by Martha Leonard

Created on: August 25, 2006   Last Updated: March 17, 2007

1. Did you know that one car was such a big flop its name now means failure? The Edsel was manufactured by Ford in 1958 to 1960. Reasons for failure were various, from a dislike of the name (Ford's son), to the unusual design with the "horse collar" grill. The main reason for the demise, however, was the high cost of the car to buy and maintain just as the U.S. economy went into a recession.

2. John DeLorean was a fantastic designer and marketer, but lousy at budgeting. His DeLorean DMC-12 of 1981-82 was the most publicized car in history. It starred in the "Back to the Future" trilogy and several TV shows. It was, however, too much for John Q. Public: too futuristic with its gull wing doors and aerodynamic lines, too exotic, too expensive and, surprise, too slow. It was too much for DeLorean also. Producing the 9200 models made was so costly it put him out of business. Now the car is a collector's prize.
3. The Ford Pinto, 1971-1980, died of a bad rap. Forbes Magazine put it on their list of "The Worst Cars of All time". It was called a potential deathtrap due to a fuel tank placement considered dangerous in a rear-end collision. It also boasted poor door reinforcements and bad suspension.
4. The Studebaker Corporation suffered constant financial problems. These were not resolved when they teamed up with EMF, an independent auto maker. The duet lasted from 1909 to 1912. The EMF cars were such poor quality; people said the initials stood for "Every Morning Fixed".
5. The American Motor Company probably had more than their share of flops and enough management problems to finally go out of business. Only their small cars brought any kind of success. That didn't include the 1975 Pacer, however. The Wankle engine waffled as far as the public was concerned; the fuel economy wasn't (economical, that is). It "squatted" on the road. The design was great for handling, but awful for looks. It was ugly!
6. Same song, another verse. AMC didn't exactly wow the public with their car designs. The Gremlin was produced from 1970 to 1978. In reality it was a glearn their lesson the first time and came out with the Gremlin. It was the first American subcompact. In reality it was a good car; economical, reliable and inexpensive. History, however, however, has not been kind, putting in a negative light. People did not like its unusual shape. The name doesn't help either. Who wants a gremlin in their garage?
7. The Chrysler "K" cars, manufactures from 1981-1985 were offered as small

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