It doesn’t happen often, but automakers sometimes fail. The reasons could vary from declining sales figures, to awkward market positions, to economic crashes.
As part of AutoTrader’s 50th anniversary, we are taking a look back at how much the automotive world has changed in half a century. This article looks at car brands that were once a common sight on Canadian roads, but now seem to have been forgotten after they closed up shop. Here are 10 car brands Canada has lost in the past 50 years.
1.Saab (1945-2011)
Saab was known for innovation. In the 1980s, the Swedish brand made its name by being an alternative to German luxury cars by offering a greater focus on safety. The brand was known for crash testing its vehicles to extreme standards, earning it a reputation for exceptional safety. Turbocharging was also a big part of Saab’s identity. While using turbos was usually reserved for high-end performance cars, Saab used them in regular sedans, achieving very competitive performance figures with much smaller engines. The automaker was purchased by General Motors in 2000, a time when Saab was simply selling rebadged versions of GM cars. Saab Automotive was officially killed off in 2011, but still operates as an aerospace and defence company today.
2. Pontiac (1926-2010)
Pontiac had been a manufacturer under the General Motors umbrella since 1909. In the 1960s, it gained a role as GM’s performance brand with models such as the GTO and Firebird. Due to the 1970s oil crisis and new emission regulations, performance cars sales plummeted. Up to the 1990s, the manufacturer lost a lot of its identity, mostly selling rebadged Chevrolet models that failed to gain mass appeal. For the new millennium, Pontiac attempted to market to younger people with the now notorious Aztek, which received widespread criticism for its design and was dubbed by many as the ugliest car ever made. Pontiac was discontinued in 2010 following GM’s bankruptcy in 2009.
3. Scion (2003-2016)
Scion was an attempt by Toyota to market to younger buyers in North America. It launched the brand in 2004 with the xA and xB models, two practical but funky subcompacts. Scion also made a strong attempt to market customization for its cars, capitalizing on the appeal of individualism for its cars. While this was an initial success for the marque, later models such as the second-generation xB and xD were far from the funky cars meant to appeal to younger buyers. Towards the end of Scion’s life, it was simply selling European Toyotas rebadged as Scions, such as the iM, which was essentially a Corolla Hatchback, no longer targeting younger buyers as it initially did.
4. American Motors Corporation (1954-1988)
American Motors Corporation (AMC) existed as an alternative to the American Big Three for a long time. The company was formed by merging various failing independent automakers to create AMC. The company never had the same funds to compete with the likes of GM or Ford but did find some success throughout its relatively short run. During the oil crisis, AMC succeeded in marketing “American-sized compacts,” the Gremlin and Pacer, both weird-looking yet now iconic cars of the 1970s. AMC was also the manufacturer of all Jeep models, such as the Wrangler and the wood-panelled Grand Wagoneer. In the 1980s, AMC partnered with French automaker Renault to sell some models under the AMC brand in North America. By the end of the decade, Chrysler had bought AMC out.
5. Eagle (1988-1998)
The creation of the Eagle brand ties directly to Chrysler's purchase of AMC. Eagle was marketed as providing European luxury. At its inception, it continued to sell certain AMC models and Renaults. The carmaker later sold rebadged Chrysler and Dodge models and certain Mitsubishis that came from Diamond-Star Motors, a collaboration between Mitsubishi and Chrysler. Most notably, Eagle sold the Talon, a badge-engineered Mitsubishi Eclipse. The marque was eventually phased out and never really gained a distinctive brand image since it sold cars from multiple manufacturers.
6. Geo (1989-1997) and Asuna (1992-1994)
Geo was a General Motors brand introduced in 1989, attempting to combat the growing sales of Japanese compact cars in North America. This was done by importing several models from Toyota, Isuzu, and Suzuki under the Geo name. The venture was relatively successful at offering reliable compacts in North America. Geo was never sold in Canada, but Asuna was set up as a Canadian version of the brand, selling the same models as Pontiacs, GMCs, or Asunas. For example, the Suzuki Vitara (pictured above) was sold in as the Geo Tracker in the U.S. and the Asuna Sunrunner in Canada. Asuna had a very short run from 1992 to 1994, while Geo lasted until 1997. Models from both brands eventually diluted into other marques under the GM umbrella.
7. Maybach (1997-2013)
In the late ‘90s, Rolls-Royce and Bentley were purchased by BMW and Volkswagen, respectively. To avoid missing out on the ultra-luxury market, Mercedes-Benz revived Maybach as an independent marque. Maybach had previously made a name for itself by producing luxury cars in the first half of the 20th century, but it was defunct before the Second World War. In 2002, Maybach launched two models, the 57 and 62, with the name reflecting the car's lengths. Both had an astonishing price of over half a million dollars and were equipped with twin-turbo V12 engines. The brand had failed to gain traction, especially compared to its rivals. Bentley and Rolls-Royce were far more recognizable names, and their styling matched their opulence far better than the Maybach. Eventually, Maybach became a sub-brand of Mercedes, today offering ultra-luxurious versions of top-range Mercedes models rather than standalone vehicles.
8. Mercury (1938-2011)
Mercury was introduced in 1938 to bridge the market gap between the Ford and Lincoln brands. It sold upscale Ford models, most notably the Grand Marquis and Cougar. It was discontinued after the 2008 recession because the brand suffered from an odd market position. It didn't make financial sense to keep a separate automaker simply to sell slightly more luxurious Fords, especially when Lincoln had pretty much the same role.
9. Saturn (1985-2010)
Saturn was another General Motors attempt to compete with the likes of Toyota and Honda. Unlike Geo, which was introduced around the same time, Saturn cars were engineered, designed, and built in the U.S. Saturn launched its brand with the S-Series, a range of compacts available in many body styles, all of which had Saturn's distinct angular styling. Saturn later expanded its lineup with L-Series and Ion. In an attempt to increase its model range, Saturn eventually transitioned to selling Opel models from GM of Europe, such as the Saturn Astra and Sky. This move wasn’t very successful, and Saturn sales declined throughout the 2000s, with the brand being cancelled following GM’s bankruptcy in 2009.
10. Hummer (1999-2010)
The Hummer name was purchased by General Motors from AM General in 1999. AM General produced both military and civilian Hummer H1s, with GM taking control of the civilian H1 sales. Under the purchase of the Hummer name, GM could produce its own Hummers for the civilian market, resulting in the H2 and H3. Both SUVs were based on existing GM platforms and were dressed up like the military Hummer despite lacking the same off-road capabilities. More importantly, the Hummer had a reputation for being larger and flashier than anything on the road at the time. The Hummer brand was killed off in 2010 following the recession when demand for flashy, expensive cars plummeted. The Hummer name was revived in 2021 under the GMC brand as an electric vehicle with the same massive size and boxy design as the original.
