Greatest "UNGREAT" Cars

[bigslim]

Here is a list of "UNGREAT" cars. BTW Claude, don't let your wife see this list. :D http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/10155740/?pg=1#anc_TurkeyCars_2005

[bigslim]

I would like to add a few cars to this list.
1. Lincoln Blackwood
2. Cadillac Cimmarron
3. Buick Reatta

[SergntMac]

Here is a list of "UNGREAT" cars. Oh...So, you're DWasson now, eh?

[merc6]

The panther is going so fast the scion looks as if it is standing still :)

[bigslim]

Oh...So, you're DWasson now, eh?
Thought I would beat him to the punch on this one.

[WTBBLKMAR]

I would like to add a few cars to this list.
1. Lincoln Blackwood
2. Cadillac Cimmarron
3. Buick Reatta

why dont u liek the blackwood? it was probably a bit of a waste cuz from what i know its just a f150 crew cab with lincoln badging....but its still not a "bad" vehicle. if boyd codding owns one there must me a reason :cool:

buick reatta is poo i agree :beer:

[Mike Poore]

This has got to be one of the greatest lines in automotive writing history:
..."Still in production today, the Yugo's dreadfulness is legendary". :rofl:

There was also an awful East German *****box called a Trabant or some such, and reported to be the worst car ever built. There are stories of people abandoning them to escape to West Germany, leaving the engines running. Evidently, no one ever actually owned one of 'em.

I found this tidbit to share:

"Interesting were all the trips around Grenoble in the French alps, because the two-stroke-engine is very small (it doesn't break the car very much) and is lubricated via the petrol-mix. In addition, the breaks are rather weak and overheat quickly. So I've tried to reduce the risk of an accident by pulling out the choke and switching off the ignition. That insured the lubrication of the engine and took load from the breaks. So I have survived 10 Tkm in the alps, even in deep fresh snow !" :eek:

However, I'm not sure I'll agree with you about the Blackwood. To me it seems, a very cool tow vehicle, and we may be on a search for one of 'em, when Sunshine finally attains trailer queen status.

[RoyLPita]

They forgot about "Drowning Mona" which holds the record for the most Yugos on the set and used for one movie. The 1st car got what it deserved in "Romancing the Stone"- driven into a rapid river and gone over a waterfall.

[carfixer]

Here is a list of "UNGREAT" cars. BTW Claude, don't let your wife see this list. :D http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/10155740/?pg=1#anc_TurkeyCars_2005

Well, at least it's #9 and not #1-8. Does that make it the greatest, ungreat car??? :dunno:



I would like to add a few cars to this list.
1. Lincoln Blackwood
2. Cadillac Cimmarron
3. Buick Reatta


Um, she got rid of her Blackwood last year. I think I'll keep her away from this thread :lol:

[marauder307]

My granddad owned a Vega in mid-70s...got rid of in favor of a diesel-powered Mercedes 280. I can understand the inclusion of the Vegas, but there should be a special caveat for the Cosworth-engined ones...those were actually supposed to be pretty good.

One car that I don't see anywhere, but DEFINITELY deserves inclusion on this list: Any of the GM X-cars (Chevy Citation and its Pontiac/Cadillac siblings). My family bought a new Citation in 1980 and in the five years we owned it, it had 14 recalls from GM, to say nothing of all the times that it failed out on the road. The final straw for us was when the front axles fell out (yes, I said FELL OUT) of the durn thing...in the early hours of the same morning that my father was trying to drive it home from an all-night CQ at Ft. Leavenworth's CGSC. He ended up having to walk the last 2 miles home, in the depths of a Kansas winter. He was ready to tell the MPs to simply shoot the @!#$!@# thing rather than have it towed away...

This thing with the Pinto has me a bit bothered. This has assumed the same sort of legendary proportions that the myth about CVPIs did a few years back: Hit 'em in the butt, and they blow up. Well...yeah, the Pinto pretty much sucked as a car; build quality pretty crummy, fuel-efficient but totally anemic for power, and ugly as sin to boot. But the fact of the matter is that it was only a few Pintos that actually caught fire---I don't think any of them actually "exploded"---and the instigating event (the rear impact) was actually pretty strong. I think they got hit by a much bigger vehicle (something on order of a full-size station wagon which, back in the '70s, was equivalent to a M-1A1 Abrams tank today) traveling at a fast highway speed (65-75 mph) But hey, let a few folks get hurt/killed, and OHMYGOSH! The Pinto's a widowmaker!

