Here is some
information on the Yugo.
Remember the
Yugo? The Yugo was a small, box-shaped car that sold for under $4,000. It was supposed to
be an alternative to purchasing a used car. The cars were made in Yugoslavia and exported
to the U.S. Sound a little familiar? People were so distracted by the price that they
failed to notice just what they were buying. The Yugo was cheap all the way around. The
quality of these cars was so poor that used car dealers began advertising their lemons as
a low-cost alternative to the Yugo. The man behind the Yugo venture was Malcolm Bricklin.
Malcom Briklin managed to become a millionaire by the age of 25. A total of 84,439 Yugos
were built between the 1986-1990 model years.
The Rodney Dangerfield of automobiles has had a troubled life. When the
Yugo was in its heyday in 1990, the firm that produced the cut-price Yugoslav alternative
to small Japanese cars made 200,000 autos. Last year, Zastava produced just 8,000 and the
firm recently commented that it is trying to turn around its production slump, caused by a
combination of the civil war and sanctions.
The current troubles in Yugoslavia have now brought production to
a complete halt. The Zastava factory was one of the first strategic targets to be
neutralised. As well as making budget cars, Zastava was manufacturing military hardware.
This may signal the end of the Yugo and even the name may become obsolete if Yugoslavia as
a country does not remain. There is speculation that, once stability returns to the
region, other car manufacturers will take over the market position in Eastern Europe once
held by the Yugo. Even the respected title of Car of the Year 1972 in Poland may not be
enough to save the little car.
Yugoslavian flag in....
<< 1946
<< 2002
