The twelve worst cars ever built

[Big Mike]

I had an 83 Camaro Z-28 T-top - biggest pile of rubbish I've ever owned, although some of that was the now defunct (thanks to suicide, not littigation) conversion specialists' handywork.

The Corvair - "unsafe at any speed" was garbage anyway - simply because it was revolutionary and had the engine in the rear meant it handled differently to the way obese people expect their cars to handle - as I understand it wasn't an unsafe car at all, just not driven properly, and Nadar wasn't paid enough to shut up that time. Am I on the right path here?

Most Aussie cars of the 60s and 70s weren't exactly top quality builds either, stoned bogans in Elizabeth or Broadmeadows banging them together much like the AMC story. I'm sure it was the same at Tonsley (for Chryslers) but when I had a tour in 2003 they were all professional adults very proud of the Magna's they were building, quite the contrary to the stoned bogans building VY Commodores that same year.

Even with that, however, a single Magna did go back to the factory and get sheared into pieces to find a rattle - a bolt tacked to a length of welding wire, tacked to the inside of the sealed plenum, where to access meant writing off the whole car - and a handwritten note on a piece of cardboard attached reading "Have you found the rattle yet?" True story - I imagine Ford and Holden have similar stories, whether they're public knowledge or not is another thing.

[ebxr8240]

Sign of the times.. Production and assembly has changed over the years..
Its like comparing a sports team of to day to the 40's etc..
We are looking at them with todays technology, disc brakes etc..
Times are different !!!
Some of those cars I wouldn't mind now though !!!
Seems when there's a fault in a new car it NEVER seems to get away from bad publicity...

[FALCONXTV8]

Originally Posted by cosmo20btt

I suppose as crappy as they are they were still useful.

Only as boat anchors

[Fev]

Originally Posted by Big Mike

Even with that, however, a single Magna did go back to the factory and get sheared into pieces to find a rattle - a bolt tacked to a length of welding wire, tacked to the inside of the sealed plenum, where to access meant writing off the whole car - and a handwritten note on a piece of cardboard attached reading "Have you found the rattle yet?" True story - I imagine Ford and Holden have similar stories, whether they're public knowledge or not is another thing.

Thats hilarious!!

[Brazen]

Originally Posted by Big Mike

Most Aussie cars of the 60s and 70s weren't exactly top quality builds either, stoned bogans in Elizabeth or Broadmeadows banging them together much like the AMC story. I'm sure it was the same at Tonsley (for Chryslers) but when I had a tour in 2003 they were all professional adults very proud of the Magna's they were building, quite the contrary to the stoned bogans building VY Commodores that same year.

I once went on a tour at Mitsubishi when I was in Adelaide back in 01. Very impressed with the level of pride the workers had in the Magna. What struck me was the level of ownership each worker had in their role, cars werent whizzing past on a conveyor belt, instead each employee gave full attention to each car and seem to double check every thing they did. I was watching one guy putting on the chrome strip on the windows and you could tell that he didnt seem happy with how flush it was, it looked fine from where I was, he took off the part and got a texta and wrote something on it, got a new strip and reinstalled it.

Another employee came over and they both discussed the issue, they both ran their hands down the new piece to feel how flush it was against the car. They opened and doors and looked at the welds, they seemed satisfied with the car itself and the new chrome strip fitted perfect. The visiting employee grabbed the defective chrome part and started filling out a form. It was very good to see, I felt like in many other plants the employee would have let the car go with a slightly non flush piece, and let the dealer or warranty take care of it.

I was also told that the Adelaide factory annually won the award for the best paint shop and finish out of the entire Mitsubishi empire. Was a very good plant, sad to see it go.

[BOSHOG]

Originally Posted by FALCONXTV8

How did the Lada Niva not make it.That thing was a complete bucket of crap.It's hard to believe there are twelve cars worse than that thing!

ill take a Lada over ANY holden 4wd, those things are unbeatable on the sand, even with 6 people in it with all our gear and boards on the roof

[aussiblue]

I'd still love a V8 Gremlin - the power to weight ratio is such that I could live with its vacuum operated wipers. It's no accident that they were popular drag racing cars. And I can't see anything wrong with this rear end styling:

[outback_ute]

Originally Posted by Big Mike

The Corvair - "unsafe at any speed" was garbage anyway - simply because it was revolutionary and had the engine in the rear meant it handled differently to the way obese people expect their cars to handle - as I understand it wasn't an unsafe car at all, just not driven properly, and Nadar wasn't paid enough to shut up that time. Am I on the right path here?

Yes handling is quite different with a rear engine on the limit due to the pendulum effect.

The issue was the Corvair had swing-axle rear suspension the same as a Beetle, which has huge camber change and on the limit is susceptible to 'tucking under', ie the tyre digs in rather than slides, the car's body lifts, tyre tilts under on a large angle. Then only the tyre shoulder is contacting the ground, so all of a sudden 90% of grip is lost and little hope of recovering control. The Beetle has the exact same problem.

