Sure, it’s fun to stroll past rows of hot rods, classic Detroit steel, and late model muscle cars—but another big part of the appeal of a good car show is seeing super rare, unique, and completely unexpected vehicles in the crowd.
That’s why the Summit Racing folks posted a really good question on their Facebook and Instagram pages a while back:
What’s the Most Unique Car Model You’ve Ever Seen at a Car Show?
Suffice it to say, we eagerly watched the reader contributions roll in.
From postwar European microcars to bespoke sports cars, our proverbial jaws were on the floor scrolling through all of the suggestions. So, we collected 10 of our favorite rides from the over 100 comments to share here.
Take a look at our list and let us know your thoughts in the comments section at the bottom of this article.
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10. Canadian-Built Chevy & Pontiac Models
“Canadian-built Chevy & Pontiac models, an interesting mix of parts from both manufacturers.” – Pete P.
This is the only non-model-specific suggestion we’ll include here, because it is a fascinating branch on the GM family tree.
Did you know General Motors sold distinct Chevy and Pontiac models exclusively in Canada?
And they weren’t simple badge and trim swaps either. Long before GM went to a more streamlined corporate business model in the 1980s, Canadian-market Pontiacs could often be had with Chevy V8s, familiar Chevy models wore Pontiac split grilles, and they’d all get unique names like Beaumont, Acadian, and Laurentian.
In other words, spotting one of these Canadian-market models in the wild is like finding a car that escaped from Bizzaro World—and we mean that in the absolute best, most awesomest way.
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9. 1981-83 AMC Eagle SX/4
“AMC Eagle SX/4” – Paul S.
Well, we couldn’t have a Top 10 List without mentioning AMC, could we? And there’s no better entry than the half sports car, half off-roader SX/4.
Essentially derived from an AMC Concord, this fastback coupe offered a selectable all-wheel drive system borrowed from Jeep and a host of other sporty accents. Under the hood you could get the trusty GM-sourced Iron Duke or a version of AMC’s own stout 258 inline six.
Like many of AMC’s forward-thinking efforts though, the SX/4 came too little, too late and SX/4 production was summarily halted after 1983. Pretty soon after that, AMC folded into Chrysler—leaving Subaru to quietly evolve the AWD performance ethos into an entire brand identity.
If you really want to get into the weeds with this car, read more in this article: Behold the 4-Wheel Drive AMC Eagle SX/4
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8. 1955-1962 BMW Isetta
“BMW Isetta” – Aaron R.
Several folks suggested some of the microcars that were introduced as Europe dug out from the aftermath of World War II. But the one that got the most votes and comments was the BMW Isetta.
Though on paper, the Isetta design was licensed from the Iso company of Italy, BMW heavily modified its version, namely to accommodate a BMW-built motorcycle engine, but there were plenty of interior and exterior style tweaks too.
BMW continued to refine the Isetta as well, ultimately cranking out over 160,000 Isetta microcars over several distinct generations—easily the largest production number compared to the other automakers that also licensed the Isetta design.
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7. 1961-63 Chevy Corvair Wagon
“Parked on the street, nearby where we were eating dinner: a Corvair station wagon!! – Tommy K.
Sure, some readers suggested Duesenbergs. Some offered up Panteras. Heck, a few folks suggested the Studebaker Avanti—but Tommy’s suggestion of the humble Corvair wagon garnered a much bigger response than all those combined.
And it made us do our homework too.
Turns out, Corvair station wagons are more rare than we thought, with Chevy only offering them from 1961 to 1963—after that, the Corvair-derived Greenbriar van and Chevy II wagon filled the void. And though we’d always called them all Lakewoods, that name was only officially used in 1961, after which Chevy switched to a Corvair 700/900 Base/Deluxe naming convection.
(Are vintage Corvairs your jam? You might enjoy the fascinating story behind the ill-fated Corvair Loadside as well.)
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6. 1914-24 Stutz Bearcat
“Stutz Bearcat” – Brent S.
For a lot of gearheads, this particular Stutz model is second only to Powel Crosley in the line of famous Bearcats. That’s because the Stutz Bearcat is often regarded as one of the first American-made sports cars, and is also the the automobile credited with inspiring the phrase “Race on Sunday, Sell on Monday.”
Why? Well, an early production mode Stutz “Bear Cat” raced to an 11th-place finish in the 1911 Indianapolis 500, and subsequent models continued to grow that impressive racing resume.
