50 Worst Cars of All Time

[Sean Malone]

From Time magazine.

Link (http://www.time.com/time/specials/2007/article/0,28804,1658545_1657686,00.html)

A few from my memory that didn't make the list...

The AMC Hornet. The car of choice for my high school drivers ed class. They felt like something I would imagine the Soviets making. The play in the steering wheel was more loose than Brittany Spears little sister, and they were teaching us to drive in them!

Ford Maverick. A lot like the Hornet, just a little bigger and more 'American' in feel. The utilitarian cars from teh 70's were down right creepy in retrospect.

Dodge Duster. The round back Chevelle wannabe was just ok from the outside but its eastern block interior gave me the heeby jeebies.

'81 VW Diesel Rabbit. My dad bought one to commute in...it literally could not go over 45 mph up any grade hill.

[OW]

Ford

[SteveH]

1920 Briggs and Stratton Flyer

:tony:mobile

[eiregosod]

ford pinto

[stroker]

International Harvester Scout II

[JohnHKart]

The Chevette. A buddy actually still owns one and I swear it's one of the last ones on the road...I never see those cars anywhere. The brakes are without a doubt the worst in any street car I've ever experienced. Used to work at a driving school and would run work related errands (I did telemarketing) in the pieces of sh**. Drove my uncle's duster several times about ten years ago and it was fine. Had fun demonstrating to my grandma spins and how to get out of them in the snow (in an empty parking lot).

John

[IlliniRacer]

Vega

[manic mechanic]

I will take exception to many choices on that list due to the technical merits that some of those vehicles represent (and the bigger fact that US EPA regs and DOT sanctions killed some of the better designs). :shakehead

Mrs. Manic owned a '78 Chevette (her first car) when I met her, and it was in the family for 17 years and 140.000 miles (it did leave us in need of a tow a few times, but the fixes were cheap and easy).

We drove an EV-1 at a demo and were impressed by its ease of operation and efficient concept; GM shot themselves in the foot by sucking the corporate teat (attached to big oil $$$) and pulling the car from the market.

The ones they forgot:

1986-1992 Nissan Stanza: Not too attractive, tough to tune on engine (CA20 series), terrible crashworthiness, etc. Thank god they brought out the Altima series and killed off the stigma (AND the moniker) in one fell swoop.

Chrysler K-Car family: Didn't handle, anemic (not to mention unreliable) powerplant due to Chrysler's SBEC system, and plebian interiors made their minivans look downright lavish.
I once had a customer who complained that his K-car would only turn right.. (TRUE STORY!!!). I examined the car and found that the steering rack had broken its mounts and didn't allow the car to turn left. I queried the owner as to how long it had been like that, and he said "about a year and a half"... I then asked him how he dealt with it if where he was going required a left turn. His response: "Oh, I just go around the block".
He was convinced that the repair would cost a lot and "saved up" during that 18 month period for a repair that eventually cost less than $200 total... :laugh:


Ford Fairmont/Mercury Zephyr ('75-82ish). A midsize that wouldn't get out of a Pinto's way... Ford gave tens of thousands of them to Vietnamese immigrants through government programs simply because they couldn't UNLOAD them any other way!

Ford Mustang II: 105hp from a 302... Need I say more?

I could cite more examples, but those will have to do for starters.


manic

[datachicane]

Propane Moggies?
Airflows?
Explorers?
X-Type?
Elites and MGA twin-cams?

Man, what a crappy list. Even most of the cars I hate don't belong on there.

You can always tell when an editor hands an assignment like that to some poor shmuck who doesn't know a damn thing about cars- sorta like watching your local stick-and-ball sports news guy trying to sound knowledgeable about racing while showing the obligatory once-a-year crash footage.

[chop456]

'81 VW Diesel Rabbit. My dad bought one to commute in...it literally could not go over 45 mph up any grade hill.

And now they're selling for big bucks. :laugh:

[chop456]

Thank god they brought out the Altima series and killed off the stigma (AND the moniker) in one fell swoop.

My '93 Altima said Stanza on the back in small print under the Altima name.

I'll add the GM A-body products.

[Methanolandbrats]

And now they're selling for big bucks. :laugh:
And they are still RUNNING. :thumbup: MK1 Golf (Rabbit in USA) was one of the greatest designs ever.

