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The automotive industry has existed for over a hundred years, so it has seen trends come and go, then come\u00a0back again. This means some car body styles once graced the streets and were even quite popular, but are now rarely seen or extinct. These vehicle types disappeared from American roads for various reasons, including slow demand, economic headwinds, and regulations that favored other body types.<\/p>\n
So, whatever the reason, you’d have a hard time finding these car body styles in brand-new dealer lots these days. You probably won’t find them on the road or in parking lots anymore; if you want to see them in the metal, your best bet is to go to a car show or meetup for the specific vehicle and configuration you’re interested in. Here are some car body styles that once graced showroom floors but are now rare or practically dead, at least in the U.S.<\/p>\n
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Coupes are one of the first things many people think of when they talk about sporty-looking vehicles, and the compact coupe was arguably one of the most affordable ways to get one. As its name suggests, a compact coupe is a sporty two-door vehicle with compact dimensions. Manufacturers either offered a compact coupe based on their compact sedan, like the discontinued Honda Civic Si Coupe, Scion tC, and Kia Forte Koup, or built one on a dedicated platform, like the 2025 Subaru BRZ and Toyota GR86 siblings.<\/p>\n
Some examples of compact coupes from the ’90s and early 2000s include the Toyota Celica, Ford Probe, and\u00a0Mazda MX-3, among others. Unfortunately, if we look strictly at the market today \u2014 i.e., relatively affordable small two-door coupes \u2014 the BRZ and GR86 are our only options. If we expand the criteria to include luxury models and mainstream sports cars, we could add the BMW 2 Series Coupe, BMW M2 Coupe, and Nissan Z to our list, but their starting price of over $40,000 would put them out of reach for the average car buyer.<\/p>\n
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The convertible pickup truck is another body style that spoke for itself\u2014a pickup truck with a removable roof, letting you convert it into an open-air people-and-cargo carrier. This is a niche product, since a work-focused truck doesn’t really mesh with the open-air lifestyle emphasis of a convertible. Nevertheless, a few examples made it into production, like the 1989 Dodge Dakota convertible or the 2003 Chevrolet SSR, which featured a retractable hardtop that hid between the passenger and cargo bed.<\/p>\n
Despite the prevalence of luxury trucks today, lifestyle pickup trucks never really became a hit. The only “convertible” pickup truck you can buy new today would be the Jeep Gladiator, which offers removable doors, roof, and windshield. Even with those features, Jeep still markets it as a midsize pickup truck rather than a convertible pickup truck. Plus, you need a screwdriver to remove the doors and hardtop, which takes away from the convenience of a true convertible.<\/p>\n
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This car body style got its name from the Ford Coupe Utility, often cited as the original “Ute,” a car-based coupe with a truck bed instead of a trunk. This form factor was popular Down Under, with Aussies having a particular love for their Utes. This vehicle style eventually made its way to the U.S., where we can find some of the best utility coupe car-trucks of all time. We see some iconic examples here, like the Chevrolet El Camino and Ford Ranchero from Detroit, and the Subaru Brat and Subaru Baja from Japan.<\/p>\n
Unfortunately, no true coupe utility vehicles are available in the U.S., or around the world, for that matter. The Ute’s home country regrettably ended production of these iconic vehicles in 2016 and 2017, with the discontinuation of the Ford Falcon Ute and Holden Ute. The spiritual successor to the coupe utility would be unibody compact pickups like the Ford Maverick and Hyundai Santa Cruz. The latter is in its last model year, too, and will end production in 2027, leaving the Maverick as the only brand-new option in this compact category.<\/p>\n
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Like the convertible pickup truck, the four-door convertible is a four-door passenger car with a convertible roof. This style was popular before World War II, with examples such as the Cadillac Series 62, Buick Roadmaster Convertible Phaeton, and\u00a0Packard Custom Super Eight 180. However, it seemed to lose popularity in the post-war era, with the Lincoln Lawyer’s 1963 Lincoln Continental Convertible as the only example. Lincoln discontinued the\u00a0convertible Continental after 1967.<\/p>\n
If you want open-air motoring with the comfort and space of a four-door vehicle, you’ll have to choose an SUV \u2014 the Jeep Wrangler, the Ford Bronco, or the GMC Hummer EV. They’re not exactly what you’d think of when someone says “convertible,” but they are the only options if you want to drive down the highway with friends or family and have the wind in your hair.<\/p>\n
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MPV stands for multipurpose vehicle, with the mini MPV being the smallest variant of this body type. This is a practical vehicle, as it squeezes a relatively spacious interior for both passengers and cargo into a tiny footprint. Examples include the Ford C-Max, which, although Ford calls it a compact SUV, is actually a compact MPV based on the same platform as the Ford Focus, the Mercedes-Benz B-Class B250e Electric Drive, and the Kia Rondo. The Nissan Cube, Scion xB, and Kia Soul, although often classified as tall hatchbacks, also technically fall under this category.<\/p>\n
