© History Oasis
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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?”
Discontinued: 2004
America’s oldest surviving automotive brand met its end after 107 years. “This is not your father’s Oldsmobile” became prophetic.
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.
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.
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.
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.