The maintenance fee and the fees of getting the Kizashii parts in America was the demise of the car. For some people the maintenance fee was more than what the car was worth.
come on GM. then those youngsters could save only a few more weeks’ worth of cash to get a V8 Vantage with the unlimited mileage Bumper to Bumber Warranty.
Paul Jr. Harrington there were no way near to afford a V8 Vantage when SSR was being produced, were V8s even being manufactured when SSR was in market?
I have a 04 SSR and I love the hell out of how people look and won't to try me I bust that a--. And others have just love it. For me I wanted something no one else is really driving. I also own a can am spyder, I love being different like 2 chains and the migos.
No,It may look ugly,but it was a very popular (it’s still,but now at least I can understand why) compact car. The reason is that it was something totally new here in Germany and people were interested. Btw the car was practical.
The Yugo was in-between a normal car and a bus pass. It was said that the bus pass was a better value and more reliable. Two Men and Yugo got arrested in Oakland CA followed by a push by shooting.
I got one for you: The Yugo could not have a radio because the communist authorities didn't people listening to Voice of America. So the designers commune with the Spirit of Tito to know what to say when people complain about no radio like cars made in the West have. Tito's Crypt replies, "tell them that they wouldn't be able to hear a radio anyway since their knees will be up around their ears."
Yugo is good looking and reliable car if you look after it. Also you can fit 1.5 lancia 1.6 vw engines to make it faster. Here in Serbia where Yugo is made you can fully tune and style a yugo under 3k $ and you can buy good Yugo's for 200-300$ because average pay here is about 3-400$ only here are €. Type on youtube Yugo tuning and prepare to be amazed
The VW didn't flop because of marketing it flopped because they were like ''Hey wanna pay top dollar and look like you're driving an ordinary passat?''
Exactly, quite a boring look. Mercedes, Jaguar, Bentley, Porsche could always include design ideas or elements from very famous and distinctive predecessors. For the Phaeton, VW had none (no, an oversized Käfer/Beetle does not suffice 😊) , and they had no new design ideas either.
Cadillac made huge mistakes thanks to bean counters... 1)No interior with seats covered in other than leather or mohair should ever have been installed in a Caddy. Interior color keyed to paint color, not just mousefur grey or mousefur brown. 2)Never an engine with less than 8 cylinders and always a 12 cylinder option on the Fleetwood. 3)All new platforms shaken out by Olds, then to Cadillac for upscaling. Only later back to first Buick, then Pontiac and finally to Chevrolet.
@@68404 There was a plan to bring the Holden Ute over as a Pontiac G8 Ute for the 2010 model year, but GM sold out to China and axed Pontiac before the car ever had a chance to reach our shores. Sad.
Hector, right now the only SUITABLE platform for a new El Camino Ute would be the Buick Insignia / Regal, which would also translate into a new Commodore Ute for Australia. But since the new PSA-based Opel makes them in Germany it would suffer from US Chicken Tax (25%) ailment unless they use the Malibu version before they axe it. Even though the Regal / Insignia / Malibu / Commodore is FWD-based it'll still work for a "very light duty pickup" as El Camino was in its' heyday and it wouldn't be too small (roughly close to the 2G Honda Ridgeline midsizer). It could still pack engines as large as the 300+ hp NA-3.6L V6, which is plenty for the intended purpose (close in output to the same-sized engine in the 2G Colorado / Canyon, but with a bit less torque.
Blame the gov for the death of the El Camino and Ranchero. Being based on cars instead of truck platforms meant they had to comply with all the car CAFE and safety standards instead of the truck standards. While I don't think that would be as big a problem today as it was in the '80s it just wouldn't make economic sense to bring them back now. They couldn't be built any more cheaply than a compact pickup.
Really liked the SSR and if I were among the more economically advantaged I would have bought one. However, I would have preferred a smaller, more fuel-efficient engine.
