Can You Identify These Classic Cars by Their Taillights?
We all think we are massive gearheads, and we all think we can identify a car by its most minor features, such as a taillight, bumper shape, or even wing mirror.
Yet, it isn’t very often that we put that to the test to find out just how much we know. So, this list will see us challenge you to identify some vehicles simply by looking at their taillights.
We have 13 vehicles of various segments, be they supercars or sedans, for you to identify. We’ve gone for a mix of the well-known to the more obscure to see how well you get on. We will briefly talk about the car in the opening stanza, allow you to guess, and then reveal what it was in the second entry segment.
Taillight 1
This taillight belongs to a Japanese supercar, often called one of the best-made, but it is no longer in production. A second generation was produced in the 2010s but is no longer made. Unlike the first generation, this new model had hybrid power.
Of course, this is the original Honda/Acura NSX, one of the greatest supercars to grace our planet. Honda produced the NSX from 1991 to 2005, with various V6 engines powering it from the 3.0-liter to the 3.2-liter, producing 290-hp.
Taillight 2
This is a slightly more obscure car. At first glance, it looks like a capable off-roader, a bit like an early Range Rover. But it was converted from a pickup truck, and despite the design, it was an SUV with only two-wheel drive.
This taillight belongs to the Matra-Simca Rancho. It was a car developed from the Simca/Talbot 1100 pickup truck, but instead of a bed, it had a new rear body added. This unusual SUV was indeed just two-wheel drive, and under the hood, it had a small 1.4-liter engine producing just 80-hp. As far as SUVs go, this was one of the most bizarre creations.
Taillight 3
We think you will quickly identify this taillight. This light belongs to one of the ugliest cars in history, which is a universal opinion, not just ours. Yet despite its ugliness, it was a practical and competent machine, and it also appeared in one of the biggest TV shows ever to grace our screens.
Of course, this is the horrifying Pontiac Aztek, a car that will never escape its tag as one of the ugliest in the world. Pulitzer Prize-winning automotive journalist Dan Neil would go on to name it one of the 50 worst cars ever made. The controversy around the Aztek came down to Pontiac’s “Xtreme” futuristic styling for the crossover.
Taillight 4
This taillight belongs to one of the best-looking cars ever made. The car is a British classic, one that Enzo Ferrari was the most beautiful ever made. Various engines powered this car, but it’s most famous for its inline-six engines, all of which the Series 1 models had.
This light belongs to the exceptional Jaguar E-Type, the XK-E, in the United States. Jaguar produced the E-Type from 1961 to 1974, and it had some innovative features for the time, such as its unitary body construction plus the front and rear independent suspension. Jaguar produced three series of cars, with the last one having the 5.3-liter Jaguar V12 under the hood with 272-hp.
Taillight 5
The next taillight comes from a car still in production and one of the most popular in the United States. It is a large SUV with excellent off-road performance, yet it is also comfortable for the whole family. It is very likely the daily driver of many Americans.
This taillight is, of course, from the Jeep Grand Cherokee. Jeep has produced the Grand Cherokee for over 30 years, introducing it in 1992 for the 1993 model year. The SUV has become so popular that it has spawned an exceptional 5.7-liter Hemi V8-powered version, unleashing much extra performance.
Taillight 6
The next taillight belongs to the longest-production-run off-road light vehicle still manufactured in its original form. That alone might give away what this car is, but it might not. It’s a compact and basic off-roader that was once a staple of the Soviet Union. That should let you guess exactly what this vehicle is.
This is the Lada Niva, a car produced in 1977 that sold over 650,000 units globally by 2020. Despite its basic nature, the Niva is still a fantastic off-roader and can more than hold its own against more modern counterparts. It is remarkable that it is still in production, and very little has changed with the car over the years.
Taillight 7
This taillight belongs to one of the best supercars ever made. Yet despite its fame and power, this supercar has had its critics, mainly because they see it as expensive to maintain and highly impractical thanks to features such as its massive rear wing.
