What cars have been discontinued, then brought back?

"Kar Wai Wong" (kingawesome467) 04/17/2018 at 12:21 • Filed to: Old Cars Sold New, Land Cruiser, Toyota, Proton, Mercedes, Mercedes-Benz, Toyota Land Cruiser, Mercedes-Benz Sprinter, Sprinter, Mercedes Sprinter, Proton Putra

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More retro than the G-Class!

I ask this, because I was astonished to find that the first generation of the Mercedes-Benz Sprinter is still on sale !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! in Russia, as the Sprinter Classic. It’s built in Russia, and that’s the only place they’re sold, looking pretty much the exact same a 2001 model. Further investigations reveal that Mercedes started making them in 2013, 7 years after they were originally killed off! I couldn’t find much on why they’re building them again, and why only in Russia, but it got me wondering. What’s the worst joke I could come up with involving a rusty Mercedes Sprinter and Putin? What other cars were killed off, than brought back?

(What do you mean the Sprinter’s not a car?)

Now I’m not talking (typing?) about a company killing a model, than reviving it with a new generation several years later, à la Dodge Challenger. I’m talking when they kill a model off, than bring the same generation car back on sale. Nor am I referring to that amazing new trend that Jaguar and Aston Martin are doing of building new old supercars. So I scoured the Internet looking for examples. And I found one!

Putin and a Sprinter walk into a Bar. He orders a-wait this joke is garbage.

That would be the Proton Putra, a Malaysian car that was the coupé version of the Proton Wira, a heavily modified fourth generation Mitsubishi Lancer, made from 1996 to 2001. However in 2004, it was put on sale once again in limited numbers due to remaining stock from the factory. Why didn’t they just sell the remaining stock when discontinued like every other car company is a mystery.

What, This isn’t a car either?

However there is also one more case, but it’s a grey area, but too interesting to leave out. In 2014, Toyota was celebrating 30 years of the Land Cruiser J70. But instead of doing what every other manufacture does and slap some anniversary badges on their new model, call it a limited edition and charge 5k extra, Toyota brought back the J70 for sale for a year only in Japan. How bonkers is that!

Don’t worry, they still got their special editions for the newer ones. I thought they were celebrating 30 years of just the Land Cruiser 70? And what on Earth is a Bruno Cross?

Now it’s worth mentioning that the J70 has been in continuous production since 1984 as the Land Cruiser 70 (with no J). Suited for harsh environments such as deserts, you can still buy them brand new in countries like !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! . It just hasn’t been sold in Japan since 2004. So it was less of a case of bringing back an old model, but importing a new model to Japan, right? Except the Japanese J70s weren’t imported like the regular ones, but built in a limited production line in Japan! Turns out the whole 30 year anniversary thing worked out pretty well for them, as vehicles without Anti Skid Control were banned in Japan the following year.

So Oppo, are they’re any other examples out there? It’s kinda hard to google this sort of stuff. Edit: Like I said, i’m talking about reviving the same model car, not a reviving an old nameplate for a new model (eg. Supra)

KingT- 60% of the time, it works every time > Kar Wai Wong 04/17/2018 at 12:25

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The Mitsubishi Eclipse... Oh wait.

carcrasher88 > Kar Wai Wong 04/17/2018 at 12:39

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While the SJ series Jimny (not sure what it was originally sold as in New Zealand) had not been sold in NZ for years, they brought it back in 2013 as the Farm Worker 4X4, a non-road legal version, intended for off-road, farm use only, manufactured by Maruti Suzuki of India.

OpposResidentLexusGuy - USE20, XF20, XU30 and Press Cars > Kar Wai Wong 04/17/2018 at 12:42

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Supra of course.

Nibby > Kar Wai Wong 04/17/2018 at 12:46

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SOON. the Ranger and Bronco

Kar Wai Wong > Nibby 04/17/2018 at 12:48

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Now I’m not talking (typing?) about a company killing a model, than reviving it with a new generation several years later, à la Dodge Challenger.

Kar Wai Wong > OpposResidentLexusGuy - USE20, XF20, XU30 and Press Cars 04/17/2018 at 12:48

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Now I’m not talking (typing?) about a company killing a model, than reviving it with a new generation several years later, à la Dodge Challenger.

jimz > Kar Wai Wong 04/17/2018 at 12:49

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The 2006 Dodge Stratus:

sold off and resurrected as the GAZ Volga Siber in Russia:

Cé hé sin > Kar Wai Wong 04/17/2018 at 12:49

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MG RV8. The original B was dropped in 1980 and briefly reborn in 1993.

Kar Wai Wong > carcrasher88 04/17/2018 at 12:52

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Ah this is the shit I’m talking about! I’m seriously thinking of getting a convertible 3rd gen Jimny in a few years.

syaieya > Kar Wai Wong 04/17/2018 at 12:52

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Not one for one, but Ssangyong took a lot of W124 bits and made their Chairman model from 97 to 14. With it

One wiper blade, M104 engine up to 3.6 liters later on (M102 4 cylinder available as well), 90s era electronic transmission. It looks like the bizarro world W124 facelift Mercedes would of done had they kept selling them for 17 more years.

Ive always wanted to drive one.

Heres the engine bay

I wish I could find the 4 cylinder model engine. I cant find if it was a sohc or a dohc.

Nibby > Kar Wai Wong 04/17/2018 at 12:53

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ford tempo

Kar Wai Wong > jimz 04/17/2018 at 12:54

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Funnily enough, used to be built in the same factory as the Sprinter Classic.

victor > Kar Wai Wong 04/17/2018 at 13:17

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Tooling is expensive!

I vote for pretty much 1/2 the car lineup here:

http://brand.vw.com.cn/carmodels/models.php

RT > Kar Wai Wong 04/17/2018 at 13:19

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Lancia Montecarlo.

1975-1978 models had brakes which locked up, so it ended production in 1979.

Then they brought it back for 1980-1981 (with the brake servo removed)!



Kar Wai Wong > RT 04/17/2018 at 13:27

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YES

Milky > Kar Wai Wong 04/17/2018 at 13:32

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No 2007 Vipers.

... in 2007, Daimler sold Chrysler to Cerberus Capital Management, and Viper production was temporarily halted.

!!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!!

Milky > victor 04/17/2018 at 13:36

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You can still buy these new?!

Kar Wai Wong > Milky 04/17/2018 at 13:40

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I can see what you mean, but that’s more like a temporary stop in production. The Viper was always intended to continue production when the sale was complete. It wasn’t fully discontinued. A more fitting example would be if tomorrow, Chrysler announces they’ve made a horrible mistake and started making 5th gen Vipers again.

pip bip - choose Corrour > Kar Wai Wong 04/18/2018 at 07:04

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those 70-series LC have been on sale here in Oz since about 1984/5

not for canada - australian in disguise > Kar Wai Wong 04/20/2018 at 16:08

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The Fiat 124, which was discontinued in 1974;

But was then brought back to the West the same year as the Lada 1200.