Cars that failed due to poor aesthetics.

[the_bird]

I completely love my Vibe.

That is SO sig-worthy....

 

[ChshreCat]

That is SO sig-worthy....

Now I'm happy I don't drive a Ford Probe...

 

[Homercidal]

And I think the Edsel actually looks nice, even though it also looks like it has a vag jammed into the front grille. I thought it was the internal workings that made it fail.

The Edsel actually looked quite a lot like the other cars out at that time, except the funky grill, but there was plenty of funky stuff out during those years.

The mechanics were sound and actually they had some groundbreaking engineering, but the problem was that they were building Edsels on the same lines as the Mercs. At the same time. It was like every third car on the line was an Edsel, and it had slightly different equipment, so they often got the wrong parts on the car.

The biggest reason for the failure was the HUGE buildup in marketing, keeping it all secret, then when they unveiled it, people thought, "Jeez, not that special" Plus the name.

Ford just wanted a car line to fit between the mercs and lincolns. Like GM had.

I have a 1959 Ranger 2-door hardtop. Really not a bad car for it's time.

Can't believe I didn't see a SAAB in this list.

 

[BigKahuna]

Anybody Remember Steve Urkel?

It's a BEAMER BABY!

He He He SNORT!

 

[Evan!]

I remember when I first laid eyes on the VW Thing. It was the Married with Children episode where Bud and Kelly get a car, and it was that car. And I remember thinking that they were just using a prop car that they built out of cardboard from around the soundstage. But then, one day some time later, I saw one on the road, and I was never the same.

But yeah, the Aztek still ranks at the top of any ugly car list. HOWEVER, I cannot believe nobody's mentioned this yet...

The last Chevy Monte Carlo's rear end looks like, well, I used to call it the down's-syndrome-mobile. Ugh...

 

[Chriso]

Awww, Kahuna, don't dog the Isetta!!!!

I will admit, I have a huge soft spot for both the older Subaru Brat, and also the more recent Baja. I was very sad when they disco'd the Baja because I was hoping to custom order one with all the options and a manual transmission.

This has nothing to do with cars that have failed, but I've really hated the Ford Focus redesign. The older ones were very nice, the newer ones not so much. :/

I'm jealous of you Element owners. I'd really like to replace my truck with one.


Now... Maybe this is just wishful thinking... but I hope the new Chevy Malibu's fail. I really REALLY hate the design. And I liked most of the prior Malibu's.

Also... F*** THE TRIBECA.

 

[GroovePuppy]

IIRC that's the car with no reverse. You have to avoid parking it facing a wall or you're hosed!

 

[Laughing_Gnome_Invisible]

IIRC that's the car with no reverse. You have to avoid parking it facing a wall or you're hosed!

I was about to say the same thing! Weren't they made by Messerschmidt in the 60's?

 

[CBBaron]

Geo Metro?

And the New Super Mini Daimler-Benze offering. The "Smart".

I had a Metro, one of the best cars I've owned. Reliable, cheap, easy to drive, good in the snow and consistently got 50mpg.

I want to get a Smartcar. I think they look pretty cool and one would free up half of a bay in my garage for my bikes.

Yugo was a pretty bad car but it looked like pretty much every other subcompact from the era. Its aesthetics were not the reason for the failure. Personally I also find the Edsel to look pretty cool. Over the top aesthetics but cool.

Those Skylarks were pretty ugly and of course Aztecs. Its amazing that the Vibe has so many of the same style cues as the Aztec but the Vibe is a great looking vehicle but the Aztec looks all wrong. My SWMBO currently drives a Vibe.

Craig

 

[jds]

I see your Aztek and raise you a Le Car

With a follow-on of the Dodge Colt Vista Wagon, which was built by Mitsubishi, and ws ugly as sin. Sadly enough, my mom had one, and I ended up driving it a lot back in my high-school days.

 

[Orfy]

IIRC that's the car with no reverse. You have to avoid parking it facing a wall or you're hosed!