We are, of course, talking about the legendary Lamborghini Countach. Lamborghini produced this supercar legend from 1974 to 1990, and the rear wing could indeed obscure the view out of the rear window and mirror. Thanks to its Lamborghini V12 power and outrageous looks, the Countach became a legend, and it’s now one of the most sought-after supercars in the world.
Taillight 8
The next car on this list is one that many might not recognize. That is because it is a miniature sports car, primarily intended for the Japanese Domestic Market to take advantage of all the benefits a Kei car offers. Yes, while it is a Kei car, it is also a sports car that only recently went out of production.
The car in question is the Honda S660. Honda produced the S660 from 2015 to 2022, and it was a brilliant, lightweight, and agile sports car with a small 658 cc S07A turbocharged inline-three under the hood. That only produced 63-hp and 77 lb-ft of torque, but the S660 weighed no more than 1,874 lbs, making it a real treat to drive and perfect for Japan’s inner cities and tight parking spots.
Taillight 9
This next taillight comes from another Kei car, but this time, it is from the 1990s. Like the Honda S660, it is also a sports car by definition and one of the most Kei cars ever produced. It was so popular that it led to a successor, although that successor is also no longer in production.
Kei car fans will recognize this quickly as the Honda Beat. There was a bit of trickery after including the S660, but the Beat was an equally impressive Kei car with a 63-hp 656 cc E07A MTREC inline-three under the hood. Like the S660, the Honda Beat was very light, weighing just 1,680 lbs, and the Beat was also the first Kei car to have disc brakes on all four wheels.
Taillight 10
This next car recently made a comeback, as the original nameplate disappeared long ago from the manufacturer’s range. This new generation of this car is the fifth for the model, and it is sold only in the United States under the parent company’s luxury division.
Yes, this is indeed the 2022 Acura Integra. The Integra has made a welcome return to the Honda family and has spawned the higher-performance version, the Integra Type S, which shares many components with the latest Honda Type. The new Integra is one of the more affordable luxury cars in the market, currently starting at $51,800, comparable with many European rivals.
Taillight 11
We think this taillight will be trickier for some people to guess. This particular car was produced for just one model year in the 1990s, with less than 5,000 cars produced in total, making it one of the rarest SUVs ever produced. Yes, it is an SUV, but it is also a higher-performance SUV that is still discussed favorably in 2024.
Of course, this is the epic GMC Typhoon, one of the best-performance SUVs ever produced. The Typhoon is based on the 1991 GMC Syclone, another epic performance vehicle from GMC. Under the hood, it had a 4.3-liter GM LB4 turbocharged V6. The Typhoon’s all-black design made it look more like a stealth SUV, and at the time, It sold for $29,970.
Taillight 12
Next, we have one of the most iconic performance cars of the 1980s. This came in the final year of this particular car, and it was also the result of a partnership between the American division of the legendary British F1 team McLaren. Rumors still circulate that the manufacturer of this car underrated just how much power it had.
Enter the epic 1987 Buick GNX, the final form of the incredible Buick Regal. Under the hood, the GNX had a brilliant 276-hp and 360 lb-ft of torque engine. However, many believe that the actual power output of the GNX is around 300-hp. Buick and McLaren created the 1987 GNX to develop the “Grand National to end all Grand Nationals.”
Taillight 13
This is the most obscure car on this list. This bright, vibrant muscle car bears the name of a British legend, and while that might sound like fantasy, it really did happen. Yet it is still an all-American muscle car and one of the rarest ever produced.
Say hello to the gorgeous 1980 Ford Mustang McLaren M81. Perhaps the most obscure version of the Mustang ever produced. Ford partnered with McLaren to make just 10 of these M81s, with a rebuilt engine and four-speed manual transmission by the McLaren engineering team in Michigan. These rare Fox-Body Mustangs are now very valuable, and one sold at Mecum Auctions in 2023 for a staggering $75,000.
