Being a fan of cars, you might find yourself liking cars that other people don’t. In fact, you should in yourself in the minority in some cars, or else you’ve become one of the “Honda or Die” people and in that case you probably also only drink Heineken. So assuming you’re not in that category, you probably have diverse – even somewhat obscure – interests. That means perhaps that you have a perverse appreciation for the Suzuki Verona, because it did have an inline-6 engine. Or Subaru SVX because it looked like a showcar, and had AWD and a flat six. Perhaps you like the Dodge Neon SRT4 because the turbo was just nasty. And since many of these views are so deeply in the minority, many of the cars we like are often flops. The general public just doesn’t like them. And that’s fine, because it means that usually these cars are cheaper to buy used. A lot of the cars on today’s Bob Lutz list fit into the category of great flops: the Merkur XR4ti, the Pontiac GTO, and the Pontiac G8. And while I like those, I have my own favorite car that was a total sales loser: Chevy Corvair. I love the design, the looks, the rear engine, the optional turbo, and the weird bodystyles available (Corvair Van!) and the fact that after they finished development (several years after it was released to the market, of course) it was actually quite good. What’s your favorite flop?
Mitsubishi Starion.
GREAT looking car that I lusted after, but never pulled the trigger on.
I really like the FJ Cruiser. History will probably remember it as a flop because of the poor timing, initial hype, and rather quick fall-off in demand. I just hope that Toyota keeps making it long enough that I can afford a new one.
My first car, acquired when I was in high school was a 1963 Corvair, very basic and fun transportation. Dual carbs, great gas milage and good spunk. Always had the windows down in California (no A/C of course) and the one speaker AM radio turned up to max, was a load of fun. Of course, too young and stupid to know anything about safety, it did not have seat belts,had a metal dash board, no frontal protection, mediocre braking power and lousy when it did rain (contrary to the song it did rain in southern California). I purchased it for $175.00, sold a good while later for $200.00, wished I still owned it. It was no frills freedom, and that was priceless.
I have to go with 2003 Pontiac GTO – a great Mustang challenger but GM didnt have the guts to keep improving it or applying themselves to make it better for North America (with styling).
I’ll also throw in the Chrysler Pacifica because it was a very un-minivan minivan with excellent space and pleasant driveability. It had none of the tackiness of a Dodge Nitro or the blandness of a Dodge Journey. Again, I think had Chrysler stuck with it like they stuck with the original Caravan, we’de be looking at something decent now.
Oh and Saab 9-2X also. For obvious reasons.
SAAB 9-7x Aero. Best looking and handling of the GMT360s as well as fast as stink with its 6.0L LS2.
I also rather liked the Cadillac Allante, especially in its final year with Northstar power.
Ford Flex. I really hoped for that one…
I’ve always been a fan of AMC. Especially the Eagles. Not a flop per se, but an underdog nonetheless.
Not only did my father fall for a Fitch Sprint–a many-carbureted version of the Corvair created by his pal John Fitch–but at one time in the early ’50s, we were the only family in the country, I believe, to own two DKWs–“Das Kleine Wunder” Three cylinders, mix oil with the gas, and I loved the way the entire grille came off with the simple pull of a little gubbin so that you could get at the engine easily. I’d love to have one today…
That’s easy: The SVO Mustang. A wonderful euro-take on the Mustang, with the best handling on any Mustang previously. Nice interior too, for the time. With today’s gas crisis, the SVO Mustang might be the future as well.
It was only a flop by sales, not by its intrinsic worth or achievements.
I always liked the Avantis. Very cool looking. Never drove one though, and they were only for sale (new) well before my time.
GMC Syclone/Typhoon: those hot rod trucks were way ahead of their time. And, branding wise, GMC wouldn’t be so screwed if they never stopped offering something that unique to the market. (Or not.)
My old Fiat 500, circa 1959. It was a maintenance nightmare, but I really got a kick out of driving it.
I had to carry wrenches because the studs holding the exhaust pipes to the cylinders would vibrate loose. It would get louder and louder till I would stop ans tighten them. I finally replaced the studs with aircraft studs with castle nuts and safety wire. That fixed that problem.
