We’re all about gratitude at OnAllCylinders and we do encourage everyone to count their many blessings today.
But we’ll take a respite from all the thankfulness to focus on the other component of this holiday—Turkey Day.
And in honor of that alternative moniker, we’re talking turkey today (as in the biggest automotive turkeys ever).
None of this is opinion, mind you. It’s strictly by the numbers—we’ve listed some of the worst-selling cars (by volume) in the history of the American automotive industry.
The biggest automotive turkeys ever? Or did the public just miss the mark on these nine low-volume rides? You tell us.
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5. AMC AMX
Produced: 1968-1970
Sales: 19,000
We hear you, AMC fans. Perhaps if there had been a critical mass of enthusiasts like we see today in the late-1960s, AMC would have sold more than 19,000 of these and still be with us. Even still, we were a little surprised to see this one on the list. But at least the low sales numbers make the AMX a valuable collectible today.
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4. AMC Marlin
Produced: 1965-1967
Sales: 17,000
In a case of Cosmo’s “Who Wore It Better,” many folks preferred the similar fastback silhouette of the first-gen Dodge Charger to the AMC—though you can credit the Marlin with being the first to the party.
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3. Plymouth Prowler
Produced: 1999-2002
Sales: 8,100
This is the car that inspired the modern retro-car movement, and it’s frankly shocking that only 8,100 of them sold. But between 1999-2002, that’s precisely what happened. While it didn’t have the sales success Plymouth wanted, we think everyone with a little hot rod in their blood can appreciate bits and pieces of this one. And Chrysler never really intended the sales numbers for the Prowler to go through the roof anyway.
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2. Studebaker Avanti
Produced: 1962-1963
Sales: 4,600
So the face looks like Johnny Five. Even 50 years later, it’s not the most-beautiful thing we’ve ever seen. But the Studebaker Avanti was a technological leap forward when it showed up in 1962-1963. Only 4,600 were sold. It’s like people weren’t ready to go fast. Or maybe they just needed more input.
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1. Studebaker Wagonaire
Produced: 1963-1966
Sales: 940
Three years of production. 940 sold. Okay. So the movable hard top leaked a little. But, goodness. It has a rad movable hard top! In an era where it was perfectly acceptable to stand up and stick your head out of moving vehicles! We are beyond confused why the Wagonaire inherits the unenviable spot of #1 on this list. But. Three years? Only 940 sold? Gobble, gobble, we guess.
What belongs on this list? What doesn’t? Do you prefer whipped cream or Cool Whip on pumpkin pie?
We want to know.
Happy Turkey Day, everyone.
Look at this big turkey prowler with a 6.1 Hemi in it!! http://www.facebook.com/hemiprowler
Who was #10? Not a Chevy on the list. No surprise there. Still the Heartbeat of America!! ‘Like a rock’!!! Where was the Edsel on that list?.
Funny, I thought Buick was a GM product
Edsel wasn’t on the list because Ford sold 110,847 of them 1958-60. This list is about sales numbers, a general indicator of popularity.
If Chevy is the heartbeat of America is near Cardiac Arrest!
I guess Pontiac used a bunch of 0 Down/0% loans to move the Aztek ?
Well, Pontiac did manage to sell over 108,000 of the, uh, car.
You are clearly morons AMX on your list seriously?? why because it was the fastest car on the drags in 69? ( think AMC prostock) and you listed a lot of other really cool cars once again clearly in shitvrolets pocket Im not surprised
This is based solely on sales, not lack of awesomeness. If that was the case, Ford Granada would be on the list. It was craptacular, but was priced (and made) cheaply.
Mike, strictly by sales #’s, not speed, looks, no bias…..what they sold period, please take me back if you figure out a way, and we will boost those AMX sales some!
The Avanti was hand built so it would never have higher production numbers…thus it is on the list.
some of those are special editions, or trim models based on better selling vehicles… not sure that counts.
Or even just wrong. The figure given for the Studebaker Wagonaire was only for 1966, Studebakers last year. Studebaker actually made almost 20,000 of them during that models three year run… and it was such a “flop” that GMC copied the sliding roof on its short lived Envoy XUV.
And, Ford picked up on the ladder to access the storage compartment.
The prowler was priced too high to move. Plymouth did intentionally produce it as a boutique/status car.
The Prowler was also saddled with a V6. Had they managed to offer it with a V8 it might have had a decent uptick in numbers.
Nice car
In 1963 the Studebaker Avanti was the world’s fastest production car (178.5)….29 new national stock car records in 12 hours at Bonneville! The 1st car to have power disc brakes as standard equipment!
I know people like to repeat the comment that this Avanti was “The world’s fastest production car” in 1963.
However, stated like that, it’s 98% untrue.
