With so much nostalgia online for the 1980s and 1990s, here’s one only the real ones will remember: the GEO automotive brand. GEO was a short-lived partnership between General Motors and three Japanese automakers: Toyota, Isuzu, and Suzuki. Sales were discontinued in the U.S. after just eight years.

One of the better-selling GEO models was the Tracker, a mini SUV that initially was a four-wheel drive vehicle, with a two-wheel drive model introduced later.

The cars were equipped with a wheezy 1.6-liter engine that coughed out about 96 horsepower on a good day. While the Tracker was light and nimble, it was very underpowered.

Jon Moss was the head of GM’s Special Vehicle Group. They cooked up a one-off concept called the GEO Dirt Tracker. The original 95 horsepower engine was replaced with a 3.4-liter L32 V6 engine from the Chevrolet Camaro making 200 horsepower.
Coupled to this is a 4-speed automatic transmission, and an all-wheel drive transfer case from an Oldsmobile Bravada.

What they created is a capable off-roader that can sprint from 0 to 60 in 8.5 seconds. The vehicle was reviewed by Motor Trend Magazine in August 1996, and they praised the Dirt Tracker, calling it a “well-finished machine that presents some tantalizing possibilities for a toughened Tracker image.”

Well, GEO ceased production in North America by 1998 and the remaining models were sold as Chevrolets. The Dirt Tracker was to only be a one-off concept vehicle and not a production model.

This 1-of-1 concept car recently appeared at the Barrett-Jackson Scottsdale Fall 2024 auction with just 1,365 miles on it. Barrett-Jackson is one of the only places you can see and bid on concept vehicles like this one!

This unique car sold for $12,100, including the buyer’s premium.

What are your thoughts on the GEO Dirt Tracker?