Black Sheep of the Car family

[SatinSilver]

Originally Posted By: Jarlaxle
Yes. And the styling isd perfect...because form follows function. In this case, "function" being 200MPH on the high banks at Talledaga.

Now that car looks incredibly nice, wow!

 

[Ducked]

Originally Posted By: AZjeff
Originally Posted By: Ducked
At the risk of being obvious (well, obvious outside the US)

So what the heck is it?? It's not paper bag ugly.


"Black Sheep" doesn't necessarily imply ugly, does it? I thought it implied BAAAAAD!

Its a Lada 1200, a Roooshun Commie Car. Very cheap, very tough, very easy to fix, very unreliable.

But if you didn't buy new the quality control had already been done for you by natural selection.

 

[Yah-Tah-Hey]

Originally Posted By: Ducked
Originally Posted By: AZjeff
Originally Posted By: Ducked
At the risk of being obvious (well, obvious outside the US)

So what the heck is it?? It's not paper bag ugly.


"Black Sheep" doesn't necessarily imply ugly, does it? I thought it implied BAAAAAD! Looks an old Fiat design that Fiat tried on the USA market and flopped big time.

Its a Lada 1200, a Roooshun Commie Car. Very cheap, very tough, very easy to fix, very unreliable.

But if you didn't buy new the quality control had already been done for you by natural selection.

 

[Corollaman]

Originally Posted By: aquariuscsm
THIS wins the prize of automotive hideousness.

Really??? What were your options back then? The Maverick wasn't any worse than any other 70's car. I rode in the backseat of a black vinyl pinto growing up, no rear collisions so I'm still here, at least the engine and tranny were reliable. The worst car has to be the Vega hands down, do some research on that gem, aluminum block with no steel sleeves for the cylinders... GM at it's finest...my uncle had one I believe it began burning oil after the papers were signed.

 

[Ammofirst]

Originally Posted By: AZjeff
No words.



. Glorious

 

[Ammofirst]

Originally Posted By: eljefino

When you try to merge "square and strong" with "round and current".
The front end on that thing has launched many a lunch

 

[Jarlaxle]

Originally Posted By: Corollaman
Originally Posted By: aquariuscsm
THIS wins the prize of automotive hideousness.

Really??? What were your options back then? The Maverick wasn't any worse than any other 70's car. I rode in the backseat of a black vinyl pinto growing up, no rear collisions so I'm still here, at least the engine and tranny were reliable. The worst car has to be the Vega hands down, do some research on that gem, aluminum block with no steel sleeves for the cylinders... GM at it's finest...my uncle had one I believe it began burning oil after the papers were signed.


Mechanically, there was no real difference between a Maverick and a 1969 Mustang!

 

[Rhymingmechanic]

Originally Posted By: Linctex
Originally Posted By: AZjeff
And this beauty. My MIL put a bunch of miles on one of these. I never even sat in it.


A guy I knew with a 304 Gremlin, it was a pretty respectable car (good power/weight ratio)

Some dude built a "stock appearing" Gremlin with a 455 Buick GS engine.... wicked fast sleeper.


Somebody used to run a green Gremlin called the "Horny Toad" at the strip near my home town. I don't know anything about the drivetrain, but it sure was funny-looking in action compared to the other race cars.

A friend was just reminiscing about the 302 3-speed Maverick Grabber he drove in high school, something like this one:




I noticed a bunch of gray plastic Aztek/Avalanche cladding on some new UPS trucks recently. I thought that trend had run its course.

 

[4ever4d]

Originally Posted By: Ammofirst
Originally Posted By: eljefino

When you try to merge "square and strong" with "round and current".
The front end on that thing has launched many a lunch

I will say it is ugly but, no worse than the current Lexus front end.

 

[ls973800]

Remember when Ed China from Wheeler Dealer's went along with Mike's ideas for the Gremlin? I think they lost
a boat load of money on that deal, enough to fill up the hatch back area of the car!

 

[Number_35]

Originally Posted By: Quattro Pete
Originally Posted By: KGMtech
Fiat 500 - or any Fiat available in North America today.

Some of the Fiats available outside of North America don't look any better.

Ah, the Fiat Multipla! Saw (and took photos of) a couple of these in New Zealand in 03/04. The styling is really out there. The interior is quite something as well. I was fascinated - it was sort of like watching a large toxic spider - I couldn't look away.

 

[Number_35]

Originally Posted By: Ducked
At the risk of being obvious (well, obvious outside the US)

Object of near universal derision, and the best 40 quid I ever spent.

There's something wrong with that one, though. No starting handle.

Must be a transitional model to the Mk2 which was inferior, naturally, since it was updated in various minor but irritating ways.
These Lada Signets were quite popular here in the early through at least mid-80s. I did some work on a friend's - parts were really cheap, even from the dealership. Perhaps I should have bought one - I like simplicity, and like turning my own wrenches. Might have been a good fit.

 

[Number_35]

Originally Posted By: AZjeff
These are hideous from any angle.

A friend and coworker pointed out that the strange lenses on top of the fenders looked like snot bubbles.

 

[Number_35]

Originally Posted By: dlundblad
Originally Posted By: OVERKILL

The Chevrolet Avalanche:

I can honestly say I've liked these ever since they came out. If I had to pick, I'd prefer the later model where they did away with those square wheel wells though.
Agreed, same concept as the Honda Ridgeline, but much better looking IMO.

 

[4WD]

Originally Posted By: KGMtech
Fiat 500 - or any Fiat available in North America today.

VW Routan

Renault Fuego - it did catch fire!


Know a lady who bought a “cute” Fiat ~ she would not listen so then warned her a dealership 45 miles away is a bad idea ~ now she knows

 

[4WD]

Originally Posted By: eljefino

When you try to merge "square and strong" with "round and current".


Guy at work has that … well, uh, the inside is nice …

 

[Andrew1972]

Originally Posted By: bubbatime
Dodge Omni.

That import (design) saved Chrysler.

 

[Andrew1972]

So real garbage hire Isuzu:

Acura Slx (rebadge Of tippy trooper)
Honda Passport (Isuzu Rodeo)

Tarnished Honda reputation in design and reliability, they should have refunded customers money or given massive allowance on trade in.

 

[barryh]

Originally Posted By: madRiver
Originally Posted By: bubbatime
Dodge Omni.

That import (design) saved Chrysler.


In Europe that car was originally a Simca Horizon and then a Chrysler Horizon when Simca was taken over. Laterly I think it was then called a Talbot Horizon.

In it's original styling without the outsized bumpers it was not a bad looking car at all and was in fact voted European car of the year in 1979. I bought one new in 1980 and it was a very comfortable with typically soft French ride and comfortable seats.

 

[Trav]

The best riding cars I ever drove were all French cars, far better than any other Euro car. I swear the French could make a buckboard ride like it was on a cloud.

New Citroen system.

https://citroenvie.com/citroen-introduces-progressive-hydraulic-cushion-suspension/