Do you think only celebrities can steal the show? Not when these underrated rides rolled up. While red carpets flashed and egos soared, these machines quietly flexed brilliance. Some outperformed, others outstyled—but all outshined the A-lister rides of their time. Ready to meet the real icons hiding under hoods?

Porsche 914/6

Sandwiched between the beloved 911 and the affordable 914, the 914/6 had middle-child syndrome with a side of horsepower. It was handled like a dream and looked sharp doing it. But fans ignored it faster than a rebooted sitcom. The joke’s on them; it’s now a collector’s darling.

Sunbeam Tiger

The Sunbeam Tiger was a British roadster that swallowed a Ford V8 and said, “Let’s dance.” It should’ve been iconic. Instead, it got mistaken for its slower Alpine sibling. It’s like casting Daniel Craig and giving the role to your cousin who once did theater.

Studebaker Avanti

Blazing trails in the early ’60s, the Avanti was Studebaker’s moonshot right before the company faceplanted. Its body looked like aliens designed it after bingeing on pop art. Oh, and it had disc brakes before the cool kids even knew what those were. Too bad no one could spell its name.

Mercury Cougar

Why did the Cougar never get its solo moment, even though it rode smoother and still threw down serious power? Mustang, ever the spotlight hog, soaked up all the fame like it owned the garage. It has the same muscle and more manners, yet the Cougar wound up as the forgotten album cut.

Ford Centurion

Big and brilliant, this beast hit the streets before the Expedition was even a blueprint. Dads who had to tow a boat and haul kids? They got it. Everyone else scratched their heads. It mashed up F-Series brawn and Bronco guts and somehow made it all work.

Thunderbird Turbo Coupe

Their loss—it outran expectations. While other ’80s cars were busy adding stripes and pretending to be fast, this one actually was. It wore a Thunderbird badge, which instantly downgraded its street cred. Turbocharged and surprisingly athletic, this nerd was secretly the jock.

Ford Maverick

The Maverick was better than anyone expected, ready to take on imports with a smirk and a spin. Typecast as boring economy junk, it never got a fair shake. Now, it’s vintage cool—like vinyl records and awkward prom photos, back in style and better with age.

Ferrari Dino 308 GT4

Like the backup dancer who could’ve headlined, it was sleek and unfairly overlooked. Just because it wasn’t packing a V12 didn’t mean it lacked Ferrari magic. Bertone gave it style, Ferrari gave it substance, and then they tossed on a “Dino” badge like it was a knockoff hoodie.

Citroen SM

Too misunderstood, too brilliant, too early. It was French, so American buyers acted like it came with a baguette and a spellbook. It has a hydropneumatic suspension and a Maserati engine with enough weird tech to star in its sci-fi movie. It’s now too rare to ignore.

Renault Alliance GTA

It was a street-fighting underdog with surprising moves. The GTA aimed to bring some European flair to Main Street America, but Camaro fans barely blinked. Sure, it was built in Wisconsin and rocked French tuning, but it had more punch than anyone gave it credit for.