While I am personally not cool, I think I have a reasonable sense of which vehicles are viewed as fashionable or interesting by both car people and the general population. A 1964.5 Mustang is one of those cars that was born cool and has remained cool for its entire life, no matter who you ask. A 2nd-generation Prius was a vehicle that car people hated at launch, but now have grown to appreciate.
What I’m curious about is finding a vehicle that had some buzz when it launched, garnered indifference or even hate, and then quickly turned it around to become appreciated again. Right at the top of the list, for me, is the Hummer H3T. Based on the same GMT355 platform as the Colorado/Canyon (and similar Isuzu trucks), it was launched as a capable and more aesthetically interesting mid-size truck.
Spacer
I remember people being excited about this vehicle and how it performed at launch. The Hummer brand appeals to that innate desire many of us have to own a real Tonka Truck one day. While most of them rolled out with the strange inline-five GM used for a while, the one to have was the H3T Alpha with the 5.3-liter V8 and the dual-range transfer case/locking diffs. This was a truck that was immediately cherished but, through its association with the soon-to-be-scuttled Hummer brand, suddenly became a truck without a home… for about 15 seconds.
A used H3T Alpha isn’t a collector’s item, exactly, but they’ve long held their value as a truck that looks cooler than almost any rig from the era. And with 300 horsepower, it’s not exactly slow. Compare that to the H2, which landed with a thud and is not particularly beloved by anyone other than hardcore Hummer fans.
That’s what I thought of, but I’m sure you can do better.
Top image: GM
NA Miata in the 2000s. It was the “old” model, pop up headlights were passe. The NB had much cooler projector lights, nicer interior, a million little changes that made it a better car.
Now days the pop up light NA is the one everybody wants and is worth more than a similar condition NB.