The World's Worst Cars
From Design Disasters to Financial Failures
Published on 14. May 2017
Book
Paperback/Softback
320 pages
978-1-78274-365-1 (ISBN)
Description
The annals of motoring history are riddled with heroic failures: cars that could have been great and should have been great, were it not for the circumstances surrounding their birth. Then there are the duds: cars that should never have made it past the prototype stage, but were pushed into production by cost-cutting committees chasing a quick profit.
The World's Worst Cars takes a detailed look at these motoring mistakes - old and new - and asks the pertinent questions. Why did they ever reach the showrooms? What went wrong? Why were they so unreliable, and what kind of person actually bought them?
This study of motoring's underdogs looks at cars from across the globe. North America's disaster stories include the deadly Ford Pinto, the controversial Chevrolet Corvair and the plainly ludicrous AMC Pacer, which pretended to be a compact car, but was as big as some of the Detroit iron of the 1950s. Britain's contribution includes numerous machines from the British Leyland era, from the awful Austin Allegro to the pointless Austin 3-Litre. From the rest of Europe, we've included Fiats that were built by robots with no welding skills, Lancias that rusted like shipwrecks and hideously dull executive cars like the Peugeot 604, which tried to take on Mercedes-Benz and spectacularly lost.
From East Germany's Trabant to the DeLorean, each car is illustrated with full-colour studio photography, annotated to show particularly bad, dangerous or ugly features. Informed and (mostly) affectionate text, written by a motoring expert, brings each car and its history to life, alongside archive images from the car's 'heyday'. Featuring more than 150 of the cars that we love to hate, this book is the perfect celebration of the world's worst automobiles.
The World's Worst Cars takes a detailed look at these motoring mistakes - old and new - and asks the pertinent questions. Why did they ever reach the showrooms? What went wrong? Why were they so unreliable, and what kind of person actually bought them?
This study of motoring's underdogs looks at cars from across the globe. North America's disaster stories include the deadly Ford Pinto, the controversial Chevrolet Corvair and the plainly ludicrous AMC Pacer, which pretended to be a compact car, but was as big as some of the Detroit iron of the 1950s. Britain's contribution includes numerous machines from the British Leyland era, from the awful Austin Allegro to the pointless Austin 3-Litre. From the rest of Europe, we've included Fiats that were built by robots with no welding skills, Lancias that rusted like shipwrecks and hideously dull executive cars like the Peugeot 604, which tried to take on Mercedes-Benz and spectacularly lost.
From East Germany's Trabant to the DeLorean, each car is illustrated with full-colour studio photography, annotated to show particularly bad, dangerous or ugly features. Informed and (mostly) affectionate text, written by a motoring expert, brings each car and its history to life, alongside archive images from the car's 'heyday'. Featuring more than 150 of the cars that we love to hate, this book is the perfect celebration of the world's worst automobiles.
More details
Series
Language
English
Place of publication
United Kingdom
Publishing group
Amber Books Ltd
Target group
Interest Age: From 14 to 98 years
Product notice
Flexible plastic/vinyl cover
Illustrations
300 artworks and photos; 300 Illustrations
Dimensions
Height: 124 mm
Width: 163 mm
ISBN-13
978-1-78274-365-1 (9781782743651)
Copyright in bibliographic data and cover images is held by Nielsen Book Services Limited or by the publishers or by their respective licensors: all rights reserved.
Schweitzer Classification
Person
Craig Cheetham is the author of The World's Worst Cars and has contributed to various motoring books including The Encyclopedia of Classic Cars. He writes for Auto Express Magazine and was previously a features writer at Land Rover Owner International and a staff writer on Classic Car Weekly. He lives in Peterborough, UK.
Content
Introduction
Badly Built
Alfa Romeo Alfasud
Aston Martin Lagonda
Austin Allegro
Austin Maestro
Austin Maxi
Chevy Caprice 1976
Chevy Citation 1980
Chevy Nova
Datsun 120Y
Dodge Dart
Fiat Croma
Fiat Strada
Ford Maverick 1969-73
Ford Zephyr Mk 4
Hyundai Stellar
Jensen Healey
