biggest auto flops in history

[Bubba1]

RMAutobuzz.com just published their top 10 list of biggest autoflops in automotive history. Interestingly, there are two models from Jesda's beloved Cadillac brand, (I thought there would have been at least 3). I've driven a few of them, but not all.

1. 2003 Chrysler Crossfire - a not particularly sporty sporty coupe that shared it's platform with the previous generation (and not overly impressive) Mercedes SLK. The SRT-6 version did have some pep, though it was overpriced for what it was. buh-bye.

2. 1982 Cadillac Cimarron: Was probably Cadillac's biggest embarrassment, attempting to compete with the BMW 3 series by rebadging a lowly Cavalier and adding leather seats. to put it politely, it sucked.

3. Delorean DMC-12. Yeah, the Back to the Future car minus the time machine. It was actually a sexy looking car, but it's performance never lived up to it's looks or price. The stainless steel body also showed every finger print.

4. 1996 GM EV-1. It was actually a very good car, based on the owner feedback, an electric vehicle ahead of its time, but GM would only lease them, then curiously destroyed most of them after the leases ended. Go figure.

5. 1985 Yugo. Even worse than the Cimarron. A true POS, anemic, cheaply made, small, unreliable, rust was standard. Though you could buy a new one for under $4K, which was dirt cheap.

6. 2014 Cadillac ELR - essentially a gussied up, over styled Chevy Volt. MSRP was almost double the Volt. Evidently buyers did not see it was worth the difference.

7. 2010 Acura ZDX. Had the distinction of being the worst selling mass produced car in AMerica. It was not that awful as it was based on the MDX. Problem is Acura lopped off most of the roof to make it sleeker looking, but effectively killed most the utility in a CUV with a premium price. Buh bye

8. 2002 Lincoln Blackwood: little more than a black F150 pickup with a Lincoln grill, a carpeted bed, yes, carpeted, making it pretty much unuseable, and an MSRP $20K higher than an F150. Seems like Ford overestimated the stupidity of the average pickup buyer, as they sold very few.

9. Nissan Murano Cross Cabriolet. The vehicle no one ever wanted, except perhaps Carlos Ghosn's wife. An ill-handling, turd shaped CUV convertible with no utility whatsoever. What an embarrassment. They sold well under 2000 over 4 yrs.

10. Ford Edsel: the grand daddy of failures. The car itself wasn't bad, but despite spending millions designing it, the styling was dreadful...yuk. Many described the grill as resembling a woman's hoo-haa. The Edsel Corsair also had a weird push button transmission shifter mounted on the steering wheel instead of the dash. Real funky, and there were owner complaints of accidental shifting problems. Funny thing, Edsel's are now very collectible. Whodathunk?


I was curious the Cadillac Catera was left off this list. It was Cadillac's next failed attempt to compete with the BMW 3 series after the disastrous Cimarron. the Catera was a rebadged, mundane European Opel, and should never have carried a Caddy badge, but while it was a decent,but bland looking car, It was notoriously unreliable, and not a particularly strong performer given it's price.

FWIW, I've driven a Crossfire (non SRT), Cimarron, deLorean, Yugo (it didn't break) and a Catera. I rode as a passenger in an Edsel, I've only sat in a Blackwood (but driven several F series) , and ZDX (but I've driven an MDX). Negatatory altogether for the EV1, ELR, and murano cross cabriolet (but I've driven Muranos).

Thoughts?

[PapaSmurf2k3]

Sounds about right. Like you said, too bad the list doesn't go to 11.

[RicerX]

Pontiac Aztek?

Maybe it actually sold more than the Murano Crosscabriolet.

[Bubba1]

Pontiac Aztek?

Maybe it actually sold more than the Murano Crosscabriolet.

That's a good one, and it's considered one of the ugliest designs ever like the Edsel. But surprisingly, GM sold almost 120,000 of them, though just 69 sold in it's last year of production, which was pathetic. Nissan sold less than 4,000 CrossCabriolets.

[OriginalWheelman]

Does that count the other things sold on that Aztek chassis or just the Aztek?

[Desert Rat]

List is clearly in no particular order on the basis of scale. Some of those were niche cars.

Yugos....sloppiest manual transmission I've ever driven. Rumor had it that the engine and transmission were held together with an adhesive, but it's probably not true.

Asstek definitely belongs on the list.

Murano Cross Cabriolet...I've seen 2 of them over the years. I've owned a couple Muranos, so I'm probably more sympathetic to this than most, but yeah, everything about it was kinda wrong, though you have to credit Nissan for having the stones to give it a shot. Yet they still can't give us a cheap little RWD 4 banger fun car that'd sell circles around a convertible SUV.

Nissan Cube also comes to mind. They tried to cash in on the toaster cars and failed miserably.

Chevy Vega isn't on the list only because they sold a lot of them, but it was one of the worst junk piles ever made.

Jeep Commander - A big Hemi Powered SUV that came in right as the economy crashed. It lasted what, 2 years? It was about 10 years too late to market.

