Some classic cars are still highly regarded today. Consider the Toyota 2000GT or the first-generation Ford Mustang, for example.
Some, however, unfairly have a different reputation. They don’t stir the mind as much when nothing is wrong with them.
This list will feature 21 cars that are misunderstood for various reasons. They are either overlooked for more famous models or quietly fly under the radar.
Lotus Elite
The Lotus Elite is an important car in the history of the British sports car manufacturer. As the company’s first-ever production car, the Elite had some innovative features, such as independent suspension and a low drag coefficient 0.29.
But the Elite did have its problems. There was a resonant vibration at 4,000 rpm, although few drivers would sit at that rev range. Poor quality control, as did its low price, hurt the Elite, which caused Lotus to lose money on every Elite product. Despite these minor issues, the Elite provided the perfect foundations for Lotus’ feature models.
Citroën GS
Some say Citroën is not a cool car company. But it could produce fantastic vehicles, such as the GS from 1970 to 1986. While this family car might look basic and mundane, it has a few exciting features. Most notably, it has an extremely low drag coefficient of just 0.318.
The GS is another Citroën that uses its hydropneumatic system, this time via the brakes. The family car also has a self-leveling suspension and an air-cooled flat-four engine. It might look boring, but there is much to love about the Citroen GS.
Lancia Thema 8.32
To many, the Thema was an average sedan. Then Lancia brought out the Thema 8.32, and more people paid attention to it, but sales never took off. But the 8.32 was, in fact, an Italian version of the BMW M5 with a big Ferrari V8 under the hood.
This was the 3.0-liter F105L V8 you would typically find in the Ferrari 308. Lancia gave the engine a cross-plane, changing the firing order of the smaller valves to suit it better as a long-distance sporty sedan. Sadly, the price of over $40,000 hurt Thema 8.32 sales, but plenty of people would tell you it was worth that price.
Jaguar XJ220
The Jaguar XJ220 is a genuinely great supercar. However, for many, it is still a disappointment, and this all stems from the British company’s decision to replace the intended V12 engine with a turbocharged V6.
Yet the twin-turbocharged Jaguar JRV-6 was still good enough for 542 hp, 42 hp more than the concept with the V12 could produce. Plus, the car was still capable of well over 200 mph. The XJ220 was severely misunderstood because of a simple engine change.
Aston Martin DB5
Many misunderstand the Aston Martin DB5 and see it as nothing more than a James Bond movie car. It is, in fairness, what makes the car so recognizable. However, that hides the fact that the DB5 was one of the best grand tourers of the 1960s, whether it was a movie star or not.
The 4.0-liter DOHC straight-six under the hood produced up to 325 hp, and the coach-built bodywork is some of the most beautiful on any automobile. The DB5 was a smooth, comfortable, and incredibly enjoyable grand tourer to drive and be in. The DB5 was so popular that Aston Martin produced 25 continuation models in 2020.
Triumph TR6
The Triumph TR6 suffered from many issues that affected British cars of the 1960s and 1970s. Poor quality control and rust are two of the biggest problems. Despite that, the TR6 is one of the best sports cars the Triumph has ever produced.
Its 2.5-liter straight-six engine was a punchy powertrain, and out of the 91,850 TR6s produced, Triumph exported 83,430, nearly all to the United States. The TR6 is one of Triumph’s best-looking sports cars, with innovative features such as four-wheel independent suspension.
Jensen Interceptor
The Jensen Interceptor is a car that has suffered from being misunderstood throughout life. The sports car was compared to vehicles it wasn’t designed to compete with, such as the Jaguar E-Type. But those comparisons clouded the view of what was, at the heart of it, a stunning British performance car.
After the Interceptor launch, Jensen saw a huge uptick in sales and output. This was even though the Interceptor used an older C-V8 chassis compared to the monocoque technology that its rivals had begun to use. The Interceptor, however, is now receiving the attention and recognition it deserves.
Lotus Elan M100
Another Lotus that deserves more praise and respect is the Elan M100. Lotus just misjudged where the market was going at the time, yet it was also one of the best-engineered cars that Lotus had ever produced.
The incredible chassis provided some of the best handling ever seen on a sports car. It was so agile that flinging it into the corners was an absolute joy. Independent suspension all-around, an Isuzu twin-cam with a turbocharger, and the usual Lotus lightness mean the Elan M100 is a fabulous sports car that has gone criminally below the radar for years.
Subaru SVX
The Subaru SVX was created when the Japanese manufacturer decided to produce a sports car to help them compete with their European rivals. The SVR resulted from this push and debuted at the 1989 Tokyo Auto Show.
Giorgetto Giugiaro created the eye-catching design, and the 3.3-liter DOHC flat-six develops 231 hp under the hood. It was Subaru’s first entry into the luxury/performance market, but sadly, people tend to gravitate more toward the Imprezza than this underrated sports car classic.
Austin Maxi
This unassuming little hatchback might not look like much. But the Austin Maxi is one of the best cars British Leyland ever produced, and it was the first British car with a hatchback body style.
The Maxi had one of the most practical and spacious bodyshells of its time and rapidly increased in popularity in Britain during the 1970s. Its all-new front-wheel drive chassis and an innovative five-speed manual transmission made it even more attractive to the British public. In the late 1960s, the fifth gear was a rarity in family cars. Some reliability issues overshadow just how practical the Maxi was, and it is arguably still a very versatile vehicle.
