Opinions vary, of course, asto which cars are the worst, but this engineering magazine article is pretty interesting. To read that

is to make me ask

[Link: designnews.com]

The nearly head-on photo of the Nash Metropolitan completely misses its real look:

The Aztek was Pontiac's attempt to make a mini-van.

Look at today's Chevy. Their add for the new Cruze Hatchback states it's "Business in the front, party in the back" So basically, the new Cruze is a Mullet!

The aztec is the only car that should be on that list. "Ford Taurus #1 selling car for 3 years". How is that a worst designed car? The Taurus got knocked out of 1st by the Chrysler 300M and Dodge Intrepid. Fords answer in 2000 was to make the Taurus look like any other generic sedan.

While it doesn't seem right that the Taurus was in there, you clearly aren't a car guy if you think only the Aztek should be on there. The Gremilin, Pinto, and Vega are unarguably deserving on there. And that's not even counting those European contenders. I was surprised though that the Edsel wasn't on the list. But I assume it has something to do with actual number of cars sold and number of problems.

Oh, and the reason the Taurus grew to look like every other generic sedan, it was Ford's competitor in NASCAR. During that period (and starting earlier) all cars in NASCAR evolved to look the same

One of my friends worked for GM at the Desert Proving Ground in the CPC (Chevy-Pontiac-Canada) Group, in V8 Powertrain Development and at some point, he saw a memo that was sent to all Pontiac dealers. It was short- "If you display the Aztec in your showrooms, please back it up to a wall".

Not long after Chevrolet came out with the bloated Caprice and Impala, I was driving through Indiana and at one point, a white Caprice passed with a bumper sticker that had "Please don't laugh at my car" on it.

I do not think that the Pinto belongs on this list. The fear of explosion was mostly media created and overall it was a reliable and durable car (if a bit different in appearance). The Mercury Bobcat on the other hand just looked bloated.

The Aztek surely tops this particular list, followed by the AMC Pacer.

Both were Fugly.....


Yugo? It was just in it's own special POS class. Didn't look all that bad, but soon became a very rusty planter in a back yard.


The Taurus? Helped usher n the era of a unidentifiable blob on wheels, so it was a trend setter of sorts. A trend we could have lived without.

The average car today, looks just like every other average car today. Man, that is sad.

Take another drink and wait for the ability to focus, then look at number 7: [Link: designnews.com]

It was on the list.

Pretty much any car from the 80's. The Mustang II. The Mercedes G Wagon. My vote goes to the 1979 Family Truckster

I had a friend in school who's mom drove a pinto for years. She was also my geometry teacher in high school. It was a very reliable car. Until the one morning on her way to work it caught fire.

That's what I get for reading it sober

True, and they sold ~3 million Pintos and Bobcats from 71-80, so it wasn't a sales failure either.

A *sales* failure of Fords was the Mustang SVO. Great car though!

Fun fact - you could drop that SVO motor right into a light little Pinto and have yourself a helluva time!

I used to have a 65 Corvair. What a beast. It had a ~360hp small block mounted midengine. Seriously quick. :)