Worst Cars List Needs Work

Time Magazine marked the 50th anniversary of the Edsel with a list of the 50 worst cars in history. Syndicated columnist, Dan Neil, did the honors.

The list features the bizarre, the brash, and a few boondoggles. Like the spartan Briggs & Stratton Flyer from 1920 (right). I agree with many of lemons on this list- and have more experience with some than I care to admit- like the Triumph Stag, Masarati Biturbo and V-12 E-Type.

But many of Neil’s picks flat miss the mark. He claims the original 1909 Model T was “the Yugo of its day.” While it was certainly simple, okay- downright crude by modern standards, the Tin Lizzy sported some ingenious design features. The planetary transmission was simple and rugged, even it wasn’t fashionable among automakers. So to was the flywheel-integrated magneto.

Other entries I take exception with include the DeSoto Airflow, MGA Twin Cam, Chevy Corvair, and General Motors ill-fated EV-1. His concept that being too forward-thinking is a bad notion might be true sometimes. But most of the more recent cars on the list (Pontiac Aztek, Hummer H2) illustrate the utter lack of it.

After all, designing cars to satisfy the quarterly report is what got us into this mess in the first place.

50 Worst Cars of All Time

One thought on “Worst Cars List Needs Work”

  1. The Triumph Stag!!! Worst car!!! If it is, out of the 25,000 built why are 9,000 still registered in the UK? The Stag Owners Club has 5,000 members and is one of the biggest car clubs in the UK! Its a much loved car despite its easily solveable faults and it has an enthusiastic US following too along with Germans Dutch French Aussies Kiwis et al. Proper maintenance is the key to a reliable Stag. Is the world full of masochists? No, because this item of the list is rubbish. The Stag is a stylish, comfortable head turning Grand Tourer with lots of space for luggage, and room for the kids too. After 30 years more than 1/3 of the cars built are still on the road, that says it all.Al (Proud Stag owner from England)

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