I test drove an SSR with the intention of buying it. Hated the way it drove, and it had numerous problems even on a test drive such as clunking brake noises and a hard pull to the right, and even with the performance engine it lacked exitement. I drove it around the block once and back to the dealership. Never looked back.
ron dill it was a flop since it tried to be many things while being terrible at each thing it tried to be: it was too weird and small to be a good convertible, it was too exotic to serve as a good pickup truck (also it's a unibody vehicle not BOF) and not peppy and sleek enough to be a credible sports car. That is why it didn't sell, if it was even slightly capable at even one kind of usage they would have sold many more of these. Plus the retro look car kind of came and went with the cars that invoked it like the latest Thunderbird, the PT Cruiser/Chevy HHR (both designed by the same guy) , and the Plymouth Prowler
Trailblazer ss should be in here, they only made 26,411 ever I have one it's also got the ls2 but people hate on them. Ls2 4:10 gears rwd or awd. What else could you want
Lead engineer was a gal. One of her other bright ideas was a front wheel drive pick-up. That was another dud, with a loaded bed it LOST TRACTION severely.
+Kelly's E92 M3 If They Were To bring them back, They better make them look Like A Muscle-Truck Like how it was at one point. Hopefully it won’t have some cheap ass V6 In It. But, You Never Know. :P
The Kia Borrego would have been a good candidate for this list because it debuted in the United States during the midst of the economic downturn in the late 00s and early 10s. It looked great and was perfect for the outdoorsy types, but it just wasn't the right time for the Kia Borrego to make its debut. Since Kia is planning on taking a chance at proving themselves in the Luxury SUV market with the Kia Telluride; I can only hope that Kia might consider the idea of bringing the Kia Borrego back to the US.
I thought the SSR was always pretty cool it was just way to expensive , that and the Plymouth prowler, the every day person couldn't afford one and if you could you were considered a rich kid ! They come out with cool cars a lot but always do something ether wrong on price or under power it. Like a Miata the car was totally under powered and still is had they put a turbo on it and kept up on the handling at a right price it would still be as great as it was, now to many car manufactures are jumping on board and getting in there market, America needs to get back into the built in the USA type of cars that can show the industry we still have what it takes in design and engineering ,
@@ORWELL_USA Which came first? The first one is obviously not the copycat. Sure, they changed the appearance some (made it uglier if you ask me) but Chevy definitely copied the Chryslers.
Jack McKenna Ford pre-planned a short lifespan for the retro T-bird so there was never an expectation that the car would last more than a few years. Today in my market, good condition used ones sell from 25-45k, for a car that's basically a dolled up Crown Vic.
My father bought a 2002 in the ‘t-bird turquoise’ color...really a striking color in person. He bought it new in ‘02 and now I have it. It only has 9k miles on it and whenever I drive it, people always comment on it and can’t even figure out what it is. They are not popular at all where I live. Really not a bad car, but basically a Lincoln LS.
The SSR had $41000 price tag, yet aimed at millenials. I dont know many in my generation who can afford that. It would take me 5 years to earn that much at my income level, more if I wanted to have that in my bank balance. No wonder it didn't sell.
Thot Slayer, First of all, I don't work in fast food. Second, I make $11 an hour, and but my job doesn't give me more than 20hrs work time a week (15hrs is my average). My take home pay comes to about $150 every week after taxes, except the second week of every month, when I lose another $21 for Union Dues for a Union that allows the company to keep part time workers in poverty. If I could land a better paying job, don't you think I would take it.
My boss had a yellow SSR with a license plate that said “cha Ching” he had constant problems with it including a leaky roof that they could never get right. That “cha Ching” was the sound of the money he wasted flushing down the toilet
7205buttas - we have a Chevy SSR and love it ! Had it since 2011. Nothing wrong with it. Try to buy one now. You'll pay a pretty penny and then some, with only 25,000 ever made. We get heads turns and hand waves all the time. Enjoy the SSR.
SuperBigblue19 It WAS like the Brat, but they ditched the seats in bed. Brat 2.0. It did, however, have some unique cargo setup possibilities. Neat car, too bad it didn't sell.
The Chevrolet SSR looked really cool, but the price of 41,000 Dollars might have been the sticking point. I don’t think the younger generation could afford one.
