1. 1983 Renault Alliance

The Alliance was a 2- or 4-door sedan, launched in June 1982 as a 1983 model. Although it was branded as a Renault, the car bore AMC’s logo on rear window decals. The Alliance appeared on Car and Driver’s Ten Best list for 1983 and was the 1983 Motor Trend Car of the Year. The Alliance seemed just what the doctor ordered for AMC: modern front-drive sedans with a 163.8-inch overall length on a 97.8-inch wheelbase and a thrifty, transverse four-cylinder engine. The Alliance had a long list of standard equipment and got 37 miles per US gallon in city driving. Fuel economy on the highway with the 5-speed manual transmission approached 60 mpg-US. It was a sensible car for a post-oil crisis period in which good fuel economy was highly prized.

The Alliance was misconceived during that period when France’s Renault owned American Motors. The idea was to take the front-drive Renault 9 sedan, redecorate it with American-friendly elements like whitewall tires and a monochrome interior, and assemble the whole shebang in an old Nash factory in Kenosha, Wisconsin. Although the Alliance rode and handled okay for the time, the standard 1.4-liter engine croaked along with only 60 hp.

The Alliance proved that Wisconsin workers could assemble a Renault with the same indifference to quality that was a hallmark of the French automotive industry. By the late ’80s, the sight of rusted Alliances abandoned alongside America’s roads was so common that their resale value had dropped to nearly zero. When Chrysler bought AMC in 1987, its first order of business was the mercy-killing of the Alliance.

2. 2002 Ford Thunderbird

After being on hiatus for several years, Ford introduced a new Thunderbird for 2002. Returning to the original formula for the Thunderbird, the latest version had a two-seat coupe/convertible layout like the first-generation Thunderbird and retrofuturistic styling to match. The eleventh generation Thunderbird was built at Ford’s Wixom Assembly Plant and was based on the company’s DEW98 platform, which was shared with the Lincoln LS and Jaguar S-Type. Though the Thunderbird’s exterior styling was very much unique relative to its platform mates, the interior, particularly the appearance of the dash area, instrument panel, and steering wheel, was very similar to that of the Lincoln LS. The sole engine of the Thunderbird was a Jaguar-designed AJ-30 3.9 L DOHC V8, a de-bored variant of the Jaguar AJ-26 4.0 L V8, making 252 horsepower and 267 lb·ft of torque. The engine was mated to Ford’s 5R55N 5-speed automatic transmission. The AJ-30 V8 was replaced by the AJ-35 in 2003 and later Thunderbirds, bringing with it variable valve timing and electronic throttle control as well as 280 horsepower and 286 lb·ft of torque.

Unfortunately, Ford went cheap engineering the new T-Bird, grabbing most of the chassis pieces and many interior elements straight out of the lackluster Lincoln LS sedan’s parts bin. The result was an overweight, softly sprung roadster that looked great outside, was agonizingly boring inside, and was dreary to drive. And at about $40,000, it was stupidly expensive. If anyone were to drive this T-Bird, it would be platinum-haired women prone to carrying small dogs wherever they go. It turns out there weren’t that many of those women out there.

Only 19,085 Thunderbirds were sold during the 2002 model year, and sales dwindled from there. Mercifully, 2005 was the two-seater’s last year of production.

3. 1971 Chevrolet Vega

In mid-1971 a GT option package for Hatchback and Kammback models was introduced. It included the L-11 two-barrel carburetor engine, F41 Handling suspension, 6-inch-wide GT wheels with trim rings, center caps and A70-13 raised white-letter tires, black-finished grill and lower body sills, full instrumentation and a hood/deck sport stripe option.

That’s not to say the choice of the Vega as 1971 Car of the Year didn’t make sense in context. This was the year Ford and Chevy introduced new small cars, and compared with Ford’s Pinto, the Vega at least seemed better. The Vega handled more precisely, was available in more body styles, and with styling cribbed straight off the Camaro, looked more attractive. The Vega’s aluminum engine block even seemed like a technological leap forward.

However, the aluminum block’s unlined cylinder bores scored easily, and the iron cylinder head let oil pour into them. Every element of the Vega’s chassis was built about as flimsily as possible, and the unibody structure’s metal was usually attacked by rust mere moments after being exposed to, well, air. It’s been 38 years since the Vega appeared, and the stink still won’t wash off.

4. 1997 Cadillac Catera

By the mid-’90s, Cadillac was sick of being kicked around by European competitors like the BMW 3- and 5-series and Mercedes C- and E-classes. No matter how hard Caddy tried, it always seemed the Germans were cooler. So Cadillac looked at GM’s international portfolio of products, came across the rear-drive Opel Omega MV6 that was then being built in Germany, and decided that, with a little bit of redecoration and a name change to Catera, it would make a great Cadillac.

