If you're a religious type, it probably won't have escaped your attention that the coming weekend is a fairly significant one on the Christian calendar.
That's right, it's Easter -- the time of year when we celebrate the execution and subsequent resurrection of the supposed son of God in the most logical way possible: by giving each other chocolate eggs.
Now, given that the purpose of Easter is to remember events which happened (or didn't happen, depending on your beliefs) nearly two-thousand years ago, cars don't seem to get much of a mention over the Easter weekend.
So, to try and shoehorn a bit of motoring trivia into the bank holiday weekend, we've prepared a list of ten cars which, like the baby Jesus, died and rose again.
Scroll down to see our list of the Top 10 Resurrected Cars.
MINI
 Died 2000 |
 Resurrected 2001 |
The original comeback kid. Production of the original Mini was wound up in 2000, bringing the car's forty-year run to an end. Fortunately, the MINI returned from the grave a year later and has since become a sales phenomenon, without even a hint of stigmata.
Ford Thunderbird
 Died 1997 |
 Resurrected 2002 |
In the last years of its life, the Ford Thunderbird suffered from increasingly poor sales figures and, as a result, Ford decided to kill the car off. Ford revived the nameplate in 2002 but, like Jesus, the new Thunderbird didn't stick around for long. Despite a starring role in the 2002 Bond flick 'Die Another Day,' the model did not sell well and was quietly dropped in 2005.
Fiat 500
 Died 1975 |
 Resurrected 2007 |
Launched back in 1957, the original Fiat 500 was the last word in cheap, utilitarian transport. The new model, launched in 2007, is not cheap utilitarian transport, but a popular vehicle for estate agents to drive between house viewings. Brilliant car, nevertheless.
Chevrolet Camaro
 Died 2002 |
 Resurrected 2009 |
The Camaro was one of the archetypal muscle cars of the 1960s; however, the original model continued into production until 2002, getting steadily fatter and less inspiring as the years passed. But in 2009, Chevy reintroduced the Camaro badge with a new retro-themed model which found fame when it was cast as Bumblebee in Michael Bay's bloody-awful Transformers films.
Dodge Challenger
 Died 1974 |
 Resurrected 1978 and 2008 |
Like the Camaro, the Dodge Challenger was an iconic American muscle car. But unlike the Camaro, the original model was killed off after just four years of production. Dodge brought the name back in 1978 by sticking a Challenge badge on the pack of a Mitsubishi, but it wasn't until 2008 that a proper new Challenger was brought to the market.
VW Beetle
 Died 2003 |
 Resurrected 1997 |
The Beetle is the only car on this list to have been resurrected before it died -- a feat that Jesus himself didn't even attempt. The new Beetle was launched by VW in 1997, but the original Ferdinand Porsche-designed model soldiered on until 2003.
Honda NSX
 Died 2005 |
 Resurrected 2015 |
The original Honda NSX was a sensation, offering Ferrari-like driveability and performance with the ease-of-ownership and reliability you'd expect from a Honda. It lasted a full fifteen years before Honda pulled the plug, but luckily, a new model is slated for introduction in 2015.
DeLorean DMC-12
|
Died 1982, Resurrected 2013 |
By the time the DeLorean DMC-12 found fame as the time machine in the 1985 classic film 'Back to the Future', the car had already been out of production for three years. But after a thirty-one year sabbatical, it seems that the DeLorean could return, this time as an electric vehicle.
Aston Martin Vanquish
 Died 2007 |
 Resurrected 2012 |
The gorgeous Aston Martin Vanquish was the final model produced at Aston's Newport Pagnell factory, and when the factory was closed in 2007, the Vanquish died with it. Now, however, a new Vanquish model has been launched to replace the old DBS, the DBS being the car which replaced the original Vanquish back in 2007.
Peel P50
|
Died 1965, Resurrected 2011 |
The smallest car in the world was originally built on the Isle of Man in the 1960s, but a new electric model was launched back in 2011. The P50 was memorably driven around BBC Television Centre by Jeremy Clarkson on Top Gear.
