Media post: Automobile brands lost to history

Marquis De Soto

Carmakers build specific car models to appeal to specific market segments. Take General Motors for example. You could say that their Chevrolet line is essentially slotted for the working class and the Cadillac, well, to the upper class. Over the course of time things change, though. A model that was once targeted to a specific segment just won’t work anymore and it gets discontinued. Consulting the automotive experts at Stork Auto.com, we have resurrected 4 models that were once big names but now are almost forgotten.

LaSalle

From 1927 to 1940, LaSalle was one of the most prestigious brands in America. It was a General Motors model designed to occupy the niche above Buick but below Cadillac. In fact, they were often referred to as “The Poor Man’s Cadillac.” LaSalles were great cars and outsold Cadillacs from 1933 to 1940. The brand used to have tremendous brand loyalty but for some reason GM decided to discontinue the brand in 1941.

Nash

The Nash Automobile Company was started in 1916. Based in Kenosha, WI, Nash was small but highly innovative. For example, in 1939 Nash introduced the “Weather Eye,” a heating and ventilation system that became the template for every modern HVAC system made today. In 1941, they introduced the Nash 600, the first unibody automobile built in America. Today, virtually every car built anywhere uses the same construction methods. And in 1951 they launched the Nash-Healey, a Pininfarina-designed sports car that predated the Corvette by several years. In 1954, Nash merged with Hudson to form the American Motors Corporation (AMC) and in 1988, AMC was bought by Chrysler Corporation.

DeSoto

De Soto was Chrysler’s mid-market automobile. It was designed to compete with cars such as the Mercury and Oldsmobile. Launched in 1929, it set a record as the best-selling first-year model ever built. De Soto offered bold, luxurious cars that were tremendously popular but a changing segment doomed the brand. Chrysler retired DeSoto in 1960, at least in the US. They continued to sell trucks badged as DeSotos in Europe, South America and Australia. There has been talk of Chrysler bring the brand back to life at some point.

Isuzu

In 1972, General Motors partnered with Japanese automaker Isuzu to build the LUV pickup truck. The LUV truck was a modest success but basically introduced the Isuzu brand to America. By the 1980s, the Isuzu brand was robust and they released both the rugged Trooper SUV and Impulse sports car. These vehicles were quite successful but by the time the 1990s rolled around many of the western economies were having a rough time economically. In an effort to boost sales, General Motors started to sell Isuzus under the Geo badge in addition to the Isuzu brand. Isuzu’s final two models, the Vehicross and Axiom, were boldly innovative but they did little to reverse the fortunes of the brand. General Motors shut the doors on its Isuzu-based vehicles in 1998.