Man's memory stretches far, except when it comes to cars. Unless someone develops a personal connection with a vehicle or he's a car enthusiast, the average driver isn't going to keep track of all the cars that come and go over the years, and there are certainly a lot of them.

Of the many cars that fade away into obscurity, there are the good, the bad, and the ugly. That proves that even a great car can become forgotten. There are several circumstances that determine a car’s fate. Oftentimes, the politics behind the scenes of producing a car come into play. The timing of when a vehicle rolls out can also play a part if its release coincides with a major historical event. The annals of car history—instead of neglecting these cars—brand them as misunderstood and ahead of their time. Whatever the case may be, the number of forgotten cars is a long and storied one.

Cars that never made it or vanished from the public eye now have new life again. With all the information and online forums today, it's never been easier for the average driver or car enthusiast to stoke his curiosity about these long-lost relics and rust-buckets. These are the types of cars that'll prompt enthusiasts to utter remarks like "Oh Yeah!" and "I Completely Forgot" aloud after tapping into memories they thought long discarded. Unearthing these forgotten automobiles lends insight into the interesting history of these brief vehicles that sold and endured in the United States for about as long as a solar eclipse.

25 Toyota Celica All-Trac Turbo

The car screams performance with its sporty styling in the form of a small spoiler and hood scoop. The Celica All-Trac Turbo could also back up its looks.

According to Road and Track, the Celica All-Trac Turbo could do about 220 hp behind an AWD platform.

In Spanish, the word "Celica" means "celestial," according to the official blog of Toyota GB. While we can't really agree with its generous name, we can pledge our support for this forgotten car and its worthy performance.

24 Owosso Pulse

The cars that stand out the most tend to remain in the limelight the longest. Based on the statement, the Owosso Pulse then is something of a paradox. It even played a major role in one of the biggest beer companies.

According to Jalopnik, the Pulse featured in an ad for Coors.

Yet, despite all the exposure and fanfare, if someone was picked out randomly walking on the street, that person wouldn't be able to name this slick vehicle unlike that person would be able to for anything out today.

23 Powell Sport Wagon

The Powell Sport Wagon may not have gotten the recognition it deserved back in the day. Today, however, more people are starting to catch on. One of the coolest—or strangest, depending on whom you talk to—features of the Powell Wagon were these retractable bars in the rear. According to Allpar, a large tube on the rear right side could extend out the back to serve as a shelf for tools and other outdoor equipment. In spite of all its innovation, though, the Powell never thrived, instead fading from people's awareness.

22 AMC Hornet SC360

Muscle cars really took off in the '60s. That meant there was no shortage of them. Naturally, a few were going to get neglected over time. One has to credit AMC for, as Buzz Drives notes, trying to capitalize on where muscle cars were going. In offering the Hornet SC360, AMC hoped to be ahead of the curve. Their gamble didn't pay off, though. According to Buzz Drives, they didn't even make 1,000 units and ended up halting production on this forgotten car.

21 Lincoln Mark LT

The Lincoln Mark LT is a warning to automakers too tempted to overprice their vehicles. Autowise reports that the Lincoln Mark LT's MSRP started at a lofty $40K. That may have set the Mark LT up for failure when so many other competent pickups were available for less between 2006-2008.

The unique styling, especially on the front grille, ought to jog people's memories from its brief window of time on the market.

More than likely, though, it's bound to draw out bemused looks instead from those who've forgotten.

20 Ford Probe

No matter how much most people try to probe their memories, the Ford Probe doesn't ring any bells. All joking aside, the Probe has an interesting background in Ford's history. According to Cheat Sheet, they initially meant for it to take over for an already established car brand: the Mustang. Public outcry ultimately averted that decision. When the Probe arrived, it couldn't hold a candle to its older sibling. Although the car lasted almost 10 years, it's not widely talked about or known as much, except among hardcore car fans.

19 Chevrolet Laguna

The Chevrolet Laguna is like an alien muscle car. The design looked off and didn't quite catch on. There was promise underneath the hood, though. As Buzz Drives reports, it came with a competent V8 engine and drivetrain. Despite coming from a major contributor to the muscle car era, Chevrolet fell short with the Laguna, which may have been solely judged by its appearance. While that's not exactly fair, the public is picky and ultimately forgot all about it.

18 Muntz Jet

The Muntz Jet is a stylish sports car from the 1950s. Despite its signature look, the general public doesn't seem to remember it all that much. For those who argue it was too long ago since the car came out, what about the Chevrolet Bel Air? The Crosley Station Wagon? Those are from the 1950s yet are much more recognizable. Jalopnik reports that the Muntz Jet cost a lot of capital for its day and came from lesser-known automaker Muntz, thus explaining its departure from the public eye.

17 Dodge Shelby CSX-VNT

Speed freaks will love the Dodge Shelby CSX-VNT. The Shelby name alone has garnered a reputation for power and making a ruckus.

According to Car Throttle, these could do 0 to 60 mph in 7 seconds, which is fast enough to ride off into the sunset without a wince these days.

