The Biggest Flops in Automotive History
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- Опубликовано: 24 авг 2024
- Currently available on eBay for $189.
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You need to make a shirt that says "I helped Simon get a Deloren and all I got was this lousy T-shirt... Allegedly"
These two accounts have been tag-team spamming flux zone all over popular RUclips channels’ comment sections.
Gas mileage has Ben held back for ever even in motorcycles its for profit. Lies lies. Lies. Great gas mileage is very possible but will never happen. Money grabbers will see to that
There needs to be an available option that automatically hits the like button, Whether I like it or not, (which never happens). It would save me and everyone else time, as I (like anyone with more than two brain cells) always likes his videos. Somebody help me out here, This should be a no-brainer. DUH !!!
Scotty Kilmer says don't buy it.
There's a Texas company that bought all the Delorean inventory and sells "new" ones...
"...which GM never recouped."
don't you mean, "which GM never recoupayed"?
😁😁😁😁😁😁😁😁
HA
Tooshay, tooshay!
We say "coop" because we aren't brits. And, by the way, a "bonnet" is a little hat for women and little girls.
"recoupayed" ....... ah ... a man of culture i see ... :D
"We made a product. You didn't like it. It's your fault." I think that is the current moto of the entertainment industry.
This is true. They're trying to feminize all of the male action heroes..... Then they're trying to turn the men into wimps.
It's the classical mistake of making something you like and all the yes people around you say yes to rather than asking the customers what they want.
@@fredferd965 ok reactionary
@@fredferd965 speak for yourself, dude.
I think the best neutral example of this is the (at the time of this comment) F9? No one asked for anything beyond Fast and Furious, I don't know; maybe 3 to be generous. . . . doesn't explain why the F&F series is seriously taking on the Land Before Time series for # of movies pointlessly made that no one wanted. I mean they've already beaten out the SAW series even though they just rebooted that one as well.
The EV1 is a hard one to be on the list as it was literally never intended to succeed.
My uncle restored an Edsel before he passed away.
It's actually pretty neat to ride around in.
Definitely the coolest car on this list lol
RIP Uncle Pete
My dad had one, way back before I was born. He said it was actually a good car. But I remember hearing about how the reverse went out, so they couldn't park it anywhere they couldn't drive off from.
I suppose that a car lovingly restored would be better than a car thrown together slipshod by bored assembly line workers.
My grandfather restored one before he passed away. Took him 5 years to find all the pieces of chrome on Ebay. My brother still has it and it is a eye catcher whenever he drives it
Edsels are cool looking
I had a Yugo 45 when I was a student. It was a very exciting drive; 40mph felt like Space Shuttle re-entry, 60 downhill with a following wind left you needing new trousers. As for Simon saying Cavalier, I just automatically thought "Vauxhall".
How can you tell if a Yugo is out of oil?
There's no puddle of oil underneath it.
How do you double the value of a Yugo?
Fill the tank with gas.
The yugo is the best car.
We used to say that when a Yugo ran out of gas, you'd throw it away and get a new one, like a bic pen
@@carenburger Knew a guy who essentially did that with his 1st gen Honda CRX which he had bought new. He didn't have money for tires, but he did have decent enough credit to buy a new car, so instead of getting tires he traded it in on a new Suzuki Samurai.
In the EV1 segment, it wasn't mentioned that GM was the spearhead of the lawsuits against California to repeal the law that required the EV program to begin with. I don't consider the car itself a flop, but when you know the entire story, it's clear that GM's priorities were not straight. They intentionally offered the EV1 for lease only, and intentionally recalled and crushed them as leases expired once the CA law had been shut down. Then they launched the Hummer H2.
"GM learned their lesson...there's never been a successor to the Cimarron". Cadillac Catera enters the conversation.
@ChryslerMan Amiga 1084 cough cough Northstar cough cough...
That was a vauxhaul originally I think.
The Catera was actually a good car and that's because it was a Vauxhall/Opel that was rebadged :P.
Cimarron was a joint venture with Toyota
The documentary "Who Killed the Electric Car" about the EV1 goes into detail how the car failed and who was blamed. Vey interesting to watch.
I agree It was a great documentary. The sequel was just as good. The oil oligarchs were to blame for the death of the ev1.
@@louiscypher6772 The sequel was quite good.
It's a BS film.
@@maxant4285 thank you for your inspirational critique.
That car was doomed to fail without interfering from the oil companies. It's problem was 1990s Battery Technology.
Having to charge your car for 8 hours to drive 50 miles and then you need another 8-hour charge makes it basically useless.
As a 15 year old kid in Southern California, I had a neighbor who was an engineer for GM and had an EV1. Knowing that I was into cars, he once gave me an ride in it. I remember that thing had a surprising amount of pickup and actually handled really well. (He was certainly pushing it harder than a soccer mom). He said that the only real problem was pushing it hard drained it really, really quick. He was a cool guy. Always had the "cool" GM cars, Corvettes, Firebirds and so forth.
Back when employee pricing was 15-25% off MSRP.
I lived in Lansing Michigan, where they were built so I’ve seen my share since it flopped so badly the final few ended up in the hands of GM employees
@@thephantomeagle2 Really? I thought all but 4 were destroyed...
@@wojciechmuras553 One of my neighbors has one.
@@thephantomeagle2 Oh my God, that's a huge discovery! Please, don't overshare that information. Not until you're absolutely sure your neighbor managed to purchase the car lawfully. It's really amazing to know there are more survivors, but it might technically still be GM property, on the illegal run from their crushers, like the other 4. You don't even know how lucky you are to be able to see one driving... It's quite possibly the single rarest car from the 90's in existence.
