Worse Than Hell Cars
Auto recalls, manufacturing flaws, 1973 oil crises, debt burdens and the global shift of power from West to East affected major automobile producers around the world. Let’s take a look at some of the worst selling cars in the history of mankind:
2001 Pontiac Aztek: This marvelous disaster from Pontiac is a classic case of losing the plot. Often touted as the worst car of all tim, the Aztek design had been fiddled with, fussed over, cost-shaved and otherwise compromised until the tough, cool-looking concept had been reduced to a bulky, plastic-clad mess.
2003 Chevrolet SSR: Please note the SSR stands for Super Sport (read silly) Roadster, well, only if you are good at playing weird sports. With a heavy retractable hardtop –the car was supposed to be great, instead it was grating.
2001 Jaguar X type: This was the result of attempt to turn the front-drive compact car into an "all-wheel drive" sports sedan, a response to entry level luxury sedans like BMW 3 series and Merc C class. The objective of this car was to reach an annual sale of 100,000 units, where it peaked only at 50,000 an year.
1997 Plymouth Prowler: This beast (ugly one) looked like mean machine from the 22nd century, with the problem that it was launched in the 20th century. Futuristic looks, 3.5 litre V6 and less than spectacular 250 bhp seemed like a car that threatened much delivered less.
2000 Ford Excursion: It weighed 7,000 lbs, measured almost 19 ft. long and stood 6.5 ft. tall, and at a time when the company could foresee its mammoth debt.
From the January 2013 issue of FHM India.
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