Oil would leak and pool on top of the crankcase. If someone was tailgating, I could take off quickly enough to dump the oil on the muffler, leaving them in a cloud of smoke.
Corvair not a “sales loser”. From 60 to 66 the lowest # sold was 207,000 in 1964. The highest 328-329,000 in 61-62.And never below 200,000 units for those first 6 years. [#s courtesy of Corvair Central].Drop off was severe after 65 and Nader’s book : 100,000 for 66, 27,000 for 67 etc.
Saturn would love to see those early #s.Or Buick…..
AMC Spirit based Eagle SX4 [?]. Strange but useful.
Dodge Ram SRT-10 2 door with the 6-speed. If you’ve driven one, you know what I mean.
Not sure if it counts toward floppiness, but I sure loved my RSX-S. My ex referred to it as the “batmobile,” and I could fit a few dogs in the back.
But ditching the Integra moniker in the US meant no one knew what the heck it was. It was the last of the great hatchcoupes, a segment currently represented by the pokey tC. I was so happy when the latest generation civic came out, expecting an update the following model year – alas, we get the TSX instead.
Subaru Baja with the 210hp version of the 2.5L flat four and manual tranny. This was an update to another relative flop, the Brat which I also love.
For whatever reason, I am unusually attracted to oddball things like this question asks for. I can’t tell you why. But cars along the lines of the Bricklin SV-1, Delorean DMC-12, Tucker, Chrysler TC by Maserati, or even Cadillac Cimarron (though I hate what it did to Caddy as a brand) simply fascinate me.
For my money, though, I’m going with what I own – the Cadillac Allante. The Allante has an interesting history, the chassis was built here and then shipped to Italy, where Pininfarina attached the body. Then it was shipped overseas once more for the final assembly.
With its FWD layout, it was never really seen as a “credible” threat to the Mercedes SL or Jaguar XJS roadsters, even though it was improved over the years.
Though mine is an ’88 (with the rather underpowered 4.1 engine), I couldn’t be happier with my purchase. For whatever reason, I love that not too many people know exactly what it is. And I’ve yet to come across another Allante while driving.
Pahaska :
October 29th, 2008 at 6:04 pm
My old Fiat 500, circa 1959. It was a maintenance nightmare, but I really got a kick out of driving it.
Oil would leak and pool on top of the crankcase. If someone was tailgating, I could take off quickly enough to dump the oil on the muffler, leaving them in a cloud of smoke.
Now, I know you’re making this up – “old Fiat 500 …. take off quickly…” – c’mon ;)
I owned a 2003 SRT4 and that was a nasty little car, but it was a ton of fun. It was fast and loud (car had no mufflers). It had to be one of a handful of cars from the factory that would backfire every so often, and it was supposed to!
I don’t think it could be called a sales dud though, because the car never had any incentives. Also, I believe Dodge upped production slightly to keep up with demand.
I moved into a 2006 GTO from the SRT4. The GTO is much more grown up, practical and refined, but I’m not sure its as much fun to drive as that SRT4 was.
Amazingly, I get almost the same fuel economy in either car. At least with the GTO I can burn regular, couldn’t do that in the SRT4.
My first car was a 1989 Mazda MX-6 GT (turbo). It was pretty much a more traditional looking, higher end Ford Probe. It looked like the typical bland japanese car, but with the 2.2L turbo it was faster than you would believe. Some cool features it had were oscillating interior air vents and 3 way electronic adjustable suspension. I loved that car.
The soon to be departed Dodge Magnum in R/T and SRT trim.
Oh, I forgot about the Bricklin and Delorean. I’d love to have either or both of those too.
It’s kind of creepy sitting in the Bricklin. It uses the same AMC parts bin switchgear as my CJ.
Mazda Mazda6 wagon, Ford Focus wagon.
+1 on the 04-06 GTO. In the future, it could possibly be the new Camaro, but I hope not.
I kinda dig the Saturn Astra 2-door too, but it needs the 2.0T to get my dollars.
paradigm_shift :
You beat me to it. I would have bought a new Baja if they were still being made in 2008.