Then there's the vehicles that SHOULD have been flops but still sold well....like the Chevy Avalanche, Honda Ridgeline, AMC Pacer, Chrysler K cars, Dodge OMNI / Plymouth Horizon (both bad ripoffs of the VW Rabbit), etc, etc.

[Bubba1]

Does that count the other things sold on that Aztek chassis or just the Aztek?

just the Aztek. The Buick Rendezvous shared the Aztek's platform.

[Bubba1]

Then there's the vehicles that SHOULD have been flops but still sold well....like the Chevy Avalanche, Honda Ridgeline, AMC Pacer, Chrysler K cars, Dodge OMNI / Plymouth Horizon (both bad ripoffs of the VW Rabbit), etc, etc.

LOL. that could be a thread all by itself. Off the top of my head, you could also add the 1974 Mustang II, Chevy Chevette, Datsun F10 (mid 70's), Renault LeCar/Fuego/Alliance, Dodge Caliber. To be fair about the Omni/Horizon, I agree they were dreadful little cars, but the GLH version was an entertaining little sleeper. And we agree about how awful the Vega was, but I wouldn't mind a Cosworth Vega. They were kinda fun in their day, though overpriced (MSRP was almost as much as a new Corvette back then)

[themadscientist]

Juke?

[Bubba1]

I think homely but not a sales flop.

[Desert Rat]

1974 Mustang II,

haha, my first car was a '74 Mustang II. What a slug.

[Jesda]

With the engine issues resolved, the Catera as-is would have been a -very- nice Oldsmobile or Pontiac.

The platform was excellent, handling was superb, and the interior was quite nice. Unfortunately, costly engine problems without the benefit of much power and anonymous styling made it a poor fit for Cadillac. Cadillacs are supposed to be expressive and turn heads. The Catera looked too much like a Mazda 626.

The GTO/Monaro that arrived in the US years later on a similar platform (with 2 doors and a V8) turned out to be an excellent car (though also lacking in style).


My Crossfire SRT6 was a spectacular driving car let down by a cheap interior, costly repairs (all the powertrain and electrical s*** that broke on the SLK AMG also broke on the SRT6), and poor dealer service. Honestly, if it was less German and more American, it would have been a significantly better and more dependable car.

[SoundEfx]

I think that Chrysler and Benz shared parts until Benz told them that anything seen cannot be used in their cars.

I'm surprised that Saturn cars are not on the list.

[Bubba1]

I think that Chrysler and Benz shared parts until Benz told them that anything seen cannot be used in their cars.

I'm surprised that Saturn cars are not on the list.

I think you might be right about Chrysler and Benz. The Crossfire was essentially a previous generation SLK, not the current one. I remember when I last drove a Crossfire, I was struck how much I disliked the interior. It felt cramped, stylish looking yet cheap (the SLK felt small too but far nicer, and also not particularly sporty). I also felt as if I was staring at a wall for a dashboard, more appropriate in a Jeep CJ, not a sporty coupe. Perhaps I'm the only one to feel that way. As far as Saturn, that's an interesting one. I agree they were unimpressive cars, but curiously, they had a devoted following. And while their sales numbers tanked toward the end, I think they sold enough of 'em during their existence to avoid being labelled a sales flop.

[Jesda]

I didnt find the SLK to be much nicer inside as far as physical materials but the color combinations, lower door sills, and additional natural light gave a far better impression.

Sitting in the hardtop Crossfire was like sitting in a trash can with padded walls.

[Desert Rat]

Saturn was fine until they abandoned what made them what they were and started platform sharing with other GM crap. By the time the Saturn marque was killed off they were just rebranded Chevys.

[PapaSmurf2k3]

Saturn was fine until they abandoned what made them what they were and started platform sharing with other GM crap. By the time the Saturn marque was killed off they were just rebranded Chevys.

I completely agree. When Saturn stopped being Saturn and started being rebadged opels and chevys and buicks and other crap, its fate was sealed.
Dent-proof doors, no-hassle sales, actual, reliable and fuel efficient American powerplants (not to mention CHEAP). They were sort of like the Mazda of the USA. They did their own thing.

[elwesso]

I think for what saturn was intended to be, they did very well at. Yes they weren't exciting, but they were cheap and reliable, and for the price, well made.

I also think the Catera was a decent car, at least the idea. It definitely felt a lot more european than any other cadillac of that era (which really weren't that great as 3-series competitors).

I saw a murano cross-cabrio last week out in the wild, they were parking at a restaurant. Too bad, I liked that restaurant, but I probably won't be able to go there anymore just because of that.

I don't think the EV-1 should be on that list. It was not a failure as a vehicle, it was really just GM being stupid, which are two different things. If they would have stuck with it, who knows where we would have been? I think the idea of the lease was good due to the fact they really didn't know how they would work long term, but the fact that they crushed them was a real bummer. What's really disappointing is that in those days GM was doing some really cool stuff, but I guess more accountants than engineers were making decisions.

