These Cars Were Made Better Through Scarcity
Some things just get overplayed if you see them every day
Some things are more interesting when they're rare. Like hunting shiny Pokémon, we all love to have the thing that's hard to get. Maybe it's just the thrill of the chase, but we all want the uniquity of not being like everyone else — and that extends to vehicles. Yesterday, we asked what cars only worked because of their rarity, and you gave us over 100 answers to sort through. Let's see what you came up with.
The DeLorean DMC-12
Deloreans, in the grand scheme of things the Delorean was an awful daily driver car but it oozes high tech cool which got boosted further with the back to the future films.
The DeLorean is an iconic vehicle, but apparently actually driving one leaves a lot to be desired. An anemic V6 and fragile transmission don't make for performance that matches those sleek looks. But, their rarity means most people will never drive one — and only know the coolest parts of the DMC-12.
The 1988 Pontiac Fiero GT
1988 Pontiac Fiero GT.
GM finally got the car right and they immediately killed it.
Fieros are relatively commonplace on Craigslist, but good Fieros are fewer and further between. That rarity gives them a sense of occasion, and lends to the legend of GM fearing the chassis would "beat the Corvette." After all, why else cancel such a good car?
Wagons In The U.S.
As someone in America, I always get excited to see wagon versions of common cars. Wagons seems to be all over Europe, but we, here in the states, have so few wagons, so when I see an E-class wagon, I get excited.
E-class Wagons, Audi Avants, Volvo Swagons, heck even the TSX wagon. They're rare, and that's why I get excited to see them.
Wagons and hatchbacks are all over the place in Europe, but US. buyers usually only get SUV variants. Finding a low, sleek wagon in the U.S. is like catching a subtle, niche reference in a TV show — you know that they know, and now you're in a secret erudite club together.
The Pontiac Solstice GXP Coupe
Pontiac Solstice GXP Coupe
Yes, the Coupe, they only made them in the final year before axing Pontiac. I still kick myself that I didn't go through the purchase I had lined up on one.
The Solstice's looks always played second fiddle to its near-identical twin from Saturn, but the GXP Coupe may just steal the Sky's crown. Had it stayed in production for years, it would likely have turned banal, but its rarity keeps it special.
Every Single Corvette
Every Corvette, individually. Collectively, they are plentiful, but each one is one of only 38 ever produced with these specific options.
This is what I have learned from car shows.
No lowballers, I know what I have.
The Honda S2000
My pick is the Honda S2000. If they were as available as the average civic and accord. I feel there would be similar levels of ricing and this ruining them. But the few I see nowadays are in pretty damn good condition (that may be subjective to the area im in or just happened to run into some good owners)
Facebook Marketplace certainly sees its fair share of defiled S2000s, but they're priced out of the hands of most budget-minded enthusiasts. They've never been as cheap as Miatas, and never will be as cheap — just due to their rarity.
The Toyota 2000GT
The Toyota 2000GT is a gorgeous little car, and I'm sure it's a delight to operate, but could it justify being worth about three times as much as a 240Z (when new), let alone about 50 times as much now?
The 2000GT may be the only car better-looking than the Datsun Z, but its value is based on more than that. Its production was so limited that each surviving car carries an air of automotive royalty. Even replicas can pull a hefty sum, jut for imitating the 2000GT's style.
The Honda Element
The Honda Element.
Here me out- I know they were made by the bazillions and there's no chance you can go for a drive in a town like this one without seeing one of these toasters on the road. But, they are getting scarce now. they haven't been made for 10 years and the ones that are left are ticking off 200, 300,000 miles on their odometers.
And this scarcity- the fact that they just stopped production, has made it possible for all of us to see what we missed. In many ways, it was the perfect SUV. Enough AWD to get you most places you'd want to go. Absolutely no pretensions of luxury or fanciness. A low, flat floor that made loading super easy. Seats that you could get out of the way. A floor you could toss mulch on without any worries. Reasonably comfortable, reasonably cheap. This was the Ford Maverick of it's time and honestly, we need more vehicles like this. This is what the Bronco should have been.
Sometimes, you don't know what you've got until it's gone. In its day, the Element was... fine. Pretty good, even. But since its discontinuation, its legend has only grown. It has fans now, owners willing to do anything to keep their beloved Elements on the roads, and a degree of enthusiasm that would never have come when it was still being produced.
The Plymouth Superbird
The 1970 Plymouth Superbird—it's amazing what a wing and nose can do for scarcity:
And go on to be a movie character—voiced by Richard Petty no less:
There were a shade over 500 '69 Charger Daytonas, but thanks to a NASCAR rule change of what a "stock" car from the factory had to be to qualify as stock, there were almost 2000 Superbirds built—rare, but not ohmigod rare. At the time, Plymouth dealers couldn't sell that many 'Birds. Some were converted back to regular Road Runners, so not a super sales success.
It's been a half century, the cars only show up at car shows, and the fact that an American car existed that any customer could walk into a Plymouth dealership and dicker them over the price of one that ridiculous and capable of such ridiculous speed—there's something visceral to it.
So how things change as the years go by—the Superbird with that huge nose and monster wing—went from not being able to practically give it away to movie star—I'd call that good use of scarcity.
This, unfortunately, is one of the only wrong answers in the bunch. Sure, the rarity of Superbirds and Daytonas helped their prices, but the NASCAR pedigree would always have made these cool. What would be even cooler? If every car out on the roads right now was a Superbird. I want to live in that world.
The Nissan Murano CrossCabriolet
Nissan Murano Crosscabriolet
The fact that these things are scare makes the world a better place.
The CrossCab has its defenders, but I have never understood the nefarious machinations of their minds. Look at this thing. Really look at it. Do you feel good about what your eyes are perceiving? Does this put serotonin into your brain? I didn't think so.