When was the last time you spotted an Alfa Romeo Matta on your commute?
Being early to the market isn’t always a good thing.
SUVs are on every street corner in 2022 but the body style’s rise is relatively recent. Many high-riding models launched before the segment’s popularity sky-rocketed are remembered as also-rans – assuming they’re not forgotten entirely. Even some of the ones that had a formative influence on the SUV as we know it are seldom seen in traffic.
From a Jeep-like Alfa Romeo to Isuzu’s street-legal concept car, join us for a look at some of the forgotten SUVs that competed in the class before it was cool:
Alfa Romeo Matta (1951)
Alfa Romeo is rooted in performance but its resume includes many commercial vehicles, including various vans and an off-roader named Matta introduced in 1951. It was developed to secure a lucrative contract with the Italian army but officials chose Fiat’s proposal, the original Campagnola, instead.
Keyword: Do you remember any of these obscure SUVs?