Certain cars have such characteristics that they mark an entire era. Because of the lifestyle they embody, or maybe because thanks to a specific car, for the first time an automobile became accessible to a large part of the population that previously couldn't afford it. Sometimes a model represents the rescue of an automaker, or a new beginning... ... (continue reading).
Certain cars have such characteristics that they mark an entire era. Because of the lifestyle they embody, or maybe because thanks to a specific car, for the first time an automobile became accessible to a large part of the population that previously couldn't afford it. Sometimes a model represents the rescue of an automaker, or a new beginning.
Some models remain in production even for decades, being renewed several times. But for many cars sooner or later the time comes that a cycle ends, and they disappear in the collective imagination. It might take several decades for automakers to decide to reintroduce a model, often following the call of a loyal and constantly active fan base.
Essentially, comebacks occur in three completely different ways: 1) by reintroducing the car in a retro style, revisited in a modern key. Many of them were pure economy cars in origin, and are offered today as lifestyle cars. 2) By changing completely the type of car, adapting it to more modern tastes, while basically in the same price range (see the Ford Puma). 3) As an ideal continuation of a car that have been defunct perhaps even for decades, consistent with its characteristics, but without being retro (see, among others, the Chrysler 300 letter series in this list).
The list was compiled by taking into account a proper balance of these elements.
Some of these comebacks were unlucky, and disappeared very soon. Others have disappeared, but another return has already been announced (see the Lancia Delta). But some have succeeded – both in sales numbers and popularity – in matching the success of their illustrious ancestors.
Just rebadged cars, like the latest Lancia Thema, have not been considered. Following the spirit of this list, only cars accessible to a wide range of customers have been included, ruling out more exclusive or even limited cars, like the Ford GT.
10) Fiat 500 
The Fiat 500 was introduced in 1936 and has represented for many Italians the first possibility to buy a car, thanks to its affordable price. The first generation is known as Topolino (literally little mouse, but also the Italian name of Mickey Mouse)... ..well, because of its resemblance to a mouse.
But the great success came in 1957, with its successor, the Nuova 500. It remained almost unchanged throughout its production, until 1975 (its successor, the Fiat 126, had already been introduced in 1972).
It’s well known that the Fiat 500 has a place in the collective imagination around the world, closely associated with its country of origin and its lifestyle. Although in 1991 a new model with the name "Cinquecento" (which means 500 in Italian) has been introduced, it was the 2007 model that marked the return of the 500. Reintroduced as a lifestyle car, it was an immediate success both in terms of public and sales, capable to re-engage with the characteristics of the original model. The most recent version, New 500, is a BEV.
Undoubtedly one of the most successful comebacks in the history of cars.
9) Chrysler 300 letter series 
The story of the Chrysler 300 letter series began in 1955, although it was not called 300 a (but c - 300), and renewed every year with sequential letters until the 300 L of 1965 (skipping the "I", however). Conceived as high performance personal luxury cars, the 300 continued with subsequent versions, but as non- letter cars.
It was more than 30 years later, in 1998, that Chrysler decided to continue the list of letter cars, exactly from where it had ended, with the 300M. It represented in all aspects the ideal continuation of the series, adapted to the modern characteristics of the Chrysler brand.
However, the following generation was called 300C , and the one still in production is simply the Chrysler 300.
8) Volkswagen Beetle 
Since its introduction in 1938, the Volkswagen Beetle has represented for decades exactly what its brand name stands for: a people’s car. And as for the first generation Fiat 500 ("Topolino"), it gets its nickname for its resemblance with a creature from the animal kingdom. … …It’s up to you to decide whether inside your garage you would rather run into a small mouse or a beetle.
Conceived as an affordable and practical car, its popularity spread further through Disney’s film series about "Herbie".
In 1974, after more than 15 million produced cars, it has been replaced in the VW lineup by the Golf, although its production continued in Mexico until 2003.
The "New Beetle" has been produced since 1997, and was among the first cars with a retro style. For the latest version, the original name "Käfer" was also used for the German market, as well as some translations. However, it was not as successful as hoped, and its production ended in 2019.
7) Ford Puma 
Although largely unknown outside the European market, the Ford Puma is part of this list because it represents a (successful) example of a car completely readjusted to modern tastes, and reintroduced after many years of absence inside of a completely renewed lineup. And especially adapted to market needs that have radically changed in the meantime. Produced from 1997 until 2002, the first Puma was a small coupe.
Since the end of its production, the name Puma has disappeared from the Ford lineup. And in view of the increasingly sparse demand for small coupes, there could hardly have been any speculation about its comeback. However, a model with the same name has reappeared from 2019, but this time as a crossover SUV.
