Kill It With Fire: Buick Signia Concept, Quite Possibly The Worst Car Ever

Derek Kreindler
by Derek Kreindler

Since we can’t have nice things all the time, like images of the production Jaguar F-Type, I present to you what may be the ugliest car I’ve ever seen – surpassing the multitude of Ssangyong Rodius (Rodii?) I saw on my Birthright trip.

First shown in 1998, the Buick Signia was described as

Buick’s new multiple activity concept vehicle that was showcased at the North American International Auto Show yesterday, is evidence of the company’s revived commitment to innovation and versatility, according to company officials.

Based on the architecture of the Park Avenue, the Signia is an upscale family sedan with SUV attributes designed for modern families on the go. Features include a high roof and seats for easy entry, inset rocker panels that prevent slush or mud from dripping on your pants, a removable hatchback for hauling large items, infrared sensors that detect objects in your blind spot and flexible cargo space, including a powered floor that extends 15 inches out the back. While the concept car showcases a number of new technologies, Buick executives say the Signia will not be built as it is.

What in the name of Allah was General Motors thinking? The wood interior with the art deco switchgear? The glass canopy and the swing-out doors? That beak up front? I’ve seen prettier photos of partial-birth abortions. It may be the only automobile in the world to come standard with an extra chromosome. GM even let it rot in a desolate lot, neglecting even to crush it.




Derek Kreindler
Derek Kreindler

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  • Luke42 Luke42 on Sep 21, 2012

    It's strange, but I kinda like the looks of this car. It has a kind of retro-wagon feel. Put LATCH, a 40mpg diesel in it, and out a class I trailer hitch on it and you have a sale! I like it a lot more than the Buick Rondevous, which has got to be a fully baked, productionified and deweirdified design by the same crew. On the other hand, the Rondevous is supposed to be a minivan that isn't a minivan, which I think is a little silly. On the other hand, the Rondevous is a great value on the used market. My neighbor with three kids and an extended family that spends a lot of time on her lawn bought one, and I respect that she probably got a comfortable car that meets her needs for next to nothing. I don't see why the original owner bought it, but my neighbor found herself one hell of a deal!

  • Junebug Junebug on Sep 21, 2012

    Looks like a cat taking a shit.

    • Jayzwhiterabbit Jayzwhiterabbit on Sep 21, 2012

      Dude, that nailed it! I have two cats, and my Calico crouching down to take a dump is the spitting image of this 'ute ;)

  • Kjhkjlhkjhkljh kljhjkhjklhkjh A prelude is a bad idea. There is already Acura with all the weird sport trims. This will not make back it's R&D money.
  • Analoggrotto I don't see a red car here, how blazing stupid are you people?
  • Redapple2 Love the wheels
  • Redapple2 Good luck to them. They used to make great cars. 510. 240Z, Sentra SE-R. Maxima. Frontier.
  • Joe65688619 Under Ghosn they went through the same short-term bottom-line thinking that GM did in the 80s/90s, and they have not recovered say, to their heyday in the 50s and 60s in terms of market share and innovation. Poor design decisions (a CVT in their front-wheel drive "4-Door Sports Car", model overlap in a poorly performing segment (they never needed the Altima AND the Maxima...what they needed was one vehicle with different drivetrain, including hybrid, to compete with the Accord/Camry, and decontenting their vehicles: My 2012 QX56 (I know, not a Nissan, but the same holds for the Armada) had power rear windows in the cargo area that could vent, a glass hatch on the back door that could be opened separate from the whole liftgate (in such a tall vehicle, kinda essential if you have it in a garage and want to load the trunk without having to open the garage door to make room for the lift gate), a nice driver's side folding armrest, and a few other quality-of-life details absent from my 2018 QX80. In a competitive market this attention to detai is can be the differentiator that sell cars. Now they are caught in the middle of the market, competing more with Hyundai and Kia and selling discounted vehicles near the same price points, but losing money on them. They invested also invested a lot in niche platforms. The Leaf was one of the first full EVs, but never really evolved. They misjudged the market - luxury EVs are selling, small budget models not so much. Variable compression engines offering little in terms of real-world power or tech, let a lot of complexity that is leading to higher failure rates. Aside from the Z and GT-R (low volume models), not much forced induction (whether your a fan or not, look at what Honda did with the CR-V and Acura RDX - same chassis, slap a turbo on it, make it nicer inside, and now you can sell it as a semi-premium brand with higher markup). That said, I do believe they retain the technical and engineering capability to do far better. About time management realized they need to make smarter investments and understand their markets better.
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