The Aztec was called the Quasimodo of cars. The SSR was way overpriced, and only old, well-to-do men bought them (like my idiot uncle.) The Delorean was tragic.
I see a few daily, this was supposed to be cars that no one bought. They sold over 100,000 a year for several years so I don't think it should be on the list.
I was surprised that the Prowler wasn't on the list. I don't know why it didn't sell, but I suspect it was similar reasons to the failure of the SS/R - too expensive.
It should have been a huge news story how the framed auto maker was attacked from completely unscrupulous agents and they never bothered retracting news of his innocence! He should have had a slander case and settlement.
That SSR is downright awesome. That sleek body is wonderfully retro-futuristic. I could easily see that coming if for a landing in 2015 Hill Valley. I could even see it doing a trench run on the Death Star, as long as you kept the top up.
The Cadillac Allante had high hopes but porous convertible tops and manual operation killed them. The running gear was bullet proof and the styling was classic but the overall quality was lacking.
I genuinely liked the design of the Pontiac Aztec and the Chevy SSR, but at the time loved my '94 Dodge Stealth R/T with full sports package much better.
So the SSR was meant to attract younger buyers but they priced it at over 40k? Wonder why it didn’t sell? If it was in the mid to upper 20’s I’d have bought one! As for the Aztec it’s a great design, nobody will notice if you’re in a crash since it looks like it’s already been crashed!
The SSR was the worst crime of the lot. They made a dud coupe utility, and flopped, ensuring that nobody will likely make one again. They should have imported the Commodore ute instead (Zeta platform, not the VU-VZ rubbish)
Though the Blackwood was a complete flop for obvious reasons, it's still a bit of a treat to see one in the wild every now and then, and they go for roughly $10,000 or less so it's affordable, just rare. Only one here listed for sell in the Chicago area.
Yeah anyone who has a Blackwood should definitely hang on to them and maintain them, they will soon be worth a ton of money in original condition, give it about 10-20 years.
The aztek is awesome. I'll admit i thought it hideous when it was released, and for years afterward, but it doesn't look nearly as unattractive to me today, perhaps because I'm now comparing it to modern SUVs and crossovers which actually share more resemblance with it than other SUVs of its day and before
Me too. A friend bought it and he got stopped by the cops 2-3 times a day just so they could take a look at it. He ended up crashing it and could never find a way to restore it. He died a few months ago for unrelated issues
The DeLoean was not a flop. It sold 9,000 cars. The company was a flop as it was poorly managed - not the car. The car sold well in relation to the market economic conditions.
My uncle was one of those baby boomers who bought one. However this is after he literally went nuts, so this should tell you something. In his case, after a fall from a ladder, he changed from a solid, respected schoolteacher to acting like a wild teenager. Very sad, he liquidated savings to buy ‘toys’ including the SSR. And no it was not just midlife crisis - he also cane to believe Katie Couric was sending him special messages....anyhoo, SSR is a Cool looking car, but too overpriced for its target market. A big part of the cost was paying for the top mech./construction which was farmed out to ASC, as are most low-run convertible conversions/ folding hardtops in the auto industry since the late 60’s.j
no prowler!?!?!?! NOTHING was ever more hyped than this. if you are old enough you remember it. it was on tv on radio on the news paper at school(lol) in the bathroom, magazine. chrysler was saying to people to forget about mustangs and camaro. muscle cars were dead as the new 'production hot rod' would take over. turn out you could only order it with a shit v6 and automatic transmission and werent allowed to drive past 120mph and clocked the 1320 at 15.40. the thing could barely spin and was grossly overpriced, the hype was VAPORISED even before the first was sold as the first official demo lended to testers were ANNIHILATED by critiques...in the end only few boomers buyed some to park beside their fifth wheel and go to the marina on sunday. they only sold 11 000 in 5 years. chrysler admited that they wanted to stop it at the first years but to save face they gave it a full run. they lost vast amount of money with that!
My mother worked for a Chrysler dealership when they were released. I still have a factory model of the Prowler in purple. Neat looking little cars but my mother said people would take them on a test drive and leave in a Caravan as it had better performance and handling ability.