[Andrew Longman]

1982 Cadillac Cimarron -- Lasr desparate act before GM realizes they were this close to destroying all Cadillac brand equity)

1981 Imperial Lebaron (Rich Corinthian Leather - what else is there to say?)

1982 Camaro Iron Duke (I rented this weakling once and had trouble getting up the hills around Pittsburgh -- 90 hp Camaro) More GM cluelessness about what their model brands mean.

1985 Yugo GV -- You could not drive these more than 3 hours at a time or the head gasket would blow. A friend found that out the hard way a few weeks after he bought it new. This was a better use for them http://www.crookedbrains.net/2007/12/yugo-art.html

1997 Plymouth Prowler: Aside from having no power this was arguably the worst built car Chrysler made in recent history -- and that says a lot. The warranty claim more than anything took it out of production.

2001 Jaguar X-Type: Another example of bean counters having no consideration for brand. A Contour with gadgets.

2001 Pontiac Aztek: GMs design-by-committee Edsel


I do not agree with their call on the Model T. Henry and his guys took on a completely different design challenge and stressed simplicity and functionality over all else. They designed parts and systems, such as the resin encased magneto, that in other cars would routinely fail in bad weather and road conditions. If something did break, because the car was designed for ease of assembly it also was easy to disassemble and repair by someone with little or no training.

[nrc]

Ford Fairmont/Mercury Zephyr ('75-82ish). A midsize that wouldn't get out of a Pinto's way... Ford gave tens of thousands of them to Vietnamese immigrants through government programs simply because they couldn't UNLOAD them any other way!

Disagree on this one. The Fairmont was one of the first domestic cars that was built on a clean sheet instead of trying to downsize 60s technology. The Fox platform was not bad for a compact sedan or even for the Mustang which milked 25 years out of it. If the Fox platform has sins to answer it's the in the brands Ford nearly killed with it like the Thunderbird and Continental.

[nrc]

I would nominate the Sterling where Rover managed to take Honda underpinnings and propel them to the bottom of all the quality indexes.

Also the Renault Alliance which was probably the final nail in AMC's heavily nailed coffin.

[jcollins28]

The Pontiac Fiero. You could pretty much see them on the daily in flames on the side of the road.

[oddlycalm]

1981 Imperial Lebaron (Rich Corinthian Leather - what else is there to say?)
Good one. Leave it to Detroit to take perfectly good leather and coat it with plastic resulting in a product with that combined the expense of leather with the feel and breathability of plastic. :gomer:

My particular favorite worst car was another Chrysler brain fart, the Simca Aronde, which Chrysler imported from it's European Simca operation in the early 60's and foisted on a few unwitting Americans. The cars were small, spartan, and idiosyncratically French. The dealers hated them and had no idea how to make the endless repairs required. Chrysler's European experiment eventually went the way of the Simca. We had a neighbor that bought one and regretted it passionately. This sled was right up there with the Renault Dauphine for stinking up the place.

http://tcbmag.blogs.com/photos/uncategorized/2007/10/05/1961_simca_aronde_p60_elyse_rush_2.jpg

oc

[oddlycalm]

Then again, everyone likes something different in a car...:eek::gomer:

http://www.instablogsgallery.com/gallery/2007/09/24/the-art-of-burning-man-gallery-image-1_5330.jpg

[cameraman]

I do not agree with their call on the Model T. Henry and his guys took on a completely different design challenge and stressed simplicity and functionality over all else. They designed parts and systems, such as the resin encased magneto, that in other cars would routinely fail in bad weather and road conditions. If something did break, because the car was designed for ease of assembly it also was easy to disassemble and repair by someone with little or no training.

My father and uncle were driving from Pasadena to Michigan back in the day in their 1926 Model T (it was around ten years old at the time). In the middle of nowhere the car blew a head gasket. They pull off to the side of the road, get out the tool box, disassemble the engine, walk into town and buy the new bits to fix it, walk back out to the car, put it all back together and continue on their way. The car died in the morning and was running again that afternoon. Try doing that in a modern car:saywhat:

I just wish he had kept the car...

