When it comes to the American automotive market, drivers often think about big pickup trucks or muscle cars that can rattle the windows of any house they may drive by, but in reality, American automotive manufacturers have churned out some gems over the years in nearly every category imaginable. They just didn’t actually sell them in America, for whatever reason.
That’s right. Some of the best-looking and driving cars that have ever had an American manufacturer’s badge slapped across their front fascia have never been available to the good ol’ U.S. of A. Whether it’s the Australian market, South America, or even into the depths of the frigid northern portions of Europe, American manufacturers have been quick to try and churn out a successful model, and while many have fallen flat on their faces, some have caused domestic buyers many sleepless nights dreaming about a chance to import just one of these 10 beauties.
From ugly ducklings that were meant to withstand the test of time to light, sporty, and beautiful sports cars, these are 10 cars made by American manufacturers that were never sold stateside.
10 American Cars From The 1990s That Are Modern Classics
Cars are added each year to the list of new classics, look away now if you were born in the ’90s – these 1990s American cars are now modern classics.
10
2021 Ford Puma ST
Sold In Europe, Australasia And South Africa
If there’s one thing Americans sure do love, it’s a compact SUV with a sporty appearance, and while the Ford Puma may be more correctly defined as a hatchback, it’s close enough to garner attention from Americans who have to see them from across the pond. Sure, the actual specs may not be much to ogle at, but it can’t be denied that the Puma has a much sportier, aggressive appeal than its American cousin, the Escape.
Interesting Features
- The same 1.5-liter three-engine that was originally implanted in the Fiesta ST.
- Recaro front seats hug the driver and tested well in our initial impression back in 2021.
- A manual transmission, for when you want to feel all 197 horsepower. each step of the way on your commute.
It may not necessarily be a ridiculously hot hatch, but it more than makes up for it in the looks department. The Puma has all the looks of its animalistic counterpart, but not quite the bite, and that’s okay. What American wouldn’t want a domesticated puma?
9
2023 Chevrolet Montana
Sold In Latin America
With the success of the Ford Maverick in the United States, it may only be a matter of time before Chevrolet decides that it wants a piece of the action when it comes to the compact pickup truck market. Currently, General Motors offers a pair of stellar mid-size trucks in the U.S., but the buck stops there. However, if the Bow Tie Brand ever does decide to enter the compact market stateside, they’ve already got the platform to do it with the Chevrolet Montana.
Interesting Features
- The Montana shares a platform with what is essentially the Blazer. If a 4Runner is just a Tacoma with a shell over the bed, the Montana is the Blazer with the shell lopped off.
- With just a 1.2-liter turbo three-cylinder engine, the Montana truly is a wet dog when it comes to power. It would need a transplant to succeed in the U.S., which GM could easily do.
- The truck also comes only in front-wheel drive, which would also need to be changed if it were meant to succeed stateside.
A plethora of reasons exist as to why the Montana can’t be sold in the U.S., but as quickly as the American market adopted the Ford Maverick, GM certainly got beat to the punch when it comes to the compact pickup market in the U.S., and if they brought the Montana in its current form to the arena, it would be laughed out of it rather promptly. However, with a few modifications that GM could make in-house, a Montana sibling could appear on offer lists sooner rather than later.
8
1999 Dodge Ramcharger
Sold In Mexico
During the late 90s, the luster of the two-door SUV was fading, and American manufacturers had to react quickly. Thus, the four-door Ford Expedition and the Chevrolet Suburban entered the market, while the two-door Dodge Ramcharger’s last years were spent elsewhere in the world. With a heaping V-8 under the hood, all the torque imaginable, and a turning circle of approximately half an acre, it certainly checks a few of the boxes for what plenty of Americans want in a car. However, the Ramcharger was only sold in Mexico in 1999, but since then, it’s become a favorite of tuners in the area, and can be spotted at drag strips across the country as a result of its modular capabilities.
Interesting Features
- The Ramcharger was essentially a hodgepodge of what was lying around the Chrysler parts bin for the last few years of its life, meaning that it actually shares a rear lift system with the Dodge Caravan.
- The Ramcharger was offered with either a sensible 5.2-liter or a 5.9-liter V-8, meaning that no matter what, consumers were really getting gallons per mile as opposed to vice versa.
- The frame of the Ramcharger itself is borrowed from the Dodge 1500 of the era, along with the front fascia and dash.
While Ford and Chevrolet’s two-door SUVs didn’t really get a Y2K swansong, Dodge’s did, oddly enough. Americans just didn’t get to see it.