They said the same thing about the CVPIs a few years back...was even a (lively) discussion here on this website until Logan quashed it because it degenerated into a lot of namecalling and stupidity. Hell, if you hit ANY car from behind (where the gas tank is) and you hit with a bigger vehicle (say, like a semi) that's traveling pretty darn fast (like 90, which is typical for semis)...yeah, it'll probably go boom. There was a similar situation with GM pickup trucks in the late '80/early '90s; the idea was that trucks equipped with saddle tanks would blow up on a side impact. That one was shown to be manufactured by the press; the media had manipulated the video footage and test results to show something that never actually happened.

The point of my rambling here is that while there are plenty of cars out there that genuinely suck, make sure that they are deemed to suck for all the right reasons. The Pinto was just plain lousy, period. But it was lousy for other reasons than just faulty protection for the fuel tank...

[Mike Poore]

Here's another one I'm gonna bust on Darryl about; the Buick Reatta. Actually, I thought those were pretty cool, and still gawk whenever I see one of 'em. :D

[TripleTransAm]

The point of my rambling here is that while there are plenty of cars out there that genuinely suck, make sure that they are deemed to suck for all the right reasons. The Pinto was just plain lousy, period. But it was lousy for other reasons than just faulty protection for the fuel tank...


I agree that the Pinto 'explosion' story has hit mythical proportions, but I think the real reason was the lack of protection of the occupants during such a fire. Do an internet search for cabin fires relating to the 1st generation Mustangs and you'll see that there was little to impede flaming fuel from spewing into the cabin during a rear impact. This might have been the case for the Pinto as well.

[texascorvette]

Apparently the 1961 Plymouth was so ugly that no one even remembers it!!

[dwasson]

This has got to be one of the greatest lines in automotive writing history:
..."Still in production today, the Yugo's dreadfulness is legendary". :rofl:

There was also an awful East German *****box called a Trabant or some such, and reported to be the worst car ever built. There are stories of people abandoning them to escape to West Germany, leaving the engines running. Evidently, no one ever actually owned one of 'em.

I found this tidbit to share:

"Interesting were all the trips around Grenoble in the French alps, because the two-stroke-engine is very small (it doesn't break the car very much) and is lubricated via the petrol-mix. In addition, the breaks are rather weak and overheat quickly. So I've tried to reduce the risk of an accident by pulling out the choke and switching off the ignition. That insured the lubrication of the engine and took load from the breaks. So I have survived 10 Tkm in the alps, even in deep fresh snow !" :eek:

The body of the Trabant was made of some sort of fiberboard. A few years ago there was BBC show with Robbie Coltrane talking about cars. He said that the Matchbox model Trabant had as much steel as the full size model. He lifted the whole motor out of the car without a lift. He jsut grabbed and carried it off.

[DEFYANT]

If I understand correctly... the Pintos rear floor was the top of the gas tank. When it got rear endded, the gas tank ruptured, spilling gas into the passenger compartment of the car.

*poof*

My grandfather had the station wagon version. Infact, that was one of the first cars I ever drove. He took me to a big open parking lot and let me drive around. My mother blew a gasket, but I had a great time.

[dwasson]

Most of this list seemed to be based on the looks of the car. The Citroen was in production for over 40 years. It was just funny looking.

The ugliest cars came from the old communist bloc.

http://www.alvaradostables.com/ostrander/Switzerland/02-Cars-Gogomobile.jpg
The Gogomobil was built in East Germany in the mid 60's. When I was a kid one of the neighbors had a relative that drove one.

http://www.abc.se/~m9805/eastcars/tatra/tatra2b.jpg
The Tatra T87 was ugly even for a Warsaw Pact car. It had a rear mounted, air cooled, V8.

http://www.abc.se/~m9805/eastcars/vaz/trlada.jpg
The Soviet made VAZ Lada was a Fiat 124, jacked up 2 inches to get through Russian snow. In the 80s PJ O'Roarke toured the Lada factory and was depressed because the best built building he saw in the USSR was built by ther Italians.

http://www.abc.se/~m9805/eastcars/wartburg/wartburg2.jpg
For sheer misuided design it's hard to beat the Wartburg. I think it was another 2 stroke car.

http://www.allcarpictures.com/pictures/hindustan/ambassador-classic/hindustan-ambassador-classic.jpg
This little bit if filth is built in India. It is even the most popular police car there.

http://uk.geocities.com/tradcarclub/images/ReliantRobin.JPG
But even "civilized nations can screw up. I got a ride in one of these in England in the 70's. I drove Fiats then and this thing scared me. The best thing you can say about the performance of the Reliant Robin is that it was fast enough to get you to the scene of the fatal accident.

