Top 10 Most Notorious Cars of the 1900s

Today, most vehicles are reliable, and many are exceptional. The era of cars falling apart while driving, radios breaking at the touch, and missing engine components appears to be over.

Compiling a list of the most disappointing cars of the 20th century, a period when automakers were still refining their craft and consumers eagerly embraced anything with four wheels and an engine, reveals a surprising array of subpar vehicles. Early models can be excused due to their experimental nature, but by the 1950s, cars should have improved significantly. Yet, this list shows that a third of the worst cars hail from that decade, with another third emerging from the notoriously troubled 1980s, particularly for American automotive design.

As we transition from the era of automobiles to the age of Hyperloop and flying vehicles, it's important to reflect on how truly dreadful some cars were.

10: Dodge La Femme

"How can we convince women to purchase our cars?" appears to have been the question posed by a misguided advertising executive in the early 1950s.

"Don't be absurd," replied another man with an excessive amount of Brylcreem in his hair. "Women don't buy cars. Have you ever seen them behind the wheel?"

After the ad men finally stopped laughing long enough to sip their scotch and ponder, they concluded that they needed a car men could buy for their wives as a grand apology gift. This led to the creation of the 1955 Dodge La Femme, derived from the Dodge Royal Lancer. While essentially the same car, the La Femme featured pink-and-white paint, pink tapestry seats (which wore out quickly), a rain cape, rain hat, umbrella (reflecting the 1950s belief that women disliked rain), and a matching purse containing a compact mirror, lighter, and lipstick. This blatant pandering didn’t resonate even in the 1950s, and the La Femme lasted only two years.

9: Jaguar XJ220

The Jaguar XJ220 earns a spot on the list of worst cars not because it was inherently bad, but because it failed to live up to its immense potential, much like the "Star Wars" prequels. A group of Jaguar designers secretly developed the car with minimal corporate oversight. When it debuted as a concept in 1988, it captivated enthusiasts with its V-12 engine, all-wheel drive, all-wheel steering (a rarity in the 1980s), and scissor-style doors. Despite its $500,000 price tag, wealthy buyers eagerly paid nearly $100,000 to reserve one.

However, those buyers needed patience, as the XJ220 didn’t hit production until 1992. When it finally arrived, it was a letdown. Due to emissions regulations, the V-12 was replaced with a six-cylinder engine, the all-wheel drive was scrapped for rear-wheel drive, and the iconic scissor doors were replaced with conventional ones. Unsurprisingly, many who had paid six-figure deposits years earlier refused delivery. In a controversial move, Jaguar sued them for breach of contract.

8: Edsel

No compilation of awful cars is complete without mentioning the Edsel. Even its admirers can’t deny its infamy. The Edsel Owners Club states, "The name Edsel has become a byword for disaster and failure." Time Magazine once noted, "Cultural critics suggested the car flopped because its vertical grille resembled a vagina." Even The New York Times described it as "a symbol of bold, misguided ideas shortly after its 1957 debut."

What made the Edsel so dreadful? Ford marketed it as if it could solve the Cold War and win over the prom queen in one go, but buyers soon realized it was just a budget Mercury. Rumors swirled that the cars arrived at dealerships with missing parts and instructions for assembly. Ford invested heavily in this doomed project, resulting in one of the most infamous failures in automotive history.

7: Cadillac Cimarron

Another entry from the Hall of Fame for Terrible Cars. In the early 1980s, Cadillac's prestigious reputation was fading. General Motors decided to rebrand a Chevy Cavalier as a Cadillac, doubling its price. While the Cavalier was never exceptional, it at least didn’t pretend to be—until it became the Cadillac Cimarron. This wasn’t a feel-good 1980s makeover story; it was more like "Weekend at Bernie's," with the Cavalier playing the role of Bernie. The idea that this underwhelming Cadillac could rival BMWs and Audis was laughable—and it failed spectacularly.

6: DeLorean DMC-12

The DeLorean DMC-12 was the brainchild of John Z. DeLorean, the automotive mastermind behind the Pontiac GTO, giving him significant credibility. However, he ventured out on his own to create this sports car, named after himself, which was produced in Northern Ireland during a turbulent period by workers untrained in car manufacturing. The DMC-12's iconic gullwing doors were prone to leaks and, in some cases, trapped drivers inside when the electrical system malfunctioned. To add to its troubles, John DeLorean’s career ended in a money laundering scandal involving cocaine, a quintessential 1980s cliché.

The DMC-12 experienced a revival in 1985, two years after its initial demise, when it was featured as a time machine in "Back to the Future." Fans raved, "What an incredible car!" Decades later, those same enthusiasts purchased the car for nearly its original price, only to realize its flaws.

5: Kaiser-Frazer Henry J

The Henry J was so notoriously bad that it’s rarely discussed today, and when it is, it’s with disdain by older car enthusiasts. Even in the 1950s, children could tell it was a poor vehicle. Owning one could ruin a person’s reputation, as it was cheaply made and lacked basic features like a glove box. The metal dashboard was a hazard in accidents, and its underpowered engines offered only 68 or 80 horsepower. The Henry J was too slow to escape its own unattractiveness and was discontinued after just three years.

4: Mustang II

This vehicle is widely regarded as one of the most disappointing cars ever made. It not only appears on countless lists of worst cars but also holds the top spot in the book "Crap Cars." While the original Mustang was undeniably iconic, the Ford Pinto was anything but. Combining the two resulted in the Mustang II, which inherited the Pinto’s infamous gas tank design—prone to exploding in rear-end collisions. Coupled with a weak engine due to the 1970s oil crisis, the Mustang II was outperformed even by the chrome horse emblem on its grille.

3: Trabant

Ask any group of seasoned car enthusiasts about the worst car ever made, and they’ll likely respond with a skeptical, "Does it have to be an American model?" If you say no, curious about their choice, they’ll unanimously declare, "Trabant."

East Germans endured not only the hardships of Communism and barbed wire but also the Trabant. These cars were constructed from Duroplast, a material made of recycled cotton and wood fibers, and lacked basic features like brake lights. Their engines emitted thick smoke and a two-stroke odor, as they required an oil-gas mixture similar to a chainsaw. Acquiring one meant joining a decade-long waiting list at a government factory. When the Berlin Wall fell, many owners abandoned their Trabants, fleeing toward freedom and leaving the dreadful little cars behind.

2: Chevy Vega

John Z. DeLorean finds himself associated with yet another automotive disaster, though this time, it wasn’t his doing. When he took over Chevrolet in 1969, he inherited the Chevy Vega, a car designed by a GM corporate team—a process only slightly better than letting the U.S. Congress design a vehicle. The Vega’s sheet metal was notoriously thin, and its rust-proof coating was inconsistent, leading to fenders that needed replacement after just a couple of winters in the Northeast. Remarkably, these cars could even rust in Arizona. Additionally, the engine often overheated, warping the head gasket, a critical component. To make matters worse, labor disputes at the Vega plant led to sabotage on the production line. This debacle paved the way for reliable, fuel-efficient Japanese cars to dominate American driveways.

1: Yugo GV

Deciding which of Malcolm Bricklin’s automotive ventures was worse is no easy task: the Bricklin SV1, a gull-winged sports car notorious for trapping its occupants, or the Yugo GV. While Bricklin didn’t design the Yugo, he began importing these budget cars from Yugoslavia in 1985, seemingly aiming to make Americans prefer walking. The Yugo GV had no redeeming qualities, from its underpowered engine to its faulty electrical system and shoddy build quality. Owners often found themselves pushing the car to the side of the road after it inevitably broke down.