The weird proportions of some of these vehicles have made them some of the cutest cars ever made. Unfortunately, that is not enough for them to survive, as dwindling sales have led to the car body style disappearing in the U.S. Instead,\u00a0compact or subcompact crossover SUVs replaced them, and they’ve become more popular over the past decade. The last mini MPV in serial production in the U.S. was the Kia Soul, which was discontinued in 2025 after a 16-year run.<\/p>\n
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The minivan was a popular family hauler back in the\u00a0’80s and ’90s. Car shoppers from that era had plenty of minivan options, including the Oldsmobile Silhouette, Dodge Caravan, Toyota Previa, and more. These vehicles offered a practical mix of passenger and cargo space, letting parents pile in their kids, in-laws, and the family dog along with their luggage. But just like the mini MPV, it has fallen out of favor as SUVs have replaced it as the de facto mom-mobile.<\/p>\n
If you want to buy a minivan today, you have only\u00a0five options left (down from the eight you could buy in the last decade): the Toyota Sienna, Chrysler Pacifica, Kia Carnival, Honda Odyssey, and the Volkswagen ID. Buzz. Most of these are older models, too, with manufacturers offering only facelifts and refreshes to keep them updated. The oldest is the Pacifica,\u00a0introduced in 2016 and facelifted in 2020 and again in 2026, while the newest is the all-electric Volkswagen ID. Buzz, which arrived in 2023.<\/p>\n
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This car body style was once the epitome of success for the American car buyer: it offered unparalleled space and comfort while delivering a distinctive style that showed the people around them that they’d achieved the American Dream.\u00a0<\/p>\n
These giant land barges put comfort above everything else, including fuel economy. This is why they suffered greatly when the oil shocks of the ’70s forced people to line up for gasoline. Although the personal luxury car segment survived these crises, it never regained its former prominence. The trend worsened in the 1990s and 2000s, as younger buyers began preferring prestigious brands from across the Atlantic or the Pacific to signal wealth and affluence.<\/p>\n
It’s been more than a decade since you could take home a new personal luxury car from the dealer; the last true options were the short-lived Ford Thunderbird reboot of the mid-2000s, the 2002 Cadillac Eldorado, and the 1998 Lincoln Mark VIII, the last generation of the Lincoln Mark series. Grand tourers like the Lexus LC or the Mercedes-Benz CLE Coupe are the closest you can get to a spacious, comfortable two-door, but they don’t deliver the yacht-on-wheels experience the old personal luxury cars did.<\/p>\n
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Retractable hardtops deliver the thrill of open-air motoring while still giving drivers the security and refinement of coupes, which is why they were so popular in the 2000s. Examples include the Lexus SC 430, Chrysler 200 Convertible, Pontiac G6 GTP Convertible, Mercedes-Benz SLK 350, and many more.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Unfortunately, the 2008 Global Financial Crisis\u00a0hit many hardtop convertible buyers in the wallet, so it no longer made sense for carmakers to keep making these options. These models are also often pricier than their coupe counterparts because the added weight and complexity\u00a0make them less\u00a0“affordable”\u00a0for some buyers.<\/p>\n
Only a handful of retractable hard tops are available on the U.S. market today, including the Chevrolet C8 Corvette Convertible, the McLaren 750S Spider, the\u00a0Ferrari 296 GTS and SF90 Spider, and the Maserati MC20 Cielo. As you can see, the Corvette is the cheapest model here, meaning it’s out of reach for the average car buyer. Some may say that the Mazda Miata RF is technically a retractable hardtop and is marketed with a “Retractable Hard-Top Roof”; it’s generally considered a targa top like the Porsche 911 Targa.<\/p>\n
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Merriam-Webster defines a roadster as “an automobile with an open body that seats two and has a folding, retractable, or removable top, and often a luggage compartment or a rumble seat in the rear,” though enthusiasts typically limit the term to lightweight, relatively affordable models.\u00a0<\/p>\n
The British automotive industry arguably started the roadster craze, with iconic models such as the MG MGB and Jaguar E-Type Roadster. Other carmakers eventually joined in, introducing models like the Mazda Miata, Honda S2000, BMW Z series, Porsche Boxster, Audi TT Roadster, and more. Unfortunately, most of these models are gone \u2014 Audi discontinued the TT in 2023,\u00a0Jaguar\u00a0ended production of the F-Type\u00a0in 2024, and Porsche axed the 718\u00a0Boxster\u00a0in\u00a02025.<\/p>\n
If you’re in the market for a roadster today, your choices would be limited to the Mazda Miata and BMW Z4 (which, incidentally, is on its Final Edition). Mercedes-Benz classifies the Mercedes-AMG SL as a roadster, but its size and luxury features push it to the edge of the body style’s lightweight, affordable characteristics. Aston Martin also offers the Vantage Roadster, but its size, weight, and performance make it a roadster in name only.<\/p>\n
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The sedan delivery is essentially the smallest version of the van,\u00a0a cargo carrier built on a sedan chassis, with its front half resembling the vehicle it’s based on. These vehicles were quite popular among business owners in the first half of the 20th century, with Ford, Chevrolet, Pontiac, Plymouth, Studebaker, and even Willys offering competitors in the segment. Fuel-efficient\u00a0light vans like the Volkswagen Transporter and Ford Econoline eventually killed the sedan delivery, especially because they offered a roomier cargo compartment.<\/p>\n
