As the 90s waned and the 2000s bloomed, cars were getting more and more expensive to build. Fewer and fewer cars were offered in multiple body styles because they cost more to design, build, and certify for the road. The last of the body on frame passenger cars were also dying off, soon to be replaced with unibody sedans and SUVs, which were more difficult to modify.
As a result, fewer manufacturers built lower volume body variants, even as people shifted towards the extreme practicality of SUVs. That era produced quite a few forgotten body variants of normal cars, some of which will be listed here.
Mercedes G63 AMG Two Door and Convertible
The G class is known around the world, but most Americans don’t know they could once buy a two door model. Furthermore, that two door came in coupe (yes, with two doors) and a two door convertible, both of which could be given the AMG treatment. I didn’t know Mercedes carried on the two door past its humble military origins, having never seen one on the street. And that convertible! Oh, that convertible! How did I not know this existed?
Thank you, Themanwithsauce, for suggesting this last time.
Chrysler Sebring Hardtop Convertible
Everyone knows (and usually loathes) the Chrysler Sebring. The second generation saw the introduction of not just the sedan and soft top convertible, but a rather cumbersome hard top convertible. The tiny rear window is catastrophically out of proportion with the bulky hard top. The design just does not work with the rest of the car, you lose significant trunk space over the soft top, and worst of all, it is still a Sebring.
Thank you Milky, for your patience as well as your suggestion.
LJ Jeep Wrangler
Did you know Jeep once made two door Wranglers? Crazy, right? And they once came in two sizes as well! The ultra rare “Long Jeep” Jeep Wrangler had an extended wheelbase that would prove to be the perfect length for rock crawling. So perfect in fact that stock LJs are almost extinct from rock crawling bro’s insatiable demand for this limited run vehicle.
Can you top this list? If so, tell me and I might feature it in a few days.