Manufacturers love to celebrate and play on their heritage, which in many cases sees them reviving famous nameplates of days gone by.
It’s something many different firms have done over the years, from city cars through to supercars and from all corners of the world.
As we enter an electric age, where the driving experience is seemingly less of a focus than the overall design and look and feel that an EV offers, we’re seeing many manufacturers look to play on their heritage to get people excited once again.
Vauxhall is the latest to look to its past, with the firm announcing that its Frontera name, which was used on a utilitarian 4x4 in the 1990s and early noughties, is making a return for a new compact electric SUV in 2024.
But what have been the best car names that have made a comeback, and which are on the horizon? Let’s take a look at the best.
Fiat 500
The original Fiat 500 remains a cultural icon, with four million of these dinky city cars made over a period between 1957 and 1975. It remains an integral part of Italian heritage, so it was the perfect car for Fiat to revive in 2007 when it looked to introduce a new generation of city car.
Unsurprisingly growing in size, the new Fiat 500 was a design masterclass that managed to retain much of the charm of the original but in a far more modern package. Almost 17 years after the Fiat 500 was revived, it remains on sale with not all that many changes, yet remains one of Europe’s most popular cars, and shows no signs of slowing. A new electric Fiat 500 has also been introduced in recent years.
Land Rover Defender
One of the most controversial car names to be revived in recent times has been the Land Rover Defender. While many fans of the original 4x4 weren’t impressed, it’s been a huge sales success for Land Rover, to the point where the firm is establishing Defender as a separate sub-brand.
The modern-day 4x4 is filled with technology and offers remarkably off-road ability without comprising its on-road manners, as the original model often did. Despite being a very different prospect, it retains the Defender’s more utilitarian interior, along with the choice of 90, 110 and 130 bodystyles like the original.
Lamborghini Countach
Supercar manufacturers often love to play on their heritage as well, and Lamborghini has especially relished it in recent years. None more so than with the Countach – one of the Italian brand’s most iconic models.
Revealed in 2021, the modern Countach LPI 800-4, as is its full name, not only revives the classic name but also has a similar overall look to the original. Using a special V12 hybrid powertrain, this Lamborghini produces more than 800bhp and was limited to just 112 examples.
Citroen DS3
The DS is one of the most famous models in Citroen’s history, and when it came to reviving a name for the firm’s new more premium sub-brand, it was the natural choice. The first car to launch was the DS3 as a Mini-rivalling hatchback, and it was hugely popular. It was followed up with the larger Citroen DS4 and DS5, before DS split from Citroen to become a standalone in 2015, though the firm’s focus on larger and more expensive vehicles has seen sales slump since.
Toyota Supra
Toyota has plenty of legendary sports cars, but perhaps up at the top of all the nameplates that deserved to be revived as the Supra. But after an almost 20-year gap, the Toyota Supra returned for a fifth generation in 2019.
Built with help from BMW, the Supra was one of the purest sports cars around with its traditional rear-wheel-drive layout, and with a manual gearbox model being introduced at a later date. Early allocations soon sold out, and though Toyota in the UK is currently not taking Supra orders, a more aggressive model is due to arrive later in the year.
Alpine A110
Outside of France, Alpine was never a particularly well-known sports car firm, but its parent owner Renault nevertheless decided to revive the dormant name for its new performance model in 2018.
Its first car was the A110, a small and lightweight sports car that was exceptional to drive, and took its name from the original A110 of the 1960s and 1970s, and channeling that car’s history. Renault is now expanding Alpine as a brand, with a range of new electric models planned for the future.
Renault 5 - Coming soon
Renault is a firm that is really looking to its past when coming up with its new breed of electric models. Next in the pipeline to be revived is the classic Renault 5, a hugely popular small car that predated the Clio and was on sale for the best part of 25 years.
At the Geneva Motor Show later this month, Renault will reveal its new Renault 5 as a brand-new, purpose-built EV with styling inspired by the classic model. A Renault 4 crossover will also follow in 2025, with the firm’s compact Twingo in line to be revived in the coming years.
Ford Capri – Coming soon
While unconfirmed, there are lots of rumours that Ford is set to bring back the Capri nameplate later in 2024. Though Ford is no stranger to using classic names for modern cars – such as the Puma and Explorer, the Capri is likely to be one of the most controversial yet.
That’s because the modern-day Capri will not be a cool two-door coupe like the original, but rather a coupe-styled electric SUV based on the Volkswagen Group’s electric car underpinnings.