10 Classic American Muscle Cars That Still Dominate Auctions
Some classic muscle cars are cooling off price-wise, but these icons are still scorching the auction block.
7
2023 Ford Everest
Sold In Australia, New Zealand, Thailand, And The United Arab Emirates
Out of all the cars on this list, the Ford Everest may be the biggest head-scratcher of them all. A four-wheel-drive, full-size SUV — what’s more American than that? Realistically, the biggest competition for this car in America would be Toyota’s 4Runner or new Landcruiser, and the cheapest of those newer models can’t be bought for less than $42,000, while the base-model four-wheel-drive diesel option, Everest sold in Australia can be bought for the equivalent of less than $40,000 USD. Let that sink in. Granted, Ford would shove an Eco-boost engine under the hood if the vehicle ever made it stateside, but even then it wouldn’t be a hard sell.
Interesting Features
- Much like the 4Runner, the Everest can be bought with two-wheel drive if the buyer prefers to make it a mall crawler, which it definitely can be given its lush interior.
- The Everest shares the same 10-speed automatic transmission that comes standard in many of the F-series trucks, meaning it could tow as much as a pickup in theory.
- Ford offers the same trim packages as they do with the F-150, save for the King Ranch, meaning that Ford wouldn’t necessarily even have to tweak the car at all aside from the engine if it were to be brought to the U.S.
Out of every single car on this list, the Everest seems like it would have the most success in the U.S. market, and once American consumers get their eyes on it, they may never want to take them off it again.
6
1977 Ford Falcon XC Cobra
Sold In Australia
Have you ever thought about how cool it would be if Ford decided to take the coolest part of every muscle car ever made, balled it up into one car, and then sold it? Well, they did, just not in the U.S. Introducing the 1977 Ford Falcon XC Cobra. Although it looks like something straight out of the muscle car craze of the late 60s, this car adds a bit more modern styling to give it that extra pop. The swept rear fenders that form into the gorgeously affixed, if useless, rear wing look like they came straight off a , and the wide, gaping grill at the front looks reminiscent of those that sat upon the Dodge Chargers and Challengers of the previous era, but oh no, this is all a Ford, and it’s all gorgeous.
Interesting Features
- Whereas most American muscle car enthusiasts dream of their own modded-out Mustang, the Falcon line has been synonymous with Aussie pride for quite some time. Ford decided to go mad with the performance models of this car all the way into the 21st century, including this one, which boasted the brand’s famous 351 cu. V-8 engine.
- Ford produced the Falcon in Australia for more than 50 years, and while there are some models that are straight-up putrid, there are also iterations that tuners have forced to produce well over 500 hp.
- The 1977 XC Cobra models were actually built for homologation reasons, which essentially just allowed Ford to go racing with the same car.
If the Everest is Ford’s easiest sell in the U.S., the XC Cobra might be the hardest, considering the sheer scarcity of the exact trim models. However, the Falcon XC Cobra still stands as one of the best muscle cars the company ever produced, and it wasn’t even available to United States consumers.
5
2024 Ford Territory
Sold In South Africa, The Middle East, And The Philippines
To be brutally honest here, this is straight up about looks. The Ford Territory is a five-row SUV that checks all the boxes. It has enough legroom to seat those five people comfortably, it’s relatively efficient and, above all else, it looks good. Compared to the current American equivalent of Ford’s five-seater SUVs, it’s just a better-looking car overall. It lends itself well to fun options like the two-tone paint pictured above, and it still looks sensible enough to take anywhere in the world.
Interesting Features
- When it comes to features on modern SUVs, it always seems like every manufacturer leaves out one thing that makes consumers scratch their head. That’s not the case here. The Territory doesn’t break down any barriers, but it has just about every feature one would need.
- The 1.8-liter turbo four-cylinder isn’t going to win any races, but when paired with the seven-speed transmission, does boast 8.5L/100km of mileage.
- The only technical drawback of the Territory is that its drive mode selector, which is a huge selling point of the model, is buried too deeply inside the infotainment system. It takes a few clicks to get to the actual selection screen.
The Territory may miss out on the ‘wow’ factor that other cars on this list do, but it does stand as arguably the best bang for the buck out of the entire 10. With a comprehensive list of creature comforts and few holes to poke in the platform itself, it’s a hard car to fault.
10 Most American Cars Ever Built – Red, White, And Rumble
These proud American rides are ready to defend our shores and blow off some doors.
