Time magazine worst 50 cars of all time

[h20hamelan]

https://content.time.com/time/specials/ ... 83,00.html

Sure am glad they could only find one minor fault, sorry, how many LeMans wins?

[Andy8421]

While I would argue with many of Times choices, I moved to the US in the early 80s and hired a Chevy Chevette. It was the worst car I have ever driven. Every time the A/C compressor cut in, I would bang my head on the windscreen. It had no saving graces at all. I took it back to Hertz the day after I picked it up, and demanded a better replacement.

[cliveyboy]

What about the Alfa Romeo Arna.
When two great companies join forces. Italian styling and Japanese Reliability.
Except you do it the opposite way around.

[69S4]

Ha, reminds me of flying back from Tokyo on a flightshare between Alitalia and Japan Airlines. I really hoped it would be a Japanese plane with Italian catering, but it turned out to be the other way round. It was two weeks before my luggage turned up … ☹️

[steve lyle]

I'm surprised he didn't make room in his list for any car with the Oldsmobile diesel engine in it. That one lost GM a lot of customers for life.

The Chevette certainly deserved to be on the list. My fiance bought a one year old Chevette 2 door in '79. The diff failed within the first week of purchase. When we got married a year later it became the 'family' car. 4 speed. No air. AM radio only. It was the main family car, with 2 kids, for 5 years. We drove it all over the country, just not too far south in the summer due to the air issue. I got good at packing, but was SO jeajous of people that had 4 door Chevettes, which were 4 inches longer.

In '84 we bought a new Cavalier. 4 doors, 5 speed, air, AM/FM radio. HEAVEN! And I inherited the Chevette as my commuter, since the '73 Capri I was driving was turning to rust dust. But so was the Chevette - one of the common Chevette problems was the drivers floor rusting out. The carpet was thick, so you could tolerate this for awhile, but once I got splashed in the face going through a puddle, I knew it was time to do something about it. Some sheet metal, tin snips, and screws kept me in business for another couple of years, until the budget could afford new wheels. When that time came it went on the front yard with a $500 sign on it. It sold in two days.

A couple of years ago I was traveling across Arkansas on I-40. At a gas station a Suburban pulled up towing what looked to be a pristine 1980 or so Chevette. I just had to ask - WHY? He had just bought it, and was going to turn it into a dragster - put a V8 in it, etc.. Yep, that would be quite the conversation piece.

[2cams70]

The platform used for the Chevette was the same as the Holden Gemini in Australia which was largely an Isuzu design. It was quite highly regarded in Australia and deservedly so. It competed with the Ford Escort, Toyota Corolla, etc. GM America must have stuffed it up!

[jono]

..didn't look through the list but presumably the Pinto and Corvair were in there?

[steve lyle]

..didn't look through the list but presumably the Pinto and Corvair were in there?

Yes, they both were.

[SENC]

Wow, this is quite a throwback for me. I don't think I knew Time was even still a published magazine. It was a staple as a child, right along with NatGeo. Always on the coffee table and something my parents couldn't wait to read upon arrival and then use for discussion with the kids. Overnight almost, it seemingly went from a top 2 or 3 magazines in print to a total dog. Sports Illustrated had a similarly shocking trajectory (were they owned or purchased by the same company)? Of course, they turned out to just be harbingers of what would happen to much of the written press media - an industry killed by poor writing; poor grammar, punctuation, and spelling; and even worse (or no) editing. A shame really.

Sorry for the OT, that took me back. On topic, it is hard for me to believe they'd rank what is widely considered the most beautiful sports car of all time in the worst 50. Values would suggest the driving enthusiast doesn't feel the same way.

[baileyman]

I prolly just blew a bunch of dough then. John

1174 arrives from The Netherlands

[SENC]

I prolly just blew a bunch of dough then. John

IMG_9327 2.JPG

Lovely

[Mroz]

Number 13 worst car is the 1958 Lotus Elite?

Link:

https://content.time.com/time/specials/ ... 83,00.html

I wanted to add a Elite to my garage.

Here is Gordon Murray showing off his collection and Elise:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cYgCx2tgFnI

Does this group on Lotuselan.net agree with the rating? Does the Elise drive well? Did the Elise get the poor rating do to just the structure? Can the structure be modified easily to fit the problem?