25 Classic Cars You Don't Know (But Should)

Image via Complex Original

The '66 Toronado was the first American front-wheel-drive car in 30 years. It had extremely masculine styling, which was appropriate, considering it had a 425-cubic-inch V8 that produced 385 horsepower and had a top speed of 120 mph. Even weighing in at more than 4,000 lbs., this thing hauled ass.

The Spoiler II is a rare performance edition of the Cyclone and was purely built for homologation rules, so that the car could race in NASCAR. The car, which was only built in the first few weeks of the year, was more aerodynamic and had a 351 Windsor engine. The race versions had Ford FE 427s.

The Caballero is one of the rarest, and one of the most boss wagons ever produced. It was only made from '57-58, was all steel, and was dubbed a "pillarless" hardtop. Under the hood, a 264cu.-in., 300hp engine was housed. Woof.

Although the Super Bee name has become associated with the Dodge Charger, as of late, the original Super Bee was used on the Coronet, which was a car derived from the Plymouth Road Runner. The car had a 426 Hemi engine, a twin-scooped air induction hood, heavy duty suspension, and an optional Mopar four-speed stick. That's power, baby.

Seventy-one was the first production year and generation of the Blackhawk. The hand-built car was marketed as pure luxury and was initially listed at $22,500. That'd be approximately $130,000 these days. The car, which was fitted with a Pontiac's 7.5-liter V8 and a GM TH400 3-speed automatic, took about 1,500 hours to build. Barry White even had one of these, complete with shag in the trunk. 

Yes, it's French. No, it's not a Renault. It's not a Citroën. It's not a Peugeot. It's a Panhard, and it has no problem sticking its tongue out at anybody and everybody at all times. It only weighed 1,630 lbs., so it's 50bhp 2-cylinder engine was enough to get this thing moving.

In one of the most interesting stories of any car on this list, the original monocoque chassis for Marcos vehicles was made of high-grade plywood. This being a result of the Marcos founders, Jem Marsh and Frank Costin, working on the WWII De Havilland Mosquito, which was also plywood. Naturally, this was eventually switched to steel.

Fastbacks! Based on the '64 Rambler Tarpon, the Marlin was the halo car for Rambler and was produced from '65 to '67. The Marlin had a variety of engine options, the biggest being a 270hp V8. Funny enough, Bob Nixon, who worked on the Marlin and later became Jeep's head designer, said building the sportback "was like trying to build a Corvette on a Buick sedan body. It just doesn't work." Yikes.

The Lancia Scorpion is actually an imposter. An imitation, if you will. You see, in Europe, this car was called the Beta Montecarlo and had 120 horsepower. Due to regulations, when the car came to America, the car was forced down to a measly 81, and because Chevy already had Monte Carlo locked up, they went with Scorpion (we actually like that name better anyway). If you're a movie buff, you caught us and might actually know this car. Remember the other car besides the Bug in Herbie? Yeah, that was one of these.

The '65 Belvedere II, which is one of Funk Flex's favorite rides of all time, was the middle of the three models offered that year. It came as a two-door hardtop, convertible, four-door sedan and six- and nine-passenger station wagons. Engine optioned included a 225-cu.-in. V6 or 273cu.-in. V8.

Everybody knows the Cadillac Eldorados from the '50s, but the DeSoto Firedome was an equally great-looking vehicle that often gets overlooked. Owned by Chrysler, DeSoto produced the Firedome from '52 to '59. By the final model year, sales had dramatically dropped, and in a last-ditched effort to attract customers, the Firedome was offered in 190 two-tone color options.

Although GM was busy building a crazy concept that would later serve as a mainstay name, Buick launched its own jet-inspired vehicle, the XP-300. This car also had a turbine-like rear, but the stacked oval headlights and wide fish mouth front end would translate into future faces of the brand, starting in 1954.

The Avanti was produced under the Studebaker name for only two years, '62 and '63. They were made in South Bend, IN, and not coincidentally, the first private owner of this car was Rodger Ward, winner of the 1962 Indianapolis 500. He received the car as a part of the prize package.