The EV-1 was ahead of it's time in terms of innovations like regenerative braking which used the brakes to generate electricity, but the car relied on ancient and very heavy lead acid batteries which made it's curb weight as much as a typical mid-size sedan, despite rolling on tiny tires. The EV-1 was always an experimental design in which the leasers were simply part of the testing and could never be owners.
There was a documentary about the politics behind it. Can't remember the name of it though.
Yeah that’s kinda what I thought. The batteries were prolly heavy as crap and horrible. But still imagine if climate was as big a deal as it is now. Hah we would be having all these lead based batteries and the iPhones would prolly be powered by it. Shit if this DIDNT Fail idk. Imaging how battery power would be. Lead everywhere. Car accident? Lead. Phones by ur face? Lead. Lol prolly wouldn’t be that extreme but it’s fun to imagine
People like to cite GM crushing them, but they leave out the enormous cost of each car. The entire program ran at a huge loss and it was never going to be a financially viable vehicle. These are really no different than the hydrogen vehicles some major manufacturers lease today. Here have this 1/4 million dollar R&D car for $400 a month. You're not getting that when the lease is up. It's a test vehicle. Did GM did some super sleezy things to kill off the CA requirement for these vehicles? Yep. That doesn't mean the EV1 would have ever actually worked in the market. The technology was ready to make the car, but not to make the car at a price people would have purchased it at.
I sold new Chevy’s in 1984. All the Cimarron was is a Chevy Cavalier with Cadillac bling and badging. I drove a Cavalier as my first demo car. My roommate worked in used cars and drove home a Cimarron one day. They looked exactly alike other than all the Caddie shi.....stuff 😎
Edit: If I’d been patient enough with Simon, apologies sir 😎, he covered this exact point and then some a few seconds later. Bravo Zulu sir.
Peace Love & Groovies 😎
Lots of car brands were like that back even when I was a kid. Ford and Mercury for instance.
Never understood it.
Simon, if you get a Deloreon: A) Get a Flux Capacitor to go with it, and: B) Make sure it will accelerate to at least 88 mph. That way you can do in-person research for your historical videos. 😚
The problem with that and the reason the Delorean should be at the top of the list is that it was under powered and couldn't get to 88mph going downhill.
@@jeradw7420 Sad but true. The DMC was such a missed opportunity. It STILL looks incredible but the engineering was such a mess due to time and money crunches. ( And possible fraud on the part of Colin Chapman and JZD, but who knows.) Compared to the concept a lot was lost in translation, but I would still get one if I had the mad money and spring for an engine mod through DMC Houston.
My favorite condemnation of a bad car was of the Yugo done by the guys at Top Gear. They said it was a car so wimpy that you couldn't even kill anyone with it. The best you could hope to do was nudge them to death.
😂😂😂😂
oh my lord, That just way too funny. lol
"Yugo here, Yugo there,Yugo everywhere, nobody sell you parts."
Why did the Yugo have a rear window defroster?
To keep your hands warm while you push it.
Yeah, worst part is, only drivers and passengers would sustain injuries or deaths...
Didn’t GM go out of their way to not sell the EV1? I remember a story about Tom Hanks wanting to buy out his lease and GM refusing not to take it away for crushing.
because it was already subsidized, and the laws for supporting parts for years would mean no matter how much hanks would pay, it wouldn't be worth it.
They were leased, not sold, although a number of drivers wanted to buy them at the end of the lease. It was really an attempt to understand the potential of the electric vehicle market and the technical limitations of developing the cars.
GM LIE? My word! How dare you accuse this incredible American company of not telling the truth?
A popular liberal urban myth. The leased cars belonged to GM, obviously, and they were losing money every day on the things. OF COURSE they got rid of them. They didn't want to lose money on Tom Hanks any more than anyone else.
@@joes9954 Except they didn't lie. They were losing money. Capitalism. It's all about MAKING A PROFIT. Isn't that your mantra? They were subsidizing every mile driven by the things, and that's neither a good idea nor even possible for a company fast approaching bankruptcy.
This car was not actually a flop - in fact it was quite cutting edge for the day. EV-1’s were killed off by the Auto Industry - and its owners were furious. There is a very interesting documentary on this car.
It’s called “Who Killed the Electric Car?”
@@Laura-S196
Yes, everyone should watch thst
Thank you for posting the title of the documentary. It's funny to see how far we've can me since then with electric cars. Question really is behind the glitz and technology of the interiors - are the batteries any better?
@@markianwoodbury The actual question is...how the heck are we going to provide enough power for 10s of millions of electric cars-specifically their battery packs? Lithium batteries will also be difficult to manufacture as the environmentally disastrous Lithium mines are in China (who will obviously squeeze our "cajones" in a supply chain nightmare).Wind & Solar power generation isn't going to do it...fossil fuels and nuclear power will (but negates the "benefits" of the electric car). Expect the e-car's costs to skyrocket as gov subsidies are abated and massive taxes to maintain roads are transferred to these cars when ICE cars aren't in vogue and phased out.
