There are about 1.4 billion cars on the road around the world right now, that's more than two cars for every single person in North America. That's a heck of a lot of cars! In any given year there are over 250 different models available in the US alone, so throughout that last century of carmaking, there were a large number of cars coming and going throughout our lives. Is there any way you could know them all? Could anyone? It seems unlikely. We all remember the big ones like the Chevy Corvette, the Ford Mustang, the VW Beetle and the Tesla Model S. There are some that have just stood out as noteworthy or impressive or just plain weird. Others become infamous for how bad they are. But many just fade into obscurity or are produced in such small numbers that most of us will never see them or realize they ever existed in the first place.
It takes a true car fan to recognize everything we've assembled in this list. You have to know what's on the road right now and what was rolling in the past as well. But if you think you know your cars, take the quiz and prove it.
"Smokey and the Bandit" made this car famous. What is it?
Triumph TR6
Aston Martin DB5
Pontiac Firebird Trans Am
The Pontiac Firebird was in production from 1967 all the way until 2002 but it was in the '70s when it really hit its stride thanks to the movie "Smokey and the Bandit." The Trans Am was a trim package that the maker rolled out in 1969 and it was the pace car at the Indy 500 in the year 1980.
What's the name of this blazing fast 12-cylinder car first produced in 1984?
Ferrari Testarossa
The Ferrari Testarossa was produced from 1984 to 1996. The name was a throwback to the 1957 World Sportscar Championship winner, the Ferrari 250 Testa Rossa racing car. That car got its name because of the red-painted cam covers. Testa Rossa means "red head."
It's not quite a car and not quite a pickup truck, but what is it?
Chevy El Camino
Subaru Brat
Ford Ranchero
The Ford Ranchero was the first of those half-pickup, half-car designs that were made popular by the Chevy El Camino. Even though Chevy's version is more widely known, it was their answer to Ford's Ranchero which debuted two years earlier in 1957.
Few cars in history failed as bad as which one of these?
Plymouth Valiant
Chevy Greenbriar
Oldsmobile 88
Ford Edsel
The Ford Edsel dates back to 1956 and to this day still stands as an example of one of the greatest failures in not just auto history but business history in general. It was more expensive than other cars of its era, it was plagued with quality issues and, maybe worst of all, people thought it was ugly. Ford lost $250 million on it.
Can you name this vehicle renowned for being one of the worst ever made?
Gremlin
Pacer
Yugo
The Yugo got its name from the fact it was a Yugoslavian car. The car carries the infamous title of being the worst car in history according to many. It sold amazingly well but it was also one of the slowest things on four wheels, topping out at 86 mph if you really pushed, and it did very poorly in crash testing.
This car costs a few million dollars and is one of the faster supercars ever built. Does it look familiar?
Bugatti Veyron
The Bugatti Veyron is one of the most blazing fast cars ever produced. The first version produced had a top speed of 253 mph. The Super Sport version even put the boots to that with a stunning top speed of 267 miles per hour.
Can you name this classic road monster that debuted in 1964 and is still tearing up the highway today?
Honda Civic
Dodge Charger
Chevy Corvette
Ford Mustang
The legendary Ford Mustang created the pony car segment and set the trend for both style and performance throughout the 1960s and into the '70s. Over 10 million Mustangs have been produced since they were first introduced.
If you have a thing for speed, this car could crack 200 miles per hour. What was it?
Lamborghini Diablo
The Lamborghini Diablo was the fastest car Lamborghini had ever made when it was introduced. Though the name means "devil" in Spanish, it's actually named for a bull as are nearly all of the cars Lamborghini has ever produced. Diablo was a fighting bull owned by the Duke of Veragua.
Do you recognize this sports car that revolutionized the sports car industry back in the day?
Honda Civic
Lotus Elite
Toyota 2000GT
When the Toyota 2000GT was introduced, Japanese automobiles had a reputation for being very utilitarian and, not to put too fine a point on it, ugly. But the 2000GT was elegant and sexy and had that European styling that changed the way people looked at Japanese cars.
Which of these cars came as a station wagon, a convertible and even a muscle car?
Pontiac Firebird
Rambler Rebel
Though it was far overshadowed by other cars after its introduction, the Rambler Rebel has a place n history as arguably being the first true muscle car, built before anyone ever called them that. It was the first factory-produced intermediate-sized high-performance car. Or, you know, a muscle car.
Does this old-school classic look familiar to you?
Dodge Dart
Ford Model A
Studebaker Champion
The Studebaker Champion was first produced in 1939 and proved to be one of the company's most successful models. When it hit the market it was only $660, and even with inflation that's only $12,282 today.
