The Dart is a charismatic little car. Thanks to its Alfa Romeo roots, the Dart is handsome and fun to drive – especially if you drive like an Italian. The Dodge Dart couldn’t be more American, in that it is an immigrant.

Car nameplates are recycled on a regular basis. You can’t buy a new third-generation C-Class anymore, but you can drive home from your local Mercedes-Benz dealership in a vastly improved fourth-generation modelthat benefits from the latest advances in automotive technology. For three decades, The Land Rover Defender has managed to eschew this evolutionary pattern, so…