@@markianwoodbury Think of it this way. EV's are the only technology where your car can only get better as the tech improves. If all went as hoped, you pull your EV into the shop, they drop the pack and swap it out with a new one with the epectation that battery tech would improve every 3-5 years so your range could improve by 25-50% depending on the weight of the vehicle and they type of batteries you had. This was already apparant between lead and NIMH in the late 90's' early 200's EV's. My Ford Ranger EV was abailable with wither. Estimated range was approx 40-ish with the lead cells and about 70 with NiMH. This might sound like much, but in this instance it literally is a standard Ford Ranger except it was electric so it was heavier that a car designed to be an EV. There was also a US Post Office variant that was tested though sadly cancelled when GM pulled the plug. From my experience, I found the biggest negative on range was the ceramic heater. You turn that on and can see the range drop. It was VERY power hungry as opposed to the AC which essentially cancelled out the regenerative breaking gain, but neither was needed to be on too long as that heater made it sweltering in that cab in less than 2 minutes. There is a gauge on the dash that shows you how much you are regenerating and if I drove it to work over 70% is down hill so all gain for the trip home later. It truly is a wild vehicle.
The EV-1 had WAY more demand than supply. GM publicly killed it with no attempt to hide that they did. 100% of those who leased them wanted to buy them out, but they claimed they were all prototypes, reclaimed them, and crushed them.
Yes , whoever wrote that the EV was a flop is way off the mark. GM killed the electric car not the lack of demand
100% of humans doing ANYTHING is far fetched.
Agreed, people were so pissed off at GM that they literally made a documentary movie about it, "Who killed the Electric Car". GM didn't just kill the EV1 either, they sold the battery patent to an oil company with no interest in letting EV's ever become a thing, which pissed people off even more. Anger over the EV1 is literally why Tesla was founded in the first place.
They r out there u gotta know where to look people who have them aren’t gonna flex it
Having celebrities endorse your product is like having topless bartenders. A desperate move by a failing company. The range (or lack thereof) springs instantly to mind and in my eyes, the thing looks as hideous as a Chrysler PT cruiser. The car is genesis for the EV zealot and the ultimate IQ test for any prospective car buyer.
The Edsel is basically the real world version of The Homer
Great car
The Edsel actually inspired The Homer.
Homer’s dad fought the Nazi’s, Edsel’s dad inspired them.
I read that dealers joked the center grill needed hair around it.
It was a great car, just ahead of its time
GM sabotaged the ev1, they didn’t want it to be successful. The flaws of the vehicle aren’t the reason for its failure.
“We made a product and you don’t like it. It’s your fault.”
Sounds like Hollywood.
My parents had a turquoise and white 57 Chevy during the late 50s/early 60s. That was the coolest car. When we lived in Japan in the early 1960s it was the largest thing on the freeways except for the trucks, and most drivers gave my mother a wide berth when she was driving.
That hurts, Simon. As a proud and enthusiastic owner of a Pontiac Sunbird I resent dumping it into the same pool as the Cavalier and Cimarron. Pontiac had a remarkable way of creating something fun despite GM's attempts to force bland and non-exciting. Caddy didn't have the same creativity.
The later sunbird's built during the 2nd and 3rd generations were quite sporty and nice with the right optinon packages, the first generation ones that were initially sold as the J2000, 2000 and Sunbird were just as bland as the cavalier skyhawk and firenza.
Absolutely, the sunbirds got the 2.0l
Along with the Skyhawks...that engine was a game changer, it transformed that chassis into something not in the same game as the cavalier and cimmaron. The 2.0l came from Opel and was a throughly modern OHC engine...compared to the iron duke in the cavalier. My sister bought a later sunbird and she drove the wheels off that thing for five years and did nothing but an alternator and tires I think she sold it with over 340.000km
On it and it still looked and drove great
Amazing really as it was a cavalier at its roots but Pontiac put enough changes in it to make it something totally different. Not a fan of GM but I think things would be better if they had axed Buick instead of Pontiac.
@@deggs1975 The "IRON DUKE" was never available in any of the J-car variations.
The 1.8 and 2.0L engines were Opel derived.
Never thought anyone would make a point to tell others they were proud and enthusuastic about owning a Sunbird... or any Pontiac for that matter. Good stuff, great standup material. 🤣
Wow..... never thought I would see a defence of one of those heaps of poo
Okay, now where you opened the gates to car content:
Side Project on the Porsche 911
Or
Side Project on the Ford Mustang
@@IrishMike22 it's a culturally significant car, only really comparable to the 911, VW Bug, VW Golf or Toyota Corolla in its impact on the society
@@DefinitelyNotEmma nah, Toyota Supra has more significants then both of those
@@teajayeh169 definitely not, the Supra isn't as old, nor did it sell in significant numbers like these did.
The only people that worship the Supra MK 4 specifically only watched the Fast and the Furious and don't know much about cars aside from that.
@@teajayeh169 yeah, no. It was just a halo car from the 90's.
@@teajayeh169 lol. Toyota? I'll give you a quick run down of just how bad they are. The only truck maker that has frame recalls. Lied many times and paid off government's media etc to cover the lies. For example you heard the big 3 got bailouts? Ya chevy dodge and Toyota got us bailouts not ford. The epa forced manufacturers to be honest about mpg and created a program to show true mpg solely for the lies being told about Prius. Nascar...first rule of nascar is must be a north american nameplate. Yet toyota is In. Pay off insurance co.panys to get a 5 star crash rating on the death traps they make. As far as your supra? Lol kid when Toyota engines produce over 10000 hp get back to me. No that wasnt meant to say 1000 its 10000. Thinking you're junk is fast lol
The EV1 was a sensation. It was killed by GM without any real reason. I think it scared the oil industry and therefore it had to die.
