, but another car you have to drive to appreciate. Also another one I deeply regret selling.

1992-1996 Mazda MX3 - when was the last time you saw a 1.8 liter V-6 engine in a cheap sporty car? The MX3 was a gift to the entry-level enthusiast community, from a time when Mazda was willing to take risks and offer unique products for small niche markets.

1988-1997 Ford Probe/Mazda MX6 (same chassis, different clothes) - from the heyday of the Ford/Mazda collaboration. The Probe/MX6 wasn't a supercar, but it was notable for being the closest thing to a Honda that a company other than Honda produced. It did everything reasonably well. It was good looking, comfortable, practical, yet available with a V6 engine and manual transmission for driving fun.

2003 Acura CL Type S - the 2001-2003 CL Coupe in general belongs on the list. At the time it was under-appreciated for having overly tame styling (to some). But it was elegant, classy, comfortable, and reliable. In 2003 Acura gave a major gift to the enthusiast community and made a small number of CL Type S Coupes with a 6 speed manual transmission. I was lucky enough to have bought one new, and stupid enough to have sold it.

2002-2007 Infiniti G35 Coupe/2008-2015 G37 Coupe - one of Infiniti's high water marks. It was their attempt to out-BMW BMW, and I think it worked. I owned 3 G Coupes over the years. They were amazing cars. BMW 3-series levels of performance and near-luxury, with a manual transmission but FAR better reliability and lower maintenance costs. The car did everything well. Another one of my many, many automotive mistakes (along with other life mistakes) was selling my last G Coupe, a 2012. I had a hankering for an old-fashioned 'Murican V-8, and was smitten by the new 2015 Mustang GT. Mistake. I foolishly thought Infiniti would always make the G coupe with a stick, and I could always go back. Another mistake. The current Q60 isn't even a shadow of it's former glory (and isn't available with a stick).

2009-2019 Nissan 370Z - it's the car so many people rag on for being 'out of date'. In what way? Naturally aspirated old-school V6 engine, manual transmission, competitive chassis design and weight, analog gauges. What's not to like? The 'infotainment' system? The sound of the engine should be all the 'infotainment' anyone could want, and an iPhone give you a more modern 'user interface'. An old saying is people don't appreciate what they have until it's gone, and I think this car will be one of those.

And, of course, the BRZ/86. It's underappreciated now, and I think in the future it will be looked back on as one of the few, last, and at the time only (other than the Miata) small, lightweight, fun to drive, naturally-aspirated 'old school' sports cars.