[nissangirl74]

In the original top ten list, the only one I have driven is the Cabriolet and it is horrible in every way. Drives like cap, looks like crap. Hideous. I've never owned a Saturn but my sister did and put almost 300K on it. She absolutely loved it and cried when it died. She claims the only maintenance she ever had to do to it was change the oil, swap batteries as they died, and buy tires.

[Jesda]

Followed someone in a Crossfire convertible today for a good 10 minutes.

Despite the misery the SRT6 put me through, I think I'd like a naturally aspirated manual roadster in light blue.

[Bubba1]

Followed someone in a Crossfire convertible today for a good 10 minutes.

Despite the misery the SRT6 put me through, I think I'd like a naturally aspirated manual roadster in light blue.

"Think" is the key word. I'd advise keeping the zoom-zoom rather than tempting fate with another car whose dismal past begins to fade. Your Miata is better in just about every way.

I just thought of a couple more flops. Does anyone remember the Pontiac G3? Essentially a rebadged Chevy Aveo, which, in turn, was a rebadged Daewoo, which was an awful car itself. I don't think it killed Pontiac but it certainly didn't help. Another Pontiac lowlight was the infamous Pontiac T1000, which was nothing more than a rebadged diposeable Chevy Chevette. While GM sold many awful chevettes, very few T1000's were sold. A case where being rare doesn't mean collectible.

[Desert Rat]

We called those Chevy Shoveits.

Vegas, Pintos, Horizons, Omnis....all the domestic attempts at sub compacts were horrible.

[Bubba1]

Don't forget AMC's contribution to awful small cars like the Gremlin followed by the Pacer. That was also the era of Fiats in America, which rusted as you drove off the dealer lot. But bigger American cars of that era (70's to early 80's) were not much better than the "Shoveits". Remember the Furd Granada or Chevy Citation? Not sales flops, but awful cars.

[Desert Rat]

I'd contend that the Gremlin is a far better car than the offerings from the big 3. It had the same inline 6 engines from Rambler that ran FOREVER. It got a bad image because it was essentially a Hornet with the a** end of it chopped off.

Pacers were oddballs. The 4 cylinder ones were junk, but again, the inline 6s they got were good solid engines and not the disposable crap that got put in Vegas and Pintos.

And yes, GMs first X body FWD platforms were crap. GM didn't build a half decent FWD car until the late 80s when they went FWD on the intermediates.

...and we can talk about K cars too. They saved Chrysler, but not many of them went past 100k.

[AZhitman]

Most of these "Ten Worst" lists are subjective, or worse still, based on appearance or personal taste. This is a damn good list.

I'd disagree (gently) with the ELR being on the list, but I suppose if "flop" = "we built these and no one bought them," then it's accurate. I'd love to have one.

The EV-1 - Same deal. Not a bad car, just didn't sell. Too far ahead of its time, and it solved a problem that didn't really exist.

I think we confuse "flops" with "turds" - and the latter is a far easier list to compile.

[Bubba1]

I'd contend that the Gremlin is a far better car than the offerings from the big 3. It had the same inline 6 engines from Rambler that ran FOREVER. It got a bad image because it was essentially a Hornet with the a** end of it chopped off.

Pacers were oddballs. The 4 cylinder ones were junk, but again, the inline 6s they got were good solid engines and not the disposable crap that got put in Vegas and Pintos.


...and we can talk about K cars too. They saved Chrysler, but not many of them went past 100k.

I think we'll agree to disagree with the Gremlin. I wanted to like the Gremlin right before I first drove one when they were fairly new. My brother actually owned two Ramblers, one of which I loved ('63 rambler American convertible- 3 speed on the column- its 6 cyl engine was durable, though not peppy. it succumbed to rust long before the engine tired). But after driving a Gremlin, it felt really cheap to me and ready to rattle at any moment, kinda like a Hornet. It also didn't handle particularly well, with more than normal play in the steering wheel, and bad brakes. It also had a terrible reputation for reliability. The Pacer was not much better. Unlike the Gremlin, which felt more conventional except for the chopped rear, the pacer briefly felt kinda cool in a quirky-but-I'd-never-consider-buying-one-in-this-lifetime kinda way. Not a particularly interesting car to drive.

Oh yeah, the K cars were dreadful too.

[LongBeachCoupe]

Most of these "Ten Worst" lists are subjective, or worse still, based on appearance or personal taste. This is a damn good list.
The EV-1 - Same deal. Not a bad car, just didn't sell. Too far ahead of its time, and it solved a problem that didn't really exist.

Greg I am dumbfounded by this comment!
The EV-1 had a cult following and there was $1m offered for one of them but instead they were all crushed... The only one working one is in the Smithsonian.
There was a huge protest when they repossessed all the EV-1s and people were even trying to hide them.

Theres a good movie about it called "Who killed the electric car"

I refuse to call something a flop if it was pulled from the shelves with customers clamoring for product.

Jesda sure does love to collect oddities!

[Bubba1]

I watched that movie. It was very good. But I disagree with you, Brian. The fact that GM pulled the plug on the car instead of the public not wanting them still means the car didn't sell and thus considered a sales flop.