5 American Cars That Should Be Built
There’s a distinct lack of American cars available for sale today. We’re not talking SUVs, crossovers, or trucks – we mean cars. As in, low riding, traditional sedans, wagons, or liftbacks. If we ignore the ever-green iconic Mustang and Corvette, only three big American manufacturers currently offer passenger cars: Cadillac, Dodge, and Telsa.
Buick and Lincoln have been SUV-only for quite some time while Ford transitioned away from passenger cars years ago (although the brand is considering getting back into the car game). With the Chevrolet Malibu and Chrysler 300 recently put to pasture, those brands too now lack a family-friendly car option.
We fully understand North America is still SUV-crazy, but like all automotive trends, it too will someday diminish. To help five major American automotive brands get ahead of the curve, we offer a suggestion that could spur the manufacturer’s return to the world of passenger cars.
Buick – Tesla Fighter
Buick tried to breathe new life into the brand’s passenger cars in the 2000s by reviving historic names and adding more performance. It never really caught on and the manufacturer has since carved out a niche with stylish, premium SUVs. What if Buick’s foray back into automobiles was completely different, and the brand created a class leading all-electric sedan? General Motors has a modular EV platform already and Buick’s current design language could transfer over to a car quite nicely.
Chevrolet – The People’s Car
Remember when affordable small cars ruled the land? Cavalier, Neon, Escort, Focus, Sunfire, and all their predecessors. With how expensive vehicles have gotten these days, maybe it’s time to bring back the low-cost, high-volume sedan? In fairness, Chevrolet more or less already has this with the Trax which is a crossover in ride height only. But what about a version that sat lower, had a trunk, and even more affordable pricing options?
Chrysler – Premium Push
Chrysler has long been the premium division in the Mopar family, but currently only offers a few variations of a minivan. What if the brand took the new Dodge Charger platform and made a large premium sedan. Something even more upscale than the previous 300 was to the Charger. Maybe a vehicle that could battle the Cadillac CT5 head-on, with the advantage of offering a fully electric variant.
Ford – Traditional Americana
The Crown Victoria is a legend amongst Ford fans and although we’re not suggesting a rebirth of that vehicle, we do think Ford could produce a large, rear-wheel drive bias sedan and find some success. Something that could take on the Dodge Charger. Ford has numerous ecoboost and hybrid drivetrains the car could use, but of course the Coyote V8 would need to be an option.
Lincoln – Cushy Cruiser
If Ford developed and/or extended the Mustang’s platform to make a large sedan as noted above, then it would only make sense for Lincoln to offer a variation as well. But rather than go after the modern luxury market, why not fill the void of producing a throw-back, big, comfy, soft-riding luxury cruiser. Something that can be driven onto the interstate, have BlueCruise activated, and allow occupants the comfiest of driving experiences. Like an American Rolls-Royce for a lot less money.
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A 20+ year industry veteran, Mike rejoins the AutoGuide team as the Managing Editor. He started his career at a young age working at dealerships, car rentals, and used car advertisers. He then found his true passion, automotive writing. After contributing to multiple websites for several years, he spent the next six years working at the head office of an automotive OEM, before returning back to the field he loves. He is a member of the Automobile Journalists Association of Canada (AJAC), and Midwest Automotive Media Association (MAMA). He's the recipient of a feature writing of the year award and multiple video of the year awards.
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I owned a 1976 Country Squire for 11 years. Best family car hauler ever.
One thing about the older cars, you never saw them upside down in a ditch just because they got bumped by a Kia.
Bring Holden/Pontiac back and market a true Firebird and a Ute to the US market