There's something else going against it, though, and preventing it from being a wider-known vehicle. Car Throttle confirms that Dodge made a mere 500 units. That made these not only rare but also largely unheard of.

16 Geo Storm Hatchback

It's difficult for some to even remember the Geo Storm coupe. For those who do, they might be hard-pressed remembering a hatchback version as well. According to Opposite Lock, the Geo Storm didn't sell well. At the end of the day, though, releasing it was purely a business decision for Isuzu. However, for a vehicle that didn't garner much attention anyway from the outset, it's only natural that once it was gone, no one would remember it. In the end, it ended up being just another footnote in Isuzu’s long history.

15 Infiniti M30 Convertible

Part of why so many of the cars on this list never stayed with us—or in our memories, for that matter—has to do with these vehicles' brief tenure in the market. The Infiniti M30 Convertible, which Autoguide reports was only available in the U.S., arrived in 1991. By 1993, buyers couldn't get a hold of a new one anymore. The source goes on to share an interesting anecdote: they didn't become convertibles until they arrived Stateside, which is when the roofs got the ax.

14 Oldsmobile Vista Cruiser

From the look of it, the Oldsmobile Vista Cruiser attempted what a lot of trucks and SUVs try to do today: offer a car with both performance and family-friendly features. What better way to do that in the '70s than with a muscle car wagon? That appears to have been the thinking behind the Oldsmobile Vista Cruiser, which, according to Buzz Drives, could come with the same engine as the Oldsmobile 442. While this car may not be as widely remembered, it's a brighter spot on this list.

13 Daihatsu Rocky

For those who don't remember, meet the Daihatsu Rocky. It's a more compact SUV, which may have been ahead of its time, in theory, considering the crossover craze today.

According to The Daily Drive, MGM the movie studio wasn't too happy with Daihatsu using their name for this vehicle because they thought it capitalized on the boxing franchise.

Even though Daihatsu was able to proceed with calling it "Rocky," that didn't help sales. That brings us to the present, where the Daihatsu Rocky is just another forgotten automobile that didn't survive the long count.

12 Oldsmobile Cutlass Calais Quad 4

The Oldsmobile Cutlass Calais Quad 4 isn't only a mouthful to say, but it's also another victim of the public's neglect. It's another one of those cars that only lasted within a brief window of time. According to Opposite Lock, only 204 units of the W41 models ever came off the factory line. That didn't leave much opportunity for the public to get properly acquainted with this sportier automobile. The same source details that the W41s came with unique gear ratios that weren't available on the basic models.

11 Subaru Justy

Just hear us out about the Subaru Justy—while it's not necessarily a great car, there's some historical significance behind it. Jalopnik reports that not only was it Subaru's last car sold with a carburetor in the U.S., but it was also the last one ever. That makes the Justy an important vehicle that marked the end of an era. The end of carburetors, as Autotrader reports, came about due to stricter regulations. Now, carburetors are a bygone part that remains a staple... ahem... part of car history.

10 GMC Envoy XUV

The GMC Envoy XUV had an interesting sales pitch. You could stuff a tall dresser in the back and drive around with it sticking out. This didn't seem to catch on with buyers for some reason.

As The Daily Drive reports, transporting the giant dresser was possible through a retractable roof out the back.

One has to admire GMC's innovation and the attempt to try something new. In the end, though, the feature is gimmicky and seen only for specialized purposes.

9 Ford Galaxie 7-Litre

The Ford 7-Litre was a nice-looking automobile that has since traveled far and away from the public's memory. According to Buzz Drives, it's become rare and even boasts a powerful engine. Initially offered in either a two-door hardtop or convertible, Hemmings reports that another style emerged in 1967 with the Sports Package. Hemmings speculates that what happened—concerning why the car was so forgettable—could be because Ford didn't make the 7-Litre much different from other vehicles in their lineup.

8 Chrysler Aspen Hybrid

Hybrids have been around long enough already to see several of them come and go in the industry. The Chrysler Aspen came out of Chrysler's attempt to win over a burgeoning consumer base. However, the Aspen fell short. The Daily Drive speculates that the massive price tag, coming in at a rough $50K, had something to do with it. This turned off buyers and contributed to why it was only available for one year. The car being around only in 2009, it's easy to see why it faded from the public's radar.

7 Ford Ranchero GT

Like the Oldsmobile Vista Cruiser, the Ford Ranchero GT was something of a fusion of two different styles. According to Buzz Drives, the Ranchero GT had the bed of a truck and the front of a muscle car. If it's the best of both worlds, what could possibly go wrong? Well, sometimes, people can't handle different, especially when it comes to something as sacred as automobiles. Despite the Ranchero GT being a successful melding of two different cars, it never melded with car buyers.

6 Toyota Corolla FX16

Believe it or not, that's a Corolla. There's something endearing about these hatchbacks. They may not be lookers, but they have an important place in car history. According to Car Throttle, the Corolla FX-16 made history books by becoming the first mass-produced car in America with four valves. This was a major step forward not just for Toyota and GM but also for the industry as a whole. Unfortunately, the general public doesn't factor in history as much when looking back on a vehicle, thus letting this one ride into the sunset, long forgotten.