These sports cars have shaped and made the struggling reputation of their brands and turned out to be a huge money maker for the manufacturers.
Contents
Overview
When we talk about some of the most legendary names in the auto industry, we don’t consider how much effort it took for the carmakers to evade themselves from ruin. Just like every business has its ups and downs, these big carmakers were also having their hard times. It was just the time when they were not having good sales with their cars. These weren’t bad sports cars, they were just launched at an inappropriate time. While some cars turned out to be a disaster for the manufacturers. Some rebuilt their brand’s reputation and turned out to be a huge money maker for them. These sports cars filled the banks and helped the carmakers to make fortunes. The legacy of these popular sports cars still lives on in the new generation of cars these carmakers make today. So reminding you of those, here are the 8 sports cars that saved their brands from havoc.
8. 2003 Bentley Continental GT
After the acquisition by Volkswagen group in 1998, Bentley wasn’t going through very good times. They were averaging sales with just over 1000 cars each year and needed to grow their sales or go bankrupt. They made a huge bet with the 2003 Bentley Continental GT which eventually turned out to be a huge money maker for Bentley. The Continental GT came with a 6.0-liter twin-turbo V12 engine which produced 552 ponies and 479 pound-feet of torque. The sales went skyrocketed and increased more than seven times each year.
7. 1968 Jaguar XJ6
The Jaguar XJ6 came on roads in 1968 when the company was part of the British Leyland. While the parent company was going through various kinds of financial difficulties, the XJ6 turned out to be a huge success for Jaguar and British Leyland, thanks to co-founder Sir William Lyons. The XJ6 came with a six-cylinder engine that produced 184 hp and 283 lb-ft of torque The company sold more than 78,000 models across the world before 1972.
6. 1959 BWW 700 Coupé
In the 50s BMW was going on with difficulties in making cars and needed model cars to save the brand’s fortune. Then came the 1959 BMW 700 Coupe which was the first-ever BMW-badged car to come out with a monocoque body. It came with a 697cc BMW R25/3 motorcycle engine fitted in the rear, the 700 Coupe turned out to be a massive fortune for the brand. After the massive success of the cars, the carmaker made the motorsport version of the coupe called the 700 RS which was even more powerful than the regular car.
5. 2003 Aston Martin DB7
In the 80s, the Ford-owned British brand Aston Martin was going through a rough time. Their Lagonda cars were not making any success or money for them. Aston revealed the Aston Martin DB7 in 1994, which made the heads turn for the British brand. It was the perfect supercar to fit the needs of the enthusiasts. The DB7 came with a powerful 335-horsepower supercharged six-cylinder engine which was able to accelerate from 0-60 mph in 5.7 seconds. Ofcourse it wasn’t like the iconic DB5 but Aston sold over 7000 units.
4. 2003 Lamborghini Gallardo
Once a tractor-making company that converted into making some of the most thrilling supercars of the world we know today. We all are aware of how the 2003 Lamborghini Gallardo was the savior which saved the company from the wraith. The Gallardo was the most hardcore piece of machinery aspirated by the V10 engine which produced a hefty 500 horses. The design was inspired by Lamborghini’s decades-long experience in making some of the most beautiful cars. It was the perfect blend of a powerful sports car at a very affordable price which helped Lamborghini to sell over 14,000 units.
3. Lotus Elise
Lotus is one of the most interesting car brands in the auto industry. The brand is known for making some of the most legendary and influential cars in the market. Lotus was also not in very adequate shape since the death of its founder Colin Chapman. After going to and from many owners, it was finally sold to an Italian guy named Romano Artioli by GM. Due to the new owner, they went back and started from the beginning and built a pure performance car, the Lotus Elise. The car quickly became the go-to name for a performance-oriented car. It was lightweight, the most advanced lotus ever at the time, and was purely focused on a driver’s car. Lotus sold so many units of Elise in a year than they have ever sold in years.
2. 1996 Porsche Boxster
Porsche, as we know it today, was on the verge of going down and went too far to save itself. They shifted their focus from the high-performance expensive car and made a more affordable fun-to-drive car that had the thrill of the flagship Porsche badged car. The Porsche Boxster instantly became a worldwide hit since its debut in 1996. The Boxster helped the Stuttgart giant back on track and trained out to be a huge money maker for Porsche by selling more than 375,000 units to date.
1. Mercedes-Benz 300 SL
Many German automakers were either destroyed or suspended after World War II ended. Many brands including Mercedes-Benz were slowly getting past the aftermath of one of the worst wars in the history of mankind and wanted a car that could save their reputation. Of all cars that Mercedes made in their time, the Mercedes-Benz 300 SL was a very special car. Considered one of the best cars ever made by the brand, the 300 SL brought back the brand from its dark days and helped them achieve various recognition with their car. The 300 SL still remains one of the most anticipated rare cars of all time
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