All good things must come to an end, and the good ones often die young – and we can use plenty more cliched phrases to talk about how some very, very cool cars of 2020 and before are screeching to a halt for 2021, with companies looking to move on to the next best thing…
Even legends need to hang up their boots after a successful run, so it's but natural that even the best of cars finally leave the assembly line to make way for the new and better successor. Because too much of a good thing can also be bad.
Of course, the fact that 2020 turned out to be a doozy of a year could have also had an impact on the eventual shutting down of these cars, although all of these cars were well received, both by the audience and by the automobile cognoscenti in the media.
But now, their time is up and these eight coolest cars did not make it to 2021. And we hate to see them go, but we love to see and hear them drive away.
8 Ford Mustang Shelby GT350: The End Of Manual
The Shelby GT350 is dead. Long live the Shelby GT500 – because the GT350 and GT350 R have come to a glorious end after a wonderful run and lots of media titles, top lists, and awards. The Shelby Mustang GT350 was one of the most powerful ‘Stangs ever, with a 526-horsepower V8 engine that sped up heartbeats.
But now, there’s a new cat on the prowl, and it jets 760 horsepower. And so the GT350 and the GT350R are being put to pasture, and with it, the manual transmission on a Shelby Mustang has also come to a halt. It’s a bittersweet feeling.
7 Chevrolet Impala: The Virus’ Victim
The Chevy Impala has been an oft-used and much-respected nameplate in Chevy’s stable of cars but in recent times, it seems the glory days of this sleek ungulate is at an end. The Chevrolet Impala will not be returning for 2021, and we aren’t sure what we feel about it right now.
While it’s the classic Impala that brings forth memories of its halcyon days, even the 2020 one was no weakling – bearing a 305-horsepower V6 that paired with a six-speed AT, and had all the luxury accouterments inside. Did COVID-19 kill off the Impala? You decide.
6 Lincoln Continental: The End Of Another One
With the end of Lincoln Continental, the Lincoln Motor Company, under Ford’s aegis, is now a car-free automaker that only deals in SUVs. The Lincoln Continental has now left the building, after a fiasco of a re-emergence in 2017. Despite the 15-year gap, sales ever really caught up and the car felt dated.
Is it going to be last? You can never tell because the Lincoln Continental has always come with a certain amount of elegance, power, and of course an undeniable road presence. It shall be missed, at least by its fans.
5 Dodge Grand Caravan: Affordable But Out
After 2020, the Dodge Grand Caravan is finally returning home to roost, and off the assembly line of good. Of course, most did not realize it was still in production, considering it has been at it since 2008, but it provided a way more affordable option to anyone who wanted a minivan but did not want to spend more on the Chrysler Pacifica.
While it did not meet emission standards in most states, it came powered by a cool 3.6-liter V6 and was a cheap and useful car, perfect for those who could not afford something better. But now, replacing it is the Chrysler Voyager.
4 Cadillac CT6: Cool Caddy No More
There was nothing wrong with the Cadillac CT6, in fact, a Cadillac sedan still means that you have reached, period. But now, you can’t, at least not in a Caddy, because the CT6 has retired. So sure, it wasn’t the most thrilling one out there, but with a 4.2-liter 550-horsepower V8, it made great power and rode buttery smooth.
In 2017, 10,542 of these sold, and this was peak sales. Since then numbers have gone down and Cadillac is making better monies selling SUVs, so that’s what it will be doing. A far cry from the DeVille and Fleetwoods back in the day.
3 Honda Civic Coupe: Time To Rust, In Peace
If you go to Honda and still ask about the Civic Coupe, they will direct you to the hatchback. And if you bemoan the loss of the Civic Si sedan, well, it's only taking a year off and is likely to back as a 2022 model. Frankly, the whole Civic thing with its innumerable avatars has gone on long enough and it's time Honda curtailed the mushrooming examples.
So sure, the Civic coupe was a good car in its day but with the Civic Type R-based hatchback providing a cooler alternative, it's time the coupe rested its laurels and be remembered with fondness.
2 Mercedes-Benz SLC/SLK: Gone But Not Out
The Mercedes-Benz SLC (called SLK till 2016) was the cheaper alternative to the SL with "was" being the keyword. While the SL is coming back again, the SLC is being retired. It did make for a thrilling ride and a rather beautiful garage addition, but the cramped cabin and next-to-nothing trunk space were not winning it any rave reviews.
Despite being rather stunning in looks, the SLC is being taken off Mercedes-Benz’s roster for now, although it may be back later because you can never tell with nifty little roadsters.
1 Fiat 124 Spider: Another Bites the Dust
Fiat is done with the 124 Spider, bowing down to the inevitable popularity of the Mazda Miata MX-5. The Spider carried a 160-horsepower engine as compared to Miata’s 155-horsepower one and both the cars come built on the same platform. While it did make for a cool beginner sports car buy, coming in pretty cheap as well, sales have been sliding down.
Even the Fiat 124 Spider Abarth failed to make its mark with buyers and so the American market loses yet another convertible in 2021.
Sources: CarandDriver, FoxBusiness