Published By: Rohit Chatterjee

Best Rear-Mounted Cars in Auto Industry's History

Pretty rare in the present era, allow us to take you back in time when some cars were equipped with engines mounted at the rear

In the present era, most of the cars in the world are launched with front-mounted engines and a few of them are found with mid-mounted motors. However, when it comes to rear-mounted engines, it is very rare as of 2022. At the moment, mostly racing cars are detected with rear-mounted engines. Therefore, through this article, allow us to take you back in time when some road-legal cars became incredibly famous for their rear-mounted engines.

DMC DeLorean with gull-wings

DMC DeLorean from America was launched in 1981 and it remained in the auto industry for two years until 1983. DMC’s DeLorean was a sharp-looking car with gull wings and brushed stainless steel outside body panels that was equipped with a rear-mounted engine. The car had a 2.85-litre, V6 PRV unit that had a peak power output of 130hp only. The hefty price-tag of the DeLorean and its awful power figures did not sit well with the auto enthusiasts.

BMW 700, a car that saved BMW from bankruptcy

The BMW 700 was neither a fast car nor a beautiful car, but it had a certain charm of its own because of the classic saloon body. Launched in 1959, it was a period when the German automobile manufacturer was almost on the verge of bankruptcy, but the 700 saved BMW. How? After the launch event, the company received 25,000 pre-bookings and until 1965, BMW sold lakhs of 700s. Under the hood, the 700 had a mediocre 697cc flat-twin motor.

Tatra T77, the first aerodynamically designed commuter car 

Introduced in 1934, the Tatra T77 was the first aerodynamically designed commuter car that was mass-produced and was sold until 1938. In four years, the Czech brand sold 249 units and, later on, the brand also gave birth to several successors named T87 and T97. The T77 featured an air-cooled engine mounted at the rear and, as per legends, it was the car whose design inspired Volkswagen to create the cute Beetle.

1984 Rapid, the poor man’s Porsche

The Skoda Rapid, you know today, was very different back in 1984. The model launched in 84’ was a sports coupe and not a sedan with 1.2/1.3-litre, four-cylinder engine trims. The car was not powerful but had a decent price-tag and appeal because of which; it earned the tag of a poor man’s Porsche. Last but not the least, today, the Skoda Rapid has a massive fanbase in several countries.