Bad heavy lead batteries were a major issue they can't be recharged as often as newer battery tech before you need to replace them causing more pollution than much larger gasoline vehicles
Little known fact about the EV 1 is that its technically a Saturn. I used to be a Saturn parts guy and we had the EV 1 in our manuals/software right up till Saturn folded. The design language is also Saturn
Even the structural design right? Steel Spaceframe with Thermoplastic body panels?
I thought it looked like a Saturn.
@@Badjujubee I owned two Saturn SL2s, a 1992 and a 1997. Those plastic panels were the bomb. There's still hoopties rollin' around with those body panels in decent shape, in all their un-dingable, rust-free glory.
You are completely wrong with the EV1 wasn't a failure it was killed by GM themselves.
Yup. People did not want to give / sell / send them back.
Yes
@@stephentroyer3831 it was killed by its old battery tech, of course people didn't want to send it back, it was subsidized and those were true believers.
If I remember correctly, GM researched a company developing Nickel Metal Hydride batteries. GM bought the company, didn't use the batteries, and sold the company to Texaco.
And scrapped the car.
@@drewthompson7457 we don't use those batteries now for a reason, the engineering numbers were obvious even then, the fantasists insisted on a conspiracy theory instead, and so was born a myth around an expensive golf cart which was scrapped because it should never have been born.
Simon said that was a long intro.. I'm thinking about every Business Blaze intro.. sure it was Simon
Saw your comment after posting mine...
Pretty sure Sam sprinkled some fine meme's as well.
I'm still waiting for the Business Blaze episode, thats just a long intro and nothing else
I was just gonna say the same thing
Hahaha this is the comment I wanted to see. I sweat there's one BB that's like 18 minutes and the first 7 are him ranting about something.
EV1 was NOT a failure, it was a doomed project that GM never planned on to continue. They wouldn’t even allow the cars to exist after the project was completed.
Then compensated by buying and developing the Hummer brand 🙄
The EV1's followers were just as zealous as Tesla followers are today.
Boy, that puckering grill on the Edsel really gives justice to the saying "sucking on a lemon."
Did you just bust your uncle for Grand theft auto?
@@M167A1 wat?
It was famously compared to a toilet seat.
@@M167A1 Is this a reference to something I'm either too old or too young to get?
For all,of you Google u students
The GRILL was compared to a womans cooch,NOT A TOILET SEAT.I lived back then I know.
The EV1 doesn't belong on this list, the only thing that really flopped about them was the GM failed to use the knowledge it gained from what was actually an engineering project.
As to the Cimarron it wasn't really a terrible car, it was actually a very nice Cavalier. However, if you want to go back a few decades the last Packards, which were actually Studebakers, were far more believable as Packards than the Cimarron was a Cadillac.
The 1957-1958 "Packards" a.k.a. the Packardbakers, crappy Packards, decent Studes. . . .
I can't fathom the EV1 working at the time. Very poor battery technology, there was no plan to pursue any infrastructure to assist with charging it, the cost for the time compared to the cost of gasoline,...
@@DaveCM I can see it. If you charge it at home and don't have far to drive it would make sense. My mom rarely gets more than ten miles from home if she's driving herself, if she had a place to charge an EV, even an EV1, it would probably serve her just fine.
Yeah, this. Hard to call something a flop when it was more of a large scale "Captured Test Fleet" than a fully-featured released product.
Simon, The EV-1 was never intended for serial production. It was conceived and operated as a research project for future vehicle development. It was also how GM met California’s mandate that automakers who sold over a certain number of vehicles in the state needed to offer low or zero emission vehicles (LEV, PLEV and ZEV) vehicles. GM eventually sued the State of California, successfully arguing that electric vehicles do not reduce emissions-they only relocate the source of pollution. As soon as they won the suit they ended the program, which allowed people to lease the vehicles. They were wildly popular with those who leased them. Hardly a failure. I worked on a similar program with Nissan (Altara EV and Hypermini), also a successful program, given it’s stated goal.
That Edsel station wagon, though. I want it.
My next door neighbor had an EV1 for a while. I thought it was cool. Way ahead of its time, and GM didn't want to support it. GM didn't give lessees a chance to purchase the cars if they wanted to. They just took them back and crushed them.
Yup, they made a big error...hey if folks these weird electric things they won’t want are humongous gas guzzlers that we have invested millions in.
They only had a 100 mile range. GM didn't want the hassle of servicing them. They were only built because California decided to force car manufacturers to supply electric cars.
@@genekelly8467 no. GM killed ev1 because didnt want to mess with their ICE cars..
Not all of the EV-1’s were turned back into GM, some of the owners hid the cars and still possess them to this day. My uncle Charles is one of those owners and continues to hide the car from GM, my uncle is an absolute legend.
Charles is the GOAT, hope he hands it down to someone who will carry the torch.
The EV1 wasn't a flop at all. They were never offered for purchase. Just leased. GM pulled all the cars back and destroyed them. There were a lot of people who were fighting against it but GM destroyed all of them. You should watch "Who Killed the Electric Car" and then your research may take a swing since it should not be based on numbers due to how they presented it to the public. They could have made and would have made more if they would have actually sold them.
I appreciate that Business Blaze has deviated so far from being a business-themed channel that the actual business-related videos end up elsewhere.
Simon, if you want a De Lorean, there is a group who will build you one. They bought up the parts stock and build De Loreans for customers... right down to the 115 horsepower Renault V6 that barely got it up to 88mph.
That'll be a US-spec Renault V6, I imagine.