1975 Austin/British Leyland Princess
It might have been a big joke on BBC’s Top Gear, but the Austin Princess was anything but. The Princess was a large family car that would be under its own Princess brand by British Leyland, and initially, sales were robust.
The Princess had either a 1.8-liter straight-four or a 2.2-liter straight-six under the hood, and its large size made it exceptionally practical. It was also comfortable, as it used British Leyland’s Hydragas system. The issues surrounding British Leyland and the 1970s gas crisis overshadowed a truly underappreciated family car.
Ferrari 250 P5 Pininfarina
The Ferrari 250 P5 Pininfarina isn’t so much misunderstood, but more that it is ahead of its time. This striking-looking concept was on a Ferrari P4 chassis with a 3.0-liter V12 under the hood.
The teardrop transparent canopy provided excellent visibility, and the gullwing doors made getting in and out of the Ferrari easy. Ferrari never put it into production, but the visibility of the teardrop canopy was not appreciated at the time.
Chrysler Airflow
Chrysler introduced the Airflow at the height of the Great Depression, and the car showed off what no one else was brave enough to do. That was to create a sleek, streamlined, and aerodynamic vehicle in the era of the “Tin Lizzies.”
The Airflow was a gorgeous machine with complete streaming and full-size bodywork, making it incredibly practical. Yet, the public didn’t like the sleek, smooth appearance; thus, it was a commercial failure. Yet the Airflow did so much right in an era of drab cars.
Renault Avantime
Renault’s stunning Avantine was a car that nobody was ready for. The idea was exceptional, as the French manufacturer created a large coupe that could fit the whole family. The Avantine was also innovative, with doors hinged to make it easier to get in and out of the Avantine in tight spots.
The large windows all around meant plenty of daylight could enter the cabin, its one-box design eliminated B-pillars, and there was even a full sunroof. In many ways, the Avantine is too good a car for today’s world, and it’s one that we are only beginning to appreciate now.
BMW Z8
It might sound incredible, but there is a good argument to say BMW’s Z8 is a misunderstood car. When first launched, it cost over $100,000 and was only available as a left-hand-drive car.
It had retro styling based on the BMW 507 of the 1950s, but the motoring press could have been more excited about it. This is odd because we had a two-seater convertible with a 4.9-liter BMW M5 V8 under the hood and enough power and speed to trouble the Porsche 911. Looking back, the BMW Z8 was and still is a superb sports car.
Porsche 928
The Porsche 928 was the first sports car the German manufacturer built from a clean sheet of paper in years. Yet despite its classic status now, it was misunderstood universally when launched in 1977.
Porsche themselves misunderstood it, originally touting it as a grand tourer but marketing the 928 as a sports car. In many ways, it was closer to a supercar than a sports car. Thankfully, this incredible car now gets the attention it deserves and is easily one of the best Porsche cars ever made.
Mercedes SLR McLaren
For all the great supercars out there, the Mercedes SLR McLaren doesn’t get the attention it should. McLaren and Mercedes teamed up to create this 5.4-liter supercharged V8 monster with a loud soundtrack to awaken the dead.
Some were still determining what to make of it, and Top Gear and Jeremy Clarkson said the brakes could have been better. But the astonishing V8 engine propelled the car to a top speed of 206 mph, and few supercars have ever sounded as good before or since.
1974-1990 Aston Martin Lagonda
When the Aston Martin Lagonda exploded onto the scene, this wedge-shaped luxury saloon was unlike anything else on the market. Thanks to hundreds of deposits, it immediately boosted Aston Martin’s cash reserves, and its innovative digital dashboard is still a novelty feature.
However, the electrical and mechanical issues that blighted the Lagonda ruined its reputation. Take that away, and you had a car with a big V8 under the hood and luxury that could rival the best of Rolls-Royce and Bentley. The Lagonda is not the failure that some people would like you to believe.
Mazda Autozam AZ-1
You could easily make the case that all Kei Cars are misunderstood outside Japan. The most extreme example is the Mazda Autozam AZ-1, the 12-valve turbocharged Kei Car that thinks it is a sports car.
That is because it is a sports car for all intents and purposes. It’s aggressive, has gullwing doors, and is still small enough to park in the middle of Tokyo easily. The AZ-1 epitomizes why Kei cars are so cool and why we want more of them in the United States.
Fiat 124 Spider
The Fiat 124 Spider uses the same platform as the Mazda MX-5, yet one is still in production, and one is no longer. The fact the 124 Spider had the same 1.4-liter turbocharged engine as the Fiat 500 Abarth might have had something to do with that.
Yet despite this, the 124 Spider was still a superb handling sports car. It was also quieter than the MX-5 Miata, making it more enjoyable for daily drivers and long-distance runs. And for all the mocking of its Abarth engine, it was still good enough for 170 hp in a car that weighs as little as 2,315 lbs.
Alfa Romeo Montreal
When Alfa Romeo unveiled the Montreal in the late 1970s, it turned a few people’s heads. Under the hood was a smooth, powerful 2.6-liter V8 engine that powered a sleek, striking-looking sports car.
With 200 hp and weighing just 2,800 lbs, the Montreal had the hallmarks of a great sports car. It looked excellent but was also priced higher than the Jaguar E-Type and the Porsche 911. Perhaps that was its downfall, and only now is it understood as the gorgeous sports car it is.