What Do You MEAN, "Worst Car Ever"?????
By Four Walls
@FourWalls (86875)
United States
April 8, 2017 12:04pm CST
I generally avoid the fake news ads on sites ("these two/three/six people took a picture every year for 20/30/40 years, year #18 surprised us"). However, I recently saw one that did pique my interest. It was a list of the "25 worst cars that destroyed the company," a general overview of what the author (best and worst generally can't be quantified, so it's mostly opinion) considered gigantic mistakes for various car companies...to the point where, in some cases (the Edsel, the DeLorian) it literally sank the manufacturer.
Some of these cars were no-brainers: the Ford Pinto (a/k/a the rolling firebomb), which, due to a design flaw, caused a lot of fiery crashes from what should have been non-serious rear-end collisions; the Chevy Vega (man, what a lousy car!), and what may be the ugliest car ever created, the AMC Pacer (which generally looked like two VW Beetles stuck turned on their sides and stuck together).
But one of the cars listed on this list of models that were so atrocious that it nearly killed the company that made it was the Chevrolet Chevette.
Say what???? What do you mean, "worst car"????
I bought a Chevette in 1981. I really had no option, because the car I was driving (a Ford Granada...yeah, that was a winner of a car
) literally died on the parking lot of a Chevrolet dealership in Virginia Beach. A piddly E-3, I had to take the least expensive car on the lot, so they brought me a 1981 Chevrolet Chevette two-door hatchback.
DANG, what a car. I had that bad puppy (which I named Felonius, after the first word in Steely Dan's "Midnight Cruiser") for seven years, 103,000 miles, and a literal coast-to-coast (Norfolk, VA to Long Beach, CA...then shipped to Honolulu) trip. I got as much as 50 MPG (when I was driving through Texas), and the only thing that ever happened to the car was the timing chain broke...at about 96,000 miles.
I have heard a lot of horror stories from people who did have Chevettes back then (they ceased production in 1987), and people tell me I was "lucky" (I prefer blessed, thank you) to have had a Chevette that didn't accumulate its mileage going to and from the repair shop. It was, and remains, one of my favorite cars that I ever owned.
It certainly wasn't the "worst car ever" for me!!
) literally died on the parking lot of a Chevrolet dealership in Virginia Beach. A piddly E-3, I had to take the least expensive car on the lot, so they brought me a 1981 Chevrolet Chevette two-door hatchback.
DANG, what a car. I had that bad puppy (which I named Felonius, after the first word in Steely Dan's "Midnight Cruiser") for seven years, 103,000 miles, and a literal coast-to-coast (Norfolk, VA to Long Beach, CA...then shipped to Honolulu) trip. I got as much as 50 MPG (when I was driving through Texas), and the only thing that ever happened to the car was the timing chain broke...at about 96,000 miles.
I have heard a lot of horror stories from people who did have Chevettes back then (they ceased production in 1987), and people tell me I was "lucky" (I prefer blessed, thank you) to have had a Chevette that didn't accumulate its mileage going to and from the repair shop. It was, and remains, one of my favorite cars that I ever owned.
It certainly wasn't the "worst car ever" for me!!7 people like this
8 responses
@FourWalls (86875)
• United States
8 Apr 17
There's a song for that.
The challenge continues with Jordan Zevon's performance of "Studebaker." I do not own the music of Warren Zevon. The album ENJOY EVERY SANDWICH was produced ...
@snowy22315 (209167)
• United States
21 May 17
I once shared a Chevette with my ex. He blamed me for burning the clutch out on it, but it was essentially a lousy car to begin with. Now I feel vindicated!
1 person likes this
@celticeagle (189988)
• Boise, Idaho
9 Apr 17
I remember the Ford Pinto. My friend got one and later heard of the gas tank issue. She was lucky. Sounds like you had good luck with the Chevette.
1 person likes this
@LeaPea2417 (40058)
• Toccoa, Georgia
16 Apr 17
Ha ha, you mention you drove a Ford Grenada, I learned to drive in a Ford Grenada back around 1980. I was in High School and that was the kind of cars the driver's ed class used to teach us. Also, some old married friends from college, I will never forget the AMC Pacer they drove. I remember thinking it was a cute car and I remember thinking how I wouldn't mind having one. I never had one, though.
1 person likes this
@JohnRoberts (109841)
• Los Angeles, California
8 Apr 17
Some Chevettes were converted to small muscle cars.
1 person likes this
@teamfreak16 (43663)
• Denver, Colorado
9 Apr 17
Worst Car Ever would be the Volkswagen Rabbit I owned. Ugh.
1 person likes this
@Morleyhunt (21741)
• Canada
8 Apr 17
I had a Pinto....not for long...problems every time I drove it....the. I had a low mileage Chevette. I drove it until the wheels fell off. Never had any real problems with it other than. I drove it a lot and the little thing was wearing out. I wouldn't consider it the worst car ever. I helped build Ford Granadas and my husband worked for AMC when they came out with the Pacer...AKA....a fishbowl on wheels. 

1 person likes this