[mapguy]

Also the Renault Alliance which was probably the final nail in AMC's heavily nailed coffin.

I had one! My 'rents gave it to me when I bought a motorbike. They thought that it would keep me off of it.... 1983 Alliance DL with the Motor Trend COY sticker on the back window. Tranny dropped out of it 1 week after they gave it to me. Having said that, I drove the living fook out of it when I hit 16. It was a POS but compared to my High School compadres who drove Chevette's and Hyundai Pony's (JT'll back me up on this one) I was the schiznit in the Ajax High School parking lot.

[Michaelhatesfans]

1982 Cadillac Cimarron -- Lasr desparate act before GM realizes they were this close to destroying all Cadillac brand equity)


:laugh:
"Hey, let's put a big grill on a Sunbird and mark the price up five grand!"
:laugh:

[indyfan31]

My particular favorite worst car was another Chrysler brain fart, the Simca Aronde, which Chrysler imported from it's European Simca operation in the early 60's and foisted on a few unwitting Americans.
http://tcbmag.blogs.com/photos/uncategorized/2007/10/05/1961_simca_aronde_p60_elyse_rush_2.jpg

oc

... one of which was my Dad. :laugh:

[oddlycalm]

... one of which was my Dad. :laugh:

Cool, what do you remember about it? Our neighbor's frustration was primarily with the dealer.

oc

[mapguy]

For the Canadians amongts us..


The Hyundai Pony

http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1080/1159952834_8f0fc43f88.jpg?v=0

The Hyundai Stellar

http://www.thehyway.com/1986%20Hyundai%20Stellar.jpg

[Methanolandbrats]

This was without a question the worst POS ever sold in the USA. Every mechanical system broke by 20k
http://www.kitfoster.com/images/2008-7-17_RenaultLeCarWeb-Large.jpg

[nrc]

This was without a question the worst POS ever sold in the USA. Every mechanical system broke by 20k

But the Renault Cup races of the time were always a hoot. Oh, and the Archer brothers in their LeCars in the Champion Spark Plug Challenge - that was some entertaining racing.

http://i.pbase.com/g4/61/35561/2/23646395.fToUNZRk.jpg

[Methanolandbrats]

But the Renault Cup races of the time were always a hoot. Oh, and the Archer brothers in their LeCars in the Champion Spark Plug Challenge - that was some entertaining racing.

http://i.pbase.com/g4/61/35561/2/23646395.fToUNZRk.jpg Very true. Off track they sucked.

[Andrew Longman]

This was without a question the worst POS ever sold in the USA. Every mechanical system broke by 20k

This car was being imported at the time of the Pinto rear end collision fire controversy. I remember seeing video of what happened when it was hit in the rear. It exploded -- as in came completely apart. But it didn't catch fire. :tony:

[Andrew Longman]

I can't believe I forgot these two. My dad bought both of them.

Plymouth Cricket NbeJ9TJirLU

After four years and less than 25K the McPherson struts failed and it would cost more to replace them than the car was worth.

So he bought this http://www.rotordynamic.co.nz/images/members_cars/808Tim.jpg A 76 Mazda 808

It was garaged for the first three NJ winters of its life and only driven to the train station and back but that didn't stop both front quarter panels from completely rusting into swiss cheese.

Then I got it to take to Marquette, MI where it did drive well in the snow but at 25K the timing chain broke. Didn't wreck the valve train. Six years old with about 40K on it, I sold it as scrap for $100.

[devilmaster]

watching that chrysler commercial reminded me of this.... :D

lQdsv4JFPe8

[JLMannin]

That list is incomplete without the addition of the Chevy Citation and AMC Eagle.

[High Sided]

corvair made the list. never seen a wagon corvair

_03YB7gO24k

[Sean Malone]

A good friend of mine had a ’79 2 door Chevette in high school. 4 speed manual, 90hp four-banger, and horrid red vinyl interior. He beat the heck out of that car. Full throttle down muddy power line trails, over dune jumps etc. By ’90 it was still running but the strut towers had rusted and the struts were only being held in by two bolts instead of four on each tower. He made it last 6 months by pop riveting some thick sheet metal around the tower. That little car was a tank.

