Automotive makers have been on the brink of bankruptcy several times in their history, and quite often their struggles result from the release of absolutely homely or catastrophically malfunctioning cars. Be it the rolling powder keg that was the Ford Pinto or the smoldering waste of money that soon became the Triumph Stag, automotive makers have often made decisions to sell vehicles that make us all wonder what in the world they were thinking. Below is a list of the 20 most disastrous cars, in chronological order, and what about them made them terrible investments.
1920 Briggs and Stratton Flyer
(source)
No more than a rolling frame of wood and metal, the Flyer could hardly be considered a go-cart, much less an automobile. This tribute to minimalism marked the beginning of a trend that runs through many of the cars in this list, the idea of sacrificing car for money. The early times were no excuse for the Flyer, as other automobile makers such as Cadillac and Rolls Royce were already rolling out luxury cars that made Briggs and Stratton’s two horsepower plank on wheels seem inferior to riding horseback.
1933 Fuller Dymaxion
(source)
The Dymaxion was originally conceived of as a flying blimp-car. Its designer R. Buckminster Fuller was a classic expositor of nonsensical ideas such as this, and when the original intention was shown to be wholly ridiculous, the Dymaxion was stripped of its wings and released as a road-ready vehicle resembling some kind of hideous crossbreed between a blimp and a cable car. The Dymaxion never entered production and its concept models represent little more than a colossal waste of time and money.
1934 Chrystler Airflow
(source)
With a front grille that sort of reminds one of Droopy the dog, the Airflow was far ahead of its time. In actuality, it was quite a good car featuring engineering genius including 50-50 weight distribution and steel space-frame construction. Its biggest downfall appears to be that America was simply not ready for it yet, as its streamlined style appears to have scared consumers from the Chrysler lots. Sales were lower than the bottom of Lake Eerie, and the few who did buy were often shocked by the car’s biggest mechanical issue: its engine had a tendency to fall out.
1957 King Midget Model III
(source)
Sold as a DIY kit, the King Midget had to be assembled by the purchaser. Aside from this presenting a myriad of safety concerns (seeing as the average consumer does not possess the knowledge needed to properly assemble a vehicle), its not surprising that the $500.00 clunker suffered lousy sales, as few people really wanted to build their own. Eventually, government safety crackdowns put the nine horsepower snail out of production.
1958 Ford Edsel
(source)
This unattractive boat of a car was released upon late-1950’s America. The recession was here and this car was simply too expensive and too fuel hungry for many people to justify buying. What else contributed to the historically abysmal sales that the Edsel saw? The car was the victim of a classic mistake that has doomed many a project by many a company: over hype in marketing. America was made to believe that the Edsel was going to be some kind of heavenly super-car that broke all the rules and stretched the limits of the automotive industry. Imagine their surprise when they instead got an overpriced, bloated and heavy…Ford.
1958 MGA Twin Cam
(source)
Classic looks and abhorrent engineering sum this one up. The Twin Cam was one of the first twin cam engines, and turned out to be one of the biggest money and time sucks of all time. Maintaining the car’s fluid spilling, piston incinerating, plug fowling engine required the devotion one expects to give to a dog or a small child. If valve timing, rod integrity, octane measurement and a whole slew of other dormant problems were not constantly checked on, the driver ran the risk of dumping crucial oil, gas, screws and pipes all over the road. Needless to say, he who wishes to go racing and winds up with a dead, smoking hole where the engine used to be is not a satisfied customer. It wasn’t long before word spread and the engine was taken off the market.
1958 Zunndapp Janus
(source)
At a hair-raising 14 horsepower, the Janus reached blood-boiling speeds of 50 MPH (assuming you had a long enough down hill straight away) and gave the uniquely rear-facing passengers a great view of angry motorists riding the bumper of this rust-box catastrophe. The company originally manufactured motorcycles, but then decided to give that up and move on to making the Janus. As a general rule, if you are terrible at selling something with two wheels, you wont be much better at making something with four. The Janus is a (barely) moving example of this.