Most people are familiar with the DeTomaso Pantera, a car that could possibly be confused with the Lamborghini Countach, from the rear. However, many don't know of the car that came before the Pantera, the Mangusta. "Mangusta" is an Italian word for the cobra-killing "mongoose" (aiming for Shelby Cobras?). The two-door coupe was designed by Ghia and produced in a limited run from '67-'71. The name actually made a reappearance from '00-'02 as the Qvale Mangusta, which had this interesting look. 

After Cord went out of business in the late '30s, the company was resurrected by the Sports Automobile Manufacturing Company (SAMCO) in the late '60s. So, technically these cars are replicas, but not really. They are production cars built by a legitimate company in volumes, not just a one-off by some dude in his giant tool-filled barn in Hickville, Indiana. The car had a 108-inch wheel base and came equipped with either a Ford 302 engine or the Chrysler 440 Magnum engine. From '68-'70 only 400 of these cars were made.

Another GM/Buick in the '50s, another car with fighter jet aesthetics. Rather than a pointed and rounded nose, the Centurion's backset grille gives it more of a look of mounted machine guns, ready to blast any competition away. It's also got the rounded pointy rear, but the most unique aspect of the car might be the full glass bubble cabin. The Centurion name didn't make its production debut until '71, when a much less inspired and far less fun car was put out onto lots.

Built by Italian coach-building firm of Ghia, the Norseman has one extremely special feature: it's roof. The unusual set up left the roof secured by only the C-Pillars. It has no side pillars, and the sheet rests only on the glass of the windshield up front.

This car was created with the intention of competing with the Jaguar E-Type, so that should tell you something right there. If you're a little older or a huge Steve Carell fan, then you'd recognize this car from the "Get Smart" series and movie, as Maxwell Smart's main ride (be real, you might've seen it, but you didn't know what manufacturer).

The Tiger is a performance version of th Sunbeam Alpine, which had four cylinders compared to the Tiger's eight. The car was only produced from '64-'67. When Chrysler purchased Rootes Group, which built the Alpine, they could obviously not continue using the Ford engine that was in the Tiger. Thanks to the inability to fit their own V8s into the engine bay without major alterations, the car was sadly put down.

The Sonnett was a tiny front-wheel car with a tiny engine that produced fairly quick power, thanks to the light weight of the vehicle. It actually had a two-stroke, at first, but after complaints from customers, the Swedish company switched to a four-stroke.

After the Firebird I and II, which had extremely large resemblences to the rockets you build in an elementary summer school class, the Firebird III flattened out a bit, giving it a much lower presence. It still maintained its Jetsons appeal, though, with two separate bubble pods and several enormous rear plane wings. The name was resurrected in '67, when GM introduced the Pontiac Firebird.

Hmmmm, we wonder what this was based on? We, and you all should, smell a 'vette. Naturally, Harley Earl was behind this one, which debuted at the '55 Motorama. Striped with the side cavities, the LaSalle roadster was one of two LaSalles that made appearances, with the other built as a hardtop. Fun fact: The aluminum double overhead-cam, fuel-injected V6 that was installed in the car never ran.

Featured in the '55 Motorama, the Biscayne was a showcase vehicle for the new 265 cubic-inch V8 Chevy engine, an engine that would later play into Corvettes, Rivieras, Corvairs, and Eldorados. Aside from the unique wrapping windshield, which flowed right into the roofline, the front end with the bold, thick bars drew the most attention. Whether it looks like Bane's mask, Hannibal Lecter's mask, or a beady-eyed spider, it's a face that demands attention. GM claimed it to be 'an exploration in elegance.'

Although the Javelin was introduced for the 1968 model year, it wasn't until '71 that AMC launched a campaign, marketing the AMX as "the closest thing you can buy to a Trans-Am champion."

You've certainly heard of the BUICK LeSabre, but did you know that the original concept was branded under the umbrella GM name? The large rounded nose and tail of the futuristic concept make it look like a jet turbine with a body built around it. At a time when cars had fins and rear wings bigger than planes, this seemed like an appropriate build. The project was headed by Harley Earl, head of GM styling at the time. Buick picked up the nameplate nine years later with this.

This wild design was the star of the '56 Motorama. Sitting at approximately three feet tall, the Paul Gillian-designed shark housed a 300hp Stato-Streak V8 engine with dual four-barrel carburetors. Unfortunately, it was killed in '58, per GM orders.