What was the name of this European car of which over 19 million were built?
Citroen C2
Peugeot 206
Lada Riva
The Lada Riva wasn't winning any beauty contests, but this Russian car is one of the most popular cars of all time. Over 19 million of these cars were produced under various names, and it's in the top four most produced cars ever behind the VW Beetle, the Ford Model T and the Toyota Corolla.
Can you name this little vehicle that's been around since 1974?
Honda Accord
Toyota Tercel
Volvo P60
VW Golf
The Volkswagen Golf was also sold for a time in North America as the Volkswagen Rabbit. The car was introduced as a replacement for Volkswagen's iconic Beetle, which is one of the best-selling cars of all time.
This may be the most popular sports car ever, but what's it called?
Ford Mustang
Porsche 911
Chevy Corvette
Chevy first introduced the Corvette in 1967 as its answer to Ford's Mustang. It proved to be more than an adequate rival and has become so popular that sometimes it's referred to as America's Sports Car.
Do you recognize this automobile that basically kicked off the entire auto market in America?
Hudson Hornet
Chevy Straight-6
Bentley Blower
Ford Model T
Though it was not the first car ever made, the Ford Model T was the first mass-produced car that became popular with everyday drivers and essentially started the auto industry boom. It was also one of the best-selling cars of all time with nearly 17 million sold.
The very classy Aston Martin DB5 is most famous for being James Bond's car of choice. Even though Aston Martin has produced DB versions in numerical order all the way up to the current DB12, it still makes DB5s for James Bond movies.
What is this sleek and sporty car that has been in production since 1963?
BMW M1
Porsche 911
Porsche's 911 is one of their most famous models not just as a model for everyday drivers but especially in the racing and rally circuit. The 911 has won races like the 24 Hours of Le Mans, 24 Hours of Daytona and numerous World Championship for Makers titles.
Can you remember which of these cars was famous for a polygonal design?
Jaguar XJ
Hudson Super
Lotus Esprit
The Lotus Esprit was not as famous as the Aston Martin that James Bond drives in most of his movies, but it did get to have a turn as a Bond car in "The Spy Who Loved Me" in a very famous scene when it actually converts into a submarine. Elon Musk owns that car right now.
This hypercar was the fastest car in the world for a while. Do you know it?
De Tomaso Pantera
Lamborghini Huracan
Ferrari Enzo
Koenigsegg Agera
The Koenigsegg Agera was the fastest production car in the world in 2017, with some staggering speed records. The average speed was 278 mph while the straight-line speed hit 285 mikes per hour. The Jesko replaced the Agera in 2019.
What's the name of this iconic British car that even Austin Powers drove around?
Smart ForTwo
Mini
The Mini is an icon of the '60s and British automaking. The transverse engine design means that, despite its small size, it managed an impressive 80% use of floor space for luggage and passenger room.
This British car was big on the rally circuit in its day. What is it?
Rolls Royce Golden Ghost
Bentley Mulsanne
Austin-Healey 3000
The Austin-Healey 3000 roadster was a popular sports car of the early to mid-1960s, and though it was British it was much more popular in North America. In fact, in 1963, over 90% of all of the Austin-Healeys produced were exported to America.
Can you remember the name of this massive and classy car that was produced for 50 years?
Cadillac Eldorado
Cadillac produced the Eldorado for half a century. For years it set the standard for luxury cars, which is why to this day when people talk about something that's super high quality they call it the Cadillac of whatever it may be.
What was the name of this vehicle that was only available in Japan for the first 11 years of its production?
Toyota Supra
Nissan Cube
The Nissan Cube gets its name from the very boxy shape of the automobile. Production of the Cube in Japan spanned more than 20 years but it didn't last so long in North America, only having a five-year production run.
Hippies were most closely associated with which of these vehicles?
Ford Cargo Van
VW Type 2
The official name is the Volkswagen Type 2, but most people know it better as the VW Bus, Van, Minibus or Hippie Bus. The VW Type 1 was the name of the VW Beetle, incidentally. The company also had a Type 3 but it was nowhere near as popular as the first two.
You don't often hear about a convertible pickup truck, but what was this one called?
Buick Skylark
Ford Tempo
Chrysler PT Cruiser
Chevy SSR
The Chevy SSR or Super Sport Roadster was designed to have a retro look and appeal. It was modeled after Chevy's early 1950s model Advance Design pickup truck series. It was the pace car for the 2003 Indy 500, but drivers were not impressed and it sold poorly.
Which of these is the best-selling electric car in the world?