The European-spec engine is around 150bhp. Still nowhere near enough for that car though.
As long as it can hit 88, you can still time-travel!
the motor for the delorean was the same motor they put in the volvo 260s....
audi block,Peugeot heads,renault cams....Frankenstein motor.
had 2 major things wrong with them....long ass cam chains,that would break with no valve clearance if you didnt religiously change the oil,and if you didnt change the coolant regularly,the aluminum block,steel sleeves for cylinders,and copper seats at the bottoms of those cylinders were all unlike metals,and the charging system would perform electrolysis on the unlike metals...and you end up with all the coolent in the bottom of the pan.
in the volvos,most people would put a small block V8 in them,to get rid of that damned frankenstein V6..
A friend bought one a year or so ago, after his wife destroyed his Tesla with her 4WD. Nice to have plenty of disposable income.
it's unfair to call the ev 1 a flop. the whole thing was a pilot program, not a full fledged vehicle release. the cars were only available for lease and had to be returned to gm at the end of the program. drivers loved their cars and didn't want to give them up when it was time.
I worked in a medical office in the 1980s and there was a pediatrician who was so proud of her Cadillac. It was a Cimarron. Yes, my co-workers and I smirked. On the other hand, there was a surgeon who had a late '60s Ferrari 330.
I reads interview with the chief engineer on this car. He said that what caused GM to drop the program was that the batterie tech was not nearly up to snuff and they knew that it would be several years for that technology to be good enough. Made perfect sense to me.
The reason for the lease only program was their concerns over the batteries.
The Bricklin SV-1. When an entire Canadian province was taken for a "ride."
Exactly the car that I was hoping to be covered here, since it was made in my home province. I actually saw one on the road in Pittsburgh, PA, about 20 years ago!
the Bricklin would be worthy of an entire episode.
There was one for sale here in the UK recently, must be something about cars with gulwing doors being piss poor.
The Delorean story basically took a big dump on the people of Northern Ireland, such a shame.
@@Zerofightervi I think the gullwing doors were a gimick to maybe try to hide other deficiencies, for sure with the Bricklin. The thing I remember most about the Delorean was that the body was made from stainless steel. Probably as a selling feature because at the time, the "Big Three" in North America were having big trouble with cars rusting out pre-maturely. However, stainless steel isn't as formable as the steel used in the automotive industry and I'm sure that lead to monsterous headaches for stamping plants. It's harder to weld, too.
@@rodchallis8031 It'll be interesting to see if Tesla is able to overcome the shortcomings of stainless steel with the so called Cybertruck.
I honestly don't see how this vehicle will ever pass crash safely regulations with so little give in the body, no bumpers to absorb impacts.
I'd imagine the pedestrian safety rating is going to be a big fat zero.
EV1's lack of range was GM insisting they had lead acid batteries.
Were there other options at the time? It was a loss leader even with the less expensive battery.
@@EdDale44135 Ask Sandy Monro.
The EV1 was intended as a compliance car. Heck, even though it was actually popular among people that leased it, GM refused to extend leases or allow them to be bought outright, scrapping most of them.
Cadillac actually did somewhat bring back the Cimarron concept. In the 1990s they rebadged an Opel Omega as the Cadillac Catera. That did not work out too well.
I still say that the Cimarron should have been derived from the Chevy Celebrity, and no 4 cylinders- V6 only. Still would have sucked, but at least would have had a point.
Simon: "that was a long intro..."
*OG Business Blaze Legends have entered the chat*
He's never even done the first paragraph that quickly
I SMASHED DISLIKE!
Intro wasn't nearly rambling and long enough.
This video is what BB might have been if Simon had invested a lil less in columbian powder and controlled his ADHD
The documentary called "What Killed the Electric Car?" is all about the EV1, and the whole debacle. Give it a watch; it goes into a lot more detail of the reasons it got the fate it did. Spoiler alert: money. It's always money
If CARB had held to their guns, the EV1 would have been just the beginning of zero emissions vehicles. Rather than be crushed by gm.
Gm seems to be good at that, just look at the Olds 350 diesel.
the thing about the EV-1....they made 1000 of them to start....10,000 people wanted one the 1st day...GM actually didnt want to sell them...they only offered leases...and would not renew those leases....or give an option to buy once the lease was over....they simply took them back,and crushed them.they said they would not sell...
keeping in mind,,the prius came out at the same time.
2 more things....the guy in charge was the same guy who was CEO that obama canned from GM....
and the platform for the current chevy volt,is basically an EV-1 with a different body.
Evil One.
I wouldn’t say the EV1 was a flop... it was such a hit that leaseholders literally begged to purchase it (you could only lease at the time). To add to that, they threatened lawsuits to those that didn’t want to return the vehicle. Lastly “HUGE PRODUCTION COSTS” would’ve come down significantly. GM and the American machine just were ready for EV yet...
C’mon Simon you should know better!
We all have our favourite ideas of worst vehicles. But an interesting way to measure worst is to look at depreciation rates especially over a 5 to 10 year period. This starts to give you a really good indication of durability. Some manufacturers don't fare well when measured like this. BMW, Rolls Royce, VW, Renault and Ford don't come up well. Toyota generally fares very well and some models virtually appreciate e.g. Landcruiser. Cheers
So the Edsel is now more valuable as a collector than it ever was brand new.
So is the DeLorean.
Like most older cars
Only if it’s in the original packaging
This is true for many classics and unique vehicles. Even when adjusted for inflation.
