Bygone Builders: Auto Manufacturers Lost To History

Building a car is difficult. Building lots of cars that people want to give you money for is even harder. Since the dawn of the automobile, hundreds of automobile manufacturers have been founded, produced cars, and have gone bust. Some of those builders were absolutely brilliant while others had cars that were too “out there,” too far ahead of their time, or were just plain terrible; like the 1988 Pontiac LeMans, which is unlikely to ever be collectible.

Despite the reasons for failure, some manufacturers shone brightly, and their cars remain today as a legacy of style, innovation, and performance. Here are bygone builders that made some incredible cars.

Studebaker

Packard

DeSoto

Edsel

Duesenberg

Pierce-Arrow

Saab

Iso Autoveicoli S.p.A.

Iso Autoveicoli car company no longer exists

Austin-Healey

LaSalle

Nash Motors

Pegaso

Talbot-Lago

Tucker

Triumph Motor Company

Willys-Overland Motors

Oldsmobile

Stanley Motor Carriage Company

Aerocar International

Marcos Engineering Ltd

B.S. Cunningham Company

Excalibur

Scion

Autobianchi

Mercury

Panhard

Plymouth

Saturn

Dual Ghia

Checker Motors Corporation

the company that made the first yellow taxi no longer exists today

American Motors Corporation

Hummer

Rover

Delorean Motor Company

Mosler

Amphicar

Ascari Cars Ltd.

Cizeta Automobili

Cisitalia

Pontiac

Anyone who has watched Counting Cars is a fan of Danny Koker. He’s the man behind Count’s Kustoms and a very talented mechanic. He’s been turning cars into jaw-dropping pieces of art for decades.

Danny also boasts an impressive collection of over 50 cars, aside from being the owner of Count’s Kustoms and the star of the show. These are the coolest rides in his garage.