The news dropped recently that Renault are looking to revive the iconic Renault 5 hatchback with an all new all-electric hatchback. Personally I'm thrilled to see this name back in action and it's great to see how many style cues have been taken from the original.
With this news, it got me thinking: How many other modern cars share their name with classic counterparts?
With one exception, I won't be including names that have been kept going throughout generations of cars, like the VW Golf or Ford Fiesta. So here are 10 classic car names that have been reused or revived in modern examples.
Ford Mustang
This example caused quite a stir in the car world recently. The Mustang has been in the Ford line-up since 1964 and covers a variety of cars released in that time. From the classic Mach I to the modern GT500 and RTR. But the recipe has always been the same: Coupe/fastback design, big engine, rear wheel drive.
So it was a bit of a shock to the system when Ford revealed that their new all electric, all wheel drive SUV was to be named the Mustang Mach-E.
This was a bold move by Ford, to use such a famous name on a car that is almost opposite in every way to it's predecessors. But when you look at it from a different angle, it starts to make a lot more sense. For angry purists that want their V8 muscle car, Ford still sell the "old recipe" Mustang, it's not going anywhere. For anyone who's in the market of an electric SUV, the Mustang name along with the similar styling make it a highly marketable car.
Land Rover Defender
The Land Rover Defender is as British as tea and biscuits. This hardy British icon of a vehicle is known for it's tough, basic and industrial feel, not to mention it's reliability in harsh environments. Of all Defenders ever made in its 68 year production, 70% are still registered and on the road today which is an incredible statistic.
So I think it's fair to say that the Defender has stood the test of time. Starting life as the Series I in 1948, the design remained relatively unchanged throughout production. But as the world moved on, safety and emissions changes meant that the design was no longer viable, and the last production model rolled off the line in 2016.
At the end of 2019, Land Rover released the all new Defender. A sleek, rounded and luxurious offering compared to it's classic counterpart whilst still claiming to be just as capable when the going gets tough. What do you think to the new Defender?
Mini Cooper
Another quintessentially British car, and almost completely on the opposite end of the scale to the Defender. The classic Mini Cooper was a technical marvel back in it's day and still remains one of the most recognisable cars on the road. The plucky compact car was made famous through it's role in The Italian Job and has developed a cult following over the years.
In 2000, BMW bought Mini and released their version of the British hatch. Since then there have been many variations including the Cooper, Works and the GP along with the Clubman and Countryman. It's no secret that the Mini isn't so mini anymore, but it is still one of the most recognisable and favourite cars on the road today.
Alfa Romeo Giulia and Giulietta
Alfa Romeo have a history of beautiful classic cars including the Giulia, a classic GT coupe which looks the part cruising along the Riviera or racing around the racetrack, and the Giulietta spider, a drop-top work of art from every angle.
In the modern day, Alfa Romeo are still going strong but are more designed around family cars and SUV's. Their modern cars are still some of the best looking on the road if not the most reliable. So what about the Giulietta?
The name has been passed down to their modern family hatchback. The Giulietta still harks back to the originals with its long sloping bonnet and distinctive grille.
The Giulia however even closer resembles it's classic counterpart, especially in QV form. Even if modern cars have become much larger, heavier and more complicated, Alfa Romeo still know how to make a car look and sound good.
Fiat 500
The Fiat 500 was Italy's answer to the Mini Cooper, a tiny family car that became iconic throughout its manufacture and another clear showcase of classic Italian design.
The new 500 still uses a lot of the original design traits and has become a pop culture icon in its modern form. It's also very popular with new drivers as it is cheap to buy, insure and run. The 500 Anniversario takes the retro design a step further with classic paint options and alloys that resemble the steel wheels from the original car.
Unlike the classic variant, the modern 500 owes it's name to a great many versions. There's the special editions from fashion brands like Diesel and Gucci, the sporty hot hatches that bare the Abarth brand, and the larger people carriers and CUV's named the 500L and 500X respectively. Fiat also announced that it's latest iteration will be available in EV form only.
VW Scirocco
Starting with the modern version this time, the VW Scirocco is the better looking cousin to the Golf. It's bold front and sleek sloping rear give the coupe a modern and funky look. The car is slightly less practical than the Golf with less room in the rear, but it is arguably a lot better looking. When the modern Scirocco was first unveiled, it took the world by storm and became a very popular option among young drivers.