Despite its foibles and electrical gremlins, I will always have a soft spot for my ’77 Triumph TR7. Typical British Leyland build quality and Lucas wiring, it can be fun to drive and around here(Seattle area) it’s quite unique. No, it’s not gonna out-run or out-corner a Cooper S and it currently looks like crap, but it’s properly British (seeing modern day Mini Coopers with British decals on them REALLY annoys me)and a fun project to keep from rusting into oblivion.
G8 is a flop? Already?
The good thing about lusting for crap cars, sorry, flop cars, is that they come cheap. Right now I am thinking of buying a ’88 two-cylinder Citroen Visa, in bordello blue. No other normal person ever wanted that car, and nobody ever will.
My other current flop-love is the Audi A2, which however has become a lot more popular in recent months because it was incredibly fuel-efficient. Rumors of the non-wild-ass type say that Audi is even considering re-introducing it to the market.
Mr Wilkinson: one of my oldest and best buddies drives a DKW 3=6, and if you ever want to drive it, just let me know, I am sure he’d oblige.
928S. Had one back in the 80’s. Incredible balanced and competent car. Would run all day at 200+km/hr. I also liked the looks (mine was rosewood with light tan interior). If they had built in lots of oversteer and a noisier engine I’m sure it could have competed with the 911. :)
Plymouth Superbird!
I second the Starion too.
I’m gonna hafta go with the XR4Ti. Three-door body from Ford’s Sierra, RWD, the same solid 2.3L turbo as the SVO Mustang (sans the intercooler), and available with a nice interior to include heated leather seats, power everything, etc., all wrapped up in what is arguably one of the greatest alphanumerical designations ever. Sweet car, and hardly anybody knows what one is, or has ever even heard of Merkur.
The Scorpio was a nice car, too. It had a 2.9L V6 (correct me if I’m wrong but I think it was the same engine that came in the Sierra XR4i), IRS, and all kinds of luxury options. My sister had one of these when I was in high school, and it was a really nice cruiser, although a total PITA for which to find parts and to repair.
I’m with you, no_slushbox. I lusted after a Fiero for years. And just when I was in a position to actually buy one GM killed it. The last GM vehicle I ever seriously considered.
Oh, yeah, the Magnum SRT-8 as well. It looks badass and is practical (space-wise, not gas-wise)
Mazdaspeed6
Pure awesome. Well, pure knuckle-dragging awesome — but still awesome!
If the Corvair really qualifies, I’d go with that, especially the second gen. If not? Does the Pacer qualify? No, probably not. Then the Edsel, just because I’m having a lot of fun wearing a McCain pin I made by cutting the grill out of a photo I took of a ’59 Edsel, sticking his name on it, laminating it, and sticking a pin on the back.
The only flop I ever bought was a VW Vanagon. It was the version with the two rear-facing seats behind the fronts and a fold-up table in between. I loved that thing! With two small kids, one big dog, and shuttling hockey bags to the rink or the family cross-country to visit grandparents it was AWESOME.
Sure it was slow, and the 2.1 liter “wasserboxer” was an Achilles Heel … but it was genuinely comfy. The rear bench folded down to a queen-size bed! You could get up from the front passenger seat and WALK back to the rear passenger area to care for the kids while underway! It had a stick shift! The turning circle was ludicrously small!
Man I miss that old bus.
–chuck
My father bought a Merkur XR4Ti off the showroom floor in 1988, and started a family addiction that still hasn’t been completely kicked 20 years later. I ended up with that black 88 (and it’s almost put back together), and have run, crashed, rusted out, rally-xed, TSD rallied, and parted out too many XR4s to count over the ensuing decades. Still have a partially caged shell (likely never to be finished rally project), and two other non-runners that are “being saved for a rainy day”.
If Ford had a) not cheaped out on the interiors on the early cars (cracked dashes and insta-tear seats), b) intercooled them, c) not softened the suspension for the American market, and d) not named them Merkur, they probably would have had a real hit instead of something they don’t like to admit to anymore.
The Scorpio was a really nice highway cruiser, another underrated machine.
As a child of the ’70s, I’ve always appreciated a good station wagon. And thanks to my wife’s employer-sweetheart deal (via Lockheed) with Chrysler, she got a fine deal on a Pacifica.
Power? Enough.
Style? Enough.
Luxuries? Plenty.
Room to haul wife, husband, baby, large dog, and all the weekend accoutrements required by same? Oh, yeah, baby.
