At first the 2007 seems radically different from the prior years of production, but the more I look at it the more I am convinced that the biggest change is under the hood, and probably a good change at that. The rest of the car has not changed that much.

In contrast, think back to the WORST model change-over in history. I would have to hand that distinction to General Motors in 1973. It was as if they decided to destroy every model they had. The very worst being what they did to the 1973 Oldsmobile Cutlass. No question 1972 marked the high water mark for that car before the "improvers" took over the design of the car and turned it into the joke it became. Sure, they managed to make a bit of a comeback in the design by 1978 but much of the magic was so thoroughly destroyed in 1973 that any idea of a Cutlass being a cool car would forever more be a tenative thing not a foregone conclusion like it was prior to 1973.

What's your nomination for worst model year change ever??

 

So, are you asking about changes to MINIs or to other, non-MINI cars, princeofwaldo? If other cars, this thread belongs in Off Topic :: Autos.

 

Your right, change the topic if you wish.

 

I'll move it over to Off Topic: Autos for further discussion.

 

How about changing one of America's best looking cars ever: the 1979 Cadillac Seville, to the 1980 front-wheel-drive, Triumph Mayflower lookalike.
Sometimes the suits should just leave the cars alone.

 

My dad had a 1977 Seville and it was really a fun car! They sure did wreck that one, Hu!

 

A Joke? You're calling this a Joke?


I'm sorry but I must disagree with you. I think the 1988 Cutlass Ciera was a VERY cool car!

 

1974. Mustang --> Mustang II. (It amazes me that there's a Mustang II enthusiast community.) Then when they realized their mistake, in 1979 they introduced the 3rd gen Mustang, based on the Fox platform (ugh) but they gradually got that working and only now have moved back into something sensible-looking.

I wouldn't count revivals of brand names, like the Chevy Nova, which died in 1979 and the name came back in 1985 on a reworked Corolla chassis.

 

From HERO



To ZERO



Yea, the last good year for GM vehicles was 1972. They lost it the next year and have never really gotten their groove back. Several single models excepted (I'll leave it to each reader to determine what single models are the exception that proves the rule).

 

They sold the El Camino in Finland? Or maybe it's just an article poking fun at the ugly beast. Anyone know what edullinen means?

 

Well they do cerdit themselves as being the model that saved the Mustang and what kept it from the oil shortage chopping block. Not sayign I agree with the change but it is why the following is there.

 

Okay, one more...,, Not sure of model years, but how about Saab deciding the distinctive 900 Penguin in a Tux model needed to be replaced by a model so boring that it could be mistaken for about half a dozen other boring cars from Japan. Wait a minute, wasn't that right about the time GM bought them? I think the reasoning behind the change was that every driver who could have possibly wanted a car that looked like a penguin already owned one.

 

Makes sense doesn't it? There has to be finite number in that demographic.

 

I can't think of a good change at this time.

 

Quality problems all aside, how about the 1975 Eldorado? The excess of it alone made it an interesting car, if only because it was a dinosaur that somehow survived the big meteor hit two years earlier.

 

1975 Eldo convert falls under my single model exceptions. Likewise the 1987 Buick Grand National, 1990 Corvette Z-1, Caddy CTS-V and several others.

p.s. Saab has been destroyed by GM. So sad to see. Nevertheless there is life after GM, just ask Lotus and Fiat. The former was revitalized when the Indonesians bought the company post-GM; the latter is still counting all the money GM paid them not to buy them out?!! As my buddy Scooby Doo would say, Ruhhh?

 

MGB. Decent sports car in 1974, over federalized poo in 1975.

 

I heard some chinese compnay has bought out the MGB name and intends to begin production of them again. Anyone else hear anything about it? I am wondering what the entry price level will be. Granted, if the thing is junk it won't matter. But if they priced it right I could see millions of them being sold, especially if gasoline prices resume their skyward trajectory.

,,,...btw.... Is anyone else as cynical as me about gasoline prices? My expectation is that once the election is over prices head right back over $3.00 a gallon. The brief reprieve is nothing but a political favor from the oil industry to their "world-improver" pal in the oval office prior to the election.

 

Is this really the place?

I'm just sayin'

 

A Chinese company did buy the MG name. Still up in the air what they're going to do with it.

 

They prolly can't copyright MSG until they own all the letters.

Seriously though, I really don't think any company run in a Communist country can produce a product good enough to compete in the world market. Think Lada, pre-1995 Skoda, Zil , Moskovitch, Wartburg, etc, etc....the list goes on. They have the know how and technology, but whether their arcane bureaucracy and lack of personal incentive can bring a good, quality product to market is a "great leap forward" so to speak.
Now that Russia et al are a so-called free market economies it might be about time to expect some good products from the old Soviet Bloc.

 

I'm thinking of the last episode of Amazing Race, where the Chinese built SUV's were breaking down.

 

American cars took a bad turn in 1973, and they haven't recovered since. MGCMAN has it right. There have been a few cool American cars made since 1973, and he has a good list. I'll add the 76-79 Cadillac Seville (I had a 76), the 94-96 Impala SS, the recent GTO, the SD455 Firebirds of the mid-70's, GMC Syclone, etc.

Mostly garbage with a few diamonds scattered about...

Rawhyde

 

I totally agree! My first car was a '72 Cutlass Supreme. This was in 1981, and was a fantastic car as well as being beautiful.

 

I would tend to agree.