# Why don't they make "retro" cars? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [August 30, 2006, 7:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-dont-they-make-retro-cars/370817 "2006-08-30T19:12:50Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 7\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Mangetout](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mangetout/32/19_2.png) [@Mangetout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangetout)\ **Post date:** [August 30, 2006, 10:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-dont-they-make-retro-cars/370817/21 "2006-08-30T22:03:12Z")
Don’t forget [Morgan](http://www.morgan-motor.co.uk/home.html) (if you don’t mind waiting a year or so while they build it for you) ---
**Author:** ![Spectre\_of\_Pithecanthropus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/spectre_of_pithecanthropus/32/12343_2.png) [@Spectre\_of\_Pithecanthropus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spectre_of_Pithecanthropus)\ **Post date:** [August 30, 2006, 10:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-dont-they-make-retro-cars/370817/22 "2006-08-30T22:31:14Z")
> [@Rick](#): > > 😕 > Don’t get out much do you? > Retro? > PT Cruiser > Chevy HHR > Dodge Ram pickups > Ford Thunderbird > Ford GT > VW Beetle > Mini > > Just to name a few off the top of my head. You could add to that many if not most of the convertibles that are out there, many of which seem to have a retro feel. Awhile back, I happened to wonder what had ever happened to T-tops, and almost instantly I told myself, “because convertibles came back!” ---
**Author:** ![Rick](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/9f8e36/32.png) [@Rick](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rick)\ **Post date:** [August 30, 2006, 11:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-dont-they-make-retro-cars/370817/23 "2006-08-30T23:27:32Z")
> [@DrCube](#): > > Yeah, so, I guess I’m out of the loop. I didn’t realize there already were so many retro cars. But I don’t think the PT Cruiser and the Mini Cooper count. I’m not asking about newer cars “inspired” by older models, I’m talking about the same older car built new. I mean, in a way, _every_ car is inspired by older ones. That Dodge Challenger was exactly what I am talking about, though. An old favorite brought to life again, not some quaintly designed vehicle just reminiscent of the old days. Maybe you should take a [closer](http://www.stockmopar.com/_images/challenger/2008/official/passenger-front.jpg) [look.](http://images.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://www.seriouswheels.com/pics-1970-1979/1970-Dodge-Challenger-Purple-340-fa-sy.jpg&imgrefurl=http://www.seriouswheels.com/1970-1979/1970-Dodge-Challenger-Coupe-Purple-FA.htm&h=596&w=1152&sz=251&hl=en&start=8&tbnid=GmKxrZCpAJI49M:&tbnh=78&tbnw=150&prev=/images%3Fq%3Ddodge%2Bchallenger%26svnum%3D10%26hl%3Den%26lr%3D%26sa%3DN) They are not identical. Reminiscent is the word I would use to decribe the new Challenger ---
**Author:** ![Excalibre](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/898d66/32.png) [@Excalibre](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Excalibre)\ **Post date:** [August 31, 2006, 2:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-dont-they-make-retro-cars/370817/24 "2006-08-31T02:27:10Z")
> [@micahjn](#): > > The [2008 Dodge Challenger](http://www.stockmopar.com/2008-dodge-challenger.html) is pretty retro. I don’t even care about cars and I’m lusting after that one. This is so weird. I’ve just never given two shits about the things except insofar as they can or can’t get me where I’m going. ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [August 31, 2006, 2:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-dont-they-make-retro-cars/370817/25 "2006-08-31T02:56:13Z")
> [@Bryan Ekers](#): > > Personally, I’m hoping for the return of tailfins. [My car has tailfins](http://s107.photobucket.com/albums/m305/llaaksonen/?action=view¤t=DSCN0058.jpg). Only little ones, and they aren’t technically ‘retro’ because the car is over 40 years old. I mentioned to my restoration guy that my MGB has tailfins. He disagreed, but conceded that they did appear to be vestigal fins after I pointed them out. ---
**Author:** ![R.P.McMurphy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/7993a0/32.png) [@R.P.McMurphy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/R.P.McMurphy)\ **Post date:** [August 31, 2006, 3:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-dont-they-make-retro-cars/370817/26 "2006-08-31T03:30:32Z")
Probably the last retro car to be built was the Checker Marathon. [Wiki - Checker](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Checker_Motors_Company) It was little more than a '55 Chevy and they quit production in 1982. Why did they quit production? Basically, because a car which was 25 years techinically deficient is really a POS. If you want an antique, buy an antique and restore it. Otherwise, time moves on. ---
**Author:** ![DrCube](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/a3d4f5/32.png) [@DrCube](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrCube)\ **Post date:** [August 31, 2006, 3:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-dont-they-make-retro-cars/370817/27 "2006-08-31T03:34:17Z")
It seems that the Morgan site had the closest to what I was thinking about when I wrote the OP. (Well, not necessarily, because I was supposing something close to a replica but with modern parts, while that site seemed to offer custom made cars that looked like old 30s Rolls Royces.) But on second thought, I’m afraid that the line I thought was relatively clear-cut when I started this thread is getting pretty hazy in my mind. I thought at first there was pretty clear dividing line between “retro” and “modern”, but I’m getting confused myself. Obviously, they can’t make exact replicas, I knew that before I started. But it seems that there is no real way to differentiate say, “This is just like a Cobra, but new”, vs. “This is inspired by one or more old cars”. I don’t know, but I should trust economics. If there is a demand, somebody somewhere will supply it for a price. So the reason I don’t see any new Woodys is because the demand is met by the old ones still floating around. And if you can’t get your hands on a vintage Rolls Royce, the Morgan company will custom make you one for lots of dollars. By the way, thanks everyone, this was the first thread I started and it went well. So I guess I’ll start a few more in the future. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-dont-they-make-retro-cars/370817.md?page=1)