It even does just fine taking I-70 up to 10,000 feet.
As usual, however, Chrysler botched the marketing, pricing, and updating. As a result, we’re going to get creamed at trade-in time, and are done with ChryCo.
Er, GMChryCo.
Uh… I mean American Leyland.
For some reason this got deleted, but Fiero. In 1988 they perfected it into a very good mid-engine car, with both the V6 and Iron Duke engines. All of the fire and suspension issues were fixed, and it was much less lacking in power.
I also like the Fiero for its historical significance since, for the 1988 model year, GM redesigned the suspension, significantly upgraded both engines, and killed it.
Oh, and has anyone mentioned the Cadillac Allanté? That was a serious item of lust in my youth. And in my rapidly-approaching middle age, too.
And not to sound too GM-friendly, but Caddy’s XLR always turns my head the same way any particular Mercedes SL (up until the penis-themed models from 1989-onward) does.
But the SL was hardly a flop. XLR? Not so much.
I’ll second Sajeev’s GMC Syclone/Typhoon. Might not be everyone’s cup of tea, but those trucks cemented and expanded the sport compact truck segment for decades afterwards. People still make copies of those where I live. I’ll agree with his assessment, too, something like them should be made again (20k cheaper than a SSR).
Leyland (there’s that name again) P76 Sedan and Force7 coupe.
http://images.google.com.au/images?hl=en&q=leyland+P76&gbv=2
A great example of a committe designed vehicle. Supposed to scare the pants of Ford/Holden/Chrysler in it’s day. An absolutely huge vehicle, just in time for the first fuel crisis. Interior to seat six comfortably and a boot (trunk) that was large enough to put a 200litre oil drum in with room to spare. In the six cylinder version you could put a chair and a tool box in the engine bay, and sit beside the engine to wortk on it. Killed by shocking production quality(?) issues/methods and a total misunderstanding of the market. Sounds just like a GM-Chysler merger (American Leyland anybody?)
Dodge Ram SRT10, I have to give mine back next month and I will miss it. They were giving these away 2 years ago, 24 month lease for 330 per month with NOTHING down!
The most fun car/truck I have ever owned…….
Volt
My last three cars, all wonderful flops.
S2000
Magnum SRT8
Evo X
Wow every car I was going to mention has been spoken for. XR4Ti, Subaru SVX (I always smile when I see one, they are super rare), the Delorean, the Bricklin SV1, and the last gen Fiero I rather liked. Was the Subaru Brat a flop? I thought I used to see a lot of them. Sure like those crazy seats in the truck bed. Too bad they’re not legal anymore.
The one that wasn’t mentioned which I’ve actually had the pleasure of driving was an ’86 Audi 5000. Not really a flop until that ridiculous story about “unintended acceleration” came about. Drove one owned by an ex for a couple years until she totaled it. That car was super fun and handled extremely well. She wrapped it around a light post after speeding through a rain flooded underpass at 4am. The car was literally unrecognizable as a car. It was just pieces everywhere. She didn’t even get a scratch. Amazing.
The revived T Bird
second generation MR2. Love that car. They did not sell many so its a flop, right?
1958 Mercury Voyager
“Corvair not a “sales loser”.”
Not by modern standards, but those were the days when Chevrolet (never mind the rest of GM) was selling 1 million+ DelRay/BelAir/Impalas a year. The Corvair was regularly whomped on by the Falcon and Dart in the early ’60s, so GM kicked out the Chevy II to save face and sales.
I going to say the Pontiac Aztek. The front actually agrees with me, the only condition is I’d get or make a fuel door for it. How did they forget that anyways?
1974-75 Mazda Cosmo. I wanted it soooooo badly. The looks were – phenomenal. The smooth, super advanced Wankel engine. The real wood steering wheel rim, instrument panel and the velour interior (yes, it was the 1970’s, don’t forget). The greenhouse was so stylish….
The Mazda was a real flopper on the market, though.
Ended up with a brand new Ford POS I mean Pinto, on my 18th birthday in 1975.
Disappointment doesn’t even begin to describe it.
chuckgoolsbee :
The only flop I ever bought was a VW Vanagon.
Couldn’t agree more. I still have my Westfalia; it will be 20 years old next spring. Despite its failings, there’s nothing quite like it, or for that matter, quite as slow as it.
The latest flop I’m lusting over is the Volvo S80. Had one as a loaner while my XC70 was being serviced. I actually prefer the S80 over the 5 series, which I suppose makes me weird.
’89-95 Taurus SHO 5-speed
FIAT 124 Spyder. Better handling then BMW 2002 and much better handling then BMW 320i, better looking then either; had “chick magnet” in it. The magnet worked only when FIAT was out of shop – which did not happen very often.
Favorite flop? I guess my Astra…
http://tinyurl.com/6mfvf4
VW Phaeton
Chrysler Pacifica
Alfa 164
04-06 Pntiac GTO
I have a soft spot for the Subaru Outback SUS, especially when they came out with the cool H6 engine.
I have also always wanted an Isuzu VehiCross, which I find to be extremely cool looking, have a great interior, and is incredibly functional off road as well.
2003-2004 Mercury Marauder
D2 and D3 Audi S8. I’m not sure if this is considered a flop, but everywhere I look (I live in the west side of Los Angeles), I see WAY more AMG S-Classes than S8s. Heck, I’ve even seen more BMW Alpina B7s than S8s in the past couple of months.
Even if it’s not considered a flop, I’ll bet Audi wishes they could sell even half as many high-performance versions of their large sedans as Mercedes-Benz does.
Count me among those who have a difficult time in seeing the Corvair as a “flop.” No, it didn’t sell 2.4 million units in its first five model years like the Mustang did, but 1.3 million vehicles is nothing to sneeze at, either. Apart from which, the Mustang’s hyper-successful launch was an exceptional sales phenomenon that, to my knowledge, has only been repeated two other times since (ironically, also Fords: Maverick, in 1969-70 and Fairmont, in 1978).
+1 for the Isuzu VehiCross. One of the first vehicles to make me say, “What the hell is that?!” out loud.
The only other car that made me do that, in recent memory, was the Qvale Mangusta.
I was too chicken to say but someone else went first… the Aztek! I rented one for a week and was shocked at how much I liked it. It drove well with the Versatrak (sp?) and had surprisingly good mileage. I even slept in it comfortably one night. And I think it’s hideous in all the right ways (after the refresh). Way too weird-looking to succeed in the marketplace, though.
Acura Vigor
“Ist das ein deutsches Auto? Nein, Acura.”
Honda 600 a pre-Civic critter. So small it actually fit upon a standard sized sidewalk. Great fun for high school kids.
Subaru BRAT loved those plastic seats with grab handles in the bed.
I sol a 1967 Nissan Patrol last year and missed it still.
4WD, push button, hard top convertible, and you could hand crank it if needed. Nissan sold about 3000 in 10 years in the US.
boredlawstudent beat me to the SHO with the stick. A friend of mine in high school had one (almost new…thanks mom and dad!!!) and I enjoyed that car so much.
Also, I have to mention a car that another friend in high school had – the Mazda MX-3 with the tiny 1.8L V6. It had that wild shape that I think has aged well, and that puny V6 made the cost of admission worth it. I see so few on the roads today and that’s too bad.
I just saw one today at a job site I was at – the 1991 Lotus Elan is still catching my eye (especially in the eye-searing yellow.) I know it was a front wheel drive Lotus (shudder), but I still like the look of the car.
Last but not least, the early 90’s T-Bird SC.
RX-8
Suzuki Swift GT from the early 1990s.
Crossfire SRT-6 – 0-60 in 4.8,, 330 HP but what was up with autostick only???
Mazdaspeed 6 – totally underrated car
Despite the unfortunate name I like the Taurus X for what it is. Decent ride, good sight lines and gobs of space
Suzuki SX4 – especially the AWD version
The turbo Dodge Caravan.
As far as I recall, they only made these for two years. My mom had one (89) until the transmission died on it six years later. That thing was surprisingly quick for a minivan back then. I remember dusting my friend’s Camaro, which only had the V6, but to get your doors blown off by a minivan, BWAAAAAA HAA HAAAAAA!
Apparently they are fairly easily modified to do 12s in the 1/4 mile as the engine can handle mad amounts of boost without a lot of modifications. Google “12 second minivan” and you’ll see what I’m talking about.