[aussiblue]

There also seems to be a lot of AMC Gemlin and AMC Pacer styling in the Mitsubishi Colt (Plymounth Champ/Dodge Colt) so someone at Mitsubishi must have thought they looked OK.

Plymouth Champ:



AMC Pacer

[Windsor220]

Lol at naming the car Gremlin. Never stood a chance.

[platinumXR]

Originally Posted by Big Mike

Hmm thanks for sharing, but they aren't the 12 worst cars at all... Nissan EXA

What was the Faux-pas?..."High volume, low quality"

And yes there are quite a few missing...the JB Camira, GH Stigma, TM Magna's...to name but a few.

Anyone remember "Hounds With Fleas" article in Holden Monthly...err...sorry...Wheels? Bill Tucky's (if memory serves) take on the worst?

[durtyharry]

Originally Posted by Brazen

Its disgusting to put a price on a life, but Ford was just following common practise. I still dont know if that would be enough to comfort me if one of my loved ones burned to death.

You can still own a Ford without going out on a limb to justify everything they do.


It was one thing to design cars that didnt offer much occupant protection(consumers could see that for themselves), yet Ford knew about that the Pinto was a potential fire ball in a rear end collison(something one expects a manufacturer to not allow on to the market), they knew people would be killed but calculated it would be cheaper to pay out the inevitable law suits than fix the problem.

The actions were criminal, a quick summary is at: http://au.dummies.com/WileyCDA/how-t...emorandum.html

whether other corporations got away with similar criminal offences is irrelevant.

[Full Noise]

Originally Posted by aussiblue

I'd still love a V8 Gremlin - the power to weight ratio is such that I could live with its vacuum operated wipers. It's no accident that they were popular drag racing cars. And I can't see anything wrong with this rear end styling:

The front airbags don’t look bad either.

[russellw]

To get back on track, I'm going to add my own personal list. I've driven at least one of each of these at some time.

They are in no particular order.

Lightburn Zeta



We often refer to Toyotas as applicances thanks to their bland but reliable natures but the Zeta was actually the product of a washing machine manufacturer. I suppose there is some synergy - in that era both were mad eof metal and had a motor but with all of 12 kW from the 324cc 2 cylinder even the modest 440 kg weight wasn't going to make this a performer. Which was just as well given the handling bore a remarkable resemblance to the spin cycle of a washing machine and it will remain a mystery how 363 of them actually found homes.

Leyland Marina "6"



The 4 cylinder versions were bad enough but as living proof that a big engine in a small body doesn't always work, Leyland cheerefully shoehorned the 2.6 litre in-line 6 from the P76 to create the Marina 6. Weighing just over a tonne and with 82 kW this combination meant that you were simply heading toward the upcoming accident faster than you would otherwise have been. The worst part of the handling equation was the rear suspension which had the unique inability to control lateral or longitudinal movement in any way, shape or form but it was ably abetted by the front end that simply made it a lead tipped arrow.

Lada Samara by Brock



Not just a tragic misuse of the legendary name but a complete steaming pile of crap in any way you care to measure it. The Brock makeover added more exhaust noise to (mercifully) drown out the racket from the 1.3 litre / 48 kW engine it came equipped with but with 948 kg to move it did so in a leisurely fashion. It was blandly ugly, undertyred and while no great shakes in a straight line it was much worse at going around corners.

Datsun 120Y



Sold in a number of countries as a replacement for the much loved 1200 models this was another fine example of style over substance. Although a lightweight at 825 kg and producing a reasonable 52 kW from the 1.2 litre engine, the performance was average but overshadowed by the flimsy build quality. The 1970's bright colour palette faded faster than an ageing starlet, the mechanical woes are legendary and it remains a testament to Datsun marketing that so many were sold.

Austin / Leyland Tasman X6



Basically another victim from the "too much power in too rubbish a chassis" school and burdened by front wheel drive, this fine example of why the British Empire ceased to be relevant was blessed with 76 kW (almost twice that of the 4 cyl versions) to move 1170 kg and like the Marina above, neither end of this chassis was playing with a full deck. The scary part for both the Marina and Tasman (and cousing Kimberley) is that Leyland were toying with the idea of either a 3.0 V6 or the venerable Rover V8 in either 3.l5 or 4.4 litre form. Scary just thinking about it.

Holden Piazza



Probably not the worst thing they have put a badge on but well deserving of a place on this list. The basic recipe of a 2 litre turbo (Holdens first) developing 110 kW and a body designed by Giorgetto Giugiaro promised much but underneath was a chassis barely capable of dealing with the 52 kW of the base version and which simply proved lethal at more than twice the power. Anyone bold enough to drive one hard soon learnt about poorly designed live rear axles and their ability to spear you off into the scenery.
That it also cost $35,000 when launched here (1986) and even a subsequent $5,000 price drop which included refunds to previous purchasers couldn't save it.

