OK. Now the worst car you ever owned or drove.
Worst car owned - I was lucky. Knowing something about cars, I avoided the lemons and clunkers, but the Olds F-85 four-door - though a great concept and perfect size - broke down on us three times, all on the road. My first Corvair had some problems including the engine falling out on Route 22 near Amenia, NY (Not far from where the F-85 broke down!), but was fun to drive. I had two VW Rabbits. First one was made in Germany and was a good car until daughter wrecked it on a snowy day. Second Rabbit was made in PA and was a POS. Flimsy trim broke, thermoswitch in radiator burned out twice and car finally died in Bridgeport when an intermediate shaft (whatever that was) broke and stranded me on the road.
Worst car driven - tossup between Singer SM 1500 and SIATA. Answered ad in paper for Singer. Drove the car with my friend Bart. Gearshift knob came off in my hand, door handle came loose, car smelled and smoked and felt like it was coming apart under me. The SIATA was a riot. It was in a showroom on Broadway in NYC next to Bill Vaughan's TR3 agency where I bought mine. The salesman - an old beat-up Death of a Salesman type - looked up from racing form he was reading and made me sign a purchase order before telling me to take it out for a test ride in the "Siesta" (I kid you not). He kept saying "You'll be satisfied". I drove it out of the showroom and headed for Central Park. The car was noisy and soon overheated and smelled from oil and coolant. It had good seats and handled like an Italian sports car should but I was lucky to get it back to the showroom in one piece. Not so lucky was Jerry Seinfeld who took out a Siata 208 and had it break down on him during an episode of Comedians in Cars Getting Coffee.
Worst car owned - I was lucky. Knowing something about cars, I avoided the lemons and clunkers, but the Olds F-85 four-door - though a great concept and perfect size - broke down on us three times, all on the road. My first Corvair had some problems including the engine falling out on Route 22 near Amenia, NY (Not far from where the F-85 broke down!), but was fun to drive. I had two VW Rabbits. First one was made in Germany and was a good car until daughter wrecked it on a snowy day. Second Rabbit was made in PA and was a POS. Flimsy trim broke, thermoswitch in radiator burned out twice and car finally died in Bridgeport when an intermediate shaft (whatever that was) broke and stranded me on the road.
Worst car driven - tossup between Singer SM 1500 and SIATA. Answered ad in paper for Singer. Drove the car with my friend Bart. Gearshift knob came off in my hand, door handle came loose, car smelled and smoked and felt like it was coming apart under me. The SIATA was a riot. It was in a showroom on Broadway in NYC next to Bill Vaughan's TR3 agency where I bought mine. The salesman - an old beat-up Death of a Salesman type - looked up from racing form he was reading and made me sign a purchase order before telling me to take it out for a test ride in the "Siesta" (I kid you not). He kept saying "You'll be satisfied". I drove it out of the showroom and headed for Central Park. The car was noisy and soon overheated and smelled from oil and coolant. It had good seats and handled like an Italian sports car should but I was lucky to get it back to the showroom in one piece. Not so lucky was Jerry Seinfeld who took out a Siata 208 and had it break down on him during an episode of Comedians in Cars Getting Coffee.