Mazda Mazda6 wagon, Ford Focus wagon.
Here here. I love wagons and was sorely disappointed when both didn’t sell well. And remember the 85-88 Maxima wagon?
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/2/29/2nd-Nissan-Maxima-wagon.jpg
Chevrolet Citaion X-11. What a mess!!
Triumph GT6. It was crap as a car (whaddya mean the frame broke?) but DAMN it was gorgeous. And it had a straight six – in a Spitfire derivative. Tiny and beautiful, right up there with the E-type for classic British style.
Subaru Alcyone/Alcyone SVX(1985-1997)
For me it has to be the Kia Amanti. The current version is actually a pretty good car with lots of power and much better handling than the first one that was imported. And the ride was sooo comfortable on nasty surfaces. In retrospect, I don’t really understand what possessed me to buy it but I just had to have one and then lost my shirt when I traded it in. Never again.
I bought my 74 Challenger when I was 18. Thought it was the best looking (American) car ever made. It only took 25 years for the rest of America to realize what they’d missed… :)
Jonny, Totally agree about the Mazdaspeed6. But let’s not forget my other car, the Mazda 323GTX!
The VW Phaeton, beats Jaguar around the head with pace and grace, was developed as a swan-song for the lord of Bruce and is loved by our ever-truthful Mr. Farago.
And most of all, the great unwashed will ignore the big passat. Daily-drive and park it with confidence.
Phaeton: ’cause you came pre-equipped with self-esteem.
Read away:
http://tinyurl.com/6r6har
http://tinyurl.com/57gmnk
McLaren F1. Obviously not a flop in design or engineering, but the Brits hoped to move a lot more than they eventually did –which qualifies it as a flop, does it not?
Real world, I’m with the SVO Mustang/Merkur XR4Ti crowd. I’m just surprised no one else has gone with a biplane spoiler.
Actually, I’m not sure what Piëch would call his swan song, but I do know that he was integral in Porsche being what it is today. He strikes me (admittedly a more-than-distant observation) as a megalomaniac and engineering genius.
They should build a shrine to him at the ‘ring.
‘Oh lord Ferry, Bruce be thy game. . .’
“McLaren F1. Obviously not a flop in design or engineering, but the Brits hoped to move a lot more than they eventually did –which qualifies it as a flop, does it not?”
I’m not so sure of that. They made about a hundred or so, and sold every one. Though perhaps there was a gap of a few years after production ended and before demand really surged.
jaguar XJ220, on the other hand…
RX-8.
Great sports car.
Public reaction-“RX what?”
Bunter
Q: What do you call 3 Pontiac Azteks in a dealership lot?
A: A year’s supply.
Everybody hated it, but my dad bought one back in the day. IMO, it was one of the best-handling SUV’s of the day, and c’mon – don’t you wish your car could turn into a tent?
It was an excellent vehicle, if you could get past the package. And when my little sister was looking for a roomy, decent-handling vehicle, the choice was obvious. They’re dirt-cheap, after all.
Of course, with a 1st-gen xB and an Aztek in the driveway, we risk carpet-bombing by the Fashion Police everytime we have a family get-together. But that’s a risk I’m willing to take.
Bumpy:Dart never outsold the Corvair during the early 60’s [except as a full size Dodge in 60]. The Lancer never cracked 100,000 or even got close.
Valiant 1960:146,000, 61: 143,000, 62: 154,000, 63: 225,000 64: 227,000 [the only year in that period that Corvair was outsold by anything Mopar].
Dart’s first year as a Valiant derived name [1963] netted 109,000 units. 1964 saw 149,000.
Even with the Chevy II, the Corvair was still pulling in better #s than the Valiant, Dart, American, Comet or any of the BOP triplets IIRC.
Given that rule of thumb , that would make my 63 Valiant Signet [35,000 units that year for the model] a “sales loser”.
It’s still in my garage after 28 years. I guess it would qualify as “my favorite flop”.
BTW: Chevrolet’s version of the X Car blew Ford’s 1st year record out of the water with some 800,000 units of the Citation. The other X’s adding another 300,000 units or so……
I owned a Contour SVT that I would consider a market flop, even if it was very well received in the automotive press. Of today’s cars, I would say the Volvo C30. I love the way it looks, but it just hasn’t connected with buyers.
