ICONIC DISCONTINUED GENERAL MOTORS (GM) CARS

‍© History Oasis

LIST OF DISCONTINUED GENERAL MOTORS CAR MODELS

  • LaSalle (1927-1940)
  • Marquette (1929-1930)
  • Viking (1929-1931)
  • Oakland (1907-1931)
  • Pontiac GTO (1964-1974, 2004-2006)
  • Pontiac Firebird/Trans Am (1967-2002)
  • Oldsmobile 442 (1964-1991)
  • Buick Grand National (1982-1987)
  • Buick GNX (1987)
  • Buick GSX (1970-1972)
  • Chevrolet El Camino (1959-1960, 1964-1987)
  • Pontiac Fiero (1984-1988)
  • Saturn S-Series (1991-2002)
  • Chevrolet Chevelle SS (1964-1977)
  • General Motors EV1 (1996-1999)
  • Oldsmobile brand (1897-2004)
  • Pontiac brand (1926-2010)
  • Saturn brand (1985-2010)
  • Hummer brand (1999-2010)
  • Chevrolet Malibu (1964-2025)

LASALLE

General Motors

Discontinued: 1940

Cadillac’s stylish younger sibling was GM’s first truly designed car, crafted by legendary stylist Harley Earl. The LaSalle offered 482 color combinations and helped establish automotive styling as an art form.

MARQUETTE

General Motors

Discontinued: 1930

Buick’s one-year wonder, nicknamed “the pregnant Buick” for its portly styling. Poor timing with the stock market crash sealed its fate after just 35,000 units were built.

VIKING

General Motors

Discontinued: 1931

Oldsmobile’s upscale companion featured a V8 engine but couldn’t survive the Great Depression. Another casualty of GM’s ambitious companion make program that didn’t quite work out.

OAKLAND

General Motors

Discontinued: 1931

The parent brand that got eclipsed by its own child. Oakland introduced Pontiac as a companion car in 1926, only to be outsold and eventually replaced by its offspring.

PONTIAC GTO

General Motors

Discontinued: 1974, 2006

The “Goat” that started the muscle car craze. Born from rule-bending engineers who stuffed a big 389 V8 into a mid-size body. The GTO was briefly revived as an Australian import decades later.

PONTIAC FIREBIRD/TRANS AM

General Motors

Discontinued: 2002

Born from Chevy stealing Pontiac’s Corvette design, the Firebird spawned the legendary Trans Am. Made famous by “Smokey and the Bandit. The Firebird was hardcore to the bone.

OLDSMOBILE 442

General Motors

Discontinued: 1991

Named for its four-barrel carb, four-speed trans, and dual exhausts. This sophisticated muscle car proved Oldsmobile could build excitement, too. The 442 made numerous comebacks, but never quite stuck the landing.

BUICK GRAND NATIONAL

General Motors

Discontinued: 1987

The sinister all-black turbocharged beast that earned the nickname “Darth Vader’s car.” The car proved that V6 turbo power could embarrass V8 muscle cars in the 1980s.

BUICK GNX

General Motors

Discontinued: 1987

The ultimate Grand National. Only 547 were built by McLaren Performance. This “Grand National Experimental” was faster than Ferraris and became an instant legend.

BUICK GSX

General Motors

Discontinued: 1972

Buick’s answer to the GTO Judge and Chevelle SS. The Buick GSX was only available in Saturn Yellow and Apollo White. This rare muscle car was a showroom traffic builder that few could afford.

CHEVROLET EL CAMINO

General Motors

Discontinued: 1960, 1987

The car-truck hybrid inspired by Australian “utes.” Proved that you could haul your pig to market on Monday and your family to church on Sunday in style.

PONTIAC FIERO

General Motors

Discontinued: 1988

America’s only mid-engine sports car caught fire (literally) in its early years due to engine problems. Once fixed, the Fiero became a promising performer, but its damaged reputation sealed its fate.

SATURN S-SERIES

General Motors

Discontinued: 2002

“A different kind of car company” with dent-resistant plastic panels and no-haggle pricing. This car won customer satisfaction awards, but ironically became the most stolen car.

CHEVROLET CHEVELLE SS

General Motors

Discontinued: 1977

The backbone of Chevy’s muscle car lineup. From 396 big blocks to LS6 454s, the Chevelle SS delivered tire-smoking performance for over a decade of automotive glory.

GENERAL MOTORS EV1

General Motors

Discontinued: 1999

GM’s groundbreaking electric car was decades ahead of its time. Leased only, never sold, and famously discontinued when the program ended. It inspired the documentary “Who Killed the Electric Car?”

OLDSMOBILE BRAND

General Motors

Discontinued: 2004

America’s oldest surviving automotive brand met its end after 107 years. “This is not your father’s Oldsmobile” became prophetic.

PONTIAC BRAND

General Motors

Discontinued: 2010

“We Build Excitement” for 84 years until GM’s bankruptcy killed the brand. From GTO to Grand Prix, Pontiac represented performance and youth in GM’s lineup. The excitement ended.

SATURN BRAND

General Motors

Discontinued: 2010

The experimental brand that was supposed to compete with Japanese imports lasted 25 years. Despite early success and innovation, Saturn couldn’t find its place in GM’s future.

HUMMER BRAND

General Motors

Discontinued: 2010

Arnold Schwarzenegger helped bring military vehicles to civilians. The gas-guzzling behemoth couldn’t survive changing times, but returned as an electric GMC in 2022.

CHEVROLET MALIBU

General Motors

Discontinued: 2025

After 60 years as America’s family sedan, the Malibu drives into the sunset. The Malibu is the latest victim of the SUV craze and GM’s electric future. The sedan era officially ends here.

Next