Most embarrasing cars of all time

[McGR]

Re: Most embarrasing cars of all time

I've never been down under so I'm not sure exactly what you drive down there and how big they get. But, by American standards in those days, the back seat of the Dart was nothing to get too excited about compared to many of other gigantic American beasts rolling around then. When I was 17 I had a '69 Ford Galaxie 500, now that had a back seat! I loved that car.

 

[mati]

Re: Most embarrasing cars of all time

Up here in Canada the biggest joke was the Hyundai Pony that wasmade in Korea and the Russian made Lada. What a couple of beauties.

 

[one more cast]

Re: Most embarrasing cars of all time

Anybody here have a 1978-1990 omni or horizon but don't have a repair manual? Did I do that right?

 

[all thumbs]

Re: Most embarrasing cars of all time

I remember a 2 cycle that was introduced unsuccessfully in mid 60's. think it was either a saab or mabey an opel. Don't know if it had oil injection but they all seemed to smoke alot. My uncle had a corvair that went through alot of repairs on the oil pan due to low ground clearance.I see the old kenosha vibrators made the list here too.

 

[olbuddyjack]

Re: Most embarrasing cars of all time

McGR,<br />

In fact early O/Hs had VW engines - don't ask me why VW agreed to that.

Chrysler built an assembly plant in New Stanton, PA that they never opened. In the mid to late 70's(can't remember the year) they sold the plant to V-dub. As part of the deal V-dub provided Chrysler with engines to get the Omnirizons to market faster(they had no 4 bangers of thier own)<br />I put the clutch and flywheels on some of the first bunnies assembled there, back in the day...

 

[CalicoKid]

Re: Most embarrasing cars of all time

Cadillac Escalade is the gaudiest machine on the road today, followed closely by the H2. I read in Car and Driver that the new Mini Cooper S (supercharged) can beat a Porsche Carrera in a slalom course by a tad.. Which leads me to the Cayenne, what the hell!?!?

 

[Butch Ammon]

Re: Most embarrasing cars of all time

I have a good one for you....<br /><br />A 1974 Austin Marina (yes, I owned this horrible, ugly, ridiculous, rolling death trap!). It was a 4 door, absolute P.O.S.!!! I still have no idea what I was thinking when I bought it. I was probably drunk at the time the sale was made! <br /><br />Anyway, I was stationed on Governors Island, NY City in the Coast Guard back in '80-'83 and in the summer, and would visit my folks at the summer cottage in the Adirondack Mts. Honest to God: I'd leave NYC northbound... Stop in Poughkeepsie, NY (add a quart of oil). Stop in Alabany, NY (add another quart of oil). Stop in Lake George, NY (add yet another quart of oil). When I finally got to my folks' summer cottage, I was a quart low again! Heck, I'd get an oil change every weekend, going home in the summer!! <br /><br />I have a photo somewhere, in an old album in the closet I think... I'll look around and find it and see if I can post the photo of this absolutely horrible, worthless, P.O.S. car that will easily take the winner as the worst car of all!<br /><br />Butch A.

 

[eeboater]

Re: Most embarrasing cars of all time

this?<br /><br />

 

[Butch Ammon]

Re: Most embarrasing cars of all time

Aaaaaaaaaaaaaack!!!!! That's was my car (the 4 door model)!!!!! Aaaaaaagh, now I'm going to have flashbacks and need therapy!!! <br /><br />Butch A.

 

[jinx]

Re: Most embarrasing cars of all time

The Austin Marina was the car that was going to save British Leyland. Well, we know what happened!<br /><br />Jinx

 

[DJ]

Re: Most embarrasing cars of all time

Triumph TR-8.<br /><br />An engineering nightmare combined with Triumphs legendary build quality-NOT!

 

[McGR]

Re: Most embarrasing cars of all time

Looks like GM might have taken some styling cues from Austin when they developed the Chevette... another fine machine.

 

[TheMan_90241]

Re: Most embarrasing cars of all time

I would have to throw in Fiat X19 and the Opel into the mix.

 

[Don S]

Re: Most embarrasing cars of all time

Diggin up bones!

2005 Post​

 

[waterinthefuel]

Re: Most embarrasing cars of all time

And now we can add more crap cars to the list.

Personally, I'd have to say the Pontiac Aztec as already mentioned, Toyota Rav-4, Scion thing whoever makes that, and the hideous Honda Element, as already mentioned.

Here is a website site with photos of crap cars. Neat find.

http://images.google.com/imgres?img...firefox-a&rls=org.mozilla:en-US:official&sa=N

 

[ricksrster]

Re: Most embarrasing cars of all time

I owned many of the cars listed. I have had a 1962 Chevy Belair; 1966 VW Beetle; 1972 VW Super Beetle; 1972 AMC Gremlim; 1973 VW Thing; 1966 Mercedes 190: 1972 Citroen DSpecial; 1987 AMC Spirit. 198? Nissan Sentra; 199? Chrysler Cirrus.
NOW I drive a 2003 Silverado and am very happy!

 

[ocb_dave_ocb]

Re: Most embarrasing cars of all time

And now we can add more crap cars to the list.

Personally, I'd have to say the Pontiac Aztec as already mentioned, Toyota Rav-4, Scion thing whoever makes that, and the hideous Honda Element, as already mentioned.

This is an old thread, and the element maybe an ugly vehicle, but it is one of the most comfortable vehicles you will ever ride in... Wife had an 05'
Just like my 07' Ridgeline people think they are ugly, BUT it IS the most comfortable TRUCK I have ever owned..

 

[Caveman Charlie]

Re: Most embarrassing cars of all time

Re: Most embarrassing cars of all time

I knew someone would actually be a fan of these engineering atrocities and no, I'm not insane. Sure the 340 Dart had a favorable power to weight ratio. But 90%+ of these came equipped with the lame slant six. These were lower end vehicles built during rough times for Chrysler. I remember these vehicles for prolific rust, non-existant power, noisy valve trains, leaking oil, sagging torsion springs, broken plastic distributor gears and Grandmas being seen behind the wheel (in Darts especially). I think your arguement for these being good cars is along the same line as the folks who say Vegas were good if you dropped a V8 into them. The car is certainly faster, but, it's still a Vega. <br /><br />BTW me thinks the Element is in close competition with the Aztec for ugliest vehicle of our time. Then again I'm over 40 years old, what do I know about what is fashionable.

I had a friend that had a Duster with a slant 6. It did not leak oil or rust any faster then any other car a that time. The torsion bars did not sag either. He drove it for 200000 miles. The only reason it quit running was because he was changing the oil when his wife jumped into the car and drove away with no oil in it. It still made 30 miles with no oil!.

You just couldn't kill a slant 6. Second best engine ever made. Just slightly behind the Ford 300-I6.

I will grant you they did have a noisy valve train.

 

[Caveman Charlie]

Re: Most embarrassing cars of all time

Re: Most embarrassing cars of all time

As for the most embarrassing car.

I say anything with 4 cylinders and front wheel drive .

 

[arboldt]

Re: Most embarrasing cars of all time

Nice trip down memory lane.

Actually, we loved our '72 Gremlin. In 1977, with a second child on the way, there just wasn't enough room, we we traded it in with 104,000 miles on it.

I'm surprised that no one mentioned the car I learned to drive in, the Renault Dauphine. Even the VW Bug was a nice step up.