A Gaggle of Automotive Turkeys

It’s Thanksgiving!.?. !! The best of American vacations is upon us, so it only seems appropriate that, among the cranberry, stuffing and also pecan pie, that we can talk about the turkeys in postwar American automotive background.

To be clear for you children, “turkey” is a term that recommends “something that is exceptionally or completely not successful, specifically a play or motion picture.” Maybe it is me that’s out of touch for not understanding that recognizes the vernacular, Daddy-O, however nevertheless below’s an effort to offer an unbiased evaluation on a couple of.

thanksgiving, A Gaggle of Automotive Turkeys, ClassicCars.com Journal
1958 Edsel Citation 1958 Edsel Certain, this may come off as a cliché, yet the Edsel is the grandfather of turkeys. When I was a youngster analysis short articles on the ugliest cars and trucks ever, the Edsel always made the checklist, yet it was quite an unjust characterization to my eyes. Naturally, I wasn’t active in 1957 when the Edsel debuted, so I never ever could check out the vehicle with contemporary eyes of the moment. Perhaps the Edsel’s largest stylistic sin was its horse-collar grille (a “commode seat” to some), however the rest of it comes off as more stylish than much of General Motors’ 1958 schedule.

thanksgiving, A Gaggle of Automotive Turkeys, ClassicCars.com Journal

1958 Edsel Pacer The unfortunate fact is that the Edsel was the incorrect cars and truck at the incorrect time, with lots of malfunctioning advertising and hubris on Ford’s part, plus a launching at the beginning of an economic crisis that harmed the medium-priced market– also the death of DeSoto was sped up because of the economic decline (general, market sales were down 31% from the 1957-58 version years). The Edsel is a whipping kid of types, commonly for the incorrect reasons, yet it’s still a turkey as the effort and equity behind its introduction never ever translated to sales, though a number of years later on Ford’s advertising and marketing struck a grand bang with the Mustang.

2002 Ford Lincoln Blackwood

2002 Lincoln Blackwood Cadillac sat on the sidelines when Lincoln presented the 1998 Navigator, an SUV that seemed to break the brand name’s photo, yet it was Ford Motor Company that took the danger and produced the car to terrific success. The Blackwood, another answer to the concern that was never asked, was much less successful.

Though the 1999 Blackwood idea was a success, the 2002 Blackwood– a cross between the Ford F-150 SuperCrew as well as Lincoln Navigator– was not. All were black with a substitute woodgrain cargo box. Though production was predicted at 18,000 over a duration, sales were so bad that Lincoln ceased the Blackwood after the 2002 version year, though a 2003 variation (leftovers?) was sold in Mexico for 3 even more months till Lincoln closed the book. In total amount, 3,356 were offered.

Is bringing back the Aztek really a laughing matter?|Hagerty photo

2001 Pontiac Aztek
2001 Pontiac Aztek Like the Edsel, the Aztek is an additional version that has actually come to be a whipping child of kinds despite its integral goodness that shone through for those who were listening. Introduced as a concept vehicle in 1999, the Aztek was a “way of life” lorry that was popular enough that it was green-lighted for sale for the 2001 model year. Due to concessions with the production automobile (particularly with the A-pillars from the Montana minivan) and also Pontiac’s propensity for body cladding, the production Aztek finished up with unpleasant proportions and debatable styling.

thanksgiving, A Gaggle of Automotive Turkeys, ClassicCars.com Journal

Facelifted 2004 Pontiac Aztek It was an embarassment, as the Aztek featured wonderful utility as well as convenience unparalleled in the market. Advertising during its intro was solid many thanks to a co-branding possibility with the new” Survivor “TV show, yet the Aztek became the butt of jokes– perhaps a baboon’s, as it resembled one. For 2002, Pontiac smoothed the cladding and matched it to the body, which helped the looks immensely; ditto the car park lights, going from amber to clear. In spite of low tweaks that toned down the styling, the Aztek was a shed cause and also was stopped for 2006. GM anticipated as numerous as 75,000 Azteks annually, but manufacturing never went beyond 28,000 at its optimal (2002 ).

thanksgiving, A Gaggle of Automotive Turkeys, ClassicCars.com Journal

1970 Plymouth Barracuda Gran Coupe 1970 Plymouth Barracuda This might come as a shock, yet Plymouth’s first full-fledged horse auto for 1970, six years after being a Valiant variation, was a loser(or a turkey, if you will certainly). The Barracuda was introduced numerous weeks before the Ford Mustang, there is a reason why this course is called” horse auto.” The 1967 redesign was as handsome as anything in the market, yet its Valiant origins were still readily evident, with a big-block shoehorned in a way that made a 390 in the Mustang resemble a simple installation.

The Barracuda is fitted with period-correct aftermarket Crager wheels

The initial 1964 Plymouth Barracuda When Plymouth abandoned the A-body system for the all-new E-body for 1970, it was the Barracuda that Plymouth must have created several years earlier. The 1967-69 Camaro’s influence appeared, but Plymouth took the theme and also made it its very own. The E-body system included mid-size B-body DNA, which permitted Plymouth to provide any kind of engine in its lineup, from the 198 Slant Six to the 426 Hemi and also 440. Seems like Plymouth did every little thing right, so why the turkey tag? Because Barracuda sales never got to assumptions– look into this trajectory:

1967: 62,534

1968: 45,412

1969: 31,987

1970: 48,867

1971: 16,492

thanksgiving, A Gaggle of Automotive Turkeys, ClassicCars.com Journal

1971 Plymouth’Cuda Nineteen sixty-seven was a strong year for everybody, however Barracuda sales faded even when compared to me-too responses like the Pontiac Firebird. The down pattern imitated the Mustang’s, but Ford marketed nearly 10 times as numerous Mustangs. That market pattern would continue right into 1970 for the majority of pony vehicles, with the Mustang losing over 100,000 in sales. Still, assumptions were high for the all-new Barracuda, yet it was insufficient, too late as the flashy car market remained to crater, with 1971 sales especially being up to dismal levels. This would certainly be the low point through 1974, with manufacturing never ever getting to 20,000. It’s worth noting the sibling Challenger design marketed better than the Barracuda, though it

too suffered a massive autumn in 1971. All pony cars and trucks had a hard time during this period, though it is the 1970 Barracuda that deals with turkey condition. Are there various other cars and trucks that resisted assumptions in the market and were a dissatisfaction somehow? Chrysler-Maserati TC? Jaguar XJ220? Tell us!

For GREAT deals on used vehicles check out My Car Park.com TODAY!