Custom SerializationBinder

public class KnownTypesBinder : ISerializationBinder
{
    public IList<Type> KnownTypes { get; set; }

    public Type BindToType(string assemblyName, string typeName)
    {
        return KnownTypes.SingleOrDefault(t => t.Name == typeName);
    }

    public void BindToName(Type serializedType, out string assemblyName, out string typeName)
    {
        assemblyName = null;
        typeName = serializedType.Name;
    }
}

public class Car
{
    public string Maker { get; set; }
    public string Model { get; set; }
}

KnownTypesBinder knownTypesBinder = new KnownTypesBinder
{
    KnownTypes = new List<Type> { typeof(Car) }
};

Car car = new Car
{
    Maker = "Ford",
    Model = "Explorer"
};

string json = JsonConvert.SerializeObject(car, Formatting.Indented, new JsonSerializerSettings
{
    TypeNameHandling = TypeNameHandling.Objects,
    SerializationBinder = knownTypesBinder
});

Console.WriteLine(json);
// {
//   "$type": "Car",
//   "Maker": "Ford",
//   "Model": "Explorer"
// }

object newValue = JsonConvert.DeserializeObject(json, new JsonSerializerSettings
{
    TypeNameHandling = TypeNameHandling.Objects,
    SerializationBinder = knownTypesBinder
});

Console.WriteLine(newValue.GetType().Name);
// Car