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

We’ve all thought about getting one, but then comes the fear of never finding the parts you need because the manufacturer's not around these days. Daily driving an orphaned car can be spooky, but these rides should be fairly easy to keep on the road
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.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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.

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Comments

240sx ftw

First

01/11/2016 - 20:12 |
1 | 13
SkylinePowaaah(Miata Squad)

In reply to by 240sx ftw

Seriously? XD

01/11/2016 - 20:16 |
1 | 0
Anonymous

Merkur XR4Ti???WTF?!:DD
Its a Ford Siera XR4

01/11/2016 - 20:16 |
85 | 6
Thecrazyman

In reply to by Anonymous (not verified)

That’s how they renamed it for the US market.

01/11/2016 - 20:39 |
14 | 0
Anonymous

In reply to by Anonymous (not verified)

No it’s not a Xr4i.
The Xr4ti is reinforced much more than the Xr4i from Europe
The rear panel is also different, the hood/bonnet is higher, the tail wing has a 3rd brake light and the doors are reinforced and the “Xr4i” window is clear with no text or stripes at all and the bumpers weigh a ton!
But it looks like an Xr4i.!
Ive got both plus some more..
Www.facebook.com/KNCustom

01/11/2016 - 23:49 |
5 | 2
Kevin B

Well you can’t really say that as most of them are from GM Ford or Chrysler, and could have been from any brand. Then why not an AMC Medallion, oh wait… :)

01/11/2016 - 20:22 |
0 | 0
R60JCW

This is an awsome daily! Who needs bootspace when you can fly to the future!

01/11/2016 - 20:25 |
11 | 0
Anonymous

In reply to by R60JCW

Just get rid of that awful, awful, awful engine.

01/11/2016 - 20:36 |
10 | 0
Fastlane Blocker

Well then Sierra is a good daily in Germany. No problems with parts and car is tough. Wanted one as a drift beater. good Car for starters, little body role makes it easier to feel the limit and the Power to rear wheels, just weld the diff. The other cars on the List, never seen them around, the Firebird maybe.

01/11/2016 - 21:13 |
1 | 0

It’s not bad even with 2.0 120hp engine, and it can sound suprisingly muscular if you fit your exhaust right

01/11/2016 - 21:57 |
0 | 0
Jakob

Honestly I don’t understand why the Sierra XR4Ti didn’t sell so good in the US. I mean, it’s 200 bhp in a Ford Sierra, that’s not bad at all. The European XR4i had just 150 bhp and the early Cosworth models had no more than 200 bhp either. Sure an XR4Ti will never come really close to a Sierra Cosworth, but the power difference isn’t that huge.
And ask yourself: would you rather have a Mustang with 2.3 litre I4 or a Sierra with 2.3 litre I4?

01/11/2016 - 21:29 |
0 | 0
WellitsjustAdam

In reply to by Jakob

Well as far as I know the xr4ti in America only came with a 4 speed auto and costed quite a bit of money.

01/11/2016 - 21:34 |
0 | 0
RomanianRacer

Lol the talon owners and breaking DSM motors be like…

01/11/2016 - 21:48 |
17 | 0

DSMs are an addiction, once you have one you’ll never go without

01/12/2016 - 00:53 |
0 | 0

Believe me, I know.

01/12/2016 - 01:32 |
7 | 1
Anonymous

This list is really cringe worthy reminds me of a trailer park car show

01/11/2016 - 22:19 |
3 | 6
Trevon

In reply to by Anonymous (not verified)

That’s what you get with articles coming from South Dakota. The car scene is pathetic there.

01/11/2016 - 23:49 |
1 | 7
Anonymous

the eagle talon is a eclipse and the merkur XR4Ti is a ford sierra hatch or station wagon here in austria and the trans am is a trans am … you can get all sorts of parts for this types of cars so no problem …

01/11/2016 - 23:33 |
0 | 0
Anonymous

I’d like to add Dodge Stealth to the list as it’s basically a Mitsubishi 3000GT. Quite a fun car with the V6 engine and (in my opinion) is a better choice than the Eagle mentioned above.

01/11/2016 - 23:37 |
0 | 0
Anonymous

In reply to by Anonymous (not verified)

Someone didn’t read the title. “… from companies that don’t exist anymore.” I’m fairly certain that dodge still exists.

01/12/2016 - 00:39 |
0 | 0