Every year we hear stories about discontinued models being sold as new from the dealerships long after the end of their production. Sometimes they are leftover units of unpopular models but they can also be sought after exotics. The sales report for the first half of 2021 coming from Autonews has a few interesting examples so we decided to gather them up in this article.

Starting with the Alfa Romeo, the Italian company sold 67 examples of the 4C during the first half of 2021. A few of them could be the 33 Stradale Tributo, a limited edition launched in 2020 as the mid-engined sportscar’s swan song. The Alfa Romeo 4C sales might not be impressive, but the model managed to outsell the Acura NSX which sold 60 units during the first six months of 2021.

Alfa Romeo 4C – 67 Units Sold

Another European mid-engine sportscar discontinued last year was the BMW i8. Despite production ending in June 2020, 10 more units of the i8 found new homes in the US during the last six months. The fact that the i8 hasn’t seen a successor in combination with its supercar-inspired futuristic styling makes it still a sight to behold in the streets.

FIAT sold 12 examples of the ICE-powered 500 (2010-2019) and an impressive 873 units of the short-lived 124 Spider (2017-2020).

Dodge Viper – 2 Units Sold

America’s favorite V10 – the mighty Dodge Viper – keeps selling in low numbers with dealerships hiding them as jewels. Despite being discontinued in 2017, the Dodge Viper sold 2 units in 2021 and we expect more in the future. Dodge also sold 2 examples of the Dart, the front-wheel-drive compact sedan that is not as exotic as the Viper but it is equally phased out.

A similar thing happened with Chrysler, which sold 3 examples of the unloved and short-lived 200 (2011-2016) sedan and only 1 unit of the once-popular Town and Country (2008-2016) minivan. The sister brand Jeep somehow manages to sell 4 new units of the Patriot (2007-2016) despite its age.

The Buick Cascada (2016-2019) soft-top convertible sold 7 units in 2021 proving that there are still romantic people residing in the US that want to stand out from the crowd.

Mercedes-Benz SLK / SLC – 198 Units

Speaking of convertibles, Mercedes-Benz sold 198 units of the SLK/SLC (2011-2020) despite rear-wheel-drive roadsters being doomed as not interesting to buyers in today’s world. Its biggest competitor, the not-yet-discontinued BMW Z4 sold 891 units during the same period.

Despite being months away from the new Nissan 400Z, the aging 370Z is not officially discontinued as the 2020 Model Year remains available through 2021. Thus it is no surprise that Nissan sold 33 new examples from January to June.

A lucky American citizen got the keys to his/her brand new Toyota FJ Cruiser in 2021. The quirky and retro-styled body-on-frame SUV is long gone from the US market even though it is still available in other places of the world.

VW Beetle – 9 Units Sold

Last but not least, Volkswagen sold 9 new Beetles (2011-2019), 4 previous-generation Touaregs (2010-2017), and 3 units of the even older CC (2008-2017).

An honorable mention should go to the 5 new US-based owners of the Jaguar XJ (2010-2019). Buying a discontinued British luxury limousine is a statement – especially when you know that this generation was the last of its kind after the cancellation of its fully electric successor.

Which one of those models would you be happy to drive home? Let us know in the comments section below.