1961 Amphicar
(source)
A fun and unique concept, the Amphicar was built as a consumer model of the German military vehicle, the Nazi Schwimmwagen. Reaching a top speed of 7 MPH on the water, the Amphicar was more of a show-boat than a truly seaworthy craft. The car’s one downfall was possibly the biggest problem that such an experimental vehicle could feature: It wasn’t 100% waterproof! As a matter of fact, it leaked quite egregiously, and its buoyancy rested squarely on the functioning of the car’s built in bilge pump. If the pump failed to keep up with leakage (which it sometimes could not) the car became a titanic of a ride, sinking to the bottom and leaving its passengers without a paddle. Perhaps due to its small niche of consumers, or perhaps because of its effective death sentence for those who couldn’t swim, the Amphicar was never a very popular choice.
1970 AMC Gremlin
(source)
Often cited as the sorriest looking car ever designed, the AMC Gremlin is the most oddly proportioned car of all time. It appears the designers took a vehicle twice its size and sawed it in half, just behind the drivers seat. With its long, sedan-sized nose, gradually sloping windshield, and abrupt backside, AMC’s attempt to grab its share of the sub-compact car market was met with laughter and ridicule. In a sorry attempt at ironic humor, hot-rod builders through the 1990’s and 2000’s continue to toss monster engines in old Gremlin bodies and tear up the track, hoping to make onlookers chuckle at the idea of a super-fast AMC.
1970 Triumph Stag
(source)
Sadly, the sleek and beautiful styling of the British engineered Stag was all for naught. The car represents a grand bait-and-switch, for after consumers paid the requisite thousands of dollars to roll out of Triumph’s lot in a sexy little convertible, they are soon contending with a sheer nightmare of an engine that failed in a multitude of horrible ways, all of them rendering the car a nice lawn ornament. The pistons shot through the engine block, the aluminum heads warped and twisted, the oil burned bone dry, the timing belts snapped, the bearings would seize and the water pump would malfunction. About the only thing the Stag did reliably was break down.
1971 Ford Pinto
(source)
Better known as “death on wheels”, the Ford Pinto is widely held as one of the worse mistakes in engineering history. Due to the asinine placement of the gas tank directly behind the rear bumper and tendency for the doors to jam shut in rear end collisions, the car became an exploding deathtrap for anyone involved in rather mundane traffic accidents. To make matters worse, the fatuous executives at Ford actually calculated out the cost of repairing the Pinto’s killer design against the cost of potential lawsuits, and found that it would be cheaper to let their drivers roast. This decision goes down as one of our country’s most nauseating business decisions, choosing profit over the lives of the world’s tens of Pinto drivers.
1971 Chevrolet Vega
(source)
Some people consider the Chevy Vega to be the worst car ever to roll out of Detroit. The car suffered crazy rusting, engine fires and cylinder head warping. Quickly after this car hit the market, consumers became quite weary of the money-pit that was the Chevy Vega. Brian Herrman from Illinois, a previous Vega owner had this to say: “What an absolute pile of junk that was. It was not uncommon for the engine to start burning oil before 50,000 miles. The early models were complete rust buckets. The quality control was atrocious. And they had a reverse-hinged hood that came through the windshield in head-on collisions. (more horror stories here).
1975 Trabant
(source)
Crawling along at a glacier’s pace, the 1975 Trabant came stock at a pathetic 18 HP. When the absolutely impractical and incapable car decided to run, it smoked like a New York night club on a Saturday. What else can you expect from a car wherein turning signals and break lights came optional? The Trabant was an utter dumpster vertical of a car and enjoyed a very brief lifespan on the market.
1978 AMC Pacer
(source)
A recent poll by Hagerty Insurance asked enthusiasts to name the worst car design of all time. The winner: The crappy, fishbowl shaped AMC Pacer (better known as “The Mirth-mobile”). Its round cabin nearly cooked you alive in the heat of the sun, as the air-conditioning was ineffectual, failing to keep up with the heat and frequently releasing foul fumes into the driver’s face. The combination of hideous styling, lackluster luxury and totally non-existent performance combined into a car that only someone that hates sunshine and candy could drive.
1980 Chevrolet Corvette 305 California
(source)
You might be wondering why you are seeing the 1980 Corvette 305 on a list of disastrous cars. Corvette is supposed to be synonymous with heart pounding and uncompromising performance, delivering a flair of American sports-car lore and surpassing the buyer’s every expectation. Right? Wrong. The 1980 California model came to consumers on a large dose of Federal tranquilizers. To keep up with new emissions regulations, the car crawled out of the lot with a shameful 180 HP. The embarrassing 305 engine was further throttled through its muddy and inadequate three speed transmission, giving an American legend the appearance of a lion, but with the bite of a fluffy little kitten.