Nissan Leaf
The electric car market is very popular right now, and though Tesla is often the most talked about it's the Nissan Leaf that is the best-selling model in the world right now. It's also a multiple award winner, and in 2011 the Leaf was named World Car of the Year.
840-horsepower was what you could get out of which of these cars?
Pontiac Firebird Trans Am
Chevy Corvette ZR1
Mustang Shelby GT 3500
Dodge Challenger SRT Demon
The Dodge Challenger SRT Demon was a performance beast like no other on the road. The car had a 6.2-liter V8 engine with a 2.7-liter supercharger and could go from 0 to 60 mph in just 2.3 seconds. Dodge only made 3,300 of them.
The name "BRAT" is actually an acronym that stands fr "Bi-drive Recreational All-terrain Transporter." That may be a but forced but they had to go with something. In North America, the Brat came with a rear-facing jumpseat in the back so it could qualify as a passenger car and not a truck and therefore be subject to fewer taxes.
Is this powerful and eye-catching old-school truck familiar to you?
Ford F-150
Chevy S-10
International Harvester Travelall
Dodge Li'l Red Express
The Dodge Li'l Red Express was a variant of their D-Series of trucks in the '70s. Dodge famously made a lot of colorful and creative variants including the Warlock, the Adventurer and the Macho Power Wagon.
They used to call the AMC Pacer the "Flying Fishbowl" because there was so much glass in the windshields and windows that it was like some kind of futuristic "Jetsons" car. Though it wasn't long, it was the same width as other passenger cars, which made it deceptively larger than it seemed.
Do you remember the name of this throwback car that has an old-school hot rod look to it?
Plymouth Prowler
Plymouth released the Prowler in 1997 with one of the most unique designs ever seen on a production car, reminiscent of old-school hot rods. In 2001 it got a bit of an overhaul and changed names from the Plymouth Prowler to the Chrysler Prowler.
Well over 6 million of which of these have been sold?
Ford Taurus
Toyota Tercel
Mitsubishi Lancer
The Mitsubishi Lancer's popularity is due in some small part to the fact that it's been marketed as many other vehicles over the years. It's been sold as the Colt Lancer, Chrysler Lancer Chrysler Valiant Lancer, Hindustan Lancer, Dodge Colt, Plymouth Colt and the Eagle Summit among others.
The Nash Statesman was produced by Nash Motors in the 1950s. Even though Nash isn't around anymore, the company was a pioneer in auto design and created ventilation systems that are still in use today as well as unibody construction.
Can you name this Italian sports car that replaced a model called the Mangusta?
Porsche Cayenne
Alfa Romeo Giulia
Ferrari Enzo
De Tomaso Pantera
The De Tomaso Pantera was a sports car in production from 1971 until 1993. Ford began importing the Panteras in the 1970s to sell at its dealerships. The early models had no rust-proofing and they proved to be poor quality when it came to handling the weather.
The Pontiac Aztek was a mid-size SUV that had the option of the back folding out into a tent for camping. It had a bit of a resurgence in popularity in the last few years because the main character on the show "Breaking Bad" drove one
Which of these cars was popular with street racers?
Hudson Hornet
The Hudson Hornet had a drop-down design, meaning you stepped in and down to get into the car, rather than up. It had a very low center of gravity which made it a favorite with street racers because it stayed on the road better than most.
Francis Ford Coppola made a movie about which of these cars?
Holden Special
Buick Invicta
Cadillac Fleetwood
Tucker Torpedo
The Tucker Torpedo was actually called the Tucker 48 and the story of Preston Tucker, who designed and built the car, was the subject of the movie "Tucker; A Man and his Dream." The car was incredibly advanced for its time but the Big 3 automakers were threatened by its design.
More than one car has featured the name of which of these?
Lancia Stratos
Alfa Romeo Giulia
Alfa Romeo has made several models called the Giulia over the years. Originally the Giulia was a car designed in the 1960s, but later it was reintroduced in the year 2015 as a completely different automobile with the same name.
Elon Musk is the man behind the company that makes which of these?
Bugatti Chiron
Noble M600
Aston Martin Valhalla
Tesla Model S
Tesla has been a force in the electric car market for some years now, and the Model S was the top-selling plug-in electric car in both 2015 and 2016. It ranks right behind the Nissan Leaf as the top-selling electric car in the world.
Jaguar produced XJ models from 1968 all the way until 2019. That same year, the company unveiled plans for the Electric XJ to go on sale in the year 2020 and continue the car's legacy. The original XJ was the last Jaguar to feature design input from the company's founder.