It’s hard for a person to leave an impact on his/her society unless he/she has done something exceptional, and I’d like to believe that it’s the same case with cars. A car can never survive more than 30 years unless it’s something truly exceptional. Here are five cars that I think are nearly impossible to kill, in other words, that are still running just fine on our roads among far newer machinery.
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FIAT 132 (1972)
“They sure don’t make them like they used to” are the words that are uttered out of every person’s mouth when he/she spots one these, the FIAT 132. Similar to Volvo’s 200 Series, the 132 are also labeled as “tanks”, although probably less so. It’s just a shame FIAT has lost its way in recent years and longer produces cars as solid as this one. They are not as abundant as other cars on the list, but you can still find a few of them every now and then.
Mercedes-Benz W123 (1976)
Famous for being Lebanon’s unofficial “taxi” car, the Mercedes W123 has survived Lebanon’s torturous roads throughout the years and is still running strong. It was first introduced in 1973 and it’s just staggering how many of those still exist almost 40 years later, plenty of which are in mint condition.
Renault 12 (1969)
Don’t be fooled by its tiny size, the Renault 12 is a spectacular little machine and the fact that it’s still very much alive is testament. It’s, in fact, so good, Renault kept it in production for more than 30 years in some countries like Turkey and Romania (under the Dacia 1300 name). Unfortunately, most Renault 12s are used for “construction work” and other arduous purposes, so it’s hard to find one in excellent condition, nevertheless, they still run just fine.
Volkswagen Beetle (1938)
This one doesn’t need any introductions now, does it? First introduced in 1938, the VW Beetle has been around for more than 60 years and thanks to an abnormally long production life, the original Beetle can still be heard whizzing on our streets, and that’s a good thing because they look so damn good and unique.
Volvo 200 Series (1974)
The 200 Series from Volvo are always given nicknames like “tanks” and “battleships”, and there’s a very good reason for that, because they actually are indestructible tanks running on a set of four indestructible wheels. Do you want to survive a zombie apocalypse? Buy a Volvo 240, now.