These seven classics are coming back as Stromer

So many people are about to return. Others have already made the comeback. Big overview.

On the way to the future, some manufacturers allow themselves a look back into the past. And so we are apparently not only heading towards the age of the electric motor, but also towards a small retro wave. Here are seven classics making a comeback.

The Citroën Mehari – a holiday greeting on wheels. Now the beach mobile returns. The French company MLT (Mehari Loisirs Technologie) is reviving the oldie – at least its simple and famous design. Underneath the E-Story’s corrugated sheet metal (plastic like the original), however, everything is new and contemporary.

Instead of a sawing boxer engine, a quiet electric motor hums under the hood. It delivers 15 kW/20 hp, which is enough for a top speed of 90 km/h. The range: 150 kilometers. In addition, there are two or four seats, LED lights, power steering and a digital instrument cluster. That’s pretty much it. The prices: from around 29,000 euros. Here you can find out more about Méhari’s grandson – and also why the original is almost nowhere to be found in Germany.

Opel Manta: Only the name remains

A car with a hard fate: There are probably more manta jokes than mantas these days. The fault is not with the original Manta, but with its successor (1975 to 1988). Or rather the dubious tuning craze that some of its owners lived out quite excessively.

The many jokes and some comedy made us forget that the first Manta (1970 to 1975) was a really good and coveted car. At Opel, on the other hand, they still know this very well.

It is now clear what had unofficially appeared to be a done deal for some time. “We will reinvent the Manta in the middle of the decade,” said then-Opel boss Michael Lohscheller when presenting his new electric strategy. This also makes it clear: the coming generation will fill up at the socket. Basically a completely new car, only the name and design details are reminiscent of the original. When the future Manta will come onto the market, Opel is currently keeping to itself.

Messerschmitt cabin scooter: the most famous tricycle of the 50s

Around 60 years after its demise, the cabin scooter, one of the best-known cars of the 1950s, is about to take off again – with the official blessing of Messerschmitt. Its drive is new, but the concept is old: only the bare essentials are accommodated on three wheels and less than four meters in length. This made the cabin scooter the cheapest of all microcars at the time (starting price at the time: 2,100 German marks). But unfortunately that’s over. The new edition should start at 15,500 euros.

The two-stroke combustion engine of the 1950s has now given way to a 6.7 hp electric motor, which accelerates the lightweight to up to 90 km/h. The range of the battery is around 80 kilometers, the charging time is four to five hours. In addition to a convertible, there will also be a version with a fixed roof (from 17,800 euros).

The famous Ur-Quattro, which has long been a coveted and expensive collector’s item, is about to make a comeback. However, it will then be called EL1 and will not have the famous four Audi rings on the radiator grille. Because this sports Stromer is not built by the Volkswagen subsidiary from Ingolstadt, but by the German start-up E-Legend. On the outside, it unmistakably picks up on the shapes of the Sport Quattro, but uses modern technology on the inside.

The drive is taken over by three electric motors with a total of 816 hp. It only takes 2.8 seconds to go from zero to 100 km/h, and speeds of up to 255 km/h are possible. A 90 kWh traction battery should allow ranges of up to 400 kilometers. Just 30 copies of the EL1 should come onto the market from the end of 2023. So much exclusivity has its price. And that’s one million euros. However, collectors have long paid half as much for the original, the Sport Quattro. Or more.

Renault 5: The new Zoe

The new edition of another classic car will be significantly cheaper: In two years, the Renault 5 (built from 1972 to 1996) could return with a modern look and as an electric car. It’s said to replace little Zoe – and cost a third less. That would mean a price of around 17,000 euros.

The Renault 5 will be part of a real electric vehicle offensive by the French, who want to launch ten new electric models by 2025. There may even be another classic among them: people are whispering more and more often that the angular small car R4 (1961 to 1992) could also be revived.

Lobster: Still huge

Some despised it for its enormous fuel consumption and martial design. And the others loved him for it. 2010 was the end of the lobster – for the time being. Because in the meantime, the all-terrain giant has made its comeback.

Lately the Hummer has been flattening hills again, but things are different now. Because the XXL off-roader now also runs on electricity, albeit with a whopping 1,000 hp and a torque of around 15,000 Nm. It should only take three seconds to reach 100 km/h from a standing start. The range of 560 km is also remarkable. And in just 10 minutes there is enough energy for a further 160 km.

There is also an SUV again, slightly smaller (still around five meters long) and also a bit weaker. But with 830 hp, the off-roader is anything but underpowered.

VW ID buzz: The real Bulli

The Bulli is back too – and it now also runs emission-free: the VW ID.Buzz was launched last autumn and, for some fans, is the most beautiful VW in a long time. First, there’s 204 hp and a 77 kWh battery that can store enough power for a range of more than 400 km. Other variants will definitely follow. The prices: from 64,500 euros.