1981 Cadillac Fleetwood V 8-6-4
(source)
The V 8-6-4 was the nation’s first attempt at variable timing, which in today’s world is an amazing and handy little invention. The idea of turning off unnecessary cylinders at low speeds to save gas and reduce waste is an intriguing one, however the technology in 1981 was simply not equipped for such a computer-intensive task. Cadillac’s noble attempt resulted in a drought of sales, as faithful costumers were turned off by the cars’ stalling, clunking, bucking, shaking and utterly horrendous engine. Many opted to bring their vehicle into the shop to have its variable timing system hacked off the engine.
1982 Camaro Iron Duke
(source)
Much like the snailish corvette of two years ago, the legendary Camaro became a neutered puppy in comparison to its pit bull predecessors. Stocked to the teeth with 90 screaming horses, the Iron Duke Camero was outperformed by farm equipment. The incredibly large and over-indulgent hood housed one the 1980’s most disappointing engines, clocking 0-60 in 20 seconds, meaning any modern day Kia Rio would smoke it on the track. Muscle atrophy.
1985 Yugo GV
(source)
Part Car, part SUV, all disaster, the Yugo GV has been called the Mona Lisa of bad cars. Time Magazine reports that those who have driven the Yugo GV have “The distinct feeling of something assembled at gunpoint.” The car lacked so many modern features that “carpet” was listed by the manufacturer as a major selling point. The GV’s engine frequently fell apart for no clear reason other than the razor-thin manufacturing budget of the car. In the end, the GV went in the books as an utter failure to the American public, and no one with any serious need to be anywhere would be getting there in one of these scrap-heaps.
1997 Plymouth Prowler
(source)
Plymouth’s Prowler attracted awe and excitation in its concept phase, seducing hot-rod fans at auto shows long before it hit production. In fact, I remember being at the New York Auto Show the year its concept was revealed and thinking to myself, “Wow, that is going to be one hell of a hot car when it is road ready!” How wrong we all were. Somehow, Plymouth thought it smart to design a ferocious looking classic hot-rod, and toss a mediocre standard engine under the hood. Producing a pathetic 214 horsepower, Prowler owners suffer the underwhelming and emasculating experience of being passed by flatbed trucks on the freeway. Once word hit the streets that the Prowler was all show and no go, few people opted to spend the extra money on the over hyped, low-end Plymouth six-banger.
2001 Pontiac Aztek
(source)
A hideous body styling that is simply painful to look at has made the Aztek one of most hard-to-sell cars ever produced. Oddly placed headlights, colors that look like crayola crayon rejects and odd proportions make for one terrible ride. Unfortunately, Pontiac’s original conception of the vehicle was quite different, however corporate red tape sent the Aztek design through the ringer, mangling the design over and over again until the factory puked out this horrid contraption. Mechanically sound, embarrassingly ugly, the Aztek remains a very unsuccessful vehicle. Plus there’s a tent in the back.
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Comments
Justin
May 26th, 2009 - 2:57:10 PM
I gotta be honest -- I kind of like the AMC Gremlin. Not sure that I'd actually buy one or anything, but really, not a bad look.
1
cheap
May 26th, 2009 - 5:07:37 PM
i like the Amphicar
2
Alec
May 26th, 2009 - 5:11:16 PM
do more research on Buckminster Fuller. (there is an exhibit currently at the museum of contemporary art in chicago) His ideas provide the basis for the green movement that exists today. not to mention the dymaxion car got 30 mpg in 1933! and it failed partly because the bankers were scared of it destroying sales of other cars!
3
Nikki
May 26th, 2009 - 5:18:45 PM
Azteks are all over Michigan - apparently GM employee/family pricing was just right on it, while elsewhere it was too expensive. I frequently pull up to intersections and see as many as 3 of them, including my own. Everyone I know who has actually owned/leased the Aztek LOVES the car. Maybe there's a huge change between the 2001 and the later models (mine's an '02), besides the change in cladding?
4
Michael
May 26th, 2009 - 5:30:28 PM
The MGA twin cams are beautiful cars and highly sought after today. And personally, I would love to have a Stag. Yes, they had some engine issues, but most of them can now be taken care of quite easily. Not really sure I agree with this list at all...
5
Odkin
May 26th, 2009 - 5:43:58 PM
Where is the 1960 Corvair, the car that launched Ralph Nader to fame with his book "Unsafe At Any Speed"? As Nader personally is one giant fail (except with his media friends), the Corvair should be on the list just for that.
