QOTD: Birthday Follies?
Today’s QOTD requires those who respond to give away a bit of information about themselves — their age. Or, y’know, you could just grab a random year from the ether.
Whichever route you choose, our question is this: what is, in your opinion, the worst car on sale the year you were born?
It doesn’t have to be a new model, either. Your selection can be something that was on sale for ages by the time you landed on this earth, or it could be an all-new model. My selection is the latter.
The Chevrolet Citation, and the rest of the X-Car family, were supposed to be GM’s answer to the rising tide of front-drive import cars. Indeed, the company sold around 800,000 of the things, making it not just the hottest selling car that year, but also one of the most successful product launches in The General’s history. If GM could have kept up with demand, there is an argument to be made that they would have sold a million Citations.
Of course, anyone reading this site knows what happened next. With mechanical issues rearing their head, a lack of four-banger engines (GM thought most customers would select the V6), and tales of truly frightening build quality, sales fell off the proverbial cliff. By the time someone pulled the plug in ’85, only about 62,000 shoppers signed the note on one for its final model year.
My pick for the vehicular dud from the year of my birth is easy. What’s yours?
[Image: General Motors]
Matthew buys, sells, fixes, & races cars. As a human index of auto & auction knowledge, he is fond of making money and offering loud opinions.
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I was born in late 1960 when the 61 models were introduced. I can't think of a bad American car of the time. The all new compact Valiant and Lancer were introduced by Chrysler in 60 and the innovative Corvair was also entering its 2nd year of production. The imported Renault Dauphine and Simca 1000 have to take the award for the worst though the Simca Aronde was still ok.
Sadly, one of the most beautiful cars of all time was introduced in my birth year, but was a rolling disaster: Studebaker Starliner.
1962 Edsel Improved from the front that gave it its reputation but google the back? WTF? Tri-Fins?
Nate--How about an article on your 69 Beetle with pictures, that would be an great read. As for kids having it far too easy I was grateful to have access to my dad's 62 Chevy II 300 Roman Red sedan which I agreed to perform all the maintenance on and to keep clean and waxed. Learned a few things on that old Chevy and I always kept it clean, shinny, and running like a top (you could see your reflections in the red paint). To this day I take care of all my vehicles that way even my 99 S-10 with original paint which I bought new 20 years ago.