The Catera debuted for the 1997 model year, and was subsequently updated with a new nose, tail, wheels, interior trim, mirrors, optional HID headlights, stiffer suspension settings, and side airbags for 2000. Power came from a 200 hp 54° L81 V6 to the rear wheels, unlike all other Cadillacs of its day. The car’s engine was made in England at GM’s Ellesmere Port facility, the GM 4L30-E automatic transmission, which was also used in the BMW 3 and 5 Series, as well as certain Isuzu products, was from GM’s plant in Strasbourg, France. A Sport model of the Catera was offered beginning in 1999 featuring larger wheels, a firmer suspension, rear spoiler and other mostly cosmetic differences.

5. 1985 Merkur XR4Ti

In 1985, “Merkur” was such a peculiar name that anyone writing about Ford’s new brand of vehicles imported from Europe had to resort to pronunciation guides. “The Merkur XR4Ti is about the slickest thing ever to come out of a Lincoln-Mercury dealer’s showroom,” C/D wrote while enshrining the car as one of that year’s 10Best, “maybe the slickest thing ever to come out of the Ford Motor Company.”

To create the XR4Ti, Ford took Europe’s bulbous three-door, rear-drive Sierra, excised its V-6 engine, and replaced it with the turbocharged 2.3-liter four out of the Thunderbird Turbo Coupe and Mustang SVO. The result wasn’t a terrible car, but it sure was odd-looking.

The Merkur XR4Ti was a short-lived United States and Canada-market version of the European Ford Sierra XR4i. It was the brainchild of then Ford Vice President Bob Lutz. It was sold in the US from 1985 to 1989. It was the first vehicle of Ford’s Merkur range, followed in 1988 by the Merkur Scorpio. Ford had hopes of importing its top European models under this brand, including the Sierra Sapphire but the venture was ultimately unsuccessful due to branding issues, increasing Deutsche Mark exchange rates, general poor marketing tactics and the introduction in 1990 of new safety requirements such as airbags that would have increased retooling and production costs.

6. 1997 Chevrolet Malibu

There hasn’t been a more generic or uninteresting car made in America than the 1997 Chevrolet Malibu. “Chevrolet decided that unlike its cross-town rivals at Ford and Chrysler,” wrote Motor Trend as it assigned the Malibu its highest accolade, “it wasn’t interested in pushing the styling envelope with its new sedan.” And push it, General Motors didn’t.

A new front-wheel drive Malibu was introduced in 1997 on an extended wheelbase version of the GM N platform shared with the Buick Skylark, Oldsmobile Achieva, Oldsmobile Alero and Pontiac Grand Am. All N-body Malibus were produced at the Oklahoma City Assembly plant and the Wilmington Assembly plant before moving production to Lansing, Michigan. The Wilmington plant was retooled to build the Saturn L-Series in 1999. The Oldsmobile Cutlass was a clone of the Malibu that replaced the Oldsmobile Cutlass Ciera. The Malibu itself replaced the compact Chevrolet Corsica. Power came from a 2.4 L 150 hp I4 or 3.1 L 155 hp V6. The Malibu was Motor Trend magazine’s Car of the Year for 1997; this was later criticized by Car and Driver in 2009, citing that the Malibu was insufficiently distinguishable in terms of performance or interior quality to warrant such praise in hindsight.
2000-2003 Chevrolet Malibu

1997 to 1999 Malibus had a front grille with the Malibu logo in silver in the center; 2000 to 2003 models, and the Classic, had the blue Chevrolet emblem on the front grille. 1997 to 1999 LS models were sometimes equipped with special gold-colored badges.

7. 1990 Lincoln Town Car

The 1990 Lincoln Town Car was barely more than a reskinned version of its immediate predecessor, a lame tub designed to wring a couple more years of profits out of decades-old technology. Sure, the 1990 Town Car’s wheelbase grew an entire 10th of an inch—from 117.3 to 117.4 inches—and overall length was up 1.2 inches, but virtually every mechanical element was carry-over. That included the float-tuned suspension, the Nimitz-class steering circle, the arthritic 150-hp, 4.9-liter V-8, and the sloughy shifting four-speed automatic transmission. At least the looks were marginally improved, and if you’re going to pass out drunk on the floor of a car, it’s hard to think of a better machine to do it in than a stretched Town Car limo.