6
Mark
May 26th, 2009 - 5:56:16 PM
My folks had TWO Gremlins when I was growing up - a yellow one for mom and a purple one for dad. Somehow there was an electrical fire (dad induced) on the purple one and I was really too young to remember it although I do remember riding around in the yellow one.
7
verne miller
May 26th, 2009 - 6:30:39 PM
u know what. i love the aztecs so don't make fun of them. they're so ugly
8
James Dillner
May 26th, 2009 - 6:43:53 PM
The funny thing about the Aztek is that as cars keep getting uglier, it starts looking better every year. Someday it might be a bargain. The MGA twincam was the fastest MG ever. I wouldn't pass on one if I had the money. This article didn't mention the Mustang, which had the exact same rear collision fire issues as the Pinto. There was no firewall between the trunk and passenger compartment. The Pacer was a Motor Trend car of the year, I believe. He didn't mention that the Fuller car was rear steering tricycle. You know how safe it is to ride your trike backwards? I believe a person was killed in the prototype.
9
Michael Karesh
May 26th, 2009 - 7:12:43 PM
Must agree with Odkin, the Corvair should be on this list.
10
Michael Karesh
May 26th, 2009 - 7:15:11 PM
Also, are there no cars from Western Europe or Asia that deserve to be on the list, perhaps in place of on-offs from non-players?
11
Luis Bourget
May 26th, 2009 - 8:06:23 PM
I think the aztec could pass a design test nowadays. (maybe too futuristic even for the year 2000?)
12
jim
May 26th, 2009 - 8:23:35 PM
Wow. What a load of bollocks. I'm not going to waste time rewriting this blog post from scratch, but for example, the Trabant wasn't in production for a single year, try more like over thirty. Absolute shite, my friend. Or as you would co-opt from 4chan, absolute fail, bro.
13
Adam Pick
May 27th, 2009 - 1:56:57 AM
The Trabant a fail? Produced from 1957 till 1991, 3.051.385 build, pioneerd the use of plastics in automobiles, allone in Germany still about 50000 registerd and used. I would not call that exactly a fail.
14
Dob
May 27th, 2009 - 4:46:52 AM
I had a Trabant. It was fun... not a failure. Please stop blogging...
15
Jon
May 27th, 2009 - 4:48:52 AM
Chrysler/ Desoto/ Dodge Airflows NEVER had a problem with their engines falling out. Where does anybody get this stuff? Who makes it up?
16
Andy
May 27th, 2009 - 6:39:22 AM
You put the Plymouth Prowler on the list. Yet, you only state the amount of stock horses it puts out as a downfall. Do you know how fast a < 1600lb vehicle (all aluminum frame) can travel? Not to mention the pure torque that thing puts out? You sir, are grossly mistaken. Also, another little tidbit of information for you: the Prowler was designed by Chuck Foose. If you know anything about cars (which apparently you do not) then you know who that is.
17
Ktown
May 27th, 2009 - 8:38:02 AM
I cant talk down about AMC vehicles as everyone in my family worked for AMC in Kenosha, Wi. We called the Pacer the "fish bowl". Remember the Thing? http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Volkswagen_181 I still own one but i havent seen many around..
18
Henrik
May 27th, 2009 - 9:59:34 AM
What a load of crap... typical US-is-the-only-place-on-the-planet style article... If You dont know anything about Europe, then dont mention european cars...or at least give the article a correct name like "20 biggest car fails in USA"...
19
Gnekker
May 27th, 2009 - 10:26:05 AM
Total BS.
20
ozzie
May 27th, 2009 - 1:06:42 PM
This list tops #1 on my "Lists of Fail" due to the fact that the DMC Delorean isnt on this list. Fucking joke.. did everyone forget about Back to The Future already?
21
CarGuy
May 27th, 2009 - 1:28:51 PM
Andy I believe that it was Chip Foose not Chuck Foose that designed the Prowler. The biggest fail on the prowler was the lack of a manual trans.
