A Yugo joke

[DBMaster]

Yugo was trying very hard to ride the coattails of the "Japanese invasion" of the 1970's. I recall the comments made about my parents' 1971 Datsun B210 and 1975 Corolla. People could not believe you could buy a "real car" for the cheap prices they were charging at the time. They were crude, noisy vehicles, but they were bulletproof and reliable. I think Yugo thought it could follow the same route. I drove one in the late 80's and my opinion was that it just felt like too much of a throwback, plus, with all the legal requirements applied to cars, even then, it just wasn't cheap enough compared to other, more sophisticated cars. Somehow, Hyundai survived its infancy in the U.S. during this same period.

I guess it's about timing and luck as much as engineering. If the Yugos had sold well imagine where they might be now.

 

[Pop_Rivit]

Originally Posted By: DBMaster
I guess it's about timing and luck as much as engineering. If the Yugos had sold well imagine where they might be now.


Timing and luck had nothing to do with it. The Yugoslav wars and the breakup of the country were the cause of the demise of the Yugo.

 

[Spazdog]

Originally Posted By: Pop_Rivit
Originally Posted By: DBMaster
I guess it's about timing and luck as much as engineering. If the Yugos had sold well imagine where they might be now.


Timing and luck had nothing to do with it. The Yugoslav wars and the breakup of the country were the cause of the demise of the Yugo.


The Yugo GV did sell well...initially.

Consumers soon discovered that they were buying a Communist copy of a '70s Fiat 127. For a little bit more you can buy a Korean car that was every bit as much a piece of junk but it comes with real Goodyear tires and a Panasonic radio! Now that's living! Plus the Korean car has 3 body styles.

The Yugo was actually pretty advanced...for a communist car. Skodas were all still rear engine rear drive ( the 130 looked like a demented Saab 99 with the engine in the trunk) In spite of being German, Trabants and Wartburgs were jokes powered by smoky 2 cycles. And Soviet cars were.....well, Soviet.

 

[ARCOgraphite]

Its so bad that's why Senior Editor David E. Davis bought one for his daughter.

Those cars were stable and handled extremely well and had a You can't kill it engine. Drive the REAL joke: a Chevy Chevette.

 

[ARCOgraphite]

Originally Posted By: rjundi
Originally Posted By: ARCOgraphite
My Yugo was one of my MOST reliable cars out of 70 cars owned. The things that broke on it were made by FORD for emissions purposes and then the heater coolant shutoff valve. Trans and engine were super strong. No Syncro in 1st though. IIRC it was a 4 speed.


If you own a car for 5 minutes(6months?) hard to guage that

I had the 86 yugo for 3.5 years - my fiancee' made me sell it as she was embarassed to be seen in it. She drove a Dodge Colt!

Shoulda kept it.

 

[ARCOgraphite]

Looks like a Rabbit don't it?

 

[chrisri]

Original car on which Yugo was based was FIAT 127, and was much better with better geometry, lower centre of gravity and nicer built quality. Fiat 127 70 HP was/is really sought after city car that handles very good.
Yugo can be made reliable and can handle with some suspension tweaks, but car from the factory was what it was.

 

[chrisri]

Originally Posted By: ARCOgraphite
Looks like a Rabbit don't it?

Probably because original Golf was designed by Giugaro, and Yugo was originally Innocenti project (Fiat subsidiary), and Fiat used same studio for their cars. Punto in my signature was styled by Giugaro.

 

[ARCOgraphite]

I had '77 Fiat 3p in the 80's, chrisri

 

[chrisri]

Originally Posted By: ARCOgraphite
I had '77 Fiat 3p in the 80's, chrisri

Ahh,tre porte, really nice. There are few 128 coupes and one 128 two door berlina on the road over here. Pity they rusted so badly even here without snow and salt.

Edit: I can see CMR steelies with chrome rings on it, classy.

 

[Spazdog]

Originally Posted By: ARCOgraphite
Its so bad that's why Senior Editor David E. Davis bought one for his daughter.

Those cars were stable and handled extremely well and had a You can't kill it engine. Drive the REAL joke: a Chevy Chevette.


No argument from me there....the Chevette was a joke. I know. I had one.

If you neglected the timing belt on a Yugo, you would find yourself in a dead car with about 50,000 miles on it. That was true of the Fiats as well. I think the interval on the Fiat was 36,000 miles which is annoying and expensive if you have an X1/9.


The primary problem with Yugo was Bricklin's business plan. To make money, you had to sell a lot of Yugos. To sell a lot of Yugos you have to ramp up production. There is no incentive or motivation for communist workers to produce at a higher level. There was no(and could not be any) bonus structure and they would have to sell the cars for more money anyway even if the factory workers could get bonuses. So the assemblies become more and more sloppy and you end up with vehicles with their exhausts falling off on the dealership floor. (I actually observed that)

 

[Kamele0N]

I am guessing here...but you probably dont know that in ex Yugoslavia they (i was just born in Yu) had special assembly line for export to USA....normal yugo for yugoslavians...and export model yugo america for USA market.

export model had better interior...better seats...i am not sure but I think even engine was stronger one...1.3 65hp with double carburator...

And it was cheaper on USA market than basic model with 1.1 45hp engine for yugoslavians...they were covering deficit with pricy domestic models...and you had to pay your car in advance...delivery time was 2years

 

[Kamele0N]

Only after Yugo america project had failed overseas...we were able to buy export type of yugo on domestic market...as yugo GV...

 

[Trajan]

Why don't Yugo's sustain much damage in a front-end collision?
The tow truck takes the impact.

Q. What do you call a Yugo at the top of a big hill?
A. A miracle!

Yu*go (yoo-go)
n. 1) Small, economical, Yugoslavian-built automobile.
2) 4x4 hood ornament.
adj. 1) What dosen't happen when you press the accelerator.

Q: What do you call a Yugo with dual exhausts?
A: A wheelbarrow

 

[spackard]

She'll go 300 hectares on a single tank of kerosene. What country is this car from? It no longer exists, but take her for a test-drive and you'll agree-- Put it in H!

 

[Kamele0N]

http://www.edmunds.com/car-reviews/features/1989-yugo-gvl-long-term-road-test-introduction.html

 

[Lolvoguy]

Originally Posted By: spackard
She'll go 300 hectares on a single tank of kerosene. What country is this car from? It no longer exists, but take her for a test-drive and you'll agree-- Put it in H!


LOL gotta love classic Simpsons