10 Cars That Sank Detroit

[Nickdfresh]

Ha! My father bought that AMC grand lady, known as the Pacer...

He was commuting over an hour each way for work, and thought the new AMC V-6 in the pacer would save him gas mileage while still giving him plenty of pep and power, Instead, he got the gas mileage of a V-8 and the lethargy of an old four cylinder...

Laying in the back as a kid was kind of cool though, like being in a planetarium...

[alexpgrimes]

Grimes has an Aztek. :D

yes I do. it's ugly and dependable just like twona...lol

[sadaist]

Doesn't mention imports that helped sink Detroit. Just some ones I remember seeing a ton of.

Honda - Civic / Accord
Toyota - Corolla / Camry / FourRunner
Nissan - Pathfinder
VW - Rabbit / Beetle

[chefcraig]

Doesn't mention imports that helped sink Detroit. Just some ones I remember seeing a ton of.

Honda - Civic / Accord
Toyota - Corolla / Camry / FourRunner
Nissan - Pathfinder
VW - Rabbit / Beetle

Of course it would also be good to mention the imports that failed to sink Detroit, as well. Anyone remember seeing these at the side of the road or in a junkyard?




Dishonorable Mention: Anything made by Triumph in the seventies.

[binnie]

Why has America never been very good at exporting it's cars? It's very rare to see Chryslers, Dodge's etc in Europe.

Ford also has an entirely different range on sale in Europe.

You guys import lots of cars, both European and Japenese. You don't seem to be very good at selling them back to us, however.

[Va Beach VH Fan]

Why has America never been very good at exporting it's cars? It's very rare to see Chryslers, Dodge's etc in Europe.

Ford also has an entirely different range on sale in Europe.

You guys import lots of cars, both European and Japenese. You don't seem to be very good at selling them back to us, however.

Perhaps its not being "very good" at exporting, perhaps it's unfair trade practices....

[twonabomber]

yes I do. it's ugly and dependable just like twona...lol

okay, THAT was funny!

[twonabomber]

The author needs a bit more education on this subject. The Ford Explorer did not usher in SUV's. It was the Ford Bronco & Bronco II, and Chevy Blazer & S-10 Blazer.

can't leave out the full-size Jeep Wagoneer, introduced around '63, and the smaller XJ Cherokee in '84...

[binnie]

Perhaps its not being "very good" at exporting, perhaps it's unfair trade practices....

In what sense? I don't follow.

Why do Americans buy lots of BMWs, Mercedes, Porsches, Toyotas etc but Europeans and Japenese buy so few Chryslers, Dodges etc.

GM certainly owns a lot of car manufacturers that do significant business in Europe, but cars made by Americans have never really taken off over here to the same extent. I was wondering why American manufacturers haven't really focussed on those markets.....

[Kristy]

The Ford Taurus was the Rethuglican car of the early 90's if there ever was one. My father who worked as as mechanic call that car the ugliest piece of shit Ford ever made - right next to their Pinto and Mustang II. Pretty much called it a conservative on a budget kind of car which could explain why so many of them were sold.

One car I didn't see in the Top 10 was the Chevrolet Vega. My mom had one (1975) while she was in high school and still talks about that car today - how the valve train in that car was screwy it backfired every time you shifted, how the floorboards were all rusted out and the electrical system caused small fires every now and then.



What a beast of beauty!*






*if you squint your eyes real hard.

[chefcraig]

Yes, the Vega was something special, with it's one of a kind aluminum "melt-down" engine. Some American cars of the late seventies to late eighties were shitboxes before they left the factory, and it started in the design stage. Not only did cars get smaller, innovative thinking was downsized as well, leading to compromises in safety. The GM X-body cars were so poorly structured that when mechanics put them on a standard lift to do an oil change or replace tires, the damned windshield and rear window would crack or shatter.

[Kristy]

Right, forgot about their aluminum engine which could explain why the valve train in that car never worked. My mom used to tell me stories of how the floor boards were rusting out which was odd since she never lived near a coast (i.e., near salt water) which would add to a car's general oxidation. She also used to say of her driving along the highway when all of the sudden she heard a "tink....tink..tink..." sound and soon realized it was pieces of the car's metal falling off and bouncing on the road; she was actually afraid to shift for fear of losing her foot.

[FORD]

And had that unfortunate "Unexplainable Acceleration Syndrome" where you'd put the car in drive and it would unexpectedly blast off to top speed. A fine way to start any morning.

How could any list be complete without the Pacer? For the truly deranged, there was an option for the interior to be made out of Levis. There was nothing quite like driving your own aquarium.

I can't believe AMC didn't even make the original list in this thread. It wasn't just the Pacer.... ALL of their cars were so goddamned hideous!!

Like the Matador


The Gremlin


The Hornet



About the only thing they made that wasn't hideous was the Javelin, which fit in well with the muscle car era.

[chefcraig]

Right, forgot about their aluminum engine which could explain why the valve train in that car never worked. My mom used to tell me stories of how the floor boards were rusting out which was odd since she never lived near a coast (i.e., near salt water) which would add to a car's general oxidation. She also used to say of her driving along the highway when all of the sudden she heard a "tink....tink..tink..." sound and soon realized it was pieces of the car's metal falling off and bouncing on the road; she was actually afraid to shift for fear of losing her foot.

In the southern United States, it only took roughly 30 years for people to figure out that rust-proofing cars actually causes rust. The goop that is sprayed in wheel wells and into doors (they'd drill a hole in the metal, spray in the crap then put in a plastic plug) would only serve to trap moisture, leading to quicker rot than normal.

[sadaist]

can't leave out the full-size Jeep Wagoneer, introduced around '63, and the smaller XJ Cherokee in '84...

Nice call. Those were pretty tuff. I was just basing the broncos & blazers on popularity. Through the mid to late 80's they were everywhere. My favorite is the old K5 Blazers with the removable top. I'd drive one today if I were making regular Baja fishing trips.