Time has a way of altering perceptions. This includes how a car can be seen as something incredibly awful and a flop when it really wasn't. The Ford Probe is often cited as a flop, yet it sold 300,000 units in its time. The 1990s make it trickier with the rise in fancier sports cars and how sales could be different from today, so the criteria for hit and flop aren't the same.
Yet it's pretty clear some sports cars of the 1990s did not come close to being hits. It's obvious when a bad sports car flops, yet it's more intriguing when an actually good or even great one fails to connect as expected. These are ten of the worst-selling sports cars of the 1990s, and while some are better regarded today, they were simply not enticing to consumers in that decade.
10 Chrysler TC By Maserati: 3536 Units
While technically coming out in 1989, the Chrysler TC has to rank as one of the bigger flops of the '90s and possibly the worst mistake Lee Iaccoca made. Trying to mix American engineering with Italian design was rough on paper and even worse in execution.
The 200 hp inline-4 engine was far too weak, and basing it on the Chrysler Q-platform was a huge mistake. By the time it rolled out, it was apparent the car was a mess, and so, after getting the absolute bare minimum required by the deal over its run, the TC was put out of its misery.
9 Nissan NX-2000: 9076 Units
One of those cars that it's surprising never became a hit, the Nissan NX-2000 was a remake of the Sentra and Pulsar and probably better than both. It boasted a fun 2.0-liter, 140-horsepower, fuel-injected four-cylinder that could be revved to 7,500 rpm and zero to 60 in 8 seconds, which wasn't bad for 1991.
Despite that good speed, handling, and low weight, the NX-2000 barely sold over 9000 models in its three years of production, although a steal to find today.
8 Aston Martin Virage: 1050 Units
An issue with Aston Martin cars is that they take longer to produce and roll out than your typical sports car. That was a blow against the Virage, which is a shame given how good it was. It had a fresh and vibrant look married to a fine V8 producing 330 hp. There was also the fun Volante convertible option that produced a great ride.
Yet by the mid-90s, both models were being ended due to both cost and the fact they couldn't meet U.S. emissions rules. It gave way to the Vantage, but the original Virage was a good car for its time.
7 Ferrari F50: 349 Units
Ferrari doesn't make too many flops...but when they do, it's as spectacular as their hits. The F50 was a great example as the car was actually excellent, from the 4.7-liter 60-valve V12 with 512 horsepower to the gorgeous bodu.
Yet it's also a Ferrari with wind-up windows and shakes too much on the open road. The high price didn't help, and so less than 350 were produced. Today, they're more valued on the back market, but the F50 was one of the company's worst sellers.
6 Plymouth Prowler: 11,702 Units
The Plymouth Prowler is frustrating in how it should have been a smash hit. It looks gorgeous with its unique retro style and seems to have the power to tear up the road. The 3.5L SOHC V6 was underpowered, especially for the heavy metal plating it carried.
This meant 245 hp and slow speeds and handling. It also had too small a trunk, and despite a good price, it barely sold over 11,000 copies for one of the company's notable flops.
5 1999 Qvale Mangusta: 284 Units
As close to an Italian Ford Mustang as you can get, the Qvale Mangusta had its origins when Carol Shelby backed out of a deal with De Tomaso, so they tried to name a car after a mongoose, which eats cobras.
For such a petty act, the car was pretty decent with a 250-hp Ford V8 and a nifty look to it. Yet the company didn't seem to care as much for pushing it as more than just a shot on Shelby, resulting in only 284 models created but a powerful ride.
4 Vector W8: 22 Units
The Vector W8 really should have worked. The car boasted a fun design like the license plate shifted to the side, a rear dent bumper, and the wedge shape and scissor doors were unique for 1991. The turbocharged V8 could pull off a stunning 625 hp and possibly hit 250 miles per hour.
Yet somehow, it never caught on with buyers and only moved 22 models between 1991 and 1993. It became infamous with Andre Aggasi returning his model, claiming it caught on fire and ruined what could have been a great '90s supercar.
3 Cizeta-Moroder V16T: 20 Units
It's hard to get more Italian than the Cizeta-Moroder V16T. It was the product of a unique union of Claudio Zampolli, music composer Giorgio Moroder and designed by Marcello Gandini. The 16 (yes, 16) cylinder 6.0l rear-mounted engine could make 540 hp at 8,000 rpm and 400 lb-ft of torque at 6000 pm.
Sadly, the performance was way too pricey for its time and even today can cost upwards of $750,000 (while not street legal in the U.S.). That meant no more than twenty were produced before the company ended the run.
2 Jaguar XJ220: 274 Units
If Jaguar had just lived up to their promise, the XJ220 would have become a legend. Jaguar boasted that this would be coming out with a V12 AWD promoting a minimum of 500 horsepower and fantastic speeds for 1992.
Instead, customers got a twin-turbo 3.5 liter V6 which, while still good, never came close to the performance Jaguar advertised. The backlash contributed to why, even with slashed prices, this is one of the biggest flops in Jaguar's history.
1 Vector M12: 14 Units
Proving "those who do not learn from the past are condemned to repeat it," Vector tried to top W8 with the M12. Incredibly, it ended up even worse. It was born amid a brutal fight for the company's future and was based on the Lamborghini Diablo.
Theoretically, the 5.7L v12 engine should have been good for 500 hp and great speeds. However, only 14 were completed before Vector went into complete bankruptcy and turned the M12 into a pitiful swan song.
Sources: Jalopnik.com, motor1.com.motorbiscuit.com, topspeed.com