Less Than Stellar Sedans
Automotive history is littered with examples of luxury sedans that didn't quite make it for a variety of reasons, ranging from horrifying styling to devastating unreliability. Some were plagued with issues before they went on sale, while others wilted on the second or third generation (I'm looking at you, Ford Taurus!). So what were some of the least successful most craptacular luxury sedans of the last 40 years?
1. Aston Martin Lagonda - no surprise here, as the angles of this car were sharp enough to deflect not only radar, but also customers. Styled with a ruler by William Towns (who actually did some good cars), the prototype kicked off the parade of awfulness by stalling on its way to the podium during its London premiere. Star Trek internal controls that rarely worked sealed the deal.
2. The Cadillac by Cimarron - or was it the other way around? Wasn't there like a third part? Oh wait, I'm thinking of the Buick Opel by Isuzu. In any case, the GM by Cimaddilac was a midsize Cimarron that was not particularly pleasing to own, look at, or drive. Print and TV adversiting pointedly avoided refering to it as a Cadillac because GM felt it would tarnish the brand's image. This brash display of self-confidence paid off, and nobody ever confused it with the paragon of excellence that was Cadillac of the 1980's.
3. GAZ 3105 - this innovative luxury sedan was supposed to take over from the venerable 3102 midsize executive sedan in the early 1990's, and featured an automatic gearbox, a V8 engine, AWD, and futuristic (for 1990's Russia) styling. Factory management, however, didn't really have the whole concept of supply/demand nailed, so it made the car without first checking to see if there was a market for it. Approximately 90 were handmade to order over the course of two short years.
4. Rover Sterling - the project intended to combine the best of British design and Japanese engineering ended up mashing together the worst of British engineering and Japanese design. Acura got the sweeter end of the deal, as the Honda Legend that it was based on was quite a hit.
5. GAZ 3111 - GAZ's second attempt during the 1990's to produce a modern full-size sedan fell flat for pretty much the same set reasons as the 3105, but this time several hundred more cars made it out the door. Everything from supplier issues to a market crash contributed to its failure. Unsold examples sat around at some dealerships till 2002.
6. Tatra T700 - based on the Vignale-penned 613 which was in production since 1974, the T700 was a slightly naff facelift that reeked of desperation as it tried to cover up the car's age. The economical climate of 1990's Czech Republic and the influx of vastly superior imports made the T700 almost entirely moot.
7. Maserati Quattroporte III - not an unattractive concept that went into production during Alejandro De Tomaso's reign, the bulky Qporte III raided the De Tomaso parts bin and kicked off a decade of Maseratis that hardly anyone wanted. In person, the plush interior almost makes up for mechanical awfulness. Almost.
8. Cadillac Fleetwood V-8-6-4 - that's right, that early 80's Caddy that tried to implement a cylinder shutdown system in order to save fuel. The concept itself was a couple decades too early, and one doesn't need to guess too hard how well Cadillac executed it. Not to imply that the regular Fleetwood was particularly wonderful.
9. Avanti Sedan - a few dozen were made in the early 90's just as Avanti was struggling along. (Wait, that pretty much describes its entire history as an independent company). In any case, the visage of that sedan is still burned into my retinas, and I want it to go away. So I'm listing it here in the hopes that you'll search for it on the web so that it torments you too.
10. Eagle Premier/Dodge Monaco - based on the Renault 25 and assembled in Canada, the 25 itself was a capable car by 1980's French standards, but AMC's and Chrysler's clearinghouse division execution was uninspired, to say the least, which is why you never see one on the streets.
Less Than Stellar Sedans
Automotive history is littered with examples of luxury sedans that didn't quite make it for a variety of reasons, ranging from horrifying styling to devastating unreliability. Some were plagued with issues before they went on sale, while others wilted on the second or third generation (I'm looking at you, Ford Taurus!). So what were some of the least successful most craptacular luxury sedans of the last 40 years?
1. Aston Martin Lagonda - no surprise here, as the angles of this car were sharp enough to deflect not only radar, but also customers. Styled with a ruler by William Towns (who actually did some good cars), the prototype kicked off the parade of awfulness by stalling on its way to the podium during its London premiere. Star Trek internal controls that rarely worked sealed the deal.
2. The Cadillac by Cimarron - or was it the other way around? Wasn't there like a third part? Oh wait, I'm thinking of the Buick Opel by Isuzu. In any case, the GM by Cimaddilac was a midsize Cimarron that was not particularly pleasing to own, look at, or drive. Print and TV adversiting pointedly avoided refering to it as a Cadillac because GM felt it would tarnish the brand's image. This brash display of self-confidence paid off, and nobody ever confused it with the paragon of excellence that was Cadillac of the 1980's.
3. GAZ 3105 - this innovative luxury sedan was supposed to take over from the venerable 3102 midsize executive sedan in the early 1990's, and featured an automatic gearbox, a V8 engine, AWD, and futuristic (for 1990's Russia) styling. Factory management, however, didn't really have the whole concept of supply/demand nailed, so it made the car without first checking to see if there was a market for it. Approximately 90 were handmade to order over the course of two short years.
4. Rover Sterling - the project intended to combine the best of British design and Japanese engineering ended up mashing together the worst of British engineering and Japanese design. Acura got the sweeter end of the deal, as the Honda Legend that it was based on was quite a hit.
5. GAZ 3111 - GAZ's second attempt during the 1990's to produce a modern full-size sedan fell flat for pretty much the same set reasons as the 3105, but this time several hundred more cars made it out the door. Everything from supplier issues to a market crash contributed to its failure. Unsold examples sat around at some dealerships till 2002.
6. Tatra T700 - based on the Vignale-penned 613 which was in production since 1974, the T700 was a slightly naff facelift that reeked of desperation as it tried to cover up the car's age. The economical climate of 1990's Czech Republic and the influx of vastly superior imports made the T700 almost entirely moot.
7. Maserati Quattroporte III - not an unattractive concept that went into production during Alejandro De Tomaso's reign, the bulky Qporte III raided the De Tomaso parts bin and kicked off a decade of Maseratis that hardly anyone wanted. In person, the plush interior almost makes up for mechanical awfulness. Almost.
8. Cadillac Fleetwood V-8-6-4 - that's right, that early 80's Caddy that tried to implement a cylinder shutdown system in order to save fuel. The concept itself was a couple decades too early, and one doesn't need to guess too hard how well Cadillac executed it. Not to imply that the regular Fleetwood was particularly wonderful.
9. Avanti Sedan - a few dozen were made in the early 90's just as Avanti was struggling along. (Wait, that pretty much describes its entire history as an independent company). In any case, the visage of that sedan is still burned into my retinas, and I want it to go away. So I'm listing it here in the hopes that you'll search for it on the web so that it torments you too.
10. Eagle Premier/Dodge Monaco - based on the Renault 25 and assembled in Canada, the 25 itself was a capable car by 1980's French standards, but AMC's and Chrysler's clearinghouse division execution was uninspired, to say the least, which is why you never see one on the streets.