- EV companies pop up all the time with old-school brand names to varrying degrees of success.
- Today, we hand the keys over to you to pick which brand should return as an EV-only automaker.
It feels like automotive history is becoming a revolving door these days, with old names cycling back into the spotlight faster than you can say “retro-futuristic reboot.” Every few years, another long-dead car brand or nameplate gets yanked from the archives, bolted to a new EV chassis and paraded in front of an audience that’s either thrilled or baffled (or, if you’re a true petrolhead, indifferent).
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Sometimes, the results are surprisingly solid, like Hummer’s electric comeback seems to have found its footing, and Scout looks promising. But not every revival lands smoothly. DeLorean, Hispano Suiza, and Detroit Electric have all taken their stabs and, well, let’s just say the results haven’t exactly electrified the market.
But let’s flip the script for a second. What if the decision was yours? You get the pick of the litter, any defunct automaker, any direction you want. Which brand would you bring back from the grave, and how would you turn it into a thriving EV startup?
Saab Still Makes Sense
In a recent Reddit forum asking a similar question, the poster specifically called out Saab. No doubt, that innovative, safety-focused company could align well with EV talking points. The flexibility on offer from a packaging standpoint with EVs is vast. It could enable a new Saab to get even more creative. The brand always stood out before it died; even when it badge-engineered cars, they were unique among its corporate siblings.
Maybe the best answer is the one shown in the image above. Pontiac died as a result of the 2008 financial crisis, and it did so at a terrible time. Bob Lutz was committed to making the brand a BMW rival with rear-wheel drive cars at the focus. It never came to be, though. What an impact it could make if Pontiac came back to life with a car that outscored the new Dodge Charger Daytona in every metric. That would be a resounding success.
AMC Was Ahead of Its Time
On the flip side, AMC could be an enticing option. The small American automaker could’ve been historically successful had a few different things happened in history. It was no doubt an innovative brand with lots of good ideas. Today, lifted Eagles go for top dollar, and the Cherokee remains a major victory that heavily contributed to the compact crossover movement.
We could continue to throw different brands against the wall. Edsel, Mercury, Cizeta, Jensen, Studebaker, Packard, Imperial, and more are all available here. If I personally had to pick one, it would be none other than TVR. We can all use a little insanity in our lives, and if TVR could position itself as a McMurtry rival with similarly batty tech, I think it could be a real winner.
So what do you think? Which long-dead automaker deserves another shot, this time with electrons instead of gasoline? Let your imagination run with it, this is fantasy, after all. There are no wrong answers. Okay, maybe Fisker. It’s had its chances – and blew them all…