The last vehicle model produced that one could arguably call the sedan delivery is the Chevrolet HHR Panel. Produced between 2005 and 2011 during the height of the 2000s retro-styling trend, it was classified as a compact crossover SUV. It was eventually replaced by the Chevrolet Trax, which didn’t offer a delivery version, marking the end of the sedan delivery.<\/p>\n
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A shooting brake is often described as a two-door vehicle with an estate or station wagon body style, but some manufacturers, like Mercedes-Benz, have stretched the definition to include coupes, which is why this list includes the four-door 2019 CLA.\u00a0<\/p>\n
This body type used to have plenty of options, many of them from Europe. For example, our list of the best-looking shooting brakes ever designed includes the Ferrari 365 GTB\/4 Daytona, Aston Martin Virage Shooting Brake, Volvo 1800ES, and Jaguar XJ-S Lynx Eventer. However, customers gravitated toward SUVs as they became more practical, comfortable, and luxurious, making it more profitable for manufacturers to focus on them\u00a0rather than allocate resources to new shooting brakes.<\/p>\n
If we stick to the strict two-door interpretation, then shooting brakes practically no longer exist as production vehicles. Even if we’re generous and count models their manufacturers dubbed shooting brakes, we still won’t find them in the U.S., but Europe has at least one option: the aforementioned Mercedes-Benz CLA. Aside from that, this body style is most probably extinct.<\/p>\n
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Before the SUV and the minivan, the most common family hauler in the U.S. was the station wagon. This body style extended the passenger compartment toward the rear of the vehicle instead of ending with a trunk, giving car owners much more space to carry bags and other cargo. The golden age of the station wagon arguably ran from\u00a01960 to 1985, meaning generations of American kids grew up with this vehicle in their or their neighbor’s driveway. Some of the most iconic models from this period include the Ford Country Squire, Chrysler Town & Country, and, arguably, the AMC Eagle Wagon, which many consider the precursor to the modern crossover SUV.<\/p>\n
While station wagons still exist in the U.S. today, they’ve moved upmarket, with examples like the Audi A6 Allroad, Audi RS 6 Avant, BMW M5 Touring, Mercedes-AMG E 53 Hybrid Wagon, and\u00a0Mercedes-Benz E 450 All-Terrain. This puts the entry price for a new model at more than $70,000, making them significantly more expensive than the most affordable SUVs you can buy today.<\/p>\n
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The T-top debuted on\u00a0the 1968 C3 Corvette, and many drivers loved it because it let them enjoy the open road while taking only about 10 seconds to remove the roof panels. It became so popular that it eventually appeared on other models like the Chevrolet Camaro and the Buick GNX. Other manufacturers soon followed suit, with the Ford Mustang II and the Dodge Magnum\u00a0also getting it. Japanese carmakers also followed suit, offering T-top options for the Toyota MR2, Datsun 280ZX, and Subaru Brat.<\/p>\n
The feature gained even more popularity after automakers feared the newly established National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) would soon ban convertibles. That didn’t happen, but they kept them around until 2002, when\u00a0GM discontinued the last T-top-equipped Camaros and Firebirds. This means that you can no longer buy a T-top new today. If you really want one, you can find\u00a0a used\u00a0Catfish Camaro with a T-top option. Alternatively, you can buy a Porsche 911 Targa, the closest thing to a T-top you can get from a dealer today.<\/p>\n
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The two-door\/three-door hatchback is self-explanatory\u2014it’s a version of the popular, practical hatchback, but with just two doors (or three, if you count the rear hatch). There were quite a number of examples in the U.S. of this body type from the past 40 years \u2014 some of the more popular examples include the Honda Civic EG and EK, early generations of the Ford Focus ST, and the quirky Hyundai Veloster, which, although it had an extra rear passenger-side door, was often lumped under this body style.<\/p>\n
Unfortunately, if you want this compact body style, you only have a couple of options left in the U.S. \u2014 the Mini Cooper 2 Door or the Fiat 500e. The legendary Toyota GR Yaris is also an option, but you can’t buy it here. If you don’t fancy the Mini or the Fiat, you can still get yourself a few hot hatches like the Volkswagen Golf GTI or the Toyota GR Corolla. They might have two extra rear doors, but they’re the next best thing to two-door\/three-door hatchbacks.<\/p>\n
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SUVs didn’t start as the massive four-door beasts they are today\u2014instead, this segment traces its roots to the Willys MB used by American troops during World War II. So it makes sense that many of the first SUVs had two doors instead of four, as we saw with the first vehicles that paved the way for modern SUVs, like the International Harvester Scout and the Ford Bronco. Other examples followed their lead, like the 2-door second-gen Toyota 4Runner, the Ford Explorer Sport, and\u00a0other\u00a0odd models.<\/p>\n
But as more people bought SUVs for their families instead of for off-roading, demand for four-door models grew until two-door models slowly died off. Today, the only 2-door SUVs that you can buy are the Ford Bronco, Jeep Wrangler, and Land Rover Defender 90.<\/p>\n
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