Here Are the Worst Cars From the Years You Were Born

Everyone’s convinced that things were better back in their day. When it comes to music, movies and house prices, we have a tendency to look at a lot of aspects of life through rose-tinted glasses. But what about cars, is the same true that the vehicles we knew growing up were better than the ones we drive now?

To find out, we turned to you to uncover some of the most questionable cars that were around when we all first started roaming this earth. We were inundated with some atrocious answers, so here are some of the worst offenders out there.

“They were selling Yugos the year I was born so I’d have to go with that.”

They were selling Yugos between 1980 and 2008, so this doesn’t really narrow down the year by much.

Submitted by: Dave Ricci (Facebook)

“Well, the Trabant 601 should cover all the years from 1964 through 1990.”

Another poster trying to play it vague with their age and offer up something that was on sale for 26 years.

Submitted by: gto62

“I might go with the 1973 Ford Thunderbird. I really like most Thunderbirds, but the ‘72 to ‘76 (sixth-gen) just seems really big and bloated to me.”

Finally, someone getting specific! The sixth-generation Thunderbird shared a platform with the Lincoln Continental and was the largest Thunderbird ever built by Ford.

Submitted by: Daniel Reigada (Facebook)

“The Mazda Suitcase Car.

“‘Worst’ is subjective, but despite being called a car, this is clearly a very shitty motorcycle. Good job Mazda.”

From one of Ford’s largest to one of Mazda’s smallest. The Suitcase car was sold in the early ‘90s and, despite its suitcase stylings, lacked any meaningful storage space. Shame.

Submitted by: Dabamasha

“Saturn’s L series. A lineup of early 2000s blob cars with not much to show for it.”

Not a single model, but a whole lineup of garbage from this poster. Sold from 2000 to 2005, the L Series accounted for more than 400,000 Saturn units sold over that period.

Submitted by: @HighestGoose (Twitter)

“1980 Cadillac Seville with the diesel V8.

“How do I hate you? Let me count the ways. Awful engine. 105 hp and 4200 lbs. Daft looks. Floaty suspension. Very malaise.”

This car packs in 0.025 horsepower per pound, which is roughly four times less than a current Cadillac sedan manages.

Submitted by: hangovergrenade

“1984 Pontiac Fiero. Pontiac’s ‘we have a Corvette at home’ meme.”

Pointy, American, what more do you want from a Corvette?

Submitted by: Steve Pridgeon (Facebook)

“The Austin Maestro launched within four days of my birth.”

A truly awful car.

Submitted by: Sly Clydesdale (Facebook)

“1978 had some real winners out there, most notably the Chevy Chevette. My parents had one of these turds (in Grimace purple over tan vinyl interior, no less), and while there was never anything inherently wrong with it, we all hated that thing and unaffectionately called it ‘The Grape Mobile’.

“There was the burn-your-ass-during-the-summer vinyl seats, tepid acceleration, and it screamed ‘my mom is going through a career change so this is the best we can do on one income’ to everyone in the neighborhood and school drop-off circle.

“The cruel irony is it lasted forever until we replaced it with another outstanding GM subcompact: a 1988 Pontiac LeMans. Masochists down to their core, my parents were.”

Personally, I just want to see how much of this brass band can squeeze inside that Chevette.

Submitted by: regnis78

“Actually not a bad car, but not well received.”

The Edesl might not have been a bad car, but it looks like it’s eaten something far too sour. And that’s not a good look for a car.

Submitted by: @CoverDrive12 (Twitter)

“I was born in 1973... so I could pick a Chevy Vega, Austin Allegro, Morris Marina, VAZ 2101 Lada, a Reliant Robin, a Trabant or a number of other crap vehicles from the early 1970s.

“But I’ve settled on a ‘crap era’ BEV... the Enfield 8000.

“Top speed between 40-50 mph, practical range of 25 miles and it didn’t even come with a heater.

“Also of note... it went on sale in 1973... and stopped being on sale in 1973 because it was a complete flop.”

Just 120 examples of this two seater electric car were ever produced, each powered by an 8 hp engine that could run it all the way up to 48 mph. Phwoar.

Submitted by: manwich

“Chrysler Centura – take a French Simca, drop in an over powered Hemi six and steer this into the nearest tree!”

It’s just so unbelievably bland.

Submitted by: Ricky Bryan (Facebook)

“1986 saw the release of what is quite possibly the only uncool homologation special to ever reach production, the Pontiac Grand Prix 2+2.

“They fitted the worst G-body with a slippery rear window for the sort of superspeedway speeds you’d never see with a asthmatic 165hp (less than you’d get in a Monte Carlo SS Aerocoupe from the Chevy Dealer down the road). I assume the only reason you’d buy one over a Firebird is because it’s got a more usable back seat (by the way, it’s not even a real 2+2! It’s still a 5-seater!), but the mail slot trunk kills any notion of practicality.”

Strong words here from this poster about the Pontiac Grand Prix from 1986.

Submitted by: maymar

“Most people would say the 1962 Plymouth Valiant was the worst car of 1962, but not me. I love quirky, oddball cars, and there aren’t many as quirky and odd as the Valiant.”

Here at Jalopnik, we take the stance of “most people,” so the Plymouth Valiant gets a spot on this list.

Submitted by: Lonnie Rowe (Facebook)

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