Re: [DML] 50 Worst Cars-What Moron Wrote This?

["content22207" <brobertson@xxxxxxxxxxxx>]

Don't have my production numbers with me in DC, so this is all off the
top of my head:

DeLorean: 6,500 still on the road = 81% survival rate (26 years on).
Obvious failures.

Edsel: Ford in its infinite wisdom decided to build them on another
vehicle's assembly line (Fairlane if I recall correctly). Every 15th
or 18th vehicle was an Edsel. Workers hated it -- had to switch
everything for one single vehicle, then back to business as usual.
Build quality of course wasn't worth sh*t. The car was a fine design
so riddled with execution errors as to be virtually undrivable (unless
rebuilt by the dealer). Contrast to the little silver cars referenced
above....

Gremlin: The Gremlin and the Hornet are basically the same car on two
different floorpans (with exterior sheetmetal differences of course).
That same engineering transferred *VERBATIM* to the Spirit/Concord
series (again: sheetmetal differences, and interior changes, but same
engineering). That same engineering transferred *AGAIN* (with little
change related only to the 4 wheel drive front end) to the Eagle
series, this time keeping its sheetmetal and interiors. AMC lived off
the same vehicle for the last 18 years of its independent existence....

Pacer: AMC built 300,000 of them as I recall -- quite a failure story,
eh? (See the little silver car above). The problem with the Pacer was
it couldn't morph into anything else, which is what AMC desperately
needed (see Gremlin/Hornet above).

Got to go now and drive my worst ever DeLorean to Maryland. Tomorrow
we head back to North Carolina. Think the poor thing will make it?

Bill Robertson
#5939

>--- In dmcnews@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx, Bob Brandys <BobB@...> wrote:
>
> http://www.time.com/time/specials/2007/completelist/0,,1658545,00.html
> 
> 
> The 58 Edsel has safety glass all around, and padded dash.  It was 
> designed as a safer car.
> 1961 Corvair.  What about the other years?   This was a great 
> economical car.
> 1970 Gremlin.   Ever drive one?  These were fun and inexpensive.
> 1975 Bricklin SV-1.   Ever drive one? You could walk away from a  head 
> on collision at 50 mph.   This was before air bags. This was a great 
> vehicle concerned with safety and performance.
> 
> 1981 DeLorean.   This guy must have never driven one.  He is an idiot.
> 
> 1997 GM EV1.   These were great fully electric cars.  They were fast 
> and didn't need gasoline, tune-ups, starters, water pumps, fuel pumps, 
> alternators, etc.  They required so little maintenance that they scared 
> the shit out of GM and their part suppliers.   GM destroyed over $4 
> million worth of new electric vehicles,  1 year before, gasoline 
> tripled in price.   They did this when they were LOOSING 1 billion 
> dollars.  It did not make economic sense- unless  Cheney and his oil 
> buddies bribed GM executives  Want to guess what these electrics would 
> be worth today?
> 
> A toyota RAV 4 electric sold for $65,000.   A 1998 Dodge Van sold for 
> over $50,000.  This was more than twice their new price.   Gee, I don't 
> know of any other new car that doubles in value.
>




To address comments privately to the moderating team, please address:
moderators@xxxxxxxxxxx

For more info on the list, tech articles, cars for sale see www.dmcnews.com

To search the archives or view files, log in at http://groups.yahoo.com/group/dmcnews 
Yahoo! Groups Links

<*> To visit your group on the web, go to:
    http://groups.yahoo.com/group/dmcnews/

<*> Your email settings:
    Individual Email | Traditional

<*> To change settings online go to:
    http://groups.yahoo.com/group/dmcnews/join
    (Yahoo! ID required)

<*> To change settings via email:
    mailto:dmcnews-digest@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx 
    mailto:dmcnews-fullfeatured@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

<*> To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to:
    dmcnews-unsubscribe@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

<*> Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to:
    http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/