Friday, March 25, 2011

Minneapolis Street Sighting: Yugo GV Plus







I know I usually don't post cars technically "off the street", but this was too good to pass up. I realize the Yugo isn't really all that exciting, but this could possibly be a once-in-a-lifetime experience.
Launched in 1986 in America as a low-price alternative to most new cars, the Yugo simply didn't catch on with American buyers; it also has earned prestigious awards such as being voted "Worst New Car" in 1987" via the Brits, and an equally disturbing "10 Best Losers" in Car and Driver in 1987. Fit and finish was afwul, even compared to new cars in 1987 and 1988, and most of the interior trim was marred by excessive panel gaps. What did you expect for $3995 though? Honestly.
But in all truth, it wasn't all bad. In Europe and parts of Asia, the Yugo makes a fun budget rally car, and race car. On this model, fit and finish looked pretty decent, given its econobox origins, and from what I understand, the Yugo is a decently reliable car if kept up. Problem is, most folks simply looked at it as a throw-away car, much like the earlier Hyundais and Kias. I certainly am not an advocate of the 'Save the Yugo' campaign, but I do think some need to be preserved; it seems like this little Yugoslavian motor got a bad reception to due to the everpopular "OMG foreign = garbage" idea that most Americans at that time seemed to care too much about.

2 comments:

Art Tidesco said...

Well done for speaking up for Yugo's ! I am sure they were a lot of fun to get around in. I do not remember ours in the UK coming fitted with alloy wheels, lets hope this lil' car finds the TLC it so obviously needs.

Webmom said...

Made me laugh!