[oddlycalm]

watching that chrysler commercial reminded me of this.... :D

Yup, a classic. It's rare that someone manages to capture the soul a car the way that video does...:laugh: :thumbup: Makes me laugh no matter how many times I see it.

oc

[indyfan31]

Cool, what do you remember about it? Our neighbor's frustration was primarily with the dealer.

oc

I was very young, honestly the only thing I remember is that it was freakin' PINK.

[chop456]

I'd like to add my current Chrysler Sebring rental to the list. If these cars continue to roll off the line in large numbers, the world will be facing a plastic shortage. What an incredibly uncomfortable, cheaply made piece of garbage. A $17,000 Rabbit interior looks like a Corniche compared to this POS.

[extramundane]

I'd like to add my current Chrysler Sebring rental to the list. If these cars continue to roll off the line in large numbers, the world will be facing a plastic shortage. What an incredibly uncomfortable, cheaply made piece of garbage. A $17,000 Rabbit interior looks like a Corniche compared to this POS.

Then you'll just love the new 2011 General Mopar Sebrero!

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3179/2978222067_66191c49e5_o.jpg

Edit... Jeremy Clarkson called the 'bring (http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/driving/jeremy_clarkson/article4873574.ece) "almost certainly the worst car in the entire world." Lots of people disagree with his takes on American cars, but I've not seen anyone argue with this one.

[Methanolandbrats]

I'd like to add my current Chrysler Sebring rental to the list. If these cars continue to roll off the line in large numbers, the world will be facing a plastic shortage. What an incredibly uncomfortable, cheaply made piece of garbage. A $17,000 Rabbit interior looks like a Corniche compared to this POS. I had to ride in one of those rental sleds last year, the interior was a blend of Fisher Price Materials and Yugo Craftsmenship. The driveline was nice too, stand on it and it made a lot of noise but did'nt go any faster. :laugh: To top it off it was uncomfortable.

[Sean Malone]

I'd like to add my current Chrysler Sebring rental to the list. If these cars continue to roll off the line in large numbers, the world will be facing a plastic shortage. What an incredibly uncomfortable, cheaply made piece of garbage. A $17,000 Rabbit interior looks like a Corniche compared to this POS.

Yeah, base your judgements on rental cars. :gomer:

[oddlycalm]

I was very young, honestly the only thing I remember is that it was freakin' PINK.

A pink Simca? Geez, there's just gotta be a story to go with that choice. :)

oc

[Anteater]

My particular favorite worst car was another Chrysler brain fart, the Simca Aronde, which Chrysler imported from it's European Simca operation in the early 60's and foisted on a few unwitting Americans.
[Raising hand sheepishly] My name is Anteater, and my family owned a Simca Aronde. :o

My dear daddy, who could never resist a sales pitch, bought a used Simca from a coworker. Dad lavished attention on the Simca, installing a new engine and reupholstering it with seat covers that he stitched himself. The car was bright red and very cute, but it was a worthless beast that broke down A LOT. After it stranded my mom by the side of the road a few too many times, we traded it in for a ’68 VW Beetle with automatic stickshift. We kept that Beetle in the family for 17 years; it was a great car (unlike the Simca).

[chop456]

Yeah, base your judgements on rental cars. :gomer:

Should only the fully loaded model not be utter crap?

I rented an Impala last month that was surprisingly nice in all areas. The Sebring was junk.

[Redwing]

My first cars, in order:

1976 Fiat 128. Spare tire placed on top of the engine. Cable operated cruise control. Pizza ****-a.

1978 Fiat Brava. Wouldn't start in the rain or on dewey mornings. My sister decided it was dirty, so she took it to the car wash. It was stranded there for about two days before it dried out. The Soviet Union made these as Ladas.

1981 Mercedes Benz 280. Powder Blue paint, just like the cloud of powder blue smoke that erupted from the tailpipe at every stop sign.

1983 Renault Alliance. The Appliance was a huge step up from the Fiats. Would rev at 3k on start up until the engine warmed up. Sold it after the steering knuckle failed (it was leaking about two quarts of oil a day).

