13 Classic Cars With the Worst Design Flaws
A design flaw is an inherent defect in a product’s conception and/or execution, resulting in a less effective end-product, even if manufactured or produced successfully. In other words, a design flaw is part of the product’s blueprint or specifications.
This reminds us that similar to how a chair with a design flaw would be uncomfortable to sit on regardless of how beautiful or well-built, a flaw in a car’s design is capable of undermining its essence. It may not matter if the automaker nailed every other aspect of the car.
Such flaws can cause safety hazards, reduced product lifespan, or usability issues and be just as disastrous as marketing flaws or manufacturing defects. This article shines the spotlight on 13 of the most notable design missteps in classic cars, from the Pontiac Aztek’s controversial design to the Reliant Robin’s stability issues.
Ford Pinto (1971-1980)
There’s probably no other car in automotive history more infamous for its disastrous design flaw and corporate mismanagement than the Ford Pinto. Ford continued to produce the car from 1971 until 1980 despite its tendency to burst into flames in rear-end collisions due to a poorly placed fuel tank.
It came to light that the shot callers at Ford caught the flaw but chose to carry on anyway. Remarkably, Ford churned out over 3 million of the flawed and highly dangerous Pinto during its ten-year production run, outperforming the combined figures of domestic rivals Chevrolet Vega and AMC Gremlin.
Chevrolet Corvair (1960-1964)
Like the Pinto, the Chevrolet Corvair is one of the world’s most famous classic cars for reasons not nearly as chivalrous. When political activist and author Ralph Nader published his renowned book “Unsafe at Any Speed” in 1965, he dedicated the entire first chapter to the Chevrolet Corvair, with the title, “The Sporty Corvair–The One-Car Accident.”
By implication, the Corvair can have an accident all by itself without necessarily colliding with another car or an object. Apparently, a design flaw (swing-axle suspension) in the early Corvair models left them prone to oversteer and understeer.
Again, the shot-callers at GM knew about this flaw but chose to overrule their mechanic, George Caramagna, who had suggested installing a stabilizer bar because of the cost.
Yugo GV (1985-1992)
It looks like the Volkswagen Golf, but the GV was anything but. This little car failed the Yugoslavs and then got imported to America, where it failed again. Even the importer, Malcolm Bricklin, regretted his decision thanks to the challenges in maintaining quality control.
Apparently, Bricklin was so focused on the Yugo GV’s affordability appeal that he either did not notice the car’s reputation in its home country or thought it was cheap enough to sell stateside. After his departure from Subaru of America and his failed Bricklin SV-1 sports car project, little Yugo seemed like another chance to get back in the game.
Bricklin was wrong. The car initially sold like hotcake until people started to realize its extremely poor build quality and hornet nest of reliability issues. The design flaw here is the womb little Yugo came from.
Bricklin’s Yugo America assembly plant was reportedly in pitiful condition and manned by non-professionals. Nobody wanted to buy a small car that neither performed nor got good gas mileage and fell apart as yu-go.
DeLorean DMC-12 (1981-1983)
Despite its superstardom, thanks to the Back to the Future movie franchise, the original DeLorean DMC-12 couldn’t even hit the ground running, let alone travel to the future. The very thing behind its futuristic look – the gullwing – turned out to be the primary design flaw that held it back from flying.
The doors were too heavy for the car’s frame, and it didn’t help much that the engines were underpowered. It was prone to rust and suffered from numerous mechanical issues. The automaker was so frustrated that he resorted to drug trafficking to raise cash for his sports car project. He got caught handing over a briefcase of cocaine, and the DMC-12 never took flight.
Trabant (1957-1990)
Despite its flaws, we seriously considered excusing the Trabant (fondly called “Trabi”) from this list due to its cultural significance. Trabi became symbolic of the fall of the Berlin Wall as many East Germans drove to West Germany in their Trabant. It was a series of small cars that East German manufacturer VEB Sachsenring Automobilwerke Zwickau produced from 1975 until 1991.
The models include the Trabant 500, 600, 601, and 1.1. Thanks to its simple design, the Trabant was affordable and quickly became a symbol of the Eastern Bloc. However, Trabi had some fundamental flaws.
It was so affordable because the body was made of Duroplast due to steel scarcity in East Germany at the time. It used a smoky, inefficient two-stroke engine that managed to make a top speed of around 60 mph. Plus, the car’s boxy design gradually grew outdated towards the end of its production run.
AMC Pacer (1975-1980)
The AMC Pacer, along with the Gremlin, Corvair, and Pinto, will always top the list of the most notorious cars in America’s automotive history. Once in a while, an automaker goes out on a limb to create something out of the box – to heck with the consequences. The Pacer represents such an experiment, but the car’s unusual styling backfired with poor aerodynamics, leading to a cascade of inefficiencies.
