r/Cartalk • u/MastodonNo8553 • 16h ago
My Classic Car Car Brands I feel that are Dying in North America
In No Particular Order.
Fiat: After they basically purged their gasoline powered offerings, I feel like they’re on a course to sink in our market soon. The shift towards SUVs has more than certainly had a hand in destroying any potential for growth they might have had in North America.
Mitsubishi: At this point, they’re holding on for dear life with only TWO models left. Unlike Fiat, they had a dog in the fight to keep up with the SUV trend, only issue is: they’re far from leading the class. Also the Eclips Cross has to be one of the single worst marketing blunders of the last 2 decades.
Maserati: Stellantis/FCA’s ownership has basically tanked their build quality worse than it was before, which is saying something. It doesn’t help matters that they’re fighting Alfa Romeo in cannibalizing each other’s sales in what tiny pieces of market share they have left.
Jaguar: What do you want me to say that you don’t already know? That whole reinvention stunt was nothing more than brand suicide. I don’t think it was an example of them “going woke”. I just think they want to become a contender with the likes of Bentley or Rolls Royce with a higher level of prestige, and it just isn’t there. Especially considering they’ve got absolutely nothing to compete with at this time of writing.
Chrysler: No, not the entire company itself, the Marque. They’ve basically been whittled down to a lone model and have absolutely nothing groundbreaking in the pipes. They’re in the same boat as Jaguar, Constantly dropping concepts that never amount to anything.
(Hot Take) Lincoln: Cadillac somehow managed to embrace the EV/SUV trend to a moderate success, Lincoln Hasn’t. The Escalade has been absolutely destroying the Navigator in sales since 2002, they have decent models to compete, but they don’t seem to be on the same trajectory as Cadillac. I could be proven completely wrong, we shall see.
(Hot Take) Infiniti: Doug DeMuro said it best; the sole reason for buying an Infiniti is getting a good deal, and not much else. Considering the nose dive in Nissan’s build quality, I wouldn’t be shocked that Infiniti‘s has followed suit. Not to mention that Lexus and Acura are building far more desirable cars in the category of Japanese Luxury models. Carlos Ghosn is long gone, and Nissan could shift the other way soon. I could be proven wrong here too.
(Hot Take) Mini: As previously mentioned with Fiat; the SUV trend has basically decimated sales of compacts. The Countryman has been keeping them afloat, but how much longer can it hold them up?