Together with other contemporary performance automakers like Mercer, Stutz proved the marketability and financial viability of a sports-oriented automobile—and that’s reason enough to rank it high on our list here.
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5. 1938-40 Graham-Paige Spirit of Motion
“Graham Sharknose” – Dan S.
Many enthusiasts feel that automobile Art Deco styling hit its peak with the Graham-Paige Spirit of Motion design language of the late 1930s.
Affectionally nicknamed the “Sharknose” models by Graham aficionados, these cars were offered in coupe and sedan form. When the design was unveiled, the distinctive grille and pontoon fenders earned praise from the automobile press—sadly the accolades didn’t translate to sales.
Only a few years into production, the Graham-Paige company shifted to the war effort and would never revert back to producing consumer automobiles. You can read a more detailed history on the automaker here: The Water Buffalo Was One of the Last Vehicles Made by Graham-Paige
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4. 1948 Tucker 48
“A Tucker in Australia!” – Dominic S.
With a total of 50 Tuckers ever made, spotting one is incredibly rare—and we’re guessing it’s unfathomably rare if you’re Down Under. In addition to Dominic, several other folks offered the Tucker Torpedo and there are plenty of good reasons for it to rank here.
Innovation and style aside, the Preston Tucker story has become an automotive legend—even if it was largely embellished by Hollywood. Still though, many industry historians credit the Tucker 48 with hastening the arrival of many safety features commonplace today.
Interestingly, with exactly 50 cars produced, most Tuckers remain accounted for and are currently in the hands of well-heeled owners and museums. That includes serial number 1029, the personal 48 belonging to Preston Tucker himself.
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3. 1954-57 Mercedes-Benz 300SL
“Mercedes Gull Wing Coupe” – Bill C.
We can think of maybe one other example of a hardtop that’s universally seen as more desirable than the convertible variant. Indeed, the striking doors of the coupe have become so iconic that most folks skip the formal 300SL name altogether and call these the “Gull Wing” Mercedes.
Only made from 1954-57, at which the convertible model exclusively took over, these cars attracted the eyes of some famous buyers, notably Clark Gable, Stirling Moss, and Reggie Dunlop.
Beauty aside, it’s easy to overlook the fact that the car actually evolved from M-B’s motorsports efforts and the W194 race car in particular. Both the coupe and the Roadster notched several major victories during the era—and not just on European tracks, but Stateside on SCCA circuits too.
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2. 1954 Kaiser Darrin
“Kaiser Darren” – Ken I., Mark W., Jesse W. & Tony E.
Speaking of unique doors, the Kaiser Darrin is definitely worth mentioning. Truth is, the car ranks high on this list simply by sheer votes alone.
And it’s easy to see why, forward-sliding pocket doors aside, the eponymous Kaiser Darrin was the brainchild of legendary designer Howard “Dutch” Darrin—who had actually resigned from Kaiser Motors by that time and penned the car without Henry Kaiser’s consent. (It’s largely rumored that, if it wasn’t from the urging of Kaiser’s wife, the two-seater likely would have never moved off the drawing board.)
The body was made of fiberglass and it rested on a modified Henry J chassis, while a trusty 90 hp F-head six was under the hood. Sadly, growing financial troubles within Kaiser, coupled with an increasingly-crowded sports car market, meant that the Darrin was a one-year only affair with fewer than 500 models ever made.
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1. Carbinite LSR Streamliner
“Carbonite LSR car—or maybe half car, half plane!” – Joe T.
OK, we’re totally biased, because this one would’ve made our own personal list—so we’re glad that Joe gave us a good reason to include it here.
While we love, love, love land speed racing in any form, we’re particularly fond of the Carbonite Car because we were able to speak with its Pennsylvania-based crew at length during a stopover at the Summit Racing Retail Store outside Akron, Ohio a few years back.
Designed to hit the 500 mph mark on the Salt Flats of Bonneville, Utah, the Carbonite Land Speed Racer is powered by 540ci big block Chevy V8, twin turbocharged to the tune of about 2,600 horsepower.
You can catch all the juicy details on this incredible machine in this feature article from 2015.
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So, what’d we miss? Plenty of other super-rare rides narrowly missed the top 10 here, including suggestions like the GM Futureliner, Austin-Healey Sprite, and the drool-worthy Ford GT-40 Mk. III.
But did we overlook another seriously-special model? Let us have it in the comments section below.
It’s great to see stuff like this! I miss the “old” days when. Are we’re cars, not monuments with a million things that can go wrong and can be repaired only by the dealers!