It was so light you could handle it like a wheel barrow and manoeuvrer it by hand. Hence the "Grab" handles

 

[Laughing_Gnome_Invisible]

It was so light you could handle it like a wheel barrow and manoeuvrer it by hand. Hence the "Grab" handles

Not from inside the "car" you couldn't!

Now, be a good lad and post a pic of Del Trotter's Robin Reliant.

 

[mnadamn]

Can't forget this one...

 

[GroovePuppy]

It was so light you could handle it like a wheel barrow and manoeuvrer it by hand. Hence the "Grab" handles

Clarkson did a nice Top Gear review in it.

Not from inside the "car" you couldn't!

Now, be a good lad and post a pic of Del Trotter's Robin Reliant.

 

[Orfy]

Not from inside the "car" you couldn't!

Now, be a good lad and post a pic of Del Trotter's Robin Reliant.

Okay so I'm living proof that logic suffers after a few.

 

[Docapi]

I see your Aztek and raise you a Le Car

I had one of those!

55mpg and freaking indestructible.

 

[downreactor]

I saw an old Chevy Monza on the road today and thought it deserved to be mentioned here. I dun know how to post pictures so I won't.

 

[Bob]

Ford Festiva. I don't know if they were sales successes or not - they certainly sucked in safety ratings - but I used to own one and I hated the hell out of that %#$@!! piece of junk.

 

[HighPlainsDrifter]

Fiat Multipla:

 

[Bob]

Clarkson did a nice Top Gear review in it.

Actually, Clarkson drove a blue version of this:

a Peel P50.

[ame="http://videos.streetfire.net/video/Top-Gear-Peel-P50_139353.htm"]Top Gear - Peel P50[/ame]

I want one.

 

[HighPlainsDrifter]

^^^do those tires even hold air? They look like those solid rubber wheel barrel tires.

 

[Chriso]

Ford Festiva. I don't know if they were sales successes or not - they certainly sucked in safety ratings - but I used to own one and I hated the hell out of that %#$@!! piece of junk.

I had its older brother, the Ford Aspire, got it for free from a friend of a friend. Mine was a '94 with a bajillion miles on it and a ruined manual transmission. PO hit a deer and leveled half the front end, but it still drove. I filled in the holes with expanding foam, covered that in white duct tape, and held the headlight in place with the foam. Drove that puppy to Canada and back. Muffler system was made entirely of flexible pipe and the rusted out muffler, held up by strapping. It was sweet on gas though, even a full tank was never more than $20, no matter what gas cost. Finally died of exhaustion, and I sold it for $16.00,which I used for a case of beer.

 

[Hefeweizengeliebter]

Here.... everyone tell me how ugly my car is

 

[the_bird]

Ford Festiva. I don't know if they were sales successes or not - they certainly sucked in safety ratings - but I used to own one and I hated the hell out of that %#$@!! piece of junk.

Buddy of mine used to drive a canary yellow Festiva. Of course, he was about 4'-8", so it was perfect for him!

Somebody mentioned the Mazda 323 earlier. That was my first care, a grey '91 323. I loved that car - LOVED it - but, DAMN, it was ugly!

 

[AnOldUR]

Hey, I had one of these and I'm six foot. Great on gas. Got me back and forth to work until a deer took out the entire driver side. Friggin door wouldn’t even open. Insurance adjuster totaled the car!

Ford Festiva. I don't know if they were sales successes or not - they certainly sucked in safety ratings - but I used to own one and I hated the hell out of that %#$@!! piece of junk.

 

[McKBrew]

Here.... everyone tell me how ugly my car is

You asked for it. That is ugly. I think I saw something similar today when I took a ****. Actually a better description would be gay, and you can use that for an excuse to get out of work.

 

[GregR]

Here.... everyone tell me how ugly my car is

Those pink rims are awesome! someone in San Diego has an STi with pink rims. this isn't the exact car but it looked a lot like this

 

[Bruscar]

Can't believe the Toyota FJ Cruiser hasn't been mentioned! Looks like the roof's still in the shipping wrapper. 'Not sure it's a Fail, but should be.