1985 Chrysler Reliant K. The K kar. Absolute piece of crap. Featured Chrysler's fantastic CIS fuel injection system (Constant Injection System). 2 liter, 82 hp, 16 mpg. This car made me drive like an old man. Dad put in the wrong oil filter, sister drove to school and back with the oil light on. When Dad pulled the pan, the no. 3 piston and rod were in the oil pan. It was a mercy killing.

Then I started buying VW and Audi products, and everything was alright.

[Michaelhatesfans]

Spend one day in England and you'll be sure to notice this little beauty. Spend more than a day, and you'll probably see one over on it's side.

The Reliant Robin. You don't even need a proper driver's license to take to the roads!

http://www.virginmedia.com/microsites/motoring/slideshow/extinct-cars/img_7.jpg

[FTG]

Two cylinders: burned oil, unchanged for 30 years. Made by people who understood what union labor needs: no competition.

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/e/e9/1983.trabant.P601L.arp.jpg

When I went to East Germany, these were everywhere and they were the only car. I have no idea how anyone found their car in a lot.

[RaceGrrl]

When I was about 15, Dad bought a Corvair to drive to work because it got better mileage than his truck. When I learned to drive, I preferred the Corvair to the my parents' gigantic Oldsmobile station wagon. In spite of the times I nearly lost control of the Corvair, I never wrecked it. I did, however, eventually wreck the Olds. :D (hey, I haven't had another accident since then!)

[Sean Malone]

When I was about 15, Dad bought a Corvair to drive to work because it got better mileage than his truck. When I learned to drive, I preferred the Corvair to the my parents' gigantic Oldsmobile station wagon. In spite of the times I nearly lost control of the Corvair, I never wrecked it. I did, however, eventually wreck the Olds. :D (hey, I haven't had another accident since then!)

A good friend of mine was stuck driving his parents hand me down '74 Olds Vista Cruiser. Talk about a tank! I think that thing was carved out of granite! It had a 455 big block and could smoke the tires without power braking by just getting on a slight incline and doing a neutral drop. Went to many concerts in that beast.

[Sean Malone]

The worst car I've ever personally known was my parents brand new '86 Chevy Eurosport. the 'Eurosport' was a Chevy Celebrity sedan that had a 3.8 fuel injected V6, 'performance suspension' (which equated to slightly stiffer struts) and 215/60 Eagle GT tires. Dad was beside himself the day he brought this POS home. 2 weeks later he was beside himself when he dropped it off at the dealer because it was running horribly and they informed him the engine needed a complete rebuild and they had to fly an engineer from Detroit in in order to help put the thing back together. He held on to it for three years or so and it never really ran right from day 1. Last Chevy dad ever bought.

[extramundane]

^^^ Ah, the joys of the Chevy Celebrity. My grandfather bought one to replace his wrecked '84 Chevy Citation (which replaced a Ford Fairmont, also wrecked). Even at a young age, I realized what a horrid POS it was (after all, it didn't have the benefit of the performance suspension!). He must have too, because it was also the last Chevy he ever bought. Not that the Dodge Dynasty that followed was much better, but at least it lasted long enough for me to flog it around in my post-college days, my Olds Calais (a surprisingly robust little ride) finally collapsed and died.

While they may not necessarily crack the "50 Worst" list, my family certainly had some of the least desirable heaps the 1980s had to offer. :\

[Sean Malone]

^^^ Ah, the joys of the Chevy Celebrity. My grandfather bought one to replace his wrecked '84 Chevy Citation (which replaced a Ford Fairmont, also wrecked). Even at a young age, I realized what a horrid POS it was (after all, it didn't have the benefit of the performance suspension!). He must have too, because it was also the last Chevy he ever bought. Not that the Dodge Dynasty that followed was much better, but at least it lasted long enough for me to flog it around in my post-college days, my Olds Calais (a surprisingly robust little ride) finally collapsed and died.

While they may not necessarily crack the "50 Worst" list, my family certainly had some of the least desirable heaps the 1980s had to offer. :\

yep, the 80's was baaaaad for domestic cars. At least the early 70's had some left over muscle cars to help save it, even though they became severely choked with emissions controls. My sister had a '77 305 V8 Camaro that was rated around 150hp. :shakehead Although, a buddy of mine had an '81 Firebird that literally came unglued. The subframe cracked in half and that was the end of that.