Some thirty years ago, right on the cusp of the internet revolution, car manufacturers designed, engineered and assembled some of the most astonishing automobiles the world has ever seen.
McLaren ushered a new supercar era with the F1, BMW took the world by storm with the E46, while the Jeep Grand Cherokee ZJ irretrievably changed truck culture. While some of the cars from this era deserve the epithet of a car classic, others turned out to be junk.
1999 Vector M12
In times of extraordinary automotive affluence, when the Diablo, the F50, or the XJ220 played in anyone’s dreams, one manufacturer was bold enough to produce a car that took it a notch further. This car is the Vector M12, a mid-engine supercar with Lamborghini architecture and a Lamborghini V12 engine.
Unfortunately, despite boasts of leading aerospace technology and attractive Lambo/Lotus lines, production was plagued with problems. Ultimately only 17 units rolled off the line before financial problems killed the M12 entirely.
1996 Oldsmobile Aurora
Dubbed by some as the automobile that should have saved the Oldsmobile brand, the Aurora features an astonishingly unique design and an out-of-the-box approach to automobile culture. Looking quirky and elegant, the Aurora was a sight to behold in the nineties. Although interesting, the Aurora never gained commercial success and failed to revive the brand.
1991 AM General Hummer H1
This is a High-Mobility Multipurpose Wheeled Vehicle—an off-roader capable of traversing the most challenging war-torn areas. While an off-roader capable of supporting US troops, in its road-going version, this truck simply couldn’t cut it. It was too large, ungainly, and heavy, and it was far from reliable. Some would even describe the Hummer H1 as ridiculous.
1993 Dodge Intrepid
Described as a “Cab-Forward” car back in the nineties, the Dodge Intrepid marked a departure from previously formed cars based on the K car platform. The Intrepid offered novel creature comforts in a never-roomier cabin, as well as independent suspension. While quite advanced for the time, poor build quality and cheap materials ensured that the Dodge Intrepid could never achieve the status of a modern classic car.
1992 Dodge Viper
Wildly considered to be one of the most courageous attempts at a sports car design, the fantastic-looking first-gen Dodge Viper was expected to move mountains. The uncanny determination of its 8-liter V10 with 400 horsepower was enough to get the Viper on the territory previously reserved for the likes of Ferrari and Lamborgini. Still, low reliability and poor build quality kept it from reaching its full potential.
1998 Plymouth Prowler
With the Dodge Intrepid-sourced V6, the impressively ostentatious Prowler never managed to capture the imagination of the wider car-loving public. 214 horsepower was insufficient for enthusiasts to get excited about this RWD sports car. Regardless, its quirky looks meant it acquired a loyal, albeit small, following.
1993 Cadillac Allante
Special-built Boeing 747s flew Cadillac Allante bodies from the Pininfarina factory in Cambiano, Italy, to Michigan. These bodies then married the Cadillac chassis and got a V8 engine. Such a complex process cost a lot of money, but then again, Cadillac was willing to pay for that saucy Pininfarina badge. Nowadays, the quirky luxury convertible is almost all but forgotten.
1992 Ferrari 348
During the 2009 presentation of the then-new Ferrari 458, former Ferrari CEO Luca di Montezemolo said, “We were producing one of the worst Ferraris in Ferrari history—348!” Despite its modern design, it paled in comparison to its contemporaries like the NSX and its successor, the 355, and with electrical problems, lackluster performance, and underwhelming driving characteristics, the Ferrari 348 proved to be a miss!
1991 Maserati Biturbo
Penned as a lower-cost entry-point into Maserati ownership, and with a Zagato-designed cabrio to boot, hopes were high that this car would ignite interest in the brand. Sadly, with its conservative, blocky design and serious corrosion problems, the Maserati Biturbo could barely justify the Trident emblem on its front grille. As one of the cheapest Maserati cars of the era, it featured a rather low-powered engine with an interior that simply was not on par with expectations. Even today, it is hard to find cheaper Maserati!
1997 Ford Taurus
Available as a sedan and a wagon, the Taurus from the nineties was as close as it could possibly be to being a perfect family car. While popular and somewhat successful, the Taurus never proved to be anything more than a ubiquitous, anonymous, and bland car.
1991 Chrysler TC
With 7,300 units produced, the Chrysler TC is undoubtedly an ‘exclusive’ car, and, on paper, a Chrysler drop-top produced in collaboration with Maserati was meant to be a dream. Although its three-year production run made it a modern classic, the TC (short for Turbo Convertible) ultimately lacked the panache to tickle the imagination of the broader audience and was unremarkable.
1999 Saab 900
While Saab evokes the image of effortless cool and character with its aerospace heritage, the Saab 900 has unfortunately vanished from sight. Despite handsome proportions and reasonable build quality, the 900 ultimately faded into obscurity, as did Saab eventually, perhaps falling into anonymity as it became subsumed by its deepening relationship with GM.
1990 Oldsmobile Cutlass Supreme Convertible
The FWD Oldsmobile Cutlass Supreme Convertible was not a car ahead of its time. Powered by a V6 that was not good for more than 134 horsepower, it was somewhat lackluster in performance. Moreover, while some design choices produced a car that looked good in some angles, the convertible resulted in a sometimes ungainly and quirky design features like the (not a) roll ball. Although initially sales numbers were promising, the plant at Doraville, Georgia ran under capacity for years until product of the coupe moved. It turned out to be the last Oldsmobile convertible ever!
Some Cars Simply Don’t Live Up To Their Hype
Making a car can be worthwhile, but this list may prove that it is more complicated than expected. While the nineties were only thirty or so years ago, the sheer number of cars from that era that stay under the radar nowadays is almost incredible.
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