Flip Yugo Worst Car Created
American automakers occasionally take the brunt of the feedback for manufacturing models that are hideous, pointless, or even downright perilous. Ford has had its share of beasts thru the years in addendum to several winners counting the current Mustang for which demand cannot be met. For the fun of it let’s have a look at some of the Ford models that have been derided down thru the years.
Model T – What?! How can the car that introduced mass production make the list? Well, the automobile was fine, but Mr. Henry Ford’s statement, “…you can have any color you need so long as it is black” has been attributed with the upward push of General Motors [who gave its buyers a choice in colors] which finally unseaetd Ford as the top automaker in the planet. No, the Model T was fine, but Mr. Ford’s advertising strategy was not.
Edsel – In September 1957, Ford launched a new division – Edsel – and introduced to America one of the spookiest looking vehicles. Carrying a “horse-collar” shaped lattice – some equated it with a toilet seat – the Edsel line was hyped by Ford and confounded by consumers wholeheartedly. In the family way to build 200,000 Edsels in its first year of production, only 63,000 were built. Other “radical” sides of the Edsel built-in a “floating” speedometer that glowed on reaching a specific speed and an hard to maneuver push button transmission with controls attached to the hub of the steering wheel. Even with a quick makeover completed in time for the subsequent model year, the Edsel limped by the side of only to be pulled one month after the 3rd model year autos were released.
Pinto – Hey, even I owned one! With a 2.3L inline 4 cylinder paired with a four speed manny tranny, the Pinto was Ford’s answer in the 1970s to the attack of Jap autos flooding the market. The compact rear wheel guide coupe, 3 door hot hatch, or lorry sold reasonably well till disaster hit: the revelation that the Pinto’s gas tank was capable of exploding in a rear impact shocked buyers away. Mercifully pulled after the 1980 model year ; replaced by the standard Escort.
Mustang II – Ford tarnished the Mustang name in the 1970s with this forgettable and hideous model. Resembling a swollen and stretched Pinto, the Mustang II was weak, poorly made, and a terrible competitor against its arch rival, the Camaro. All was forgiven by the early 1980s with the return of a newly designed Mustang. Today’s Mustang, on the other hand, is a sold-out success tale as it took its styling cues from a Mustang of another era: the fastback autos of the late 1960s and early 1970s.
Before you point your finger at Ford, don’t forget to recall some really unmemorable models, foreign and domestic. The Toyota Van was panned for its hideous styling and for having an engine that needed to be dropped from the engine bay in order to do a tune ; the Chevy Vega – a Pinto wannabe ; AMC’s Pacer – the Jetson’s car; the Suzuki Samurai and Isuzu Rodeo – flip over specialists; the Yugo – a thinly redone 1960s age Fiat ; and numerous other vehicles not worth the mention. You hope that automakers learn from their mistakes, but do not count on it. Maybe in another generation we are vacant to see a very unmemorable Ford show up, except for now there is not one in the line up…hooray for that!.
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