This meant that all car makers did their level best to get a piece of the action. But there have long been substantial differences between the American market and those in Europe and Asia. And those differences tend to account for why certain models were never sold there.

But it does mean that America misses out on great vehicles like the Ford Puma (pictured), a new compact SUV that has been getting rave reviews in most quarters. We take a look at it, together with all the other cars America never got, but we reckon would have really liked – in chronological order: