The best cars never sold in America

The article looks at cars “the best cars never sold in America,” using differences between the U.S. market and Europe and Asia to explain why some models never reached American showrooms. It notes that before China took over as the world’s largest auto market in 2009, the U.S. had been a prime destination for manufacturers. Examples cited in chronological order include the Renault 4 (1961), described as a practical entry-level front-wheel-drive hatch with a dash-mounted manual gearbox; and the Toyota Century (1967), a long-running luxury flagship that later became the basis for Lexus. The piece also mentions the Renault Rodeo (1970), tied to demand issues for utilitarian beach cars, and the Volkswagen SP2 (1972), built for Brazil with a 1.7-litre air-cooled flat-four and a chassis using components from the 412. It further references the Lancia Stratos (1973), produced for homologation and deemed too costly for U.S. sales, and the Citroën GS/GSA (1979) as part of the broader list.