@@skunkrat01 Yeah, you can't take the plastic wrapper off or it'll lose value.
You can't call the EV-1 a flop. You can't. A flop means people didn't want to buy it. GM would not sell you the car. You could not buy an EV-1. george clooney was not able to buy one. George Freaking Clooney wasn't allowed to buy one.
I'd they raised the price to cover the cost and no o e bought one, then you can call it a flop. The was not intended to be a money maker, it was intended to be a proof of concept for research.
Who the fucks george clooney?
The EV1 was actually mandated by California law and wasn't prompted by any business decision at GM. Not only that, GM purposely tried to sabotage the EV1 by putting as little effort into it as possible since they didn't want electric vehicles taking off due to them lasting longer, except for the battery.
How can the EV1 be a flop? It was never sold to begin with. May have been a flop if it had been actially sold, but we will never know.
And here's me, a 2CV nut, a fan of a car that never broke past the heady 29bhp level in its' life... :P
I mean, technically 1hp should be plenty enough to get you moving. That's the competition that cars started out replacing, right?
Ah, the 2CV - a work of unmitigated genius! I doubt that in the history of automotive engineering have so many unbelievably simple, yet eminently robust and practical innovations been featured in one vehicle. In my time I've worked my way through three of them and a Dyane. Got one up to 70 mph once, but that was on a looooong downward incline. Must have been doing about 120 decibels but, boy, was it worth it!
Yay Citroen! I had a 2cv and a Dyane, along with, at various times 2 GS', 3 DS', a CX and camethisclose to buying a GSA. Now I drive a Mercedes W210 wagon (I do like it), but I'm keeping my eyes out for a GS wagon. Maybe an Ami Super.
On the subject of automotive, you should cover Ford Model T or Volkswagen Beetle, two of the most iconic mass-produced cars of their times in Megaprojects.
Nah Corolla. It beat both of them by the end of the 20th century dispite being the last of the three to enter the market.
@@baronvonjo1929 lol. Really? You want to co.pare a car that ran for over 50 years to 1 that ran for less than 20 and in a time when cars were a luxury? Toyota fan girls smh
@@bettycriscoe1460 The subject is the most iconic mass produced cars. Nobody thinks of model ts any more. And the beetle was beaten by the Corolla despite it being around for much longer. And I'm not a girl so what's your point?
When new emission standards were mandatory in the USA, it is said the US auto manufactures, hired lawyers, and Japan hired Engineers.
Just for the record,
The designer of the electronics of the EV-1 was Alan Coconni.
He sold his later improved design to Tesla and they made their first car using a lotus body and Alan’s drive system.
It was not a golf cart!
I had one so I know…
When you look at the advertising you might think Cadillac themselves were embarrassed by the Cimarron. It was always "Cimarron, by Cadillac", not "Cadilllac Cimarron".
They should have been embarrassed. My parents bought an 83 Buick Skyhawk that literally fell apart as we drove it (e.g., the top of the gear shifter for the 5-speed would come off while you drove and the clutch would fail in the middle of traffic for no reason).
@@CPTDoom
I actually quite liked the way they looked though... and I'm definitely in a minority I know 😄
The long time general manager of Cadillac in the 2000s had a picture of the Cimarron on his wall with the title “Never Again”
@@skylined5534 don't let self doubt dissuade you from expressing your thoughts
where I live theres a elderly man with a mint canary yellow Cimarron. Im always amazed to see that thing still going.
Simon, I think you meant GM never "recoupéd" the costs of the EV1. "Recouped" is when chickens are transfered to a different home.
Badahbumtish! Give that man a cigar! 😁👍
And the chickens are currently ruling the roost at GM and have been ever since Roger Smith.🐔🐣
Coop is for chickens.
Recoup is getting back something like invested money.
Coupe is the car.
@@PaulA-bv1rt Some of those really fuel efficient tiny cars would fit a chicken better than a human.😏
It was an era in the U S when engines were emissions choked, computers were in their infancy, so the Cimmeron lacked power. Hey we had 7.0 liter engines at that time making 200 HP.
It was an era in which a Golf MK1 GTI had 1.8 liter and made 110HP...
I always wondered, how easy those engines are to tune for power? With zero concern for emissions, I bet it's no problem at all to crank hundreds of horsepower out of those 7L V8s.
For more history on the EV1, look up the movie /Who Killed The Electric Car/.
My Parents had a '74 Chevy Vega "Woody" wagon. The dealership replaced four engines before buying it back. xD
🤣
That's General Motors for you. The undisputed kings of crap cars
the problem with the Vega was it had an aluminum engine block, and an overhead cam that was driven by a rubber belt rather than a metal link one. If the engine overheated, it would warp, causing major oil consumption through burning.
Business Blaze brought me here....and to every other channel Fact Boi has
The amount of channels he has gives me a nosebleed!
Oooh, I'm sure we've all missed a channel or two. I've heard rumors of a channel dedicated to in-depth reviews of macaroons...
@@timothyoswald8618
I love macaroons!
My wife is leaving me because I listen to Simon more than her.
When he deviates from the script it’s the worst.
You’re not funny.
Read the sheet.
The EV-1 can't be called a failure, as it was undermined by the manufacturer.
A Delorean isn't that expensive for a reason, Simon. The maintenance costs will bankrupt you. They are a nightmare to maintain.
They were a heap of shite, very bad quality. with a whimpy Renault motor.
The Prius is not an electric car. It is an internal combustion car that uses the electric motor only at very low speeds or to boost the performance of the ICE.
they do also have an all electric model.
