WORST CAR EVER

Amy writes...

So Jim, what do you think about the Geo Metro? Was it the worst car ever made?

Amyla, please. Not even close. Apparently you're too young to remember the Yugo. It was a car manufactured in Yugoslavia in the late 70's to mid 80's. It was brought over to the U.S. with great hype about it being so cheap. Well it didn't last long as people found, as usual, you get what you pay for. Here is an actual review from someone in Serbia who liked the car. This is no joke, this is an actual review, and these are it's good points:

What things have gone wrong with the car?

General engine crash in 1995.

Transmission blocked in 1993.

Windshield and front hub crash due to a storm in 1992.

Almost all glass broken due to a bombing shock waves in 1999.

Completely roasted and repaired in 1996.

Two Gas pump breaks in 1992. and 1999.

And more...

General comments.

The seats are uncomfortable.

The suspension is exhausted.

Brakes are too "soft" i.e. pedal must be pressed very hard.

Always need to be cranked twice when outdoor temperature is below 20C.

Gear shifting is a very delicate operation, sometimes it takes more than 5 seconds to put the handle in proper position.

Spare parts are cheap and easy to find.

Can be bought for less that 150$.

I love that car...


Oh those crazy Serbs, they sure do know a good car when they see it! (Though I'm not really sure what "Completely roasted and repaired" means.)

Actually, Amy, really bad cars have been designed and manufactured for years. From what I have read, the Metro was a small, under powered, inexpensive, no frills, but generally reliable car. The car manufacturers have, over the years, brought out many autos that were poorly planned and rushed into production before they could work the bugs out. One classic example is the Maxwell (known to us old folks as the car that Jack Benny drove), which was built in the 20's and was known for it's tendency of it's axles to break. When the company was on the verge of bankruptcy, they brought in a new automotive "hot shot", who had just turned around the fortunes of the struggling Buick company. His name was Walter P. Chrysler. He was so successful that the company was renamed for him and it soon became the third largest auto manufacturer in this country and remains so today.

A more recent example would be the Ford Edsel. Named after Henry Ford's only son. With it's "horse collar" grill and poor reliability coupled with it's high price, it is not hard to understand why this car only had a short three year run. Ironically, today, the Edsel has become very collectable because of it's unique shape and it's rarity. So hold onto your Metro, in 20 years it may also become a collector car.