Yugo!!!

[JPSmit]

Yes a Yugo, and with New York State tags to boot! which means he had to have driven at least 80 miles. actually it looked in very good shape and, I suppose no more gutsy than me dumping the Midget on the highway. I have to say the lines grow on me a bit - kind of like Fiat 124's, First generation Rabbits etc. - very crisp, no bloating and just fun. Oh and saw a lovely alfa coupe a little later

 

[aeronca65t]

Yugo is a somewhat redesigned FIAT 128 (built in Yugoslavia, of course). It was really built under license from FIAT.

That was one of the cars brought to America by Malcolm Bricklin. His other well-known venture was the gullwing Bricklin car (built in Canada)

He was also the first person to sell Subarus in North America (but he only sold the tiny 360s which were a flop at the time).

 

[mikephillips]

I once saw, I think it was in Car and Driver, a list of all the stuff each one had to have replaced with american suppliedparts when imported due to their not meeting then safety standards. Including wipers and motor, tires, headlamps, glass that wasn't safety type, and about 20 other items. I never understood why they even came in at all if the first stop seemed to be a serious rebuild.

 

[PAUL161]

When VW went to Mexico to continue building the Bug, I was under the impression that they could not be sold here due to the wrong glass and smog equipment for a new car. I couldn't verify this but, I think a few found their way here though and Americanized by private parties. PJ

 

[Dinky]

Yugo's were cheap cars that were popular until NATO bombed the factory.

 

[LarryK]

Did they classify a Yugo s a car?

 

[Dinky]

Well Horseless carriage at least Lol

 

[mikephillips]

I would have used, "eventual large lawn ornament"