[SideshowBob]

why dont u liek the blackwood? it was probably a bit of a waste cuz from what i know its just a f150 crew cab with lincoln badging....but its still not a "bad" vehicle. if boyd codding owns one there must me a reason :cool:

buick reatta is poo i agree :beer:

Actually, the Blackwood was based on the Expedition/Navigator platform. I think it would make a great companion for my Marauder. Then I'd have both of LM's magnificent failures.

[dwasson]

Actually, the Blackwood was based on the Expedition/Navigator platform. I think it would make a great companion for my Marauder. Then I'd have both of LM's magnificent failures.
You underestimate Lincoln Mercury. They've had a lot more than 2 magnificent failures.

[carfixer]

You underestimate Lincoln Mercury. They've had a lot more than 2 magnificent failures.

99+ Cougar, flop
95+ Mystique, There were a couple of model years of that car that had 8 recalls.
88-94 Continental, possibly the lowest quality and most expensive car to fix in Ford's history.

[Dave Compson]

I was really suprised to see the hummer on that list!

[Festus]

This has got to be one of the greatest lines in automotive writing history:
..."Still in production today, the Yugo's dreadfulness is legendary". :rofl:

There was also an awful East German *****box called a Trabant or some such, and reported to be the worst car ever built. There are stories of people abandoning them to escape to West Germany, leaving the engines running. Evidently, no one ever actually owned one of 'em.


I worked in Dresden, Germany a few years ago and Trabi's were all over the place. It is one of the ugliest cars ever. The engine is a 2 cylinder 2 stroke engine making all of 25 HP. The cars are noisy, think 25 HP lawnmower, and supposedly puts out more pollution than 100 Mercedes-Benz' with catalytic converters, it is so bad that the EPA won't allow it to be driven on US roads. The body is a fiber glass derivative made from plastic resin and sheep's wool fiber. Before the wall came down people had to wait for years to have the privilege to own one.

[TripleTransAm]

I was really suprised to see the hummer on that list!

How can a car with a name like that be considered anything less than the greatest thing on the planet?:coolman:

[Bluerauder]

There was also an awful East German *****box called a Trabant or some such, and reported to be the worst car ever built. There are stories of people abandoning them to escape to West Germany, leaving the engines running. Evidently, no one ever actually owned one of 'em.
Think they are known as "Trabi". I was in Germany when the Berlin Wall came down. The initial flow to the west included lots of East Germans packed into Trabis riding the right shoulder of the autobahn. On my way to Frankfurt Airport, it was quite common to see 5-6 people packed into one of these cars doing a max of 60 kph out on the autobahn. I suspect that many of them never made their destination because some BMW or Mercedes ran up its tailpipe. :rolleyes:

[Mike Poore]

Think they are known as "Trabi". :rolleyes:

Darn, Charlie; I thought you were gonna add your '72 Skylark with the automatic removable door option to the list of all time greats.
:laugh:

[texascorvette]

How can a car with a name like that be considered anything less than the greatest thing on the planet?:coolman:Maybe it's the wrong gender hummer.

[dwasson]

How can a car with a name like that be considered anything less than the greatest thing on the planet?:coolman:

Just wait for the new Lincoln LapDance then.

[metroplex]

HMMWV

anyhow, I wish I could get a Yugo... 3 cylinders, and made by Zastava, the guys that make pistols, SMGs, and assault rifles.

[texascorvette]

HMMWV

anyhow, I wish I could get a Yugo... 3 cylinders, and made by Zastava, the guys that make pistols, SMGs, and assault rifles.I bought a Yugo for one of my kids once. For all intents and purposes, they are a Fiat--Strada or 128, I think. It was a pretty good car for the money. I think I paid about $800 for it.

I love the Marauder, but it's not 45 or 50 times better than the Yugo. We pay one helluvalot of money for our cars, but I'm not sure we are getting what we pay for. Best car I ever had was a '78 New Yorker, and it stickered for less than a fourth of the Marauder.

Unfortunately, the inflation in price over the years hasn't been accompanied by an increase in the value of what you get for your money.

[dwasson]

anyhow, I wish I could get a Yugo...

You know why the Yugo had a rear window defroster?


To keep your hands warm while you were pushing it.

[Bluerauder]

Darn, Charlie; I thought you were gonna add your '72 Skylark with the automatic removable door option to the list of all time greats.
:laugh:
Actually, the door "falling off" problem was on the '89 Buick Regal. Diagnosis --- inferior hinges and poor QA. Fixed under "secret" warranty. However, the car had so many other problems that GM hasn't seen :twocents: of mine since then. :rolleyes:

[Breadfan]

In regards to the Blackwood - part of me believes the slow sales and the flub were a lack of marketing - I didn't know they even existed until over a year after they were discontinued. I didn't even know the starting price, but that may have had something to do with it if they were overpriced.

