The automotive industry boasts so many car models that even the most extensively knowledgeable gearheads know just a fraction of them. From this vast directory of vehicles, most of the cars disappeared and eventually got forgotten, while some became famous to date.
Car enthusiasts remember not only the most iconic cars ever made for their unique designs and badass qualities but also the astonishingly disappointing models that leave an indelible mark of unforgettable wrongness. Whether their body designs and performances were too ahead of their time, too late to the market, or just atrocious, these are some of the biggest automotive flops of all time.
10 Chevrolet Series-C Copper Cooled
Henry Ford's Model T was a trendsetter that motivated Chevrolet to develop the Series C Copper Cooled model in 1923. Charles Kettering built a simple air-cooled overhead-valve inline-four engine with copper cooling fins to provide an affordable Chevy for consumers.
The model failed initial internal tests, but the colossal fanfare and bold plans to build over 50,000 models prompted a rushed production. Even with competition from superior water-cooled models, the draw-through cooling system struggled to keep the engine at a safe temperature at low speeds, idle, or even in stop-and-go traffic. Chevrolet recalled and destroyed nearly all Cooled Copper models, but two are known to have survived.
9 Tucker 48
After World War II, the automotive world was ready to embrace new car designs, thereby providing infinite opportunities, especially for new and small automakers like Preston Tucker. Preston developed the Tucker 48, a beautiful car with an unusual headlight layout, with a centrally-located third directional headlamp designed to light the car's path around corners.
Despite being a pioneer in engineering and safety features, the first Tucker 48 prototypes faced a poorly planned public launch that resulted in bad press reviews. Reports of alleged fraud in funding the Tucker Company caused further damage to its reputation, which ended up producing just 51 models, including the prototype.
8 Rolls-Royce Camargue
Rolls-Royce Motors developed one of their first post-war models, the 2-door Camargue luxury saloon, from 1975 to 1986. The flagship Camargue boasted a Pininfarina design with a unique and first-of-its-kind split-level climate control system that took eight years to develop.
However, due to specific production designs and requirements, the Camargue lacked the grace and charm of a Rolls-Royce with an awkwardly proportioned and bloated profile that put off consumers. In addition to bad press coverage, this Rolls-Royce model alienated many car enthusiasts with a price tag that made it the most expensive production car in the world at the time.
7 GM EV1
General Motors was the first major automaker to mass-produce a modern-day and purpose-designed electric vehicle. The EV1 drew its design from GM's 1990 Impact concept car, which received favorable reception with buoyant demand.
Since GM looked at the car as part of their extended research project, they leased the EV1 instead of selling them outright to consumers. However, customers remained unsatisfied with the 100-mile range and limited charging stations. The company eventually decided to cancel the EV1 project, with most of the 1117 models getting crushed while the remaining examples lacking critical operational components.
6 Oldsmobile Aurora
GM built the flagship luxury sports Aurora sedan from 1994 to 2003 to rejuvenate the failing Oldsmobile company. Based on the 1989 Tube Car concept, the Aurora was equipped with an adapted model of the Cadillac Northstar's 4.6-liter V8 engine with an impressive 250bhp and 260lb-ft of torque.
The first generation Aurora was a success due to relatively low prices that rivaled the high-end offerings of the Japanese imports that flooded the market since the 80s. Unfortunately, Oldsmobile decided to raise the second generation Aurora's price, failing to tap their new budget-friendly mainstream market.
5 Renault Avantime
The Avantime was manufactured by Matra between 2001 and 2003. The grand tourer is unique for its design elements of a shooting brake or estate MPV with an aspect of a convertible and a style of 2+2 coupe. Renault developed this unique and bold model that features a pillarless roof to rival BMW and Mercedes cars.
The design for the Avantime was a complete failure because the rear seat space was insufficient for a 4-seater model, and the long double-hinged doors proved troublesome to make and use. In addition to handling challenges, the Avantime is on record as one of the worst-selling cars of all time.
4 Volkswagen Phaeton
The full-size Phaeton luxury model was hand-built in the same factory and the same platform as the Bentley Continental Flying Spur, selling in the US between 2002 and 2006 before global production ceased in 2016. After Mercedes launched the low-cost A-Class, Volkswagen engineered the Phaeton to surpass other prestigious German market leaders.
With only China and South Korea as its biggest market, Phaeton's actual sales fell short of initial expectations. The US boasts some of the most brand-conscious car enthusiasts globally; therefore, the luxury Volkswagen Phaeton appealed to a small segment in that market to deliver just 3354 Phaeton sales in 44 months.
3 Jaguar X-type
The Jaguar X-Type is an executive car manufactured when Ford owned Jaguar as a division of the iconic Premier Automotive Group. Intending to double its worldwide sales, Ford built this Jaguar model using a 4-cylinder engine and front-wheel-drive or AWD system.
Built on a similar platform as the Ford Contour and Mercury Mystique, the X-Type failed to meet expected sales goals by similar margins as the famous Chrysler Cimarron model. Faced with challenges such as engine seizures, complications in the AWD system, and general reliability problems, consumers cited the X-Type as a cheap car with a few gimmicks to justify its hefty price tag.
2 Fisker Karma
The luxury Karma sports sedan was among the first hybrids to hit the US market in 2011. The car boasts attractive and futuristic range-extended electric technology. The Karma comes with two electric motors connected to either lithium-ion batteries or an engine-powered generator.
Before the end of the debut year, Fisker recalled some Karma models that ran a risk of battery fire due to unforeseen coolant leakages. Poorly positioned hose clamps resulted in numerous battery recalls that eventually made the company file for bankruptcy in late 2013. Despite the hefty price tag for this model, the efficiency data fell woefully short of consumer expectations.
1 Ford Edsel
Ford developed the Edsel model as a fourth brand to gain additional market share from General Motors and Chrysler. As a competitor to Oldsmobile and Buick, the Edsel was an upper-medium contender that offered more glamour and luxury than Ford's older Lincoln brand.
Preceding the Edsel launch, Ford conducted a vigorous marketing campaign that identified this model as the car of the future. The Edsel featured a push-button gear selector and warning lights for engine temperature and low oil level. Still, its ugly and unattractive profile resulted in a colossal marketing disaster that cost Ford millions in investment capital. The Edsel is arguably the biggest and costliest mistake Ford ever made.