 

[EvilTOJ]

I hasn't been mentioned because the FJ is made of awesome! My mom has one (bright yellow, seriously WTF?) and the ride is sweet. Perfect for driving over eviro-tards and annoying brats on four-wheelers.

 

[MoRoToRiUm]

Hey, I had one of these and I'm six foot. Great on gas. Got me back and forth to work until a deer took out the entire driver side. Friggin door wouldn’t even open. Insurance adjuster totaled the car!

My buddy has one just like that- Great on gas! It's ridiculous- but then again, it has the lawnmower engine! (not really, but I tease him, and it's his go-kar(t)).

Funniest thing with festive that has happened- his wife is driving, and the rear wheel bearings lock, sending the tire out and forward, to bounce back and go 50+ ft down the road. She had managed to get it mostly off the road, but was in a bad spot. Once me and my buddy got there, we decided to move it- He has some heft to him, but I am 5'8 about 125 lbs at the time- we LIFT the ENTIRE CAR and move it of the road. Good news if you ever get parked in!

 

[Sean]

I have read that the Festiva is Ford's hope for the future. The new one looks like a Mazda. very good looking, but not avail. in US yet.

http://www.fordvehicles.com/2011fiesta/

 

[Laurel]

I have read that the Festiva is Ford's hope for the future. The new one looks like a Mazda. very good looking, but not avail. in US yet.

Introducing the 2011 Ford Fiesta | Ford Vehicles

That's the fiesta, not the festiva.

But you're right. Europe tends to get the best compact cars. Oh well.

 

[Chriso]

Good thing that even on the old ones, Fiesta = Festiva. They were BOTH some funny lookin' cars.

Any thoughts on the new Ford cargo "van"? The Transit Connect?

I find it hard to believe that the 2.0L 4 Cylinder out of a Tempo can only get 19mpg city. WTF? How heavy is this thing?

 

[Sean]

That's the fiesta, not the festiva.

But you're right. Europe tends to get the best compact cars. Oh well.

Ops!! 123

 

[brauhaus]

Good thing that even on the old ones, Fiesta = Festiva. They were BOTH some funny lookin' cars.

Any thoughts on the new Ford cargo "van"? The Transit Connect?

I find it hard to believe that the 2.0L 4 Cylinder out of a Tempo can only get 19mpg city. WTF? How heavy is this thing?

probably empty with no cargo.. .otherwise I'd be willing to call BS as well...

 

[Chriso]

Well yeah, but if it were empty, with a 2.0L, shouldn't they be getting at least 25mpg? I could see 19mpg city under load, but anything higher and it's got to be poor design!!! My buddy's '92 Tempo with a 2.3L 4cyl got 25mpg in the city. My '92 Nissan with a 1.6L gets 28mpg city. This is a brand new car.

IMO, it's just proof that their "commitment" to "better" "economy" is all just b.s.

 

[david_42]

Heck, I've got 46K on my Sprinter van, which is about twice the size of the Transit with a 2.7L engine & I've averaged 26.8 mpg.

The Transit is certainly ugly though. Looks like someone sat on its nose.

 

[Chriso]

Exactly my point! Dodge/Mercedes has already proven that we can get FAR better mileage out of a well-designed van than 19mpg. And yeah, it looks like someone duct taped the front of a Ford Fusion onto a oversized cracker box. Heck I remember our AWD Aerostar even getting about 20mpg in city, with a 4.0L V6.



You know which car died due to poor aesthetics, but IMO shouldn't have?

...

I LOVE the little Toyota vans!

 

[Laurel]

You know which car died due to poor aesthetics, but IMO shouldn't have?

...

I LOVE the little Toyota vans!

Those toyotas died due to more that poor aesthetics. They were nightmares to work on due to engine placement.

 

[Orfy]

have a modern version.