CAR MODELS THAT SAVED THEIR BRANDS!

We are all too familiar with car brands such as Lamborghini, Honda and its Type R, Aston Martin and even Volkswagen. But, did you know that if any one of those manufacturers didn't build a specific model, they could very well not even be here today!

Here are cars that saved their parent companies...

• Lamborghini Gallardo – There was a point where Lamborghini was sold off to many other owners to try to stay afloat. But, with the release of the Gallardo, sales climbed once again.
  
  
• Honda Civic – Honda wasn't always one of the biggest carmakers. In the 1970s, Honda underwent a huge change and swapped out the N600 with the Civic, which is one of their greatest cars of all time.
  
  
• Aston Martin DB7 – In the 1980s and early to mid-1990s, Aston Martin faced some of its toughest years. It got so bad that even Ford had to step in to help the brand recover. Thanks to the huge success of the DB7, Aston Martin pulled itself out of a serious financial struggle.
  
  
• Volkswagen Golf – You might think that Volkswagen dominated the market thanks to the Beetle, but toward the 1970s, the Beetle plummeted in popularity. It was pretty much the only car the Volkswagen brand sold, and they needed something modern, fun and exciting to grab peoples attention. Volkswagen released the Golf MK1 and still, to this day, the Golf is one of the most popular models of all time.
  
  
• Porsche 944 – Before the German sportscar brand was owned by Volkswagen, Porsche also went through some difficult stages. They produced high-value sportscars in low production numbers so, if they made a single error they could go completely bankrupt... and that's exactly what happened. The Porsche 928 was out of most people's budget, and couldn't compete with the far more affordable Japanese sportscar alternatives. Porsche needed to make a plan. What they did was produce a high performing budget-friendly sportscar which would later become known as the 944.
  
  
• Mercedes Benz 300 SL – After WW2, Mercedes Benz was in a full-blown crisis. The German luxury brand decided to put all their chips in and develop a racecar. Rudolf Uhlenhaut, the chief engineer, was the head of the project, and they developed the iconic W194 which got serious international attraction. But a racecar wouldn't save the company alone. Head of the Mercedes Benz US market, Max Hoffman, suggested making a road version, which they did. It would become the Mercedes Benz 300 SL which was so popular internationally, that Mercedes Benz would live to tell the tale.

Take a look at the video below by the YouTube channel, Ideal Media, on Cars That Saved Their Parent Companies...

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