deafclimber
New Member
- Joined
- May 23, 2003
- Messages
- 3,566
- Reaction score
- 0
Owen Franken / Corbis
Citroën 2CV
Bettmann via Corbis
Chevrolet Vega (1970-74)
When the Vega was introduced in the early 70s, General Motors predicted it would sell hundreds of thousands each year. But the ill-fated car never met those lofty expectations, plagued by poor reliability and a number of highly publicized design problems, including carburetor fires, an overheating engine and premature rusting.
Wieck via Ford
Ford Pinto (1971-80)
Ford's Pinto was an eye-catching car for its day -- check out its smooth, aerodynamic design. But its groovy 70s looks belied an astonishing defect: The Pinto’s defective gas tank, if hit by another car traveling at a moderate speed, would simply burst into flames, resulting in a number of deadly fires and explosions.
AP
Yugo GV (1981-91)
Built by the former Serbian arms manufacturer Zastava, the subcompact Yugo GV is the pinup for cheap and terrible automobiles everywhere. Still in production today, the Yugo's dreadfulness is legendary and has led to a number of movie appearances, including Inspector Gadget and Die Hard: With a Vengeance.
Pontiac Aztek
Routinely ridiculed for its unsightly design, the Pontiac Aztek mid-size SUV was launched late in the 2001 model year and lasted until 2005, struggling with disappointing sales and a constant barrage of criticism in the automotive press. Overuse of dark gray plastic body cladding on the 2001 model led to an emergency re-styling, but it was too little, too late. The Aztek had gone down in history as one of the ugliest cars ever made.
BusinessWire
Hummer H2
If you hate cars, you probably despise the monstrous Hummer H2 -- the poster child for America's gas-guzzling car culture. A jaw-dropping fuel efficiency of at best about 15 miles per gallon have not hurt sales of the huge SUV, even with higher gas prices. And although it boasts robust off-road capabilities, studies show few buyers use the vehicle this way. Famous owners include California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger.
Spencer Platt / Getty Images
Honda Element
Loved by some, derided by others as little more than a big shoebox on wheels, the Honda Element launched in 2003 and was designed to carry large and potentially messy loads -- it includes durable flooring that's easy to clean and removable rear seats. But while there'll always be plenty of elbow room in this roomy car, its rear "suicide" doors open backward, sometimes making entering and leaving the vehicle a challenge.
Torsten Silz / AFP - Getty Images
JiangLing Landwind 4x4
If you're a Chinese car maker with ambitions to flood Western markets with your products, it's not a good idea to score very low marks in road safety tests. The Chinese-built JiangLing Landwind 4x4 suffered an abjectly poor crash test performance in Germany, providing very poor protection to its driver and passengers in front, side or rear end impacts. It has since reportedly modified its design to address these problems, but reports also say the car maker may face legal action -- its SUV is strikingly similar to one GM sold in Europe.
Mark Lennihan / AP
Toyota Scion XB
Designed and promoted as a vehicle for Generation X’ers who like to spend their weekends surfing and generally hanging out and looking cool, the boxy, funky-looking Scion XB has instead found a devoted following among much older drivers who love its low ride and ample headroom. Dude, how uncool is that?
href=/id/4091102/?type=lv&pid=TurkeyCarsVote_2005&parentID=TurkeyCars_2005&brand=0&cols=2&fmt=frame
Updated: 4:33 p.m. ET Nov. 23, 2005
© 2005 MSNBC.com
URL: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/10155740/?pg=6#anc_TurkeyCars_2005


That's why I thought the 1970s as a kid was neat (in my eyes)! 