The worst cars in the world

Today, there are good cars and cars that aren’t quite as good. Fortunately, it’s also true that today, there’s no such thing as a really bad car.

That wasn’t always the case, though, as anyone who owned a car in decades past can attest. New cars today start when you tell them to, stop when you need them to and – by and large – don’t conk out when you least expect it.

Let’s take you back to a time where 20,000-mile service intervals and 10-year anti-corrosion warranties weren’t the norm for the worst cars – as voted for by Carbuyer readers.

20. Triumph TR7

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Triumph is a name from the past that still has the ability to get some enthusiasts misty-eyed; the TR7, though, is more likely to cause tears of frustration.

The radical design of the two-seat coupe, launched in 1974 – or the later convertible – wasn’t the problem. While not to everyone’s taste, the wedgy profile was an unmissable presence on the road.

But this was a model that was inarguably let down by appalling build. Regular strikes at the Speke factory near Liverpool meant the TR7 was poorly assembled and buying one was almost a guarantee of problems. Oil leaks and premature rusting were commonplace.

The consensus these days is that if you get a good one, the TR7 is surprisingly enjoyable to drive. But so few of them were ‘good ones’ in its heyday that the Triumph will forever be remembered as a car that miserably failed to live up to its potential.

19. Plymouth Prowler

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Few cars of the last 25 years have looked quite so unique as the Prowler. Arriving in 1997, it was, in some respects, a last throw of the dice by the Chrysler-owned US brand Plymouth.

It would be fascinating to turn the clock back and eavesdrop the conversations that saw this car get the green light, because the idea that a retro-themed hot-rod inspired roadster was what the market was waiting for was a radical one, to say the least. It was later explained away as a project to test the use of aluminium in a production car but that was no excuse, really.

That’s not just because the idea was extremely bold but also because the execution was questionable. A humdrum V6 from Chrysler’s family cars, poor handling, the lack of a manual gearbox and derivative switchgear all contributed to lacklustre reviews and poor sales. The last Plymouth Prowler was made for the 1999-2000 model year; in 2001, the axe fell on Plymouth.

18. Chevrolet SSR

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Another American curio, the SSR – an abbreviation of Super Sports Roadster – was an improbable mash-up of pick-up, muscle car and convertible.

Credit Chevrolet for having the bravery to put it into production but this unlikely combination of styles produced a unique-looking vehicle that most agreed was hideously ugly.

Its launch wasn’t especially well timed, either; the SSR arrived shortly after the demise of the Plymouth Prowler, a car that, as we’ve learned, demonstrated the public had little appetite for retro-themed vehicles from mainstream makers.

An underpowered V8 added to its problems, and although a more muscular engine was subsequently offered, the buying public weren’t convinced and after just four years in showrooms, the SSR’s time was up. A bonkers idea that, in hindsight, nobody should be surprised didn’t work.

17. Hyundai Pony

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Those familiar with the Korean company’s current models will be surprised to find a Hyundai on this list. But, as with stablemate Kia, the brand was a very different proposition in the 1970s and 1980s.

In those days affordability was the focus, so cars were very much built to a budget. The Pony was the perfect example of this, with a low sticker price its main – some would say only – source of appeal.

The diminutive rear-wheel-drive model delivered anonymous styling, flimsy build quality, a dreadful finish and undistinguished drive to those who wanted to get from A to B for the minimum expense.

It was the very definition of cheap motoring but crucially ever so slightly superior to the East European models that had previously occupied this space – allowing Hyundai to gain a foothold in the market that it has built on ever since.

Continue our top 20 countdown of worst cars with the 16th to 14th worst cars in the world