These Are All The Cars That Died In 2019, And Why They’ve Gone Away

2019 was a year of blockbuster car debuts. From the all-new C8 generation of the Chevy Corvette to the Ford Mustang Shelby GT500 and the Land Rover Defender, we have a ton of great models to look forward to as we head into 2020. However, even as we welcome the new, we must say goodbye to the old. Many car models — some of them well known — died this year, and this video is our opportunity to say goodbye. Or, in some cases, good riddance.

Do you spot a trend?

No less than twenty different models won’t live to see 2020, a signal of some notable shifts in the industry. GM and Ford, for example, have pretty much axed their entire passenger car lineups. Instead, both companies are focusing on their iconic nameplates (i.e. Mustang and Corvette), as well as crossovers and SUVs. We’re still in the middle of a crossover frenzy, and two of the Big Three thought it best to jump in with both feet. So as we lose major nameplates like the Taurus and the Impala, we’re seeing more crossovers make their way into the U.S. market.

Speaking of names, Lincoln has nearly completed its attempt to resuscitate itself by dropping the alphabetic naming scheme in favor of something more approachable. Their names focus on adventure and travel. From the Aviator to the Nautilus and Corsair, along with the existing Continental and Navigator, Lincoln is laying on the appeal with better names than, say, MKT. It doesn’t hurt that the cars have gotten a lot better, too.

About the Corvette…

Fortunately, we’re not completely losing the Chevy Corvette. The car we knew, though, is about to pass into the history books. For 66 years, GM has stuck a big V8 out front, but now the C8 generation is moving to a more supercar-like mid-engined platform. The Corvette promises to be better and faster than ever, though we can’t help but feel a bit sad that the “old school” model is consigned to the history books, along with its manual transmission.

What are some of the cars you’ll miss the most that died this year? Or, if you’re like us, maybe you won’t pour one out for some of the terrible cars that will, thankfully, pass into obscurity in 2020.