The later model Ford Thunderbird was also a sales flop. I thought it looked alright but I believe the price tag was a little too staggering and there are probably some other reasons I'm forgetting.
faceup5 That and the car like that only appealed to the older generation. Bringing back muscle cars appeals to all generations...the T-Bird was a classic that needed to not have its name reused.
faceup5 it also used the jag/Lincoln v8 which was quite impressive as a little v8 engine but I don't think I have seen one go over 100000 miles it was very unreliable.
I think they targeted the wrong market. There are definitely those who mourn the loss of the original 2-seat T-Bird. But that car only lasted three years out of the fifty year history of the car. If they had brought the T-Bird back as a true performance sedan, something akin to the BMW M-series, I'm confident sales would have been stronger. Instead, they came out with something nobody was looking for, a boulevard cruiser with no room for the family and a 2-seater without the performance you'd expect from a 2-seater. It didn't compete with the 'Vette the way the original T-Bird was meant to and it didn't compete with more agile cars like the S2000 or MX-5. It really needed to be basically a Mustang GT with a functional back seat. That's one thing the American market is missing, a performance sedan.
The biggest selling car brand in the World,as FIATs are built under license in 62 countries, and only Americans can't drive them. I owned and raced both FIAT X-1/9's and 1800 Spyders, great fun for the buck!
The car looked fine. I think it was the name. No other Japanese car sold in the US has a Japanese name. Except for the Samurai. But that word is well known in US.
I owned one and it was a great car. Great fuel economy, I could get 37 mpg on the highway and it was advertised to only get 30 mpg. It had an amazing Rockford Fosgate stereo system. It was actually kinda quick for what it was.
Tery Nichols I don't think so. Anything American is already a flop in Australia. Even the mustang sales are drying up with poor resale on the second hand market. Also Holden Australia is dead. GM America made sure of that.
I would love to know the sales figures for the Chevrolet Vega. I had 2 of them. The first one got wrecked 8 months after I purchased it. The second one had everything you could possibly hate in a small car. Power glide transmission, no AC and a vanilla bland interior. And the engine was just awful.
Michael Falke Vega was quite popular. And totally crap. I owned a Kamback. Carried a case of oil with me everywhere. It was 2 years old when I bought it. Garbage.
I'm within the first six hours and I demand some answer! Maybe monitor whether your audience is more in the US or in Europe, as I only saw bad selling US cars in here but kinda feel European flops such as the Renault Wind, Nissan Murano or VW EOS are left out.
Wasnt shopping for a SSR but the one I saw in a Chevy showroom was $52000. The turnoff? Plastic trim on grill and around top of seats resembling brushed aluminum. I mean really. At that price needs to actually be brushed aluminum. The Fiat 500L. Saw one brooken down at a stoplight last week. A friend had one. Felt like I was sitting in a helicopter.
kevin fosgate I opened the hood on one in the dealership and the engine was buried so deep and so far back I thought, you`d never be able to turn a wrench on this thing without dropping the whole assembly out from under it.
Back Seat Garage The Blackwood was in reality a first attempt at the idea of a luxury car company making a pickup truck. Look up the replacement for that truck. Its called the Mark LT. The Mark LT lasted longer in production and wasn't as big a flop as the Blackwood.
@@the1pubeman135 Yes and people that owned them kept ordering parts direct from Opel until the supply dried up. One of my doctors is still driving his.
Yep, If I understand things correctly on the situation it very nearly buried Ford. Lost what would be over $1 Billion in today's (2018) money. Speaks to how well they'd done up to that point to be able to survive such a catastrophe.
SSR the same as HHR were designed by the same character who designed PT Cruiser, Brian Nesbit. and who is today one of the top executives of GM, lol no wonder gm products are becoming more and more uglier.
When I heard flop, I was thinking honest to God, Maybe like 20 or so. lmao I'm not even kidding. 24,000?! It's hard to grasp but I guess with the population being at 4billion, I guess their could be that many
