On August 12, 1981 Suzuki, Isuzu, and General Motors signed a deal to co-develop compact cars. In hindsight we know that this deal didn’t result in any game-changing products. Instead, it produced a lot of rebadged models under the defunct Geo brand. History is littered with captive imports, cars produced by a foreign manufacturer but sold under a domestic brand. From the Mitsubishi-made Dodge Challenger to the GM-made Toyota Cavalier, these badge-engineered cars sometimes let customers buy a car that would have been otherwise unavailable in their market. Other times, it was just a lazy emblem swap. But they were once everywhere, and now a dying breed.
What’s your favorite captive import?
The most entertaining comment by next week will receive a prize. Scroll down to see the winner of last week’s QotW, “What’s your Honda, Nissan and Mitsubishi dream build?” Continue reading