The wide, rounded shape attracted attention, but the resultant poor fuel economy made it an undermining design flaw. The Pacer was a poor performer in that regard compared to similar cars of its time. The fuel economy took a hit, and so did the handling and stability. It was abnormally susceptible to body roll, especially during cornering.
Pontiac Aztek (2001-2005)
It’s now nearly two decades since the last Aztek rolled off the production line, but the jury is still out on whether the SUV’s unconventional design was a hit or miss. One thing is for sure, though. The Aztek didn’t do too well in the market, and many blame its fate on its unconventional styling.
In that sense, the 2001-2005 Pontiac Aztek was a victim of a design flaw that ultimately undermined its commercial success.
It featured angular front fascia, pronounced wheel arches, and a sharply sloping roofline that many thought unattractive. The design was so influential that it drew attention away from the Aztek’s many innovative features, including a built-in cooler, a rear tent option, and a versatile cargo area.
Fiat Multipla (1998-2010)
This one didn’t make it to US shores officially, but its fame spread everywhere, as you’d expect with anything labeled “fish face.” The Multipla has been called the quirkiest car ever made, thanks to its unusual, awkward design. It did gain a cult following, but we bet Fiat would prefer a commercial success.
Unsurprisingly, the Multipla didn’t fare very well in the market, especially outside Europe, making its “fish face” design an undercutting flaw. It would’ve been a hopeless design defect if not for the resultant roomy interior space. Worst still, Fiat struck out with the interior design, as evidenced by the awkwardly placed dash and non-user-friendly controls.
Reliant Robin (1973-2002)
The Reliant Robin proved one thing: It’s never okay to match backward. Once upon a time, cars used to have three wheels, but that’s a past that must remain in the past. The Benz Patent-Motorwagen is iconic, but that’s not an invitation to travel back to the 1880s.
We’ll understand if it was an auto-rickshaw, but the Reliant Robin didn’t have such pretense. It was a fully clothed compact car with two wheels at the rear and missing a wheel at the front.
Of course, it was a glaring design flaw that made the, um, car prone to tipping over at the slightest sudden moves or sharp turns. Just imagining how Robin must have handled is enough to cause a headache.
Bricklin SV-1 (1974-1976)
The Bricklin SV-1 was one of Malcolm Bricklin’s numerous failed attempts to re-enter and gain a foothold in the automobile industry. After leaving Subaru America, a company he founded, anyway, Bricklin ventured to Canada to create an innovative sports car emphasizing safety features. In fact, “SV” is short for “Safety Vehicle.”
Unfortunately for everyone (not just for Malcolm Bricklin), the SV-1 suffered design flaws that undermined its success. Bricklin promoted it as a safety vehicle, but the car had numerous production issues and unreliable components. It featured a fiberglass body that was rather prone to cracks and paint adhesion issues.
It was so heavy, and the weight distribution so off that not even its burly 5.8-liter V8 could give it decent performance. The gullwing doors were reportedly poorly fitted, and there were gaps in the fiberglass body panels.
Renault Le Car (1976-1983)
That’s the French-made Renault 5 supermini branded as the “Le Car” for the North American market, including the United States and Canada. It was a front-engine, FWD hatchback in a 3- or 5-door configuration. Unfortunately, the Le Car was underpowered and susceptible to rust.
In Le Car’s defense, rust was a common problem for many cars of that era. It was offered stateside from 1976 until 1983. Rust and powertrain weren’t the Le Car’s only design challenges. It exhibited multiple electrical system issues, such as malfunctioning lights and gauges.
Edsel (1958-1960)
The Edsel was an over-advertised ugly car, short and simple. It’s one of those cars with a look so distracting that no one notices their other impressive aspects. It had many innovative features, including the company’s proprietary Teletouch transmission, “Rolling Dome” speedometer, dash warning lights (innovative for the time), ergonomic controls, self-adjusting brakes, and child-proof rear door lock.
Ford was confident the Edsel would sell like wildfire, but the car’s controversial design, particularly its prominent grille, often referred to as the “horse collar” shape, commanded attention away from everything else that could’ve made the Edsel a great success. The economic downturn that coincided with Edsel’s release in the late 1950s didn’t help, either.
Cadillac Cimarron (1982-1988)
Once in a while, an automaker thinks it can fool everyone by passing off a rebadged regular model as a luxury car. In recent history, Mercedes tried something similar and learned a lifelong lesson when it tried to package the Nissan Navara as a luxury pickup. The gamble backfired, just like Cadillac’s gamble with the Chevy Cavalier backfired in the 1980s.
The Cimarron was a rebadged Cavaliar that Cadillac attempted to pass off as an entry-level luxury car with a premium price tag to boot. Cadillac would’ve succeeded if the Cavaliar hadn’t revealed itself in the form of an unrefined build, performance, and overall fit and finish. The design flaw here is that the Cimarron wasn’t a Cadillac under the skin.
