The 10 Most Embarrassing Award Winners in Automotive History

[Pryderi]

http://autos.yahoo.com/articles/autos_content_landing_pages/846/dishonorable-mention-the-10-most-embarrassing-award-winners-in-automotive-history
Here and now, in vivid HTML, Car and Driver formally apologizes for naming the Renault Alliance to the 1983 10Best Cars list. For the last 26 years, it’s been gnawing at our collective gut like a shame-induced ulcer. The car was trash. We should have known that back then, and it’s taken us too long to confess our grievous mistake. Let this frank admission be the start of our penance.

It’s not the only blemish on our record, and we’re not the only publication to recognize a few stinkers with its highest honor. The history of automotive journalism has seen flaming piles of poo named “Car of the Year” even as they attract product liability lawsuits by the acre-foot and hunks of crud honored as “All-Stars” at the very moment buyers are seeking reimbursement under lemon laws.

It’s always a risk making judgments based on the initial exposure to a car, and sometimes a vehicle’s ultimate crappiness only reveals itself with the fullness of time. We’re all subject to hype for something that seems new, different, and maybe even better, and in this business, we all feel the crushing pressure to be timely, amusing, and authoritative. Being wrong is always a risk. Still, here are ten award winners for which somebody needs to apologize.
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Why should I believe any review from a magazine which makes money from the auto companies they review?

It's like those rating agencies in the financial market.

[Richardo]

1. "Liability lawsuits by the acre-foot"

:rofl:

That's some good writing right there.

[AlCzervik]

2. 1985 Merkur XR4Ti and the 1980 Chevrolet Citation.

i totally forgot about them, both were hideous.

[dipsydoodle]

9. In the UK

the XR4Ti was a Ford Mondeo refered here as a Jelly Mould. That was a shape comparison with the Cortina which the Mondeo replaced. I recall some of those XR4T's being rechiped on the side providing substantial performance.

[Azooz]

16. 1980 Chevrolet Citation was a dream to drive

Looked crappy as heck, but the front wheel drive made it great for the Illinois winter snow - I miss it but admit that it was no great looker.

[Neecy]

18. I drove a Merkur

I bought my XR4Ti new in 1988 when the lease ran out on my Capri. The exterior was odd but the interior on those cars was beautiful and it handled great when I took it for a test drive. It was also fast - not as fast as my 5.0 Capri, but it had a lot of pep.

Of course, it was still a Ford product and the engine blew in 1994. But it was a fun car.

[alfredo]

3. To err is human, as long as your confession is humorous.

[Warpy]

4. My all time favorite (whose name escapes me now)

was a Detroit offering that required pulling the engine to change the spark plugs.

[deadmessengers]

6. Hell, my 2000 F-150 is pretty close to that

The two plugs nearest the firewall are such a nightmare to get to, my dealer recommended that they do them just out of pure convenience when they had the engine craned for other unrelated work.

[Greyhound]

8. The '74 Nova 350 w/auto trans?

Maybe not, you didn't have to actually pull the engine, just drop it a couple of inches as the rear plugs were blocked by transmission coolant lines.

[lumberjack_jeff]

10. Monza, probably.

I had a friend with a v8 monza... had to remove motor mounts and jack up the engine to remove plugs. Not fun.

[Oeditpus Rex]

13. That was the Chevy Monza/Buick Skyhawk/Olds Starfire of the late '70s

with the V-8 option. Only one plug required jacking up the engine to change, but that was enough.

Also, in that era of Detroit slapping pollution controls onto engines as if they were in a mosh pit, the 350 engine produced only 125 horsepower and the extra weight made the front end plow, so it was hardly worth the extra cost.

[gratuitous]

5. Did the Monza or the Arrow ever win awards?

Because if they did, they should surely be on this list.

[boobooday]

7. haha I knew the Vega would be on there

My dad bought the 1976 Bicentennial edition, complete with eagle motif and red and blue stripe.

What a rustbucket!

[droidamus2]

12. Tell me about it

I had a typical Vega the engine burnt up and the body rusted out I finally just let the guy that towed it have it. Really it was too bad that Chevy decided to try and do the Vega on the cheap. Until all the aboved mentioned problems happened the car had a decent look (mine was the one that sort of looked like a minature Camaro), it did handle real well, had good power for the size of the car and I nice interior. Unfortunately from day one things started falling apart in the interior, after a few years noticed distinct drop in power (some mechanic tried to tell me it was a clutch problem) and living on the North Coast of California in a salt air atmosphere the damn thing started to disintegrate. Oh well it seemed like a good idea at the time (my only excuse was I was only 18 and my parents paid for it and the only other choice they gave me was a used Nova).

[boobooday]

15. I actually have some fond memories of the Vega

Before it fell apart. The patriotic decor was hilarious, and it didn't have a radio, so my dad learned to play the harmonica and family trips were sing-along affairs.

It was handed down to my brother in about 1981 or so, and he finally killed it by not giving it the usual daily quart of oil. My dad had already had the pistons reclad.

That left me to inherit the 1971 Plymouth Fury. I really wished my dad had taken the canoe off the roof before he gave it to me, though. I didn't look cool cruising around with it strapped on there.

After the Fury, I bought myself a Ford Falcon that was three on the tree. I loved that car, and haven't seen one like it since.

[madrchsod]

11. volvo used the citation platform to develop their front wheel drive autos

at least they were good for something

[Book Lover]

14. because if you'd been reading them for the past 20+ years, like I have,

you'd know that while each set of editors tend to have favorites, they will happily trash a car while also happily advertising it as well.

[flvegan]

17. 150 hp from Ford's 5 liter V-8 in 1990. Pathetic.

Same engine in the Mustang made 225. Can't imagine pushing that land yacht Town Car with so few horses.