22
Horst
May 27th, 2009 - 1:44:16 PM
Sorry, I had 2 Trabants myself. After 1962 it had 26HP, I don't remember that turning signals and break lights were optional. You can't talk about at 1960 model/version and show a much newer on. OK it was very basic, but 4 city traffic it was OK and very sufficient. It wasn't a complete failure. There were Millions built
23
Dianne
May 27th, 2009 - 2:00:37 PM
I have to say in defense of the Triumph Stag - my father bought one, and ended up unloading it on his FIL (My grandfather) - which was the best thing that could happen. My grandfather had the money and spare time to make the Triumph actually WORK. His mechanic ended up a rather rich man, the car ran quite well, and my grandfather took a LOT of trips to England to buy parts. The car was eventually sold to a collector, where I think it's a show car now, I guess - I don't know, but I hope it is, it was a terrific car to drive, and turned heads *all* the time.
24
dan
May 27th, 2009 - 6:44:05 PM
What about the dodge mirada? The ugly sister of the chrysler cordoba (now that is ugly). A 5.2 liter or 318 cubic inch engine that produced a whopping 135hp and 0-60 times counted in minutes. I miss my mirada
25
John Spinks
May 28th, 2009 - 1:25:48 AM
The car that Yosef Solomon describes as a Chrysler Airflow (Chrysler spelt wrong for a start) is not a Chrysler Airflow but it is a Desoto Airflow model SE built in 1934. The car that Solomon has included belongs to Doug Judd who may still be the President of the Chrysler Restorers Club of Australia (NSW Branch) The photo appears to have been taken at the Space Tracking Station at Tindinbilla in the Australian Capital Territory (ACT) Australia. I know as I was there at the time. I have been Associated with the Airflow motor vehicle for some 57 years and have never ever heard of an engine fallling out of these cars. This guy is obviously very misinformed and I am yet to determine who this Solomon is and if he happens to read his drivel then please respond. John
26
Alan Goswell
May 28th, 2009 - 2:34:00 AM
The Stag! Yes there were and are some engine issues, but these are easily cured by common sense. Thats why, of the 25000 made, 9000 survive right now and are much loved by their owners. A body to die for from Michelotti, 4 seats for an occasional foray to the pub with friends, a boot (trunk) that easily holds two medium sized bags, suspension like a BMW 3 series (in 1970), all make the Stag a great Grand Touring machine. In England the Stag Owners Club is the biggest single marque owners club with more than 5000 members. You can heap you're mythical ire on it as much as you like, but the fact remains that its a great car, loved by thousands of current owners that had some problems that are easily sorted with a little corrosion inhibitor and sensible regular maintenance. Alan Goswell, Stag Owners Club, England
27
Hrishi. Karmarkar
May 28th, 2009 - 7:37:03 AM
Thanks God There is nothing wrong with my car mahindra Xylo. It is an MUV by an Indian Car manufacturer but the technology is quite satisfactorily international. Looks, Engine suspension, everything is a ok in the car. In fact it is a people mover capable of doing 130 Kmph even with eight people inside. http://www.mahindraxylo.co.in
28
aku
May 29th, 2009 - 6:28:08 AM
I don't know about the other cars too much but i can tell by the comments posted here and from my experience taht you are tottaly outside of the subject.I wasted my time here.Only one thing:Trabant was sold in eastearn europena countries more than other cars.It was a cheap,low gas consuption and reliable car.Study more before writing somthing down mate or else u can make o clown of yourself.Cheers.
29
Harge
May 29th, 2009 - 7:11:31 PM
wow, some of the worst writing i have suffered through. the only reason i kept reading was to see what blatant grammatical error would pop up next.
30
tragic
June 2nd, 2009 - 1:26:07 PM
Thats a crime against humanity. The biggest mistake of course about the Trabant, calling 30 yrs short life span :)
31
moo
June 3rd, 2009 - 2:28:42 AM
Horst, you are my man!! Trabant was the eastern block's greatest small car. It was in production without any significant change for nearly 30 years with over 3,000,000 cars made. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trabant
32
someone
June 4th, 2009 - 8:07:57 AM
Yosef! your knowledge about (these) cars is equal to zero. what inspired you to write this? next time you write an article please use google...
33
Mjk
June 7th, 2009 - 3:31:52 AM
Not a mention of those ugly Mercedes-Benz from the 80/90s.Had the look of a hairy underarmed kraut women.
34
Ungawa
June 9th, 2009 - 4:39:03 PM
Your blog article is interesting, but . . . I must object to your portrayal of Buckminster Fuller as a cook. The fact is, Buckminster Fuller was one of the prodigious true geniuses of the 20th century. That particular car idea of his didn't work out, but so what? He was a prolific generator of new ideas, some worked, some didn't. Buckminster Fuller was a genius, ranks with Tesla, Einstein, others like them.
