The Amazon was the car that made the Volvo a world-class name. It was introduced in 1956 and produced for almost 14 years The Amazon was a very dependable and quality-built car and offered decent transportation for an affordable price (via Volvo Club).
It had elegant styling and proved very popular in North America and in Europe. The success of Amazon opened the doors for Volvo to the whole world.
The Tacoma is a mid-size truck that was introduced in 1995 and soon became a popular vehicle due to its compact size, strong engines, and durability. Now in its third generation, the Tacoma is currently sold as a single or double cab model with rear or four-wheel drive (via AutoTrader).
Under the hood are four-cylinder or V6 gasoline engines, and buyers have a long list of optional extras. The Tacoma is offered in several versions and is a dedicated off-road model named after the city in Washington.
The success of the Mustang was very influential and inspired most American brands into offering a pony car model of their own. The Mustang was popular in Europe but Ford wanted to explore the market further with a smaller, European version. This is how Capri came to be in 1969 (via Auto Express).
Designed in the UK, the Capri was a European Mustang named after the Italian island of Capri. The Capri looked great using the “long hood-short deck” formula and semi-fastback styling and had a great stance. However, most Capris were powered by diminutive four-cylinder engines and even the six-cylinder versions were not that fast.
Chevrolet scored big with the introduction of the Colorado line. This compact truck can match a full-size Silverado, minus the big weight and price. Chevrolet is leading the pack in mid-size trucks with its new Colorado. Its ZR2 version is the most influential because it’s a perfectly designed off-road vehicle (via The Newswheel).
ABetter yet, it has the economy of a diesel engine and the usability of a regular truck. Its diesel engine delivers just 181 HP but 365 lb.-ft of torque. That makes the Colorado ZR2 an astonishingly capable off-road machine with excellent fuel economy and towing capacity.
One of the coolest cars named after geographical location is the Maserati Mexico. Introduced in 1966, it was a four-seat GT model with a powerful engine. You can consider it a two-door version of the Quattroporte sedan with similar styling and technology (via Maserati).
The Mexico had 4.2 and 4.7-liter V8 engines. They sent power to rear wheels over five-speed manual or three-speed automatic transmissions. Despite it being very fast and prestigious, only 475 cars were made and production ceased in 1972.