The Navigator has done well - and GM has done OK with the Denali pickup trucks and the Cadillac Escalade EXT - it's odd the the Blackwood didn't catch on atleast some. I've only seen one on the road.

They're trying again with the new LT - hopefully it does a bit better.

From what it sounds like the Blackwood might have suffered from the Marauder syndrome - not enough marketing, and too high a price for what you get.

Speaking of bad cars, my friend's parents used to have a Colt Vista - apparently when the temps would dip below 20 degrees the plastic axles would shrink to the point where they would pop out of their sockets. Fun!

[bigslim]

In regards to the Blackwood - part of me believes the slow sales and the flub were a lack of marketing - I didn't know they even existed until over a year after they were discontinued. I didn't even know the starting price, but that may have had something to do with it if they were overpriced.

The Navigator has done well - and GM has done OK with the Denali pickup trucks and the Cadillac Escalade EXT - it's odd the the Blackwood didn't catch on atleast some. I've only seen one on the road.

They're trying again with the new LT - hopefully it does a bit better.

From what it sounds like the Blackwood might have suffered from the Marauder syndrome - not enough marketing, and too high a price for what you get.

Speaking of bad cars, my friend's parents used to have a Colt Vista - apparently when the temps would dip below 20 degrees the plastic axles would shrink to the point where they would pop out of their sockets. Fun!
What killed the Blackwood were these things:
1. High price
2. A big carpeted trunk ( no real use for a truck)
3. No four wheel drive
4. One color with expensive African wood to keep up.
5. Marketing
6. Cadillac Escalade had better utility and high visablity due to the young "Hip-Hop" crowd.

[Breadfan]

What killed the Blackwood were these things:
1. High price
2. A big carpeted trunk ( no real use for a truck)
3. No four wheel drive
4. One color with expensive African wood to keep up.
5. Marketing
6. Cadillac Escalade had better utility and high visablity due to the young "Hip-Hop" crowd.

Thanks, I was not aware of 2 and 3, and only part of 4. LOL, make sense?

I didn't realize the bed was carpeted, and no 4wd was a no-no, atleast give some sort of awd...many people will use them through the winter and if buying a truck want it to have the 4wd or awd traction. (Which once they get the proceed to assume that means 90mph on a snowy/icy road is OK since they have a 4wd truck.)

[MERCMAN]

What killed the Blackwood were these things:
1. High price
2. A big carpeted trunk ( no real use for a truck)
3. No four wheel drive
4. One color with expensive African wood to keep up.
5. Marketing
6. Cadillac Escalade had better utility and high visablity due to the young "Hip-Hop" crowd.

The Blackwood was never marketed as a "regular" pick up truck. It was a niche market when it was built and FOMOCO knew this from the get-go. There is also no expensive African wood to keep up. The only actual wood is the steering wheel and interior trim pieces. As far as the use of the Backwood as a "utility" truck, only some kind of moron would haul gravel, dirt, or any other such trash in a vehicle that stickered for over 50K when new. The blackwood is as unique a vehicle as there is, carpeted trunk and all. Only @3,200 were produced and the only option available was the navigation system. The only way to confuse it with an F-150 would be severe vision problems. The new LT although a nice ride, is not comparable style-wise with the Blackwood. Just my .02

[dwasson]

I always thought that the Blackwood was the answer to a question that nobody asked. Was there a demand for a vehicle with the seating room of a pickup and the utility of a compact car?

[MERCMAN]

I always thought that the Blackwood was the answer to a question that nobody asked. Was there a demand for a vehicle with the seating room of a pickup and the utility of a compact car?

I am sure it was a "build it and they will buy it" philosophy.

[Mike Poore]

I am sure it was a "build it and they will buy it" philosophy.

I still see it as the ultimate super cool tow vehicle. When guys come to shows pulling their trailers with Lightnings, everyone stops to gawk, wondering what wonderful delight he's gonna take outta the trailer.

Now, do that with an ultra rare Blackwood .....talk about making a grand entrance. That it's a crew cab is an added bonus. :D

Sunshine's gonna love hers.:sunshine:

[Mike Poore]

In regards to the Blackwood - part of me believes the slow sales and the flub were a lack of marketing - I didn't know they even existed until over a year after they were discontinued.

There's another part of the story having to do with Ford's marketing wizards. I know of two examples: Most everybody knows the story about the idiotic situation with the "7-UP Mustang", by now, the other was the Probe. They mounted a giant ad campaign for the thing, and customers came to the dealerships, in droves to see/buy the little beauties. Only trouble was there were none to be seen because there were none. By the time the dealerships had 'em, everyone had lost interest, .....Ford included. :shake: