We look for guidance and advice in many places and carefully choose who and what we put our trust into. So, what do we do when our mentors make mistakes?
There are two schools of thought. Abandon those mentors and lose all hope, or accept that people make mistakes – just like the rest of us.
Recently, Car and Driver confessed to some pretty big blunders. They have admitted to giving coveted awards to some pretty big “lemons”.
“It’s always a risk making judgments based on the initial exposure to a car, and sometimes a vehicle’s ultimate crappiness only reveals itself with the fullness of time.”
Let’s take a look.
Car: 1983 Renault Alliance
Awarded: Car and Driver 10 Best Cars
Background: The idea behind the car was to merge positive features of American cars and French cars to make a “formidable” automobile.
Downfall: Wimpy – only 60hp.
Car: 2002 Ford Thunderbird
Awarded: Motor Trend Car of the Year
Background: Ford’s re-launch of the Thunderbird as a two-seater in 2002 seemed like such a good idea. The styling was gorgeous, the concept car had earned raves at every car show, and nostalgia for the 1955–1957 two-seat ‘Birds was at a fever pitch.
Downfall: Cheap engineering and ridiculously expensive.
Car: 1971 Chevrolet Vega
Awarded: Motor Trend Car of the Year
Background: Smaller cars were the new trend and the Vega handled well, was available in several styles and had an aluminum engine block.
Downfall: Flimsy under the hood and rusty if exposed to…air.
Car: 1997 Cadillac Catera
Awarded: Automobile Allstar
Background: Cadillac was sick of being bullied by BMW and Mercedes. They “gussied up” a German-made Opel Omega MV6 and hired Cindy Crawford to do their ads.
Downfall: Generic styling, bland interior, too heavy to control.
Car: 1985 Merkur XR4Ti
Awarded: Car and Driver 10 Best Cars
Background: To put out a truly unique car that had a turbocharged engine with an imported feel.
Downfall: No one could pronounce the name and thought the car was, well, odd.
Car: 1997 Chevrolet Malibu
Awarded: Motor Trend Car of the Year
Background: Chevy didn’t want to “push the styling envelope” like their rivals at Ford and Chrysler.
Downfall: Bland look. Bland to drive. Boooooring.
Car: 1990 Lincoln Town Car
Awarded: Motor Trend Car of the Year
Background: Improve the look and size of its predecessor. Basically, to reuse everything from past years and make a big profit doing it.
Downfall: See background.
Car: 1980 Chevrolet Citation
Awarded: Motor Trend Car of the Year
Background: To make a stylish front-drive compact car – it was the rage.
Downfall: Feel apart easily, rusted even easier and very poorly manufactured.
Car: 1974 Ford Mustang II
Awarded: Motor Trend Car of the Year
Background: This car was a direct response to the energy crisis of the time. Smaller everything.
Downfall: Perceived as a slow, small betrayal to the good Mustang name.
Car: 1995 Ford Contour/Mercury Mystique
Awarded: Car and Driver 10 Best Cars
Background: They wanted to take the Tempo/Topaz “movement” a step further – a smaller, tauter car that drive more aggressively.
Downfall: Too small and dinky.
