6 Awesome Daily Drivers From Manufacturers That Don't Exist Anymore

Throughout the course of automotive history there have been literally hundreds upon hundreds of manufacturers. Many were just flashes in the pan back in the early 20th century, but between global financial woes, rapidly evolving technology, and a global community that doesn’t really know what the hell is going to happen at any given moment, the 21st century isn’t exactly rosy for automakers. Since 2000 the U.S. has lost Mercury, Pontiac, Plymouth and Oldsmobile, and those are just the really big names.

It raises a question that’s become a bit more relevant, at least in the States: is it a good idea to own a daily driver that no longer has any manufacturer support? Having such a vehicle for a project or occasional fun car certainly isn’t a big deal, but what about as a daily? I did it for a year with my Mercury Sable SHO estate, and it was also a one-off custom car to boot. It’s not really much different than just owning an older car where parts become obsolete, but you need to be careful.

Aftermarket companies often pick up the slack for models that were popular or have a strong following, but even then it only takes one critical out-of-production part to ruin everything. Hence why I ended up painting the Sable’s yellowed front light bar instead of replacing it - despite being a mass produced car through the 1980s, I couldn’t even find a decent used one, never mind something aftermarket. And when manufacturers fail, sometime even popular cars can have gaps in available parts inventories.

So with that in mind, here are six American orphans that are fun to drive, relatively inexpensive to buy, and still have enough parts support to be reliable daily drivers.

1. Mercury Marauder

Even without its muscle car fandom, the Marauder would be okay for a while because it’s really a Ford Crown Victoria with the engine from an SVT Cobra Mustang. There’s all kinds of factory and aftermarket support for the Cobra, and there are some law enforcement agencies still driving ‘Vics, so they aren’t disappearing anytime soon. Problems might eventually crop up in sourcing some of the Mercury-specific exterior bits, but that’s still years away.

2. Pontiac Firebird Trans Am

I’m speaking of course about the final generation of Pontiac’s infamous muscle car that disappeared in 2002, but by all means, feel free to daily-drive any Firebird you please. These cars are as popular as ever, and though Pontiac is long gone, factory components from Pontiac’s parent company General Motors are still easy to get for any Trans Am going back through the 1980s. Beyond that, there’s no shortage of rebuilt or aftermarket parts to keep these American muscle icons on the road indefinitely.

3. Eagle Talon

Whether you go for the humdrum base model or the boosted TSi, it’s still a Mitsubishi Eclipse underneath all those Talon body panels. That means sourcing out the mechanical bits - not to mention prolific horsepower upgrades - isn’t a problem and shouldn’t be for some time to come. Things are getting a bit sketchy on the outside though, especially when it comes to lighting components like the Talon’s rear lamp housings. You probably won’t find everything you need at the nearest salvage yard, but thanks to a strong enthusiast community you can get what you need online.

4. Oldsmobile Cutlass Supreme

There have been numerous variations on the Oldsmobile Cutlass since it debuted in the 1960s, and if you want to rock your daily commutes in a vintage 4-4-2, have at it. Granted you’ll spend about $60,000 for one, so perhaps the slightly less fun but more affordable fifth (and final) generation Cutlass Supreme is a better daily choice. The Cutlass Supreme shared its W-body underpinnings with numerous GM models, so parts are still easy to find. I always thought it was the best-looking of the bunch, especially as a convertible, and its 3.4-litre DOHC V6 provided enough punch to let the wind style your hair for you. Find one with the optional heads-up display for an even better time.

5. Saturn Ion Red Line

Saturn was never a particularly popular branch of General Motors, and the Ion wasn’t a terrific looker. But the Red Line edition did have suicide doors similar to the Mazda RX-8 for easier access to the rear seats, and oh yeah, it used the same supercharged four-cylinder found in the Cobalt SS. With a five-speed manual and factory LSD, the Red Line could hit 60mph in a touch over six seconds, and it handled great for a front-wheel driver. They were built for just a few years in the mid-2000s, but mechanical parts are still readily available thanks to its GM heritage. Even the Red Line-specific exterior goodies aren’t hard to come by.

6. Merkur XR4Ti

Of all the cars on this list, the Merkur XR4Ti is the orphan I’ve come closest to owning. It would also be the toughest to keep going as a daily driver, but not impossible by any means. That’s because it’s the American version of the ever-popular European Ford Sierra, though in place of the V6 we got the same turbocharged 2.3-litre four-pot used in the Mustang SVO and Thunderbird Turbo Coupe. That’s a win right there, because the 2.3 still has quite a bit of aftermarket and enthusiast support. Common maintenance items are still available at parts stores, and while body panels and interior bits can be tough to track down, Sierra parts can often be swapped. If all else fails, the XR4Ti has a devout, passionate enthusiast community in the States. It may take a bit of time, but somebody, somewhere can find the parts you need to keep your XR4Ti going.