Wednesday, July 17, 2013

Datsun's Rebirth In India And The Revival Of Long-Gone Cars

Nissan Motor Co. President and CEO Carlos Ghosn poses with the Datsun Go in New Delhi, India, on Monday. Its the first new Datsun model in more than three decades.
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We have news this Monday that automaker Nissan is reviving the Datsun name for the Indian market — where the larger auto sector is struggling.
The new Datsun Go — priced at below $6,700 — doesn't look like the iconic 240z, which for many years was the top-selling sports car in the U.S. Here's an old ad for it:
Still, Datsun's rebirth for the world's emerging markets — and the successful reboot of the Beetle and the Mini — made us think about what other brands have made a comeback in recent years.
There is China's Red Flag sedan. Chinese officials favored the Red Flag until the model was discontinued in the 1980s. It's now back in the world's largest car market, with prices starting at around $50,000.
Then closer home, there's Detroit Electric.
The company built electric cars until 1937 (you read that right). This is what it looked like:
The new model — when it is released — will look a lot more aerodynamic:
But possibly the most exciting car revival we heard about was the Trabant — the pride of East Germany, the punch line of jokes around the world.
Here's a video from MotorWeek that reviews the Trabi.
This is what the revived car would have looked like:
Sadly, we learned that the project has funding trouble.
Have we missed any brands? And which other cars would you like to see revived? Let us know in the comments below.

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