35
oldfatbiker
June 12th, 2009 - 10:15:41 PM
While I'm not familiar with the European cars on the list,I do remember the Gremlin,Pacer,Vega,and Pinto.As a service station mechanic in the mid 70's,I remember doing many repairs on these cars,and watching as two and three year old cars[sometimes even newer than that!]rusted and fell apart before our eyes.Truly some of the worst examples of automotive production!
36
Raul Jones
June 13th, 2009 - 5:50:43 AM
I don't know which was more amusing...the article, or the whining comments.
37
Brian
June 13th, 2009 - 6:06:48 AM
You do know that John Delorean was the wonderboy genius behind the Vega, it "made" his career in Detroit. I spent a couple teenage years in a Vega. Definitely a rust-bucket. But after adding a quart of oil and spraying the carb with Gumout - daily - it ran fairly well. And even when well past its' prime, it wasn't near as ugly as most cars other teens had to cruise around in.
38
Kurt
June 13th, 2009 - 7:11:15 AM
The US Postal Service used Ford Pintos for mail delivery and reported that the Pinto had the best service record of any vehicle they had ever used.
39
fairlyoldguy
June 13th, 2009 - 9:27:27 AM
A correction: The MGA Twin Cam was not one of the first cars with a dohc engine. Such engines have been around since the early years of the 20th century. As far as mass-produced twin cam engines are concerned, well, the Jaguar XK and the Alfa Giulietta preceded the MGA Twin Cam by several years.
40
Ed
June 18th, 2009 - 9:00:05 PM
That would be brake lights sir, not break lights.
41
Ed
June 18th, 2009 - 9:29:26 PM
The V 8-6-4 Cadillac engine cylinder deactivation is called, crazily enough, cylinder deactivation. Not "variable timing."
42
Ed
June 18th, 2009 - 9:31:38 PM
It's spelled Camaro, not Camero.
43
One who actually reads
June 28th, 2009 - 7:35:47 PM
This is the type of thing that gives automotive journalism a bad name. I have seen numerous half-price, half-brained coffee table books like this, written with half-formed opinions and nearly no real knowledge or research. I wonder if this nobody "compiled" this dreck from reading a similar book-- assuming this 'recently graduated communications major (!) can read. He certainly can't spell or even capitalize. An amalgam of dreck, half-truths, and damned lies. Unfounded opinion does not count as research!
44
Anon
July 3rd, 2009 - 5:26:21 AM
May I just point out 1 more of this article's failures, the Triumph Stag features a Timing Chain, not a belt.
45
Ride Fast
July 5th, 2009 - 4:09:36 PM
Would have been nicer if you researched the reasons these cars were failures. Or were they failures? They sold Pinto's by the boat load. The 1980 California Corvette was entirely a dog due to California regulations. The Fed had virtually nothing to do with it.
46
gate valves
July 7th, 2009 - 8:03:21 PM
i like the 1975 Trabant! the car in the Harry Potter movie! i cant help but smile when i read that the breaklights and the turning signals came optional.. haha :P
47
manuel
July 22nd, 2009 - 12:28:05 PM
ALL THE CARS THAT YOU SHOW ARE BEAUTIFUL , BUT THE LAST ONE... COME ON !
48
S.Smith
July 25th, 2009 - 3:53:06 AM
I see sone failer cars there but missing one recent failure in design, the Fiat Multipla, search on it!
49
kevin
October 17th, 2009 - 10:39:04 AM
NOTHING WILL EVER BE BETTER THEN EUROPEAN CARS.
50
Ben Barker
November 3rd, 2009 - 4:35:15 PM
If King Midgets are clunkers how come they made them for 20 years and made 8,000 of them and sold every one of them . No the government did not close them down the plant caught on fire. p.s. thats my car take the picture off !!!!!!!!