Nissan Cedric



Not just lumbered with an awful name when launched here in the early 1960's, it also had design elements reminiscent of the Edsel and the 1.5 litre, 52 kW engine was required to movce a portly (for the eara) 1,300 kg.
Performance was best measured with an hourglass and although it was very well equipped for the time it approached corners in a similar manner to an ocean liner - it was necessary to start applying steering lock well before an approaching corner in order to get the thing to actually consider a change in direction!

Jaguar E Type V12



Not all are going to agree with this addition but the in line six versions are not only one of the most beautiful designs of all time but also one of the best handling chassis of the era. You'd think, then, that adding the 5.3 litre V12 would only enhance the experience but the exact opposite was true. The addition barely improved performance, ruined the handling balance and made even the simplest service task a major event. Add to that the unreliability which plagued British product of the era and there was little to redeem this model.

Honourable mentions (and to round out the list of ten) go to almost any Fiat built prior to 1990 thanks to their propensity toward rust and to the Toyota Avalon for proving that even a world giant can still produce a fogettable dog.

Cheers
Russ

Cheers
Russ

[XR6_190]

I honestly can't agree with the Explorer being on that list, Not because it is a Ford, but due to the writers reasoning. The writer states that the Explorer is there due to it being the cause of the USA's love of large SUVs, but didn't Americans already have the Jeep Cherokee, not to mention that Americans have always had a love for Large thirsty cars. Also, one would think that the mere fact that is was so popular means it could't have been that bad that it deserved to be on htis list.

Now for some of what I do believe should be on the list, in no particular order...

Leyland P76
Holden Camira
Holden Commodore VC (with the Starfire 4 Cyl)
VW Thing (absolutely hideous Moke wannabee)
Ssangyong Stavic

[RSgerry]

Russ...I am not sure the Tasman was sold in the UK (I could be wrong, I was young when I lived there), I have a feeling it was something Leyland served up especially for Oz. Bless 'em.

[russellw]

Originally Posted by RSgerry

Russ...I am not sure the Tasman was sold in the UK (I could be wrong, I was young when I lived there), I have a feeling it was something Leyland served up especially for Oz. Bless 'em.

You are quite correct - thanks for the amendment.

Cheers
Russ

[nipper575]

Originally Posted by russellw

... almost any Fiat built prior to 1990 thanks to their propensity toward rust

Tad harsh I think. Yes they all do rust if you so much as look at them sideways (as did every Italian car, the brits were not much better), but that aside they made far more exciting cars prior to the '90s. The only time I have seen one covered in rust is when the owner hasn't catered to their cars requirements, which I'll admit are higher than average but not unrealistic. That's my experience anyway.

When I saw the lightburn zeta, I had to laugh. My favourite fact about the car is...

The four speed dog clutch Villiers Engineering gearbox had no reverse so the engine had to switched off and started backwards which provide four reverse gears

So the car was as quick in reverse as it was going forwards, haha.

[Riksta]

If you want to read more like this I strongly recommend the books "Lemon" and "Extra Lemon" by Tony Davis, they're well written books.

Originally Posted by Big Mike

Hmm thanks for sharing, but they aren't the 12 worst cars at all. Nissan EXA, VN Commodore, EA Falcon, Leyland P76 all come to mind as mechanical failures; there's plenty more. Edsel was a magnificent car and still is compared to Lincoln and Cadillac etc., but was a marketting flop for numerous much-published reasons about its styling and the niche it pretended to fill - not for being an abysmal car like what I'd expect "XX worst cars" to be.

You could make a list of a million cars that are "the worst". I guess they didn't have any real guidelines about which worst to include in there, whether it be for mechanical issues, design issues, sales issues, scandal issues, whatever, it seems there's a couple from each of those categories there. Hell, some cars could be as pure as gold and still be a "worst car" because it was priced too high and never sold many because it was too much for what it was.

Love the Bricklin in there, I always remember the jump HB Halicki got one to do in "Junkman".

[Big Mike]

Good point Riksta. As Russ pointed out the V12 Jag E-type is really rubbish compared to its 6-cyl counterpart, BUT, I would happily accomodate a nicely modernised and partly re-worked V12 in my driveway these days. The style, the sound of the V12, not having to say "no, its just the 6 cyl" all the time, I personally find the V12 roadster very desirable but it would take a lot of effort and modern techniques to cure the rust, maintenance, and handling issues.

I'd probably have a 58 Edsel Citation over the more conventionally styleed 58 Lincoln Capri or Premiere, maybe even over the more upmarket Lincoln Contintental, because its different - hideous sure - but unique...

While we're at it the Delorean is complete rubbish - the only other engineering feat from Northern Island is on the bottom of the ocean with Kate Winslett and Leonardo DiCaprio hanging off the back. But, its different and modern technology could make it better. But still think I'd pass.