@@kenbrown2808 They do not. All Prius models are equipped with an internal combustion engine.
@@CaptHollister interesting - I thought I'd seen them with all electric badging, but the one listed on the interwebz as an electric is actually a plug in hybrid, which can be run in all electric mode for short trips.
In the US car market, convertibles come in six flavors:
~ Hard-tops feature a rigid removeable top which includes the roof and rear window; these are usually removed entirely and kept in storage when not being used
~ Retractable-tops are hard-tops which are not removeable but can be drawn into the body for top-down driving; some are stored intact within the trunk while fancier models are segmented to collapse into a smaller space similar to soft-tops
~ Soft-tops (the default 'convertibles') feature an integrated collapsible top which includes the roof and glass/plastic/fiberglass rear window in addition to the mounting points to utilize a removeable hard-top
~Rag-tops, like soft-tops, have the same kind of integrated collapsible top but lack the mounting points for utilizing a removeable hard-top
~ Targa-tops (or simply 'targas') feature a rigid removeable top which only includes the roof (usually only the section above the front seats); the rear window and surrounding framework remains fixed
~ T-tops (aka 'T-bars') are similar to targa-tops but feature individual removable roof panels above the driver and front-seat passenger; usually incorporates a central support bar (forming a T with the top of the windshield) to maintain structural rigidity
Derived from these is the hardtop (no hyphen) coupes and sedans - distinguished by their lack of a 'B-pillar', they gave the visual appearance of a convertible (specifically via frameless side windows) though their tops were not removeable; some featured vinyl, fabric, or even leather coverings to reinforce the appearance of having a convertible top
Do Landau tops even exist anymore? I could swear they were still around or someone tried one arouns the late 70s...
@@naughtiusmaximus1811 Pretty sure Cadillac CTs still offer vinyl tops though I haven't seen anything newer than a 2016 Cadillac ATS with the Landau style vinyl top. The last true Landau convertible I've seen was a 1937 Plymouth (an extremely rare find - might have been custom). The newest Landau convertible I can positively confirm is a 1929 Chevrolet.
i.pinimg.com/originals/ca/35/ca/ca35caadf85bad3648c29d03cf5627e2.jpg
(ps ~ Here's a 1929 Cadillac Landau)
www.rmw.lv/uploads/img/car_models/large/29_series_341b_3591c_collapsible_touring_landau_braugham_by_fleetwood_2.jpg
@@twylanaythias Ah makes sense. Always thought it was just a marketing gimmick.
@@naughtiusmaximus1811 Nope - it was an actual style of convertible top. Used to be really popular in the 1920s as a "passenger comfort", since a lot of car owners back then had someone else doing the driving. Between the World Wars, most people began driving their own cars (in addition to comforts like air conditioners) so Landau convertibles fell out of fashion.
Though it's strange that the Landau vinyl top remained popular for so long. Still, it most often featured on vehicles like Lincoln Town Cars - the type of cars where the owner might be expected to have a driver/chauffeur.
@@twylanaythias It's quite fascinating how auto designers tried to harken back to that lineage on Buick Regals and the like. Thx for the knowledge.
Those leasing the EV-1 didn't want to hand them back
I had that 2.8 liter V6 in a small chevy pickup with a 5 speed manual. Incredibly slow, top speed was 85 which took about a week. But 30 mpg and very reliable. Great little truck
My mother loves Cadillac cars, so much so I almost got a Cadillac Cimarron for my 21st birthday.
I dodged that bullet by purchasing myself a Camaro a week before my birthday.
Which is worse: A 1985 4 cylinder Camaro, or a 1985 4 cylinder Cimarron?
@@michaelhunsinger8351 can’t make that comparison my Camaro had a 305 V8
@@michaelhunsinger8351 Camaros came with the 2.5 L 4-cyl, J cars had 2.0 L it gave about 7 more ponies and +15 ft.# torques
Ah the YUGO...but not far! ba da bum tsssssss!!!
Gotta say the EV-1 seemed more of a forced dud than an actual dud. I think most people would have liked to try a car like the EV-1 back in the late 90's especially with the upgraded 250 mile range NiMH battery pack. Hell I'd love to have been able to buy one used just cause they are cool looking, so the fact that they crushed every single one and then released the hummer right afterwords as soon as the regulations changed says quite a lot.
Sadly, the EV-1 wasn't really a favor. The majority of the cars' leasers wanted to buy them outright and keep them. I worked at GM for over a decade. The EV-1 was more a victim of an internal regime change in senior management than an actual flop.
Another survivor of GM. During my nearly 10 years there I was amazed they made it as far as they did. Their management - or lack there of - was about as dysfunctional as the US government.
You should watch "who killed the electric car"
I drive a French "S" car. It's so slow that people point and say "Look at that "S" car go".
That joke was never funny, not even when I first heard it 40+ years ago
@@CaptHollister
In that case you probably remember Preparation B.
Booo!
@@hashtag415 Be gentle with the captain. Remember, you have to be of fathering age to enjoy dad jokes and his seed probably dried up during the Clinton administration as was the fashion at the time ;-)
Simon, you always have such interesting videos! I also like hearing your accent as you sound truly British when you say "Arizoner or Florider"😁. Keep up the good work.
Glad I'm not the only one who hears those Rs in British accents! I told my roommate about it a few years ago and he looked at me like I was crazy, apparently he had never noticed/heard it 🤦♂️
@@revenevan11its ironic that removing the Rs and changing the As would cause Rs when speaking fast
Don't forget the Cadillac Catera, Simon. The dust from that epic flop still makes me sneeze.
