Automotive good ideas gone bad range far and wide – whether it’s a classic fail like the exploding Pintos of the early ’70s – or a late-model train wreck like the Pontiac Aztek.
Here are ten automotive atrocities that will be remembered for as long as the warranty claims (and class-action lawsuits) linger:
* The entire American Motors Corp. (AMC) lineup –
From dreadful dreadnoughts like the malformed Matador to demented detritus like the Gremlin and Pacer, no other automaker ever managed to build such a seemingly endless conga line of bizarre, poorly conceived (and often, poorly built) cars within such a short span of time (from the late 1960s to the early-mid 1970s).
Only bankruptcy eventually succeeded in stopping the madness.
- Exceptions deserving of a kind word include the Javelin and AMX, which were decent efforts hobbled by AMC’s perpetual lack of adequate development funds.
* Chrysler’s “lean burn” engines –
Myths, Misunderstandings and Outright lies about owning Gold. Are you at risk?
While Honda was developing highly efficient combustion chambers to lower engine emissions via engineering advances such as the CVCC cylinder head (which allowed the cars to meet federal exhaust emissions standards without catalytic converters) Chrysler was duct-taping its V8s with leaned-out carburetors that mainly made them even harder to start than they were before – and prone to stalling in the middle of busy intersections.
In addition, you also got gelded performance and terrible gas mileage.
Now you know why “rich, Corinthian leather” never made a comeback.
* General Motors’ diesel V8 –
Imagine a luxury car that was both slow and inefficient as well as prone to early and catastrophic engine failures and you have a taste of the bitter flavor that was the diesel-powered Oldsmobiles and Cadillacs of the late ’70s and early ’80s.
These “diesel” engines were actually converted gas engines, which (contrary to the myth) wasn’t the problem. Poor quality control was.
The resultant debacle not only soured an entire country on the otherwise perfectly sound concept it helped hustle Oldsmobile to the boneyard of automotive has-beens and nearly killed off Cadillac, too.
* The Sterling –
Japanese automakers rarely screw the pooch, but this was an exception.
Back in the late 1980s, in collusion with British car maker Land Rover, Acura Legends were re-sold as “British” Sterling 825s and 827s. The alliance was as enduring as the Hitler-Stalin non-aggression pact – and just as awkward. Parts for these cars – especially interior pieces – are all but impossible to find. Dealer support is nonexistent. Resale values are lower than current highs for well-worn Yugos.
If Truman had had another bomb left to drop, the childhood home of the dude who would grow up to create Sterling would have been a worthy target.
* Pontiac Fiero –
A great idea ruined by upper management skinflints and con men – who thought it would be slick take Chevette underthings (front suspension, engine) and put them in a car that looked sporty and then charge the suckers top dollar.
First-year sales were great – until the word got out. They then nose-dived into the ground like the Air France Concorde, forcing the car’s cancellation just four years after it came out. Just in time to hand over the entire market for a car of this type to Mazda, which brought out the Miata a year after the Fiero was sent to the crusher.
