American cars that were never sold in the US

American cars have always been desirable in other parts of the world. For example, the muscle car craze of the 1960s and 1970s swept the planet. While many American cars were simply shipped and sold in other countries, others did not meet the criteria for car buyers outside the United States.

For this reason, American automakers decided to develop vehicles that would be exclusive to other markets. We wish some of these cars were available in the United States, while others are definitely hard to come by.

Ford Capri

Ford's flagship pony car, the Ford Mustang, quickly became a worldwide sensation. While the Mustang appealed to buyers in both America and Europe, Ford wanted to create a smaller pony car that would better suit the European market. Thus was born the 1969 Ford Capri.

The European equivalent of the Ford Mustang shared a platform and available engine options with the Cortina, although its styling was much more aggressive. The car was a huge success, with a million units sold in its 16 years of production.

Brazilian Dodge Charger R/T

You might be surprised to know that the car in the photo above is a Dodge Charger. After all, the Charger's iconic design is different from what you see in the photo. Dodge created a Brazilian version of the Charger R/T that never made it to the US market, hence the cosmetic differences.

The Brazilian Dodge Charger R/T was actually based on the two-door Dodge Dart. The Charger came with an 5.2-cubic-inch Chrysler V318 8-liter engine under the hood that produced 215 horsepower. Dart was produced until 1982.

We're not done with chargers yet! Have you ever heard of the Chrysler Charger? Keep reading to find out more.

Chrysler Valiant Charger

Dodge has released a special Charger variant unique to the Australian market. Because Dodge was not a recognizable automaker in Down Under at the time, the car was marketed as Chrysler instead. The powerful muscle car was based on the Chrysler Valiant, not the Charger as we know it.

The Australian Chrysler Charger was available with several small-block V8 powerplants, while the base model came with a 140 horsepower 3.5L powerplant. Its most powerful variant, the Valiant Charger 770 SE, had 275 horsepower.

European Ford Granada

As with the Dodge Charger, many car enthusiasts will recognize the Ford Granada. The moniker was used on sedans sold by Ford during the 1970s to 1980s in the United States. However, Ford also developed a European version of the Granada, which never made it to the US.

The European Granada was manufactured by Ford in Germany between 1972 and 1994. The car debuted as a cheaper alternative to the executive cars produced at the time by German and British automakers. The Granada proved successful and was seen in police cars or as taxis in cities across Europe.

Chevrolet Firenza Can Am

The Firenza Can Am is a rare 1970s muscle car that was only produced for the South African market. The upgraded Firenza was built to motorsport homologation regulations, so Chevrolet only produced 100 units of this powerful muscle car.

Under the hood of the Firenza Can Am was a Chevrolet 5.0-liter V8 engine from the high-performance first-generation Chevy Camaro Z28. The power output was almost 400 horsepower, which allowed it to accelerate to 5.4 miles per hour in 60 seconds!

Ford Falcon Cobra

The Ford Falcon Cobra is a muscle car developed by Ford for the Australian market. In the late 70s, the American automaker was going to abandon the XC Falcon and replace it with the new XD. Because the 1979 XD Falcon was not available as a 2-door coupe, the manufacturer had nothing to do with the few hundred remaining XC Falcon bodies. Instead of scrapping them, a limited version of the Ford Falcon Cobra was born.

The powerful muscle car was produced in a short cycle of only 400 units, all of which were produced in 1978. The first 200 units received a powerful 5.8L, 351 cubic-inch V8 engine, while the remaining 200 were equipped with a 4.9L 302 engine. cubic inch V8.

Ford Sierra RS Cosworth

The Ford Sierra RS Cosworth is a famous British sports car developed by Ford. Despite being produced by an American automaker, the boosted Sierra Cosworth never made it to the US market. A performance-oriented version of the Sierra was sold until 1992.

Today, the Sierra RS Cosworth is renowned for its motorsport success and incredible performance. Back in the 1980s, a 6.5 second sprint to 60 mph was nothing short of amazing. The RS Cosworth put out 224 horsepower to the rear wheels, although an all-wheel drive option became available in 1990.

Ford RS200

The legendary Group B rally class produced some of the most hardcore sports cars of the late 20th century. Great cars like the Audi Quattro S1, Lancia 037 or Ford RS200 would probably never have existed were it not for the FIA ​​homologation requirements to enter Group B. Manufacturers had to create several hundred road units of their racing cars. to qualify for the season.

The Ford RS200 is a famous rally car that was a huge success in motorsports in the 1980s. The lightweight 2-door car was equipped with a 2.1L mid-mounted engine producing 250 horsepower. The racing version was tuned for as much as 500 horsepower!

Cadillac BLS

Never heard of the Cadillac BLS? This is probably due to the fact that this American 4-door sedan never made it to the US market. Back in the mid-2000s, Cadillac didn't have a sedan that would fit the European market, as the existing CLS was simply too big. Ultimately, BLS failed and was discontinued just five years after its debut.

The BLS was offered in two body styles: sedan and station wagon. Available powerplants ranged from Fiat's 1.9-liter flat-four for the base model to a 250-horsepower 2.8-liter V6 that still seemed underpowered. The BLS front-wheel drive transmission wasn't attractive either.

Chevrolet Caliber

In the late 1980s, there was a growing craze in Europe for lightweight, inexpensive sports cars. Opel, a subsidiary of GM, introduced the affordable Opel/Vauxhall Calibra 2-door sports car in 1989. Following the car's success, GM decided to introduce the Calibra to the South American market. The car was renamed the Chevrolet Calibra.

The Chevrolet Calibra is almost identical to the European Opel Calibra or the Australian Holden Calibra. The lightweight sports car was offered with a variety of powertrains, from a 115 hp 2.0-liter flat-four to a 205-hp turbocharged flat-four.

Chevrolet SS

The South African Chevrolet SS actually goes back to Australia. Back in the 1970s, the Holden Monaro GTS was rebranded as the Chevrolet SS and sold in South Africa under the automaker's high-performance moniker to boost sales. Although the front of the car is different from the Monaro, it is essentially the same car with Chevrolet badges.

An 308 cubic inch V8 engine was fitted to the SS as standard, with a 300 horsepower 350 cubic inch powerplant available as an option. The sprint to 60 mph took the SS just 7.5 seconds and top speed was 130 mph.

Ford Escort

The Ford Escort was one of the best-selling stock Ford vehicles of all time. The car first debuted on the British market back in the late 1960s and literally overnight became a hit with buyers. Despite its popularity, Ford never sold the Escort in the US.

The Escort was offered with a variety of powerplants. Buyers looking for an economical daily driver could opt for the entry-level 1.1L option, while the RS 2000 was the ideal alternative for car enthusiasts looking for a powerful car.

Ford Falcon GT NO 351

The Falcon GT HO 351 is arguably the best muscle car you've ever heard of. This is because this second generation Falcon variant never made it to the US market and was only sold in Australia. The car was an excellent combination of the proper performance of a muscle car with the practicality of a large 4-door sedan.

Under the hood of the muscle car was an 351 cubic inch Ford V8 engine that produced over 300 horsepower. A six-second sprint to 60 mph and upgraded suspension and brakes make this Falcon variant a great Australian muscle car from the 70s.

Did you know that another uprated version of the Falcon was sold in South America? The muscle car craze swept the world back in the 70s!

Ford Falcon Sprint

Ford Falcon was sold not only in Australia. Although Ford first introduced the Falcon in Argentina back in 1962, at first it was only offered as an economical compact car. Eleven years later, however, the American automaker introduced the Falcon Sprint. The upgraded Falcon sports variant was Ford's answer to the growing demand for muscle cars in South America, especially in Argentina.

The Ford Falcon Sprint, like many of the other cars on this list, was meant to be more affordable than a true American muscle car. The four-door sedan received cosmetic changes to distinguish it from the base Falcon, as well as a 3.6-horsepower 166-liter flat-six engine.

Chevrolet Opala SS

The demand for muscle cars was crazy throughout the 1960s and 1970s. Not surprisingly, car buyers outside of the United States wanted to get in on the action. Chevrolet recognized the demand for muscle cars in Brazil and developed the Opala SS, which debuted in the 1969 model year.

Despite the SS moniker, the Chevy Opala SS was far from being Chevrolet's most powerful vehicle. In fact, its inline-six produced only 169 horsepower. Either way, the Opala SS looked like a real muscle car and was a hit with car enthusiasts looking for a budget alternative to American muscle cars.

Chrysler 300 SRT

The supercharged Chrysler 300 SRT was one of the most fantastic performance-focused 4-door sedans sold in the United States. After a much-needed update to the 300 in 2011, the SRT became the best trim level available.

In 2015, the Chrysler 300 was updated again. This time, however, the automaker decided to drop the supercharged SRT variant from the US lineup. However, the powerful sedan is still available in other markets.

Chrysler Valiant Charger R/T

Chrysler created an Australian-only muscle car like the Ford Falcon Cobra or GT HO 351. An improved version of the Chrysler Valiant was introduced in 1971. The sporty Valiant Charger lost two doors compared to the regular Valiant, which was only available as a 4-door sedan.

Chrysler offered the R/T trim with a 240-horsepower 4.3-liter six-cylinder engine. For maximum performance, buyers could opt for the 770 SE E55, powered by a 340 horsepower 8-cubic-inch V285 engine mated to a 3-speed automatic transmission.

Dodge Dakota R/T 318

Back in the late 1990s, Dodge introduced the second generation of the midsize Dodge Dakota pickup truck. The most powerful variant of the truck, the Dakota R/T, was powered by an 360-cubic-inch Dodge V8 engine with a maximum output of 250 horsepower. However, the American manufacturer also released the Dakota R/T with a 5.2-liter V318 engine of 8 cubic inches.

The second generation Dakota R/T with the 318 engine was only available for the Brazilian market. The truck was more affordable than the 5.9LR/T available in the US, but had the same upgraded suspension, bucket seats, exhaust system, and a number of cosmetic changes unique to the forced R/T.

American manufacturers have reduced the size of large pickup trucks for the South American market. Take a look at the next truck designed by Ford back in the late 70s.

F

In 1972, Ford introduced the fifth generation Ford F-Series pickup truck to the Brazilian market. To keep up with the trucks produced by Chevrolet exclusively for the Brazilian market, Ford released the F-1000 in 1979. The four-door pickup truck is far from the prettiest Ford vehicle, although it was quite advanced at the time.

The F-1000 was always meant to be used as a workhorse, so its styling wasn't particularly appealing. The truck was only available with reliable six-cylinder diesel powerplants. It was sold until the 1990s.

RAM 700

In the past, American manufacturers have produced several iconic pickup trucks based on passenger cars. The Chevrolet El Camino was perhaps the most successful of these before demand for car-based pickups plummeted by the 1980s. The RAM 700 shown in the photo above is the spiritual successor to the Dodge El Camino alternative, the Dodge Rampage.

The RAM 700 is powered by a small four-cylinder engine. It is undeniably more economical and smaller than US RAM trucks. This compact pickup truck is available in various countries in South America.

Chevy Montana

The Chevrolet Montana is another American pickup truck that never made it to the North American market. Like the previously mentioned RAM 700, the Chevrolet Montana is a car-based pickup truck. The Montana is actually based on the Opel Corsa. Its affordable price and economical engine make the truck an ideal choice as a workhorse.

The Montana is offered with a tiny 1.4-liter four-cylinder engine mated to a front-wheel drive transmission. It is sold in South American markets including Argentina, Mexico, Brazil as well as South Africa.

Dodge Neon

Chrysler's entry-level car, the Dodge Neon, was available in the United States as early as the early 2000s. The Neon has since been replaced by the new Dodge Dart in North America, which may not be as good as its predecessor. On the other hand, Neon returned in 2015. It just didn't make it to the US market.

The new Neon, which is essentially a rebadged Fiat Tipo with a slightly different look, is only available in Mexico. The entry-level Dodge is reportedly heading to the United States, although plans may have been canceled due to poor sales figures for the new Dart.

IKA Turin 380W

Back in the mid-1950s, the now-defunct Kaiser was building cars in Argentina under the Ika nameplate. Ten years later, Ika was approached by AMC. An American manufacturer provided Ika with the American Rambler platform, and so Ika Torino was born.

The base Torino debuted in 1966 and was quite advanced compared to competitors available at the time in Argentina. Three years after the debut, Ika introduced the Torino 380W, which at that time was the maximum configuration of the car. The IKA Torino 380W was powered by a 176-horsepower 3.8-liter engine under the hood. In the coming years, IKA released more powerful variants of the Torino based on the 380W.

Buick Park Avenue

Many car enthusiasts may not know that the upscale Park Avenue sedan has been back for a couple of years now. Believe it or not, Buicks are incredibly popular in China. It is for this reason that the American automaker decided to focus on the Chinese market. The latest Park Avenue debuted in Asia, the sedan is not available in the US.

American Park Avenue was discontinued back in 2005. The last Park Avenue shares its platform with Holden Caprice. The sedan is offered with a variety of economical V6 powertrains.

Buick GL8

Buick's flagship minivan, the GL8, follows in the footsteps of the previously mentioned Buick Park Avenue. With demand for minivans plummeting in the United States, Buick's wisest decision was to sell the GL8 in China.

The GL8 was first introduced in China back in 1999 and is still in production today. Twenty-one years after its debut, the GL8 is still built on the same platform. The latest third generation GL8 debuted for the 2017 model year.

Ford Mondeo Wagon

Decades ago, Ford sold the Mondeo sedan in the United States as the Ford Contour or Mercury Mystique. Over time, the Mondeo became very similar to the Fusion. However, one of the key differences is the station wagon body configuration. This body style never made it to the North American market!

Automakers in the United States were hesitant to sell station wagon variants as sales figures were always lower than those of sedans. Lack of demand forced Ford not to bring the Mondeo station wagon to the US.

Ford Mustang Shelby Europe

Back in the 1970s, Belgian Shelby dealer and racing driver Claude Dubois approached Carroll Shelby. The dealer asked Shelby to produce a limited line of Shelby-modified European Mustangs, as US production was halted in 1970. Within a year, the 1971/72 Ford Mustang Shelby Europa was born.

Today, the Shelby Europa-spec Ford Mustang is highly sought after by collectors. In the end, only 14 units were produced in the car's two years of production. Most units were powered by the 351 cubic inch V8 engine, with some getting the powerful 429 Cobra Jet V8 engine.

Ford OSI 20M TS

The Ford OSI 20M TS may be the most beautiful vintage sports car you've ever heard of. OSI was an Italian manufacturer that, like countless other companies throughout Italy at the time, focused on producing stylish cases for existing platforms. Although OSI has mainly produced Fiat based vehicles, one of their finest creations is the OSI 20M TS based on the Ford Taunus.

This stylish coupe was equipped with a 2.3-liter V6 engine with 110 horsepower. While the OSI 20M TS was far from a high performance monster, it was undeniably a great looking car.

Ford Cortina XR6 Interceptor

The third generation Ford Cortina has been a hit with consumers around the world. While the car was practical and economical, Ford did not have a performance-oriented option that appealed to car buyers who wanted a fast, inexpensive vehicle. The answer was the Ford Cortina XR6 Interceptor, introduced for the 1982 model year in South Africa.

The Ford Cortina XR6 produced 140 horsepower from its rear-wheel-mounted 3.0-liter V6 engine. While it may not sound like much, the hull was light, which accounted for the excellent handling. Only 250 copies were produced in total.

Chevrolet Caprice

The Caprice has been a beloved American sedan that dates back to the 1960s. Chevrolet eventually dropped the Caprice sedan from its North American lineup in 1966 in favor of the ever-increasing demand for large SUVs. Just a few years later, in 1999, Caprice had a resurgence in the Middle East.

The Caprice entered the Middle East market as a more modern alternative to the Dodge Charger. The Caprice was essentially a rebadged Holden with an LS powerplant. Interestingly, the Caprice briefly returned to the US in 2011 when the vehicle was sold to police across the country. However, it never returned to the public market.

Ford Landau

Landau was released in Brazil in the early 1970s. The luxury 4-door sedan served as the most luxurious and upscale Ford vehicle available in South America, despite being essentially a facelifted 1960s Ford Galaxie. However, the Landau was hugely popular among Brazil's wealthy car owners.

Ford Landau packed an 302-cubic-inch V8 engine under the hood that produced 198 horsepower. During the Brazilian oil crisis in the late 1970s, Ford even developed a variant of the Landau that could run on ethanol instead of conventional fuel! Sales peaked in 1980, with 1581 ethanol-powered Landaus sold that year.

The next car, also made by Ford, was produced from the 1930s to the 1990s but never made it to the US market.

Ford Taunus

The Taunus was a mid-size car built and sold by Ford in Germany for decades, starting in 1939. Because the car was produced and sold in Europe, the Taunus never made it to the American market. During its long history of production, Taunus produced over 7 different generations of vehicles. In addition to Germany, the Taunus was also produced in Argentina and Turkey.

James Bond fans may recognize the sleek lines of the Ford Taunus. The 1976 Taunus was featured in a car chase in The Spy Who Loved Me.

Chevrolet Orlando

The Chevrolet Orlando is a small minivan introduced by GM for the 2011 model year. This practical vehicle has been sold in various markets around the world such as South Korea, Russia, Vietnam or Uzbekistan. However, the quirky Orlando never made it to the United States.

GM assumed that the Chevy Orlando would not sell well in the US. After all, it's not a particularly exciting car, and it's not as practical as some of the big minivans on the market right now. A wide selection of tiny low power motors would certainly not be a good selling point in the US.

Ford Racing Puma

The Ford Puma debuted in the late 1990s. It was marketed as a sporty, slightly more performance-oriented variant of the economical Ford Fiesta. While the standard Puma may have looked like a sports car, the performance couldn't match its extravagant styling. The base model Puma accelerated to hundreds in almost 0 seconds.

In the same year, Ford introduced the uprated Racing Puma. The production run was strictly limited to 500 units. Power output was increased from the base model's 90 horses to just over 150 horsepower. The car was never sold in the US.

Dodge GT V8

The Dodge GTX is one of many vehicles that Dodge has produced exclusively for the South American market. The car was first introduced back in 1970 and became a hit among consumers. The GTX looked like a real muscle car for a fraction of the cost of importing from the United States.

Initially, the base GTX was offered with a boxer six-cylinder engine paired with a 4-speed automatic. However, Dodge later installed a 318-liter V5.2 engine with 8 cubic inches under the hood.

Chevrolet Niva

In the 1970s, the Niva of the Russian automaker Lada was a surprisingly modern and powerful SUV. Other manufacturers soon caught up with the Niva, and by the 1990s, the Russian SUV was already obsolete. In 1998, the second generation of the Niva SUV was introduced. However, this time the car was sold as the Chevrolet Niva.

The second generation Niva remained a powerful SUV in its affordable price range. The car was available in various Eastern European countries as well as other markets in Asia. The Niva was equipped with an all-wheel drive transmission and an economical 1.7-liter four-cylinder engine.

Chevrolet Veraneiro

This extremely unique SUV never made it to the North American market. The Veraneio was first introduced for the 1964 model year and was built at Chevrolet's São Paulo plant in Brazil. The first generation Veraneio was in production for 25 years.

The Veraneio went through many changes during its long production run, including cosmetic changes to the car's interior and exterior design. The SUV was offered with two different V2 engines and served as an alternative to the Suburban.

Kings Ford

Although the Ford Del Rey was developed exclusively for the Brazilian market, the car was also sold in other countries in South America. Del Rey was available in Chile, Venezuela, Uruguay and Paraguay in addition to Brazil. The car served as a budget and economy vehicle from an American automaker. The Del Rey was offered as a two-door coupe, four-door sedan, and three-door station wagon.

A small 1.8L boxer four-cylinder engine from Volkswagen powered the Del Rey. A smaller, 1.6-litre flat-four engine was also available. The car was anything but a high-performance monster.

Ford Fairmont GT

The Fairmont GT was introduced in Australia and South Africa for the 1970 model year, essentially as a local variant of the Ford Falcon. The Ford Falcon GT was a huge success as a coveted muscle car in Australia, and the Fairmont GT was another alternative to this car.

Fairmont GT cars produced between 1971 and 1973 had 300 horsepower thanks to an 351 cubic inch V8 powerplant. At the time, the Ford Fairmont GT was one of the fastest cars available in South Africa.

Dodge Ramcharger

The Dodge Ramcharger was the automaker's flagship SUV, first debuting in the 1970s. The Ramcharger was then replaced in 1998 by the Dodge Durango, which was based on the midsize Dakota pickup truck rather than the Dodge Ram truck. Few know that the Ramcharger survived, at least in Mexico.

In 1998, the Ramcharger was released to the Mexican market. The car was a two-door SUV based on the Ram of the same year. While somewhat reminiscent of the existing Durango, the front end was only offered in a 2-door body configuration. At its most powerful, the third-generation Ramcharger was powered by a 5.9-liter, 360-cubic-inch V8 Magnum engine producing 250 horsepower.