1:30 - "That was a long Intro"
Who are you and what have you done with our Boy with the Blaze?
Anyway. How about a video on the Tesla Gigafactory?
"A Coop's where you keep your chickens." -Jeremy Clarkson
why does a chicken coop have two doors?
because if it had four doors itd be a sedan
@@annefrankenstein9290 badabumbumtish
Funny how the british think theyre right when its a French word and even the French dont pronounce the E
Yeah, Jeremy was wrong with that comment. Its literally pronounced "koop" in the dictionary lmao
You only need to remember one thing - Jezza is always right - ALWAYS
My dad's cousin loved the Edsel. He bought 2 brand new and by the time he died in the early '90s he owned 7. Crazy, Crazy man.
GM killed the EV1 on purpose.
Thanks Simon for setting the record straight. Coupé is indeed a french word and it is pronounced that way.
That settles it then 🙄
@@IrishMike22 So go the French...well, so go Americans in a different direction.
The French surrendered on that pronunciation decades ago.
My sister-in-law's brother-in-law designed the AMC Pacer. He was a custom car builder for the Hollywood studios. He drove his hand built prototype for years. Some of the design elements were sportier, and the engine was a lot more powerful. The production model was kind of a dud, but his was pretty cool.
You're related to THE Dick Teague?
Ford made the Edsel Pontiac did the exact same thing with the Aztec.
You still see an Aztec once in a while, man what an ugly car.
If only wasn't the Aztec so hideous, I bet we would've remembered it way differently. Behind that face, there's a really decent car, one that could have maybe even saved the entire Pontiac brand.
3:00 "...development costs that GM never recouped."
Recoup-ay-ed!
My first car was a Pontiac Sunbird. I still wish I had enough money to get the much more luxurious Cadillac Cimmaron.
My friend had a Cimmaron (used, in early 90s).
The only thing luxurious about that car was the Cadillac badge, until it fell off.
@@JasonW. 🤣
I just keep thinking about that three wheeled car that Clarkson kept flipping over on Top Gear.
The Reliant Robin! AKA the Plastic Pig. And Mr. Bean's nemesis.
Yeah... that the Top Gear people rigged so it would tip over. That stunt is one of the stupid things that turned me off on Top Gear.
That wasnt a flop though, even if it was a bit shit
They sold a lot of those lol
@@calvinhobbes6646 just the first car I thought of.
Little known fact:
GM never sold the EV-1.
Not even one.
All were leased and all returned to GM eventually.
The EV1 was very popular with a small band of people who changed out the batteries and made all sorts of modifications even forming auto clubs to see who could do the most to their little EV1. After all, this GM did not allow anyone to buy one and required all cars returned at the end of the lease, in the end, 99% or all cars were scrapped even though there was no real reason to do so
I love 1.5 minutes in “that’s a long intro”.
Just came from a business blaze 10 minute intro.
The EV1 was a failure because GM wanted it to be.
Simon, "That's a long intro." Brain Blaze, "Hold my beer."
The EV-1 was never sold to the public. They were leased to beta testers around the country and then recalled after GM decided not to pursue them, e.g. they were never a product. The Volt evolved from the little trailer-mounted generator the test team used to extend the range. Also, the Prius is not an EV. It's a gas-electric hybrid.
I remember that the GM EV1 was the subject of a documentary called “Who Killed The Electric Car?” from 2006.
yes and strong evidence was made that fossil fuel companies wanted it gone, Francis Ford Cappola is the only person to still own one thats not been 'deactivated' as he managed to keep it hidden while they tried to get it back.
Yes, GM may have lost money on it, but people were still handing GM money to extend their leases or let them buy the cars outright, and GM pulled them all back and tried to erase them from history. The "death" of the EV1 was as quick and complete as the destruction of the F-14 Tomcat ranks when they were retired, The full story of the EV1 could easily be a Mega Project story.
I drove an EV-1 in Tempe, AZ during the mid 90's. Many, parking lots at the time had EV-1 chargers, so you could keep the car charged throughout the day and didn't have to worry about the limited range. Was a lot of fun to drive, very powerful, comfortable and futuristic! I was bummed when the company I worked for had to return it.
Tempe, Arizona...I used to live there. Mill Avenue was fun.
"I'm sorry if you found that video interesting...."
You are hilarious.
Ev1 was a major success. Gm killed it either way.
The cimmaron was actually build for a younger customer and as a competitor to European luxury cars of the time. However, since the car was so underpowered and unreliable, the younger generation weren’t interested and the older loyal customers of Cadillac criticized it for the rough driving experience and the fact that it was based on a Chevy cavalier😂
"GM learned their lesson...there's never been a successor to the Cimarron". Cadillac Catera enters the conversation.
Kinda surprised this isn't a Business Blaze video
He finally took his adderall and perfected the dosage so his ADHD isn't all over the screen
Or he ran out of
C O C A I N E
Simon- "That's a long introduction" Me- *flashbacks of every business blaze intro
In the early '80s my father bought a used Chevy Impala. The front bench seat was badly torn up, so we journeyed to a junk yard to find a replacement. The closest we could find was a power seat from a Cadillac. I joked about the bold holes lining up, and my dad said no way they would. Returning home, we removed the old. Not only did the bolt holes line up, the wiring harness for the seat was just tucked under the carpet. The Chevy Impala was the same car as that Cadillac, the only differences being the fittings.