June 18th is National “Go Fishing” Day. But if you can’t head out on the water to enjoy it, perhaps these five cars will appropriately wet…err…whet your appetite for some angling action later.

Did we miss any on our list? Are you a marine biologist and know some obscure vehicular aquatica that we should be aware of? Drop us a line in the comments below!

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5. Hyundai Tiburon

While a 2002 model is pictured here, the U.S. met the Tiburon earlier through this Jaws-inspired commercial. (Image/Hyundai)

When Hyundai decided to dip its toe into the sports car waters, it did so with the Tiburon. Another car with a Spanish name, Tiburon translates to “shark” and was introduced to the U.S. in 1997. Though early Tiburons carried a range of relatively mundane four-bangers, Hyundai later gave the Tiburon a bit more bite with a 170+ hp V6.

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4. Opel Manta

Opel Manta Drag Car
Here’s a *slightly* modified Manta we spotted at the SEMA Show a while back. (Image/OnAllCylinders)

As the second best ray on this list, the Opel Manta is a well-regarded sport coupe with an impressive race/rally pedigree. Though the Manta was primarily a European-market vehicle, a few swam over to the U.S. and you could finned…err…find them in Buick dealerships from 1971-75.

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3. AMC Marlin

Facing ever-increasing competition from the Big Three, AMC stuffed Marlin production into three years between 1965-67. (Image/OnAllCylinders – David Fuller)

There must’ve been something in the water near Detroit during the 1960s, as the final three cars on the list were all born around the same time. Initially a submodel of the Rambler, the Marlin soon spawned its own model designed for folks who wanted a sporty-looking, yet still family-friendly coupe.

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2. Chevy Corvette Sting Ray

Pedantry alert! 1963-67 Corvettes are Sting Rays. Though it was absent on the then-new 1968 C3, when the name reappeared on the fender emblem in 1969, Stingray became one word. (Image/Summit Racing)

Bill Mitchell, GM’s VP of Styling during the 1960s, got hooked on deep sea fishing, and worked with designers Peter Brock and Larry Shinoda to channel that inspiration into the Stingray Racer. That concept vehicle ultimately gave us the C2 Sting Ray. After the Stingray name vanished in 1976, it floated back into our lexicon with the Corvette C7 several decades later.

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1. Plymouth Barracuda

Is it possible to say Barracuda without singing “OOOOooooo” first? (Image/Summit Racing)

Hatched a few weeks before the Mustang, the Barracuda barely made a splash when compared to the waves Ford was making. Yet after a few years of refinement (and some help from a pachyderm), the Barracuda and its distinct ‘Cuda tank-mate are now keepers on every musclecar stringer.

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Bonus Catch! Lincoln Nautilus

Nope, not driven by James Mason. (Image/Lincoln)

Because it’s technically a mollusk and not a fish, the Nautilus doesn’t officially belong on this list. But we’re suckers (cephalopod pun!) for Jules Verne, so we’re obliged to mention Lincoln’s midsize SUV. While it doesn’t have an onboard pipe organ, we’d gladly take this thing on a 20,000-mile road trip.

Keywords
Barracuda, Corvette, Fish, Hyundai, Lists, Mopar, Opel, Stingray
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Author: Paul Sakalas

Paul is the editor of OnAllCylinders. When he's not writing, you'll probably find him fixing oil leaks in a Jeep CJ-5 or roof leaks in an old Corvette ragtop. Thanks to a penchant for vintage Honda motorcycles, he spends the rest of his time fiddling with carburetors and cleaning chain lube off his left pant leg.