4
1990 Ford Escort RS Cosworth
Sold In Europe
As an icon in every sense of the word, since it became legal, importers have been trying their hardest to get the Ford Escort RS Cosworths stateside, and for good reason. It was the hot hatch that redefined the genre for many 70s and 80s babies. With its European-made powerplant and swooping rear wing, it became a staple of bad behavior on a budget, which makes it one of the coolest cars that never made its way into the U.S.
Interesting Features
- To make the four-wheel-drive work on the Escort RS Cosworth, Ford essentially had to take the four-wheel-drive system from its Saphire and cut it in two, take out some bits, and weld it back together. Sometimes, it just works.
- ABS came standard on all Escort RS Cosworth models, which went hand-in-hand with the car’s rally pedigree.
- All Escort RS Cosworths with the YBT engine came with a blue headcover whereas the Sierras came with a green one.
Though they are tiny, they are mighty. The Escort RS Cosworths have been items of legend in the American car scene, and since they began to be imported, have only skyrocketed in terms of pricing. And when I say skyrocketing, I mean well over $200,000 in some cases.
3
1974 Chevrolet Veraneio
Sold In Brazil
You may be cool, but the reality of the situation is that you’d be even cooler behind the wheel of a Chevrolet Veraneio. With that sloped back gate, windows that belong on chapels, and a wrap-around stripe around the entire car, it screams cool uncle. Unfortunately, unless you lived in Brazil during the 1970s, it’s going to be hard to find one.
Interesting Features
- Underneath, the Veraneio is essentially a Chevrolet Suburban from the same model years.
- Accurate specs are hard to come by, with some claiming that the Veraneios had eight-cylinder thumpers, and most saying they came with the rugged inline-six options.
- Obviously, it’s quite difficult to find Veraneios for sale today, but if someone in Brazil had some spare change to come by, they could make some pretty sweet rides with the platform, like this sold Facebook Marketplace example.
As far as mystery is concerned, the Veraneio probably takes the cake. Most of the cars on the list can be found in videos and posts from across the world, but none fewer than the Veraneio. Just imagine if Chevrolet had used this styling on its U.S. Suburbans. How much cooler would they be?
2
2009 Chevrolet Niva
Sold In Russia
The Chevrolet Niva, in all honesty, is a Lauda with a bow tie slapped on the front of it. However, a compact off-road SUV in the early 2010’s was something that not many, if any, American companies were offering in the U.S., while Chevrolet was busy peddling this one in Russia.
Interesting Facts
- The Niva came standard with a 1.7-liter engine, four-wheel-drive and a five-speed manual transmission. Perfect for careening around the countryside, no matter the location.
- The car only produced 80 hp., so unless you were, in fact, in snow, there were very few times you could get it to spin the tires as pictured.
- Some actually consider the Niva to be the first unibody offroader.
Truth be told, many of the online links surrounding the Chevrolet Niva’s history lead to some pretty shady places, so it’s probably best to keep it here for now. Just know that the Niva has turned into one of the Russian tuner’s favorites when it comes to modifications. Every country has their Geo Metro, and this is Russia’s, and it’s actually better.
10 Rare American Cars That Almost Nobody Remembers
Do you remember these American cars? Some are pretty rare to find today, with good reason. These American cars aren’t memorable, but were important.
1
1968 Ford OSI 20M TS
Sold In Western Europe
What in the world is that? An Aston? A Jaguar? Nope. It’s a Ford. The Ford OSI 20M TS is simply the best-looking thing to ever don the blue oval, and it’s not even particularly close. However, most wouldn’t know that it even existed. Back in the late 1960s, many people with a decent amount of money said to themselves: ‘You know what? We could make a car.’ They would inevitably realize that it takes more than a decent amount of money to succeed, and then pursue partnerships with large manufacturers.
OSI was one of the companies that succeeded in their venture, and Ford decided to slap their name on this beautiful Italian-designed sports car. However, the company only lasted one year after that, before declaring for bankruptcy.
Interesting Features
- The same designer that came up with the Volkswagen Kharmann Ghia Type 34 designed this car.
- Less than 200 examples of the car remain today, and most came with a 2.0-liter v-6 engine.
- The 125 hp. that the car put out was not a lot, but then again, OSI couldn’t afford to implant a monstrous powertrain. The car won on looks, and it still does.
Because of the company’s short tenure, the Ford OSI 20M TS is yet another car that has more mythology around it than substance. It’s survived in large part thanks to its sheer design beauty, as it should, because who could let such a beautiful creation fade away in front of their own eyes? It would never have worked in America, and sometimes, that’s okay. It wouldn’t be as cool if it did.