10 cars that rose from the dead

Land Rover Defender

Land Rover was contemplating how to bring back the Defender before the original had even passed on. As early as 2011 the DC100 concepts were asking the world if a more modern, softer-edged, softer-faced Defender would be to its liking. The more bluff-faced production car of 2019 should be enough of an indication that the softness was wound back a bit. Still, it’s no ladder-chassis rattlebox like the car before it but it’s still a useful utilitarian tool and now a much better road car in its second proper generation. Some die-hard fans of the original of course would argue that the Defender never actually returned, but that’s another debate…

Alfa Romeo 8C

Without doubt the most beautiful entry on this list is the Alfa Romeo 8C. A limited-run V8-engined GT supercar from the late-2000s, just 500 of each coupe and Spider model were hewn out of carbon-fibre and delivered to adoring buyers. The historic motorsport fans among you will know 8C isn’t a new name either, rather one exhumed from Alfa’s days as a Grand Prix racing team and motor manufacturer in the 1930s. Denoting eight cylinders, the original 8Cs used straight-eight engines that powered everything from road-going GTs to single-seat racers and Le Mans endurance machines. Granted, the latter-day car didn’t quite match that competition legacy but it was absolutely stunning, wouldn’t you agree?

Renault 5

Returning for 2024 from Renault is an absolutely iconic name. Retaining much of the original looks, albeit reinterpreted five decades on for the electric age, is the new Renault 5. The 5 was originally effectively superseded by the Clio in 1990, almost 35 years ago, so it’s a huge testament to its inimitable (Gandini-penned in the case of the Supercinq) design that the reinterpreted cues have resonated like they have in a new model after all this time. Long live the wedge.

Alpine A110

Gone for even longer was the Alpine A110, a French sportscar and rally icon of the late 1960s and 1970s. This stunning and once again entirely unique-looking machine made its return some 40 years on from its 1977 disappearance in 2017, with a modernised sportscar that blended classic and modern with distinctive cues from the original with a massive focus on being lightweight. Now as then, the Alpine A110 remains a distinctive option in the market, weighing some 300kg less than more rivals, and is a lesson in deftly-judged on-road dynamics.

Ford Puma

A less fondly welcomed return to the fold by fans of the original was that of the Ford Puma. Not because people didn’t want the Puma name to return, but because they didn’t want it to be used on a family crossover. We’ll put it to you, though, that it’s a great car. It drives well, it looks great, it forms the basis of an awesome rally car and it has a close family link to the Fiesta. All of these things it shares with the original. It just happens to not be a coupe. We love the original Puma but we do like the new one.

Toyota Supra

Similarly ridiculed is the A90-generation Supra, which arrived in 2019 following the legendary A80’s discontinuation in 2002. People wanted what the original was: a rival for the 911 Turbo that showcased the very best of Japanese style and engineering. What we got was, well, a BMW in a (admittedly very pleasant) Japanese frock. Yes it’s a coupe, yes it’s a sportscar, yes it looks good and yes it still has a straight-six. But it’s certainly no rival to today’s 911 Turbo and not in the strictest sense in terms of segments, a follow-up to the Mk4. All that said, the Mk4 was expensive and sold poorly, and Toyota didn’t want to spend big bucks on a car it might lose cash on – it did that with the LFA. So here we are. The new Supra is nice enough but as we’ve discussed, it does lose something for not being home-grown.

Aston Martin Rapide

Another one that came a good few decades on from the last one’s appearance, is the Rapide. While the last one departed in 1964 as a Lagonda, in 2009 it returned as an Aston Martin. Still, the two are very similar in concept: beautiful, related in terms of underpinnings to an Aston Martin DB and very much the left-field choice for a more-door sports/luxury GT. The modern-day Rapide is underrated in our opinion, offering Aston Martin beauty and performance to people with families. Vantage, DB9 and DBS owners had no excuse: this was an Aston you could do the school run with. 

Chevrolet Camaro

A poignant one, is the Chevrolet Camaro, given the model has now gone into another hiatus after being back for the past 14 years. The fifth-generation Camaro brought the name back to Chevy dealers, and indeed to the driveways of hungry buyers, after an eight-year rest for the name in 2010. After a tumultuous time for US carmakers, GM has a lot to thank the fifth-gen for given it sold like hot cakes. It was exactly the car a sad, austere nation needed after two years of frugality and financial hardship from the 2008 crash. We only hope we don’t have to wait as long again for the Camaro name to return and indeed, if it is to return, that it doesn’t as an all-electric crossover… 

Honda NSX

Another one rested again, that returned after a long sleep. The Honda NSX – or New Sports eXperimental, to the nerds – was quite different in its second generation by comparison to the first. The twin-turbo V6 hybrid of 2015 was a departure from the original analogue hero that met its discontinuation in 2005. Nevertheless we maintain it did fit the spirit of innovation that the name represents. Honda tried to bring the name back a few times in the ten-year interim. The nearly-finished HS-V10 super GT was set to fit the bill in 2008 but the aforementioned economic turmoil forced Honda to strike the dealer-ready supercar dead. A real shame but we got a new one in the end and, by all accounts, we’re set to get a third in the next few years.

Holden Monaro

National pride in a domestic motoring product is normally associated with the Italians and Ferrari, but look down under and you’ll see how strongly the Australians feel about Holden. So when the Coupe Concept teased the possible return of the Monaro in 1998, the locals went mad, forcing Holden to pull the trigger on a full-sized coupe to pick up where it left off in 1975. With cool smooth looks, the option of a big V8 and big power and a successful endurance race car to bolster its kudos, the Monaro’s return was a success, with he model impressing GM bosses who greenlit its export to the UK and the US as the Vauxhall Monaro and Pontiac GTO. Holden is sadly today very much in slumber, making the return of a Monaro Coupe in the future for now unlikely.

So those are our favourite cars that rose from the dead. There are countless more, many of which you’ll wish we included. Let us know your thoughts and your picks. A happy Easter from all at Goodwood Road & Racing.