Lada Samara
Lancia Dedra
Lotus Elite/Eclat
Mazda 626 Montrose
Morris Marina
Peugeot 604
Renault 14
Renault Fuego
Rover SD1
Skoda Estelle
Triumph Stag
Triumph TR7
Yugo 45
Zaz Zaporozhets
Bodged Badges
Alfa Romeo Arna
AMC Alliance/Encore
Chevrolet Chevette
Chrysler Avenger
Chrysler TC Maserati
Dacia Denem
Daewoo Racer/Nexia
Ford Aspire
Fso 125P
Hindustan Ambassador
Hindustan Contessa Classic
Humber Sceptre (1967-76)
Kia Pride
Lada Riva
Lonsdale Satellite
Mahindra Indian Chief
MG Maestro
Morris Ital
Panther Rio
Paykan
Perodua Nippa
Plymouth Cricket
Porsche Cayenne
Proton Wira
Rover 800
Rover CityRover
Seat Marbella
Triumph Acclaim
Vanden Plas 1500
Wolseley Six 18-22 Series
Design Disasters
AMC Gremlin
AMC Pacer
Austin 3-Litre
Austin Ambassador
Austin Princess 18-22 Series
Cadillac Seville 1985
Cadillac Seville 1998
Chevy Corvair
Chrysler Airflow
Citroen GS Birotor
Excalibur SSK
Fiat Multipla
Ford Classic/Capri 109E
Ford Escort 1990
Ford Mustang Mk 2
Ford Pinto
Ford Scorpio
FSO Polonez/Caro
Hillman Imp
Jaguar XJ40
Lamborghini Espada
Lexus SC430
Mercedes Vaneo
Mini Clubman
Mitsubishi Carisma
Pontiac Aztek
Renault Avantime
Subaru XT Coupe
Vauxhall Vectra 1995
Volvo 262C
Volvo 340
Financial Failures
AC 3000 ME
Austin 1100/1300
Austin Gipsy
Bond Bug
Bricklin SV-1
Bugatti Royale
Chrysler 180/220
Chrysler Gas Turbine Car
Daf 33/Daffodil
De Lorean DMC 12
Edsel
Ford Explorer
Iso Fidia
Isuzu Piazza Turbo
Lancia Beta
Lancia Gamma
Leyland P76
Mazda Cosmo 110S
Morgan Plus Four Plus
NSU Ro80
Ogle SX1000
Panther Solo
Reliant Scimitar SS1
Rolls-Royce Camargue
Studebaker Avanti
Subaru SVX
Talbot Tagora
Tucker Torpedo
VW K70
Yugo Sana
Motoring Misfits
Alfa Romeo 6
AMC Eagle Wagon
Amphicar
Asia Rocsta
Bond 3-Wheeler
Citroen Bijou
Dacia Duster
Datsun Cedric 300C
Dutton Sierra
FSO 125P
Hyundai Atoz
Lada Niva
Ligier Ambra
Lotus Seven S3
Marcos Mantis
Maserati Biturbo
Maserati Quattroporte 3
Matra Rancho
MG Montego
Nash Metropolitan
Nissan Sunny ZX
Oldsmobile Toronado
Panther J72
Reliant Robin/Kitten
Seat 1200 Sport
Suzuki XC90
Toyota Crown
Trabant 501
Triumph Mayflower
Wartburg 353 Knight
Index
Badly Built
Alfa Romeo Alfasud
Aston Martin Lagonda
Austin Allegro
Austin Maestro
Austin Maxi
Chevy Caprice 1976
Chevy Citation 1980
Chevy Nova
Datsun 120Y
Dodge Dart
Fiat Croma
Fiat Strada
Ford Maverick 1969-73
Ford Zephyr Mk 4
Hyundai Stellar
Jensen Healey
Lada Samara
Lancia Dedra
Lotus Elite/Eclat
Mazda 626 Montrose
Morris Marina
Peugeot 604
Renault 14
Renault Fuego
Rover SD1
Skoda Estelle
Triumph Stag
Triumph TR7
Yugo 45
Zaz Zaporozhets
Bodged Badges
Alfa Romeo Arna
AMC Alliance/Encore
Chevrolet Chevette
Chrysler Avenger
Chrysler TC Maserati
Dacia Denem
Daewoo Racer/Nexia
Ford Aspire
Fso 125P
Hindustan Ambassador
Hindustan Contessa Classic
Humber Sceptre (1967-76)
Kia Pride
Lada Riva
Lonsdale Satellite
Mahindra Indian Chief
MG Maestro
Morris Ital
Panther Rio
Paykan
Perodua Nippa
Plymouth Cricket
Porsche Cayenne
Proton Wira
Rover 800
Rover CityRover
Seat Marbella
Triumph Acclaim
Vanden Plas 1500
Wolseley Six 18-22 Series
Design Disasters
AMC Gremlin
AMC Pacer
Austin 3-Litre
Austin Ambassador
Austin Princess 18-22 Series
Cadillac Seville 1985
Cadillac Seville 1998
Chevy Corvair
Chrysler Airflow
Citroen GS Birotor
Excalibur SSK
Fiat Multipla
Ford Classic/Capri 109E
Ford Escort 1990
Ford Mustang Mk 2
Ford Pinto
Ford Scorpio
FSO Polonez/Caro
Hillman Imp
Jaguar XJ40
Lamborghini Espada
Lexus SC430
Mercedes Vaneo
Mini Clubman
Mitsubishi Carisma
Pontiac Aztek
Renault Avantime
Subaru XT Coupe
Vauxhall Vectra 1995
Volvo 262C
Volvo 340
Financial Failures
AC 3000 ME
Austin 1100/1300
Austin Gipsy
Bond Bug
Bricklin SV-1
Bugatti Royale
Chrysler 180/220
Chrysler Gas Turbine Car
Daf 33/Daffodil
De Lorean DMC 12
Edsel
Ford Explorer
Iso Fidia
Isuzu Piazza Turbo
Lancia Beta
Lancia Gamma
Leyland P76
Mazda Cosmo 110S
Morgan Plus Four Plus
NSU Ro80
Ogle SX1000
Panther Solo
Reliant Scimitar SS1
Rolls-Royce Camargue
Studebaker Avanti
Subaru SVX
Talbot Tagora
Tucker Torpedo
VW K70
Yugo Sana
Motoring Misfits
Alfa Romeo 6
AMC Eagle Wagon
Amphicar
Asia Rocsta
Bond 3-Wheeler
Citroen Bijou
Dacia Duster
Datsun Cedric 300C
Dutton Sierra
FSO 125P
Hyundai Atoz
Lada Niva
Ligier Ambra
Lotus Seven S3
Marcos Mantis
Maserati Biturbo
Maserati Quattroporte 3
Matra Rancho
MG Montego
Nash Metropolitan
Nissan Sunny ZX
Oldsmobile Toronado
Panther J72
Reliant Robin/Kitten
Seat 1200 Sport
Suzuki XC90
Toyota Crown
Trabant 501
Triumph Mayflower
Wartburg 353 Knight
Index