These days, anyone walking into a new car dealership looking for something with two doors and a hard top is liable to find it a frustrating endeavor—and if you don’t want something that qualifies as a sports car, well, your options winnow even more. Coupes may not be an endangered species list just yet, but they’re certainly on the threatened one that can lead there before long.

It wasn’t always this way. Just a few decades ago, the world was rich with coupes for the wealthy, middle-class, and trying-to-survive alike. They didn’t always go faster than sedans or wagons, but they looked like they did — which means they looked better. These cars were a status symbol writ excellence: made for people who desired the ultimate in luxury, but didn’t need (or want) to have to tote around a family

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