By Classic Yorkshire correspondent Tony Lofthouse.
Whilst we revere the many classic cars that can claim a special place in motoring history we might be forgiven for overlooking many of those that had short-lived careers.
It’s difficult to see how a ‘bad car’ could still be launched with makers spending millions on research and development, customer testing and recruiting top designers. But, history shows it happens.
This week, I’d like to turn the spotlight briefly on some of the models that for one reason or another failed to excite the buying public and sadly disappeared from view early!
The DeLorean
Arguably one of the motor industry’s biggest flops was the DMC DeLorean. Built in new factory facilities in Belfast in the early 80s, this ‘super car’ was known for its gull-wing doors and brushed steel outer body panels.
Unfortunately, it was released at a time of recession in the US – its target market – but that wasn’t the only problem. It was expensive, under-powered (featuring a V6 2.8 litre Peugeot engine) and was poorly built.
Despite this, the car retains a loyal following today and boosted, no doubt, by its starring role in the ‘Back to the Future’ film trilogy. Out of the 9,000 made around 6,500 DeLoreans are still on the road, mostly in the US.
Ford Cougar
The Cougar was one of Ford’s shortest-lived models, produced between 1998 and 2002, and a second attempt to score a success in the coupe market after disappointing sales with the Probe model. It also had to live up to the earlier global success of the iconic Capri.
Unlike the earlier Probe model – with its tie up with Mazda – the Cougar was all Ford and came with a choice of 2 litre Zetec or 2.5 litre Duratec V6 engines. Both options gave a decent performance.
Despite a big marketing push the car struggled to make an impression on UK buyers and faced mixed industry reviews. Annual sales stuttered at around the 6,000 mark. Today, it is seen as a rather overlooked modern classic and good examples can be picked up for less than £3,000.
Aston Martin Cygnet
The Cygnet would have an even shorter life after going into production in 2011.
The car was based on the Toyota iQ and came to the market as an Aston Martin city car, boasting a similar level of leather trim to that found in a DB9. It also came with the marquee’s distinctive front grill reminding everyone of the little cars exclusive connections. The list price of over £30,000 was another clue!
As an attempt to attract a new customer base this ‘mini’ Aston Martin was a flop and in 2013 the Cygnet was quietly dropped having sold only a few hundred units in the UK.
If you are lucky enough to own one of these luxury runarounds resale values now top £36,000.
Ford Consul Capri
Going back 60 years, Ford introduced the Consul Capri, a two-door coupe based around the Consul Classic saloon. Both would prove unsuccessful.
The Consul Capri clocked up sales of just under 20,000 cars in a career lasting just three years. Both models had body work that was heavy and complex to design and ultimately expensive for Ford.
Ford didn’t repeat the mistake when they launched their next model – the Cortina in 1962. A new car of lighter weight and simpler construction. By 1968, Ford would fill the coupe gap with the Mk1 Capri and the rest is history!
Yugo GV
No list of motoring mishaps would be complete without the Yugo. The Yugoslavian hatchback was cheap but faced widespread criticism for its lack of quality, poor fuel efficiency and reliability.
The car performed poorly in safety tests and was slow on the road – it’s 1.1 litre engine producing 55 bhp and it crawled to 60 mph in 14 seconds. In 1988, three years after its launch, sales hit rock bottom.
The Yugo brand connection with the UK went back to 1981 but UK sales stopped in 1992 as part UN sanctions against the Yugoslav state.
I’ve touched on five short-lived models but there are many examples of other unpopular cars that graced the country’s forecourts – some maintaining production for many years. The roll-out of the Morris Marina and Austin Allegro were hurried projects and showed the malaise within British Leyland in the 70s. Whilst the failure of the Rover CityRover model shows well meaning partnerships can lead to spectacular break-ups – in this instance MG Rover turning to South Asia to find a new super mini!
Do you have examples of your ‘under achievers’? Why not share at the end of this blog? We would love to hear from you.