In 1990, the Town Car’s body went through a major redesign and a rear air suspension was added as standard equipment. That year, it was also named as Motor Trend’s Car of the Year; this was later criticized by the staff of Car and Driver in 2009, however, citing that the Town Car simply did not have enough performance or technical merit to receive reward in hindsight. Town Car was still available in three trim levels: Base, Signature, and Cartier — in increasing order of price and appointment of features. Cartier was now available in several interior and exterior colors. The 1990 Town Car also marked the end of the 1970s-based angular design. The front fender extensions that contained the parking and signal lights were removed, but the traditional Rolls-Royce-inspired grille remained – but now with a modern and aerodynamic front fascia. Parking lights were now located adjoining to the grille and the headlights wrapped around the corners of the front, similar to the look of the ’88 Lincoln Continental. All-new sheet metal gave Town Car a decidedly contemporary look, while styling cues, like those of the trunk lid and taillights, remained somewhat more similar to the 1980s model. The revised interior featured a new dashboard, seats, and door panels.

Introduced in 1990 were several new options that had never been available before on Town Car. A 2-position driver’s memory seat was an optional on Signature. Electric seatback recliners with power inflatable lumbar support were available as well. The Electrochromic Dimming Mirror was also a carryover option from the 1989 Town Car, but now wider than before. A revised digital instrument cluster featured a more advanced message center, but lost the “estimated time of arrival” feature. Many advanced safety features were now featured on Town Car. For 1990, driver and passenger side air bags became standard. However, problems with sourcing the passenger air bag module caused many cars to be delivered without the passenger side module. A credit, shown on the window sticker, was issued for the missing component. Upon request from an owner, the credit would be taken back and the passenger side airbag module would be installed. ABS braking was optional. 1991 saw the introduction of Ford’s new Modular V8, an SOHC design replacing the Ford 302 Windsor, as well as new, lightweight front and rear bumpers. For 1992, ABS braking as well as driver and passenger airbags became standard.

8. 1980 Chevrolet Citation

The Chevrolet Citation was a compact car sold by the Chevrolet brand of American automaker General Motors for model years 1980-1985. The Citation and its X-body siblings were among GM’s first front wheel drive compact cars, following the trend of front drive compacts such as the Honda Accord and Volkswagen Dasher. 1,642,587 were produced.

Things started going terribly wrong as soon as the X-car got into the hands of consumers. While staring down 60-month payment books, Citation owners were having trim bits fall off in their hands, hearing their transmissions groan and seize, and finding that if they listened closely enough they could hear their cars rust. At times it seemed the suspension in some X-cars wasn’t even bolted in correctly, as the ride motions grew funkier and funkier while the steering developed an oceanic on-center dead spot.

As GM’s first front-drive compacts, the X-cars were significant vehicles: They slaughtered GM’s reputation for a whole generation.

9. 1974 Ford Mustang II

The 1970s brought about more stringent pollution laws and the 1973 OPEC oil embargo. As a result, large, fuel-inefficient cars fell into disfavor, and the Pony Cars were no exception. Lee Iacocca, who became president of the Ford Motor Company in 1964 and was the driving force behind the original Mustang, ordered a smaller, more fuel-efficient Mustang for 1974. Initially it was to be based on the Ford Maverick, but ultimately was based on the Ford Pinto subcompact.

The new model was introduced two months before the first “Energy Crisis” in October 1973, and its reduced size allowed it to compete more effectively against smaller imported sports coupés such as the Japanese Toyota Celica and the European Ford Capri. First-year sales were 385,993 cars, compared with the original Mustang’s twelve-month sales record of 418,812.

Lee Iacocca wanted the new car, which returned the Mustang to more than a semblance of its 1964 predecessor in size, shape, and overall styling, to be finished to a high standard, saying it should be “a little jewel.” However not only was it smaller than the original car, but it was also heavier, owing to the addition of equipment needed to meet new U.S. emission and safety regulations. Performance was reduced, and despite the car’s new handling and engineering features the galloping mustang emblem “became a less muscular steed that seemed to be cantering.”

The car was available in coupé and hatchback versions. Changes introduced in 1975 included reinstatement of the 302 CID V8 option and availability of an economy option called the “MPG Stallion”. Other changes in appearance and performance came with a “Cobra II” version in 1976 and a “King Cobra” in 1978.

10. 1995 Ford Contour/Mercury Mystique

The Ford Contour and its rebadged variant, the Mercury Mystique were compact 4-door sedans marketed from model years 1995-2000 by Ford Motor Company in North America. The Contour and Mystique replaced the Ford Tempo and Mercury Topaz, were based on Ford’s CDW27 platform, were manufactured at Ford’s Kansas City Assembly and were derived from the first-generation globally marketed Ford Mondeo.

The Contour and Mystique ceased production without a direct replacement in Ford’s lineup in USA and Canada, while in Mexico, Ford replaced the Contour and Mystique with a locally manufactured variant of the European Ford Mondeo. In addition, Ford stopped selling Mercury vehicles in Mexico from 2000-2003. The larger Ford Fusion was introduced in 2005 to replace the Contour in the United States and Canada, and the Ford Mondeo in Mexico, also falling between the compact Focus and mid-sized Taurus.