Its success is also demonstrated by the fact that shortly after its presentation, the Ford Puma became among the best-selling Ford model in the UK.
6) Alfa Romeo Giulia 
Together with the Giulietta, this is a name that evokes immediate emotions in the mind of many car enthusiasts, even before visualizing one of the models which have succeeded over the decades.
Its history began in 1954 as the Alfa Romeo Giulietta (… …yes, the Italian title of "Romeo & Juliet is exactly "Romeo & Giulietta). The name Giulia appeared for the first time for its successor, in 1962 (… …well, let's say that somehow she became adult). However, its successor was named Giulietta again. The name disappeared from 1985.
The call for a return of a Giulia has become more and more insistent over the years. While the Giulietta made its return in the Alfa Romeo lineup in 2010 (to disappear again in 2020), the return of the Giulia occurred in 2015, and has been restyled recently. It has received numerous awards in particular for its design and its sporty driving characteristics.
5) Ford Thunderbird 
The Thunderbird, known as the T-Bird and produced since 1955, is considered one of the classics of American automotive engineering. It symbolizes the 1950s and 1960s in the United States. The name "Thunderbird" stands for one of the longest continuously used product names in automotive history, comparable to Corvette or Mustang.
Over the course of the 10 different generations of its first production cycle, it underwent radical changes. At the end of the 10th generation, production of the Thunderbird ended.
In 2002, Ford launched the eleventh generation, an entirely new model with a retro design that was intended to be a reminiscence of the original Thunderbird of the years 1955 to 1957. Unfortunately, it failed to meet the public's taste. Neither did it convince many fans of the classic version, nor did it succeed in winning enough new fans to continue its production. After more than three million produced cars and a total of eleven generations, the last Ford Thunderbird rolled off the production line on July 1, 2005.
4) Mini 
The original Mini has been produced from 1959 to 2000. Like other iconic vehicles, it was born out of the need to offer an economical and practical car. More than a real comeback, the current Mini is a complete relaunch, since it was intended to replace the original Mini (even if the new Mini is technically unrelated to the old version).
Even more than in sales, the new version (as it is known owned by the BMW group), has succeeded not less than the original one in becoming part of contemporary pop culture.
Sure, it might be easy to attribute much of the success to the well-executed retro look. But the examples of VW Beetle and Ford Thunderbird (just to name cars of this list) show that it may not be enough. It is equally important to capture the spirit of the car, adapt it to today's market needs, and know how to transfer the design philosophy to different variants.
3) Renault 4 / 5 
The Renault 4 and Renault 5 were small cars, the first produced until 1992, the second until 1996. Over nine million R5s were sold in just two generations, making it the most popular car in France for many years, while the design of the R4 has undergone only marginal restylings in more than 30 years of production.
Their comeback, announced in 2021, was met with great surprise. Just as other manufacturers' historic cars, re-presented over the years in retro style, the R4 (now called Renault 4ever) and the new R5, both electric vehicles, are not going to reoccupy their original position as economic cars in the brand's lineup.
The interesting aspect of this revival is that the two cars are presented with two different concepts: while the Renault 5 is styled very closely to the original, the R4 is repurposed as a crossover, thus with a style adapted to contemporary trends, but certainly different than the original.
2) Dodge Challenger 
Powerful cars had to face really hard times after the 1973 oil crisis, that essentially translates into one word: downsizing.
While it was an excellent opportunity for compact cars, especially foreign ones - like the Honda Civic, VW Golf or Toyota Corolla – to establish themselves in the U.S. market, American cars have been downsized considerably over the course of just a few years. For Pony / Muscle cars this meant one thing in particular: losing substantial part of their original essence. In fact, the second generation of the Challenger was a rebadged Mitsubishi.
While the Ford Mustang has been produced without interruption until today, and the Chevrolet Camaro vanished from the lineup for only eight years, from 2002 to 2010, the Challenger disappeared from the market in 1983, to reappear exactly a quarter century later, in 2008.
1) Lancia Delta
Although the brand Lancia has always been associated with premium/luxury vehicles, the Delta became most famous for its successes in sports, specifically in Rally. Designed by the legendary Giugiaro, it was already considered a living legend when the first generation was still in production.
The second generation, however, couldn't achieve a similar success. Production of the Delta ended in 1999.
The third generation of Delta was introduced after 9 years of absence, in 2008 (and shortly after also in the U.S., rebadged as Chrysler Delta). It was not a compact car, like its 2 predecessors, but a middle class car. This is also why it was received with mixed feelings especially by the fans of the first generation: they simply did not recognize a true Delta in it.
Production ended in 2014, but the appeal towards a Delta similar to the original has remained strong over the years. A rebirth of the Delta has been announced for 2028.
