One strange thing that will often get the best of us is perception. When a car is perceived to be a certain way, few of us will be willing to go out and confirm whether it is good or bad, we will simply accept it at face value.
This will rather unfortunately lead to some cars getting a bad name for no reason other than losing the popular vote and others getting glorified when they shouldn’t. In recent years classic sports cars have become more desirable than ever, and with that kind of popularity comes some serious value. Some of the “classic” sports cars are not very sporty at all, others shouldn’t even be considered classics.
10 Maserati Biturbo
Back when it was launched, it was touted as a Maserati for everyone, costing far less than other exclusive models that came before it. So, to say the least, it was something of a disappointment when the actual car was nothing but an overpriced lemon.
Costs were cut by using mass-market materials, sacrificing build quality, and inviting rust to the party thanks in part to some questionable engineering. Somehow, people still want them, especially now that they are cheap. These cars are cheap for a reason, ignore that pretty badge.
9 Mazda RX7
As soon as you think of Wankel engines, reliability is almost always the first thing that will come into question, there is a good reason why the enticing engineering project didn’t catch on.
When you look at the overall ownership cost you will quickly think twice, maintenance costs are high, that is a given, fuel consumption is high (as high as any V8 in boosted cars), and oil consumption is also high. Even if you keep it well maintained, it will still need an engine rebuild every 50,000 miles or so, at least if you drive your sports car like a sports car, because of those little apex seals.
8 Datsun 280ZX
For some reason, the '80s are always remembered with fondness, but for the automotive world it was a dreary decade, and back then, this Z car only had 140 horsepower.
It was a bit limp considering its weight, and if we are honest, it was rather boring too, but JDM tuners love the thing and values are going up rather than down.
7 Chevrolet Camaro Iron Duke
When you think of just how much stick the Mustang II gets, it is almost unfair that this steaming pile of iron doesn’t get more flak.
The less-than-spectacular inline-4 only made a paltry 92 horsepower and even back in the 80s, that was far too few for a car this size. Pretty much anything could show these so-called sports cars a clean pair of heels.
6 Porsche 912E
Porsche were determined to produce an affordable sports car, but in the 70s they panicked a bit after a couple of failed attempts and tried to revive the already dead 912.
It rather obviously bombed, it had even less power and fewer sales than the car it replaced. When the 80s came around they took a new approach, front-engine rear-drive cars became their new "budget" car, which was a success by a measure of sales but not really in terms of quality or performance.
5 DeLorean DMC12
Although it flopped spectacularly when it was launched, it gained unparalleled notoriety thanks to a certain Hollywood hit movie franchise.
In the real world, it was still a disaster of a car. Most of the problems stem from the woeful rear-mounted PVR V6 engine which ended up destroying performance and handling in one fell swoop.
4 Triumph TR7
After finally passing all the safety regulations and requirements for the North American market, the final version was completely compromised.
Its looks were ruined by the ridiculous bumper they patched onto the front end. What little power it had dropped even further down, and the weight that was added ended up ruining the handling. It is now widely regarded as one of the worst sports cars ever made.
3 Fiat X1/9
On paper, this is such an exciting little car, close to 100 horsepower in a small unibody mid-engine car that weighs around 2,000 pounds. Not to mention it was designed and exclusively manufactured by Bertone for many years.
Sadly, in the real world, these cars returned to the earth faster than anything Fiat has been able to conjure, which is really saying something. It also rusts in unseen structural areas which is a cause for great concern in a car you want to be driving on twisty mountain roads.
2 Ferrari Mondial
Not all Ferraris are equal. Somehow anything with the badge still attracts attention and value even when it isn’t justified.
For so many, the 80s were just a bad decade and this Ferrari was no exception. Only producing a pitiful 200 horsepower, it took over 9 seconds to get to 60. Your truck is likely faster.
1 MGB GT
After making some excellent cars in their early years, they saw a steady decline by the 70s after British Leyland took over, clinging onto their name and getting away with making inferior quality products.
Although they have fans and clubs all over the world, these cars have underpowered, outdated, heavy, OHV pushrod inline-4 engines and as a result, their handling and performance was that of a regular family hatchback from the same era. Just less reliable.