In the industry when you say a production car it means ‘as produced’, a stock car, one you can walk into the dealer and buy.
The specific term “world’s fastest production car” in referring to the new Avanti, was invented by the Studebaker marketing department for advertising purposes, and they didn’t care about overstating their case, because this was their last chance to survive– the company was going broke.
The specific car that set the 29 records, and this was quite a feat, was one of only about eight rare R-3 high performance models which was then heavily modified with different parts by Andy Granatelli, the world-class racer.
If you bought an Avanti, it was good for about 120 top speed and that was if you bought the supercharged model. But most of them were 240 horse 289s with a low rear end that didn’t even go that fast.
There is a list of the actual world production car records for the fastest car in each year. In 1963 it was the Iso Grifo GL 365, and it went 161 mph.
This in no way detracts from the unusual styling, dramatic differences, and appeal to some people of the original Avanti. My friends older brother got one when they were new, we used to race, and it was quite beatable. Performance was not unlike a 289 Mustang that came out the following year.
The Studebaker was a good car, and only in the vaguest sense, just not literally “The world’s fastest production car!”
But if you love the car or for whatever reason you just like to say that go right ahead.
🙂
Say partner, Plymouth was discontinued as a brand in June, 2001. From then on in the Prowler was rebranded as a Chrysler. In addition, the Prowler came out in 1997, plus there were 11,702 made. Get your facts straight.
There one of those Studebaker wagon in Sandy Ridge NC,he want 4,000 dollars for it. it Sweet!!!
I hate listsike this, especially when they are so poorly researched.
http://auto.howstuffworks.com/1963-1966-studebaker-wagonaire5.htm
If you are playing strickly by the numbers, why didn’t Rolls Royce, Bently, and Ferrari get mentioned? These have always been extremely low production. Who is really the turkey here?
I hate to burst your bubble but the number of Studebaker Wagonaires made is from 1966 only and they made their last car in March 1966 so it was a very short build year. The real # are 1963 = 11,915, 1964 – 5,163 and in 1965 – 1,824. Unfortunately People back then weren’t into reliable and practical cars. Studebaker back then was on life support but they were a good car as I own 3 of them and I shake my head with my more modern cars/trucks as they are forever having parts failures and are designed very poorly. Just ask any mechanic that works on them (Big 3) regularly and tries to replace parts that would never of failed in a Studebaker. I suspect that is why we have so many popular foreign cars on our roads due to mostly unreliable North American designed and built vehicles.
I own three Studes. You are right. Bulletproof. I drive the heck out of them. My Brand X friends cars constantly need work.
Yes thanks for correcting that major error.
As stated, the writer was off by 95.3%! As the total figure, given your numbers above, for 4 years of Studebaker Wagonaire production was 19,824.
The picture displayed of the Reatta is beautiful. Wake up Reatta haters.
Yeah… the Avanti was such a flop it was built for almost forty years after Studebaker got out of the automobile business.
On the Wagonaire ….not sure where you got your info but they made them 4 years not 3 and they made a lot more than 800 of them …..think your only looking at one years production !
No one seems to have commented yet on the lowly AMC Marlin, so I’ll add my pitiful anecdote here.
At that time my dad was a dealer and I went with him to the Western Regional Dealers Association event in Las Vegas to unveil, as a preview for dealers only, the new AMC mid-year model.
They had the car under wraps on a big turntable with a lot of razzmadaz, scantily-clad models and after the grand announcement an overhead cord lifted off the car’s cover, and there was an immediate low but audible groan from the dealers present.
It seemed to be an odd looking car, two-tone aqua with a silly looking plaid interior.
I love fastbacks but for a somewhat sporty car it was probably too wide too long too large, to have wide appeal in that competitive market segment.
Of course you know the rest of the story. A bad seller, a turkey, a loser for the small but innovative manufacturer.
Now the unloved Marlin is actually hard to find in original shape –somewhat of an oddity like a Pacer Gremlin or even Nash Metropolitan –yet somewhat quirky cute and collectible.
Lists like this are like presidential polls, like A** Holes, everyone has an opinion. Based on your criteria, numbers sold of a production car, I suppose you are probably correct, But calling the AMX, the Prowler, and the Avanti ‘Turkeys’ is just false. They were good cars, they now are very popular cars. The prowler was so far ahead of it’s time, it got lost in the shuffle. And a V8 would have helped it’s sale number drastically. American Motors was dying a slow death when the AMX came out … it was a last gasp after the Hornet, and the Gremlin. Likewise, Studebaker was dying, design was not high in the plans at the Studebaker company … The Avanti was earth shakingly beautiful … and in Studebaker death throes, the public was confused, by an attractive Studebaker.