Unlikely Cult Cars

Though it handles well, gets good mileage and has, as Galbraith puts it, a "stout engine," the Pinto was the butt of jokes for many years. That's because Pintos had the potential to explode when rear-ended (the fuel tank wasn't properly protected). Ultimately, Ford recalled over 1.5 million Pintos. But the car had other things to recommend it, including an impressive front suspension that's now the standard for many of today's hot rods, and a robust group of followers stuck with it. "It was one of the first real swings at a small economy car by the American manufacturers," Galbraith says. "And for the most part, they got it right."

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From the mid-1950s to the late 1980s, American Motors was the fourth of the major American automakers after Ford, General Motors and Chrysler. It was also the quirkiest, according to Galbraith — "the red-headed stepchild" of the automotive world. "AMC people are really wacky," he says. "There has to be a love for the different to even get involved in AMC cars to begin with." The Gremlin was built with a reliable Jeep engine and offered a high-performance V8 option. But its looks were, well, weird. "Nothing else looks like an AMC Gremlin," Galbraith says. "If you appreciate the odd, you're hooked."

Bing Images: AMC Gremlin

The Corvair was Chevrolet's answer to the Porsche. It evolved from a 1950s-era design and later models boasted fully independent rear suspension. But the tendency of the early Corvair's rear wheels to tuck under and roll the vehicle caught Ralph Nader's attention, becoming fodder for his book "Unsafe at Any Speed: The Designed-In Dangers of the American Automobile." These days, Corvairs are known to throw fan belts, causing most owners either to carry extras as a matter of course — or to use a pair of nylons in a pinch. What makes for a Corvair aficionado? According to Galbraith, "There's definitely a love for the arcane in the Corvair crowd."

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The Pacer gained notoriety in the mid-1970s when its plastic door panels routinely began crumbling. This design flaw is still a point of hardship for current Pacer owners, who are forced to prowl eBay for replacement panels. "If you find one, you have to pay whatever they're asking, sometimes north of $800 apiece," Galbraith says. The Pacer's other design quirks include an extra-wide girth, a shape like a jelly bean, and a profusion of glass throughout the vehicle. The latter accentuatues the greenhouse effect — if you leave the car sitting in the sun without window tinting, the resulting interior inferno can be very intense.

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The DeLorean's electrical system makes ownership particularly labor-intensive. "To own and use the car you have to do an extensive electrical revamping lest it burst into flames," Galbraith says. And because DeLorean sourced parts from all over the world, replacing them requires an intimate understanding of the car. The engine and transmission are standard, but little else is. On the bright side, the stainless steel body means no waxing or polishing. And it goes without saying that DeLorean enthusiasts are obsessed with a certain movie. "'Back to the Future' is 99.99 percent of (the appeal)," Galbraith says. "There's really no other reason to own one."

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Volkswagen may have the largest cult following of any automaker. Individual models attract enthusiasts, but there are also splinter groups — those who are smitten with a certain type of van, for instance. Some are drawn to the utility of the Westfalia camper, while others are safari-surf-bus groupies. Perhaps the most ambitious owners transform the vans into sport vehicles by installing Porsche engines. "It's a very versatile platform for customization and self-expression," Galbraith says. "That's what gives it its popularity." Currently, there's a glut in van inventory. The reason? "Now that the Deadheads have disbanded, there's a lot more available," Galbraith says.

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On the fringes of car cults are those who dote on vintage Japanese luxury cars such as the Toyota Cressida, an early version of the Camry. These obsessives doll up the Cressida — say, a 1982 model — within an inch of its life, adding satin windows, tufted velvet upholstery and a massive, lowered, chrome grille. They also favor elaborate window treatments and lots of lace. "Picture how over the top a low rider can be," Galbraith says. "That's what these people do to 1980s Japanese cars." But sourcing the cars to begin with is one of their biggest challenges. "These cars are not easy to find," Galbraith says.

Find: Modern Japanese Luxury

Jeep cult members, aka Jeepers, log garage time reinforcing their vehiclesWranglers and then seek out the most inhospitable terrain imaginable for off-roading sessions. "They'll head off into passes that mountain goats fear to tread with a couple of axles, a welder and a cooler of beer," Galbraith says. "It takes them three or four days to go 12 miles." They beef up their suspension, axles and chassis to help sustain the pounding they're about to inflict on the Jeep. "When you're driving over boulders as big as a house," Galbraith says. "You have to reinforce (the vehicle)."

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The favorite of the low-rider set is the 1964 Chevy Impala convertible. "It's the gotta-have car for low riders," Galbraith says. The reason for the cult of the '64 Impala? It was an accessible car during a golden age of low riders from the 1960s to 1980s, and it was reasonably priced. Owners had a tendency to pass it down to the next generation of drivers. These days, though, the Impala doesn't come cheap. "It's become very desirable," according to Galbraith. And the low-riding culture is as vibrant as ever. "It's a cult and lifestyle in and of itself."

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Among pickup cult members, there are two camps: those who drive rock crawlers and those who prefer boonie crashers. Aficionados of the former install huge tires to enable the vehicle to articulate over boulders. The boonie crashers strip off the doors and install brush guards, skid plates and "Mad Max"-style light bars so that they can peel off paved roads and head into the wilderness — the boonies — at a whim. Boonie crashers abound in Northern California. "Any self-respecting boy with a big belt buckle has one," Galbraith says. They consider driving the Rubicon Trail, west of Lake Tahoe, Nev., a rite of passage.

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The gateway drug of cult cars, the original Beetle lures in young drivers with its incredible accessibility. "They can be had cheaply, they're abundant, and sometimes you even get your first one for free," Galbraith says. It also has lots of personalization potential. "It screams out for doing something different with it, even if it's just throwing some flower stickers on it." As with the Volkswagen van fans, Beetle enthusiasts come in different stripes — there are surf Beetle worshippers, sport Beetle fans who install Porsche engines, hippie Beetle lovers who throw patchouli on the dash.

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For hot-rodders, the 1932 Ford roadster is the car to have. "That's the icon," Galbraith says, "the holy grail." In 1932, Ford first began to offer its flathead V8 engine — the first affordable V8 to the masses — and also began using compound curves in the body of the car, instead of the flat panels that were common in earlier models. The 1932 design stuck for just one year, putting a serious limit on the number of Roadsters out there. After World War II, drivers began transforming them into hot rods, and the practice continues. Today, a Roadster can easily sell for more than $50,000.

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Unlike many of the vehicles in this list, the Miata's cult status stems from the fact that it's a really good car — and has always been. "It's been around for a long time," Galbraith says. "There are several generations, and they keep getting better." The Miata is like a modern MG — fun to drive and cheeky looking — but without the classic British roadster's electrical problems. It's also got a convertible's sex appeal. "We're not too far off dogs genetically," Galbraith says. "We like to stick our face in the wind. That's a hard siren call to resist."

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"You don't go out to buy a car and accidentally come home with an original MINI, like you could with a Camry or an Accord," Galbraith says. It's an enthusiast's car, and if you own it, chances are you've customized it. The MINI cult is strong because the car has a strong design identity, but also because it begs for personalization, a process MINI helps facilitate. And it has a strong aftermarket to boot.

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For more information on the available vehicles in this slideshow, click the links below:

-Jeep Wrangler
-Chevrolet Impala
-Volkswagen Beetle
-Mazda Miata
-MINI Cooper

Compare: All 5 Available Vehicles

Claire Martin has written for The New York Times, Los Angeles Times, and Outside magazine. She's the former deputy editor of Men's Journal and currently lives in Los Angeles, where she covers technology, travel and food.

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