13. Pontiac GTO (2004 to 2006)
The last generation of the beloved Pontiac GTO was one of the best examples of both missed opportunities and car flops. The Holden-built and LS-powered GTO was a proper muscle car with a powerful engine, sleek design, modern suspension, and brutal performance. And all of that in an affordable package with a long list of desirable options. So why was it on the market for just a couple of years, and why did Pontiac sell just around 40,000 of them?
Well, the reason was simple and similar to the previously listed Pontiac G8. The GTO appeared in the time when Pontiac was mostly known for failures like the Aztek. Regular customers just didn’t connect the Pontiac brand with performance in the same way as buyers did in the ’60s or ’70s. For modern buyers, Pontiac was just another tired old nameplate from GM’s roster. Also, the fact that the GTO was, in fact, an Australian product didn’t help since traditional muscle car customers like their cars to be American.