2000-2024: The saddest car demises of the last 25 years according to Drive

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A lot can happen in 25 years, and looking back from now to the turn of the century, the automotive landscape hasn’t been immune to shifting consumer tastes or financial woes.

And because of such a volatile market, it means models, and even full brands, have felt the squeeze and had to be retired to make way for changing appetites.

Here are the saddest automotive demises of the last 25 years according to the Drive team.

Holden Commodore – Tom Fraser, Journalist

How can you not be heartbroken about the loss of local manufacturing and the humble Holden Commodore? A nameplate that ran for 42 years, the Commodore was a huge reason behind my love of cars and it's clear I'm not the only one.

I loved how Holden continually put effort into fine-tuning the Commodore, and it's true what they say – the final generation VF Series II was genuinely a world-class car.

I count myself lucky that I was a part of the automotive media industry while the Commodore was around. Being able to drive and test the car on home turf was hugely special and it gave me a newfound appreciation for Australia's engineering, design, and manufacturing prowess.

Ford Falcon – Ben Zachariah, Journalist

It could well be argued that the Holden Commodore is the saddest model to disappear over the past 25 years, but I’m going to name the Ford Falcon as taking the title.

While Ford of Europe was always treated as the misunderstood intellectual sibling by Detroit, Ford’s Australian arm was treated like an ugly cousin.

In many ways, Ford Australia did a better job with new models than those that came out of Michigan, but vehicles like the Falcon and Territory were never appreciated enough or given the opportunity to thrive on a global scale.

There’s zero doubt in my mind the Falcon XR6 Turbo and XR8 would have found popularity on US soil with both civilians and law enforcement alike – if marketed correctly. But it was killed off, and without that threat looming, Holden soon cancelled the Commodore – leading to the demise of one of the greatest rivalries in automotive history.

Kia Stinger – Jordan Hickey, Journalist

Like many others, the Kia Stinger was a victim of ‘right car, wrong time’.

Similar to sister brand Hyundai’s i30 N hot hatch released at a similar time, the Stinger was a sudden change for the brand, introducing a rear-wheel-drive sedan with a twin-turbocharged V6 to the market.

While the Stinger did well in Australia relative to its closest competitors – amid the rise of hugely-popular SUVs and utes – with use as a highway patrol vehicle in some states to fill the void left by the Holden Commodore and Ford Falcon V8s, it sold in modest numbers globally.

Kia pulled the plug in 2022, five years after its introduction, without a successor. 

Not only was the Stinger itself a cool car, but it also had a cool name far more interesting than the likes of EV6 (Electric Vehicle Number 6?) or K4 (Kia Number 4?). Here’s hoping Kia brings the Stinger name back, electric or not.

Saab – James Ward, Director of Content

Everyone wants something different, and Saab was that for people.

Over its run, Saab showed countless times that it considered drivers and style more than it looked for outright mass appeal favouritism.

Even today, clever features that we saw in 900s and 9000s are missing from modern cars.

The thoughtful nature of Scandinavian design and engineering ensured architects and advertising executives always felt at home in a roll-neck sweater.

Has Polestar stepped in to fill the void to be the Saab of tomorrow?

Ford Territory – James Ward, Director of Content

Australia’s own SUV remains one of the most comfortable and dynamically capable vehicles ever to have been produced for the SUV market.

It was flexible, stylish, and filled with clever features (coin trays and split rear window, the standouts).

The loss of local manufacturing at the time focused on Falcon and Commodore, but given large car buyers were already diminishing in significant numbers, the real loss was the Territory SUV that was killed at a time when the segment was still in its boom phase.

Vale Territory.

Saab – Alex Misoyannis, Deputy News Editor

Plus one on James’ answer here.

Saab did things differently. You could argue it didn’t do things successfully, given where the brand ended up, but the Swedish firm departed showrooms with a long history of interesting design, engineering and, when its parent company’s bean counters weren’t micromanaging it, genuine innovation.

How many other car companies have named a sports car after a fighter jet?

Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution X – Kez Casey, Production Editor

While it may not be the first thing to come to mind for most, Mitsubishi’s final Evolution model painted a picture of a bigger shift, away from sedans, and away from affordable performance.

With the Evolution line tracing its way back to real rally competition cars, multiple Evo generations punched above their weight when it came to ability.

There was a halo effect for Mitsubishi too – just look at the number of look-alike Lancers you still see today that weren’t real Evos.

While cars like the WRX and Civic Type R still exist, the former hasn’t kept pace, while the latter is priced as a premium product.

Add to that the dwindling number of small hatches and sedan as SUVs take over and the Evo X paints a picture of better times for driving enthusiasts.

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