51
Todd Mcman
November 3rd, 2009 - 4:47:19 PM
This Website is pointless and dumb get a life
52
Mike
December 18th, 2009 - 4:04:27 PM
My first car was a Ford Pinto. Regarding your comment about it being a firebox, the gas tank between the rear bumper and the axle was a VERY common design of most cars until fairly recently. In fact, my 1985 Mustang GT has that design. The Pinto was a great car, very reliable. Yes, it rusted, but this was prior to the extensive galvanizing and better chemistry of today, and had a lot to do with the steel being cheap, thin garbage from Japan. In fact, my Subaru of the same year (1976) was just as rusty, but less reliable. How many wonderful Japanese cars are presently on the road from the 70s and 80s? Not many. Yet, I still see a reasonable few American cars from that era on the highways today. The AMC Gremlin and AMC Pacer were fine vehicles, as was the Citation. I would buy an Aztek today, if I were a young single guy. The back of that car turns into a camper! In 4x4, that was the ultimate weekend get away car for a college student or young couple with no kids. Get your facts straight. I do realize this is opinion, but the fact is, the morons who roasted in the Pinto on the interstate, which gave Ford such infamous visibility, were backing up the interstate because they missed their exit, and were rear-ended by a vehicle going 60+ MPH. I'm pretty sure the only vehicle that's just about guaranteed to survive that impact is the FORD Crown Vic Police Interceptor with the flame retardant packing behind the gas tank.
53
coetsee
December 26th, 2009 - 5:11:42 AM
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54
Jim Q.
December 27th, 2009 - 8:29:43 AM
Further correction: "The MGA Twin Cam was not one of the first cars with a dohc engine." I believe the Dusenberg of the early 1930's had a DOHC engine.
55
MARK HUEFTLE
February 18th, 2010 - 11:56:09 AM
DODGE PROWLER SLOW YOU DONT KNOW WHAT YOUR TALKING ABOUT QUATER MILE TIMES OF JUST OVER 14 SECONDS ON REGULAR GAS HI TECH ALUMINUM FRAME ANS SUSPENSION HANDLES GREAT INEXPENSIVE MODERN STREET ROD ANYONE CAN OWN OH BY THE WAY I DONT OWN ONE HOWEVER I OWNWED A 1974 GREMLIN MY FIRST CAR IT HAD AN ALMOST INDESTRUCTABE STRAIGHT 6 FORD MOTOR WITH A C6 AUTO ATTRACTIVE NO RELIABLE YES YOU MUST HAVE NO MECHANICAL KNOWLEDGE OF CARS. I HAVE RESTORED SEVERAL CARS INCLUDING MY 1975 COSWORTH V8 CONVERTED VEGA A CAR FAR AHEAD OF ITS TIME HOWEVER YOU WOULD BE CORRECT TO SAY THAT THE VEGA WAS GARBAGE HOWEVER IT MAKES A GREAT MUSCLE CAR. YOUR COMMENTS ARE FOLLOW THE HERD COMMENTS TIME TO UPGRADE YOUR INTERNET SITE TO FACTS INSTEAD OF FICTION.
56
bill
March 10th, 2010 - 10:38:43 PM
man the trabant was one of the best cars of all time. i mean yeah it had a tiny motor but it was two stroke and made for pretty decent performance. also it was made for the average person with simple tools could fix it. it was also made from a really cool material for the skin. it used leftovers from the coal industry for its body panels. i cant believe how ignorant you are i mean please. next the dynamaxion . yeah it never made it to production but it was extremely influential . in fact the vw transporter borrowed heavily from it. prowler slow i doubt you could handle it . i mean sure there was no v8 but did you really expect it in that ride. dumb. seriously tho you consider a go at writing fiction beacause this is what your bullshit list is.
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Ken
March 18th, 2010 - 7:58:45 AM
The 1980 Corvette also had a speedometer that only went to 90 mph!
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Janus Jim
August 20th, 2011 - 3:33:59 AM
I must reply to this idiot, who has never seen or driven in a 1957/8 Zundapp Janus his childish remarks on a very collectable classic car, are not only untrue but unjust , the car was well ahead of its time in 1957, tell me of a car in that era that had a steering lock, a ignition immobilizer, independent suspension, rear, leading link swinging arm front, all on Mc pherson struts suspension,. visible gear selection, centre engined , 7 inch air cooled front hub brakes , easy access front and rear will carry 4 large adults at a remarkable speed of 50 miles per hour not a bad feat for 1957. The car was economical designed for the younger generation, 60903 cars were produced in a 18 month period , production stopped in 1958 as the factory was purchased by BOSH. still there today. There are about 30 to 40 cars still been driven all around the world, will some of the new cars of today , be still running in 54 + years. Disney was so happy with the car they have used it as the villain in cars2. I drive my Janus daily and enjoy every moment . Janus Jim
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