This is slightly different to it's classic counterpart which has largely fallen under the radar in the modern era. The classic Scirocco was a cousin to the Golf back in the day, with a longer front end and sloped body design. It was overshadowed as a classic by the Corrado which in my opinion was much better looking, I may be biased as I owned one though.
Citroen DS
The original Citroen DS was one of the most luxurious cars of the 1950s, offering true innovations in the automotive world including hydropneumatic suspension, semi-automatic gearbox, cornering lights to name a few. Citroen was the epitome of luxury and style and the DS was its pinnacle.
Fast Forward and Citroen rekindled the DS name with the Citroen DS3 in 2009. This completely changed the face of Citroen whose modern cars were dull, lacklustre and pretty unreliable. The DS3 was an instant hit with it's funky design, two tone colour, modern LED lights and stylish interior. The car was almost its own accessory when it released and rivalled the modern Fiat 500 for its fashion appeal.
Since then, The DS line has distanced itself from the Citroen brand by reinventing themselves as a premium subsidiary, DS Automobiles. Their cars range from small hatchbacks to family SUV's. Their most recent creation, the DS 9 is their flagship luxury saloon aimed at rivalling Mercedes, Audi and BMW. The Luxury French hybrid harks back to the original Citroen DS with its high level rear indicators.
Abarth 124
Abarth is the in house skunkworks division for Fiat. I touched on them briefly when talking about the 500s but they've played a much bigger role than just this for many years. Abarth was founded in 1949 and have had a strong relationship with Fiat since the '50s.
Back then, one of their creations was the Fiat Abarth 124 Rally. Also known as the Abarth 124 Stradale, this tiny two seater Italian sports car was an upgraded sporty version of the Fiat 124 Spider. The naturally aspirated 1.8l engine was upped from 116 to 126hp with the addition of bigger carbs and a free flowing exhaust. The signature look for the car was a matt black bonnet, roof and boot usually mated to a red or white body.
When Abarth announced that the 124 was making a modern comeback it was big news for car enthusiasts everywhere. The modern Abarth 124 Spider was a rebodied version of the current Mazda MX5, an already great car. The new 124 held true to its roots with its matt bonnet and boot over red or white bodywork. Under that matt bonnet, the MX5 engine has been replaced with Fiat's own turbocharged 1.4l, creating more power and torque than its Japanese counterpart.
Vauxhall Viva
The Classic Viva was Vauxhall/General Motors answer to post-war motoring. The Viva first made its debut in 1963 to rival competitors like the Ford Anglia and Morris Minor. It was first launched as a two door saloon with an estate version not far behind. A sporty Viva GT came along in 1968 as a solid effort at creating a sports version of the car.
The Viva was sold until the late 70s before being replaced by the Astra, a much more popular offering that has carried on production in different forms to this day. It wasn’t until 2015 that the Viva made a comeback in the UK, this time as an affordable city hatchback. The Viva was essentially a rebadged Chevrolet Spark after GM decided to remove Chevrolet from UK sales.
Ford GT
The Ford GT40 was originally brought into this world for one job and one job only. Beat Ferrari at Le Mans. It's history is well documented and its success an unprecedented feat. The classic GT40 gets its name from it's 40 inch height, famously too small for Jeremy Clarkson to fit in. It's also well known for having roofs on it's doors. Something that solidly made the GT40 an American creation was shoehorning a 7.0l (427) V8 into the back. The car was impossibly fast for its time and the sound it left in its wake was nothing short of biblical.
In 2005, Ford made a comeback in the supercar market with the GT, a modern realisation of the classic endurance racer. Thanks to modern regulations, the newer version was longer, wider but most importantly, higher. This forced Ford to ditch the 40 in the name. The car was again powered by a mighty V8, this time a 5.4l supercharged power plant outputting 550hp
The cars were a huge success. Supply massively outweighed demand thanks to the limited production run through 2005-06. They now hold cult classic status and are now increasing in value way over the original RRP.
Interestingly, and unlike the others in this list, there's a third saga to this story. The GT made a comeback in 2016 but with some mighty changes. The new GT was redesigned from the ground up with aero at the forefront of the design concept. The car had a huge active rear wing and massive holes to let the air pass through the chassis. Controversially missing from the new car was a V8, instead replaced with a turbo V6 for packaging purposes. A decision that had some purists up in arms.
That was 10 car names that have been reused or revived by car companies over the years. Do you think these modern cars deserve the classic names? Can you think of any more cars with modern and classic versions? Let me know what you think in the comments.
Comments