Best Cars in American History We Wish We Could Drive Today

With America now moving into a world full of technological advances in our transportation services, like driverless cars and electric engines, the history and future of the automobile is fast becoming forgotten, and so obsolete it's almost ignored.

Yet, with such a host of awesome cars to choose from, one should never forget the roots of the automobile industry. In remembrance of the many vehicles long lost to time, let us look at some of the very best cars in American history we wish we could drive today.

Pontiac GTO

Not only a legend for vehicular engineering in America, but an icon of the hard and rustic appearance, Pontiac's GTO paved the way for that classic 70s muscle car look.

Like the more prominent pony cars of the previous decade, the GTO strived to be the best in sporty style, as well as enhanced performance. Other than being one of the best cars in American history we wish we could drive today, the GTO serves as a redefiner of modern vehicles and changed the very way we viewed cars from its creation onward.

Oldsmobile Model R

With a little over 12,000 made in the years between 1901 and 1904, the "Curved Dash," as it was known back then, literally started America on its path to vehicle stardom. Ford's assembly line also lent a hand in the production of this literal American classic.

It may look like some hideous horse-driven machine, but the Oldsmobile's Model R began it all, which is why it's one of the best cars in American history we wish we could drive today.

Auburn, Cord and Duesenberg's Cord

Yes, that would be the entire company's name, for it's having been acquired multiple times over the years, until dropping off into infamy. Since they were known as the most luxurious and fastest of their time, Duesenbergs are one of the best cars in American history we wish we could drive today.

After Duesenberg was bought by E.L Cord, he went to work trying to build the world's best vehicle, and in so doing invented front wheel drive, then subsequently named it after himself.

1958 Plymouth Fury "Christine"

Most well known for its appearance as an evil and sadistic vehicle from the film Christine, the 1958 Plymouth Fury was and still is an absolute stunner of a car.

Because of it's time in film, in addition to the vehicle's breathtaking style, it's by far one of the best cars in American history we wish we could drive today.

Volkswagen Scirocco

Sold in the USA until 1988, Volkswagen's Scirocco showcased the brand's natural inclination for smaller, boxier vehicles. This hatchback was designed for performance driving in more casual settings, like city streets and suburban areas, and proves why European cars are better.

Despite having a hefty fan base, the Scirocco was replaced by the VW Corrado coupe, yet it's still being manufactured and redesigned every year since, making its American fans understandably heartbroken, which is why it's one of the best cars in American history we wish we could drive today.

Chrysler Airflow

No that's not the name of an AC unit, that would be one of the best cars in American history we wish we could drive today. Described by engineers as having a 'teardrop' shape, the Airflow proved to be more of a scientific invention rather than a luxury car.

Chrysler's Airflow can be viewed in almost any old mob movie, because of its immersive association with the 1930s and the Great Depression. For this very reason, no one was shelling out over $1,000 for a Chrysler, dropping it into the recesses of American automobile history.

Studebaker (and Packard) Hawk

Relishing in one of America's more eccentrically designed vehicles, we have the Hawk, which was a last ditch effort made by the merger of Studebaker and Packard. Similar to pony cars, the Hawk tried to fuse both style and performance, slinking together muscle and sport, yet neither seemed to really fit.

Unfortunately, the newly merged company could not find the right footing, eventually falling out of sight and off the radar soon after the distribution of this very design, which is why it's one of the best cars in American history we wish we could drive today.

Chevrolet Corvette Roadster

Known by many as 'America's sports car,' the Corvette Roadster was more of an animal than a machine. In its first year of creation there was only 300 models built, but two years later, there was well over 4,000.

As one of the best cars in American history we wish we could drive today, Chevy's Corvette Roadster gives any speed demon some vivid daydreams. Thanks to this addition, well over 30,000 Corvettes are made annually still to this very day.

DeSoto Adventurer

This 1957 muscle car with fins became an instant classic for its standard engine performance and stylish frame, which is why the Adventurer is one of the best cars in American history we wish we could drive today.

The DeSoto Adventure boasted a Hemi V-8 engine with dual four-barrel carburetors, which could twist out 345 horsepower, plus it had power brakes, automatic transmission, and massive chrome appendages. It was the leading performance racing vehicle of its time.

DeLorean DMC-12

The most futuristic of all past cars ever built, the DMC-12 was introduced as a special kind of ride in Back to the Future. It had a rear-mounted V-6 engine that spat out 130 horsepower and had a brushed stainless steel frame. A performance car rather than a pony car, the DeLorean was literally meant to show us the future, however it inevitably fell by the wayside.

As for the company itself, DeLorean was arrested in possesion of a large quantity of coke, leading to his company's immediate downfall. Though it never took drivers forward or backward in time, it's still one of the best cars in American history we wish we could drive today.

Mercury Cougar

With a name like that, it's hard to resist in adding to the best cars in American history we wish we could drive today. Though it was for too long associated with Ford-esque models, Mercury lived on for quite some time, until fading in the early 2000s.

What made the Cougar so great was its performance-driven and stylish-looking audacity. It was like driving a European Mustang with an added hint of luxury.

Buick Model 10

The 1908 "White Streak," as it was called in those days, became the essence of class and style in motor vehicle trends. As a step in vehicle engineering, the Model 10 proved to be a valuable addition to the production of future cars.

This, like Ford's Model cars, was mass produced by utilizing the assembly line, which in of itself is a nod to the past in many more ways than one. Coming in on this list of the best cars in American history we wish we could drive today, the Model 10 was an eyesore, but it still showcased the craftiness and genius that was inherent in the early days of American motor vehicles.

Shelby AC Cobra

More commonly known as the Shelby Cobra, this stunning ride was first introduced in 1962 and sported a monstrous 4.7 liter V-8 engine by Ford. Like no other car before it, the Shelby Cobra became known as a classic muscle car, made in the likeness of a sports car.

Though a newer form of it is manufactured today, the infamous design made by Carroll Shelby still lives on in the modern Cobra, which makes it a single part of the very best cars in American history we wish we could drive today. Carroll Shelby would be proud.

Ford Mustang

It wouldn't be a list of the best cars in American history we wish we could drive today without the most legendary of American made vehicular innovation, Henry Ford's Mustang. While the assembly line may be Henry Ford's more interesting and historical design of all, the Pony Cars, as they were called in there time, by far ruled the streets since birth in 1964.

Despite lending a hand in the building of Carroll Shelby's Cobra, Henry Ford and his automobile company will forever be cast in the annals of American history for their superb, sleek and gritty creation of the Mustang, which blended sport and muscle into a whole new animal.