Folks are going to hate me for this since I know it is Blasphamy to say anything negative against this marq but my vote goes for the 1981 Corvette Stingray. Now before I get hate mail and flamed to pieces, hear me out.
This car came when it not only had to get pass the stringent new EPA laws but also had to get 14 MPG! GM made them in two plants and rushed them to the public so quality was suspect compared to past versions. They added the bubble window to improve gas milage but with a choaked small block 350 at 180 hp, it was a dog compared to other Stingrays and the 80 MPH speedo let you know just how slow you had to go. 1982 saw the last of the Corvette before GM killed off the C3 for a year and came out with the ugly C4 “Barbie” car to replace it.
I know it sold all GM could make but I think history will consider it a “FLOP”.
(No, I won’t sell mine. I like loser cars. I also love my Suzuki Samurai!)
Kurt.
Great Topic!
I’ve always had a perverse interest in these cars, and a desire to buy them 2nd hand. Here are some on my weird list:
Suzuki X-90: looks like a Sombrero on wheels, and comes in purple and teal!
Cadillac Catera: a bland, but not bad car that pre-empted the CTS. The first of the recent Opel-sourced GMNA cars.
Isuzu i-Mark or Impulse: Isuzu’s last cars
Isuzu Axiom: always thought it looked ahead of it’s time
I love the new Saturn Astra, also…sorry it’s a flop, but I bet it’s a great car.
The original Subaru Brat is also awesome.
1990-92 Mitsubishi Gallant VR4. It had the 4G63 turbo engine from the Eclipse, 4 doors, AWD, and a 5 speed. Production was intentionally limited to a couple thousand per year, so not sure if that meets the definition of a “sales flop.”
Speaking of the Subaru SVX which was mentioned a couple of times, it appeared in an episode of Worlds Wildest Police Chases the other night. The car was unstoppable! It did 100mph on the shoulder, went through a fence, went offroading on a golf course, was rammed by a Suburban 3 times, and the driver finally just pulled in a driveway and gave up. I always loved that car.
Second vote on the Catera. Look past the Cadillac badges, and you’ll find a fine German sport sedan underneath, for real real cheap. I’ll also add the Saturn L-Series. Really a rebadged Opel Vectra back in the days when Opels were true German-engineered cars and not watered-down global platform derivatives.
I loved my Aztek and my 9-2x Aero. Both so cheap and so fun for completely different reasons.
Saab.
All of them.
Triumph TR-8
Rover 3500
Mazda RX-8
everyone gives me shit for loving this car, its JUST SO GOOD.
2004-06 Pontiac GTO
VW Phaeton
Jaguar XJ Series 2 coupe (we have one)
Subaru SVX
Mercury Marauder
Toyota T100
Ford Mustang SVO
Oldsmobile Jetfire
Toyota Celica GT-Four/All-Trac Turbo
Audi V8 Quattro
Continental Mark II
1978-8x Olds and Buick “aeroback” intermediates (yeah, I’m weird)
Ahhh, the XR4Ti, much like the lamented Capri of the early 70s, “Tuned” to the likes
of the “American Public”, in other words, they tried to make them handle like a
mid 70s Crown Vic. Softening the suspension and removing any road feel, thats
what America needs, another livingroom recliner on wheels…
SteveL
Dodge Mirada
Buick Reatta
Suzuki X-90 (my current ride)
1983 Plymouth Scamp pickup (only made one year)
The last generation of Honda Prelude. It actually handled better than the RSX, not to mention a ton of other cars, and the styling was classic.
1) Dodge Rampage. Would have been perfect with fuel injection, vice the strange carb, and with galvanized floors in the cab area as well as the box.
2) Pontiac Aztek
3) The 5-speed stick version of the Chrysler minivan (< 10% of total sales 1984-1990). Probably not as quick as the automatic/turbo version, but definitely kicked the 4-cylinder, 3-speed automatic’s and was close to the performance of the V-6 3-litre version,as well.
4) AMC Eagle
Actually have owned #’s 1-3 (still own #2). Nearly bought #4, but wife talked me out of it.