Canceled Cars: Dead and Dying Models

The recent economic downturn has created extraordinary market conditions for automotive manufacturers. With both General Motors and Chrysler moving past their bankruptcies, all manufacturers are shifting product lineups and canceling cars to help meet the new realities of reduced demand. The coming months will see the potential for an unprecedented retirement of specific models and even entire car brands.

GM discontinued the Pontiac and Saturn brands in 2009, and the Hummer brand is in the process of winding down. The manufacturer has also sold its Saab brand, and the model lineup may shift drastically or be replaced entirely. Additionally, in the general course of the automotive product cycle, certain models are simply discontinued or replaced.

Knowing which vehicles are soon going away or simply being replaced in a manufacturer's lineup presents an opportunity for consumers. For vehicles that are canceled entirely thanks to a brand's demise (e.g. Pontiac), knowing that dealers must rid their lots of these discontinued models can give consumers a bargaining advantage.

For models such as Honda's S2000, which have simply reached the end of their production cycle and are not being replaced, those who have always had an affinity for a particular model might want to avail themselves of the last opportunity to purchase the vehicle new. For others, knowing that a discontinued vehicle is in its last year of production, soon to be replaced with an all-new or updated version, is reason enough to avoid such a purchase.

We've compiled a list (below) of model nameplates that are set to disappear in the coming months due to brand terminations (Pontiac/Saturn), market conditions (Chrysler Aspen/Dodge Durango) or normal product cycle schedules (Toyota Solara).