Yugo GV
Let's just get one thing out of the way right here and now: This is a Car Lust. This isn't some halfhearted, tongue-in-cheek, sarcastic, acerbic attempt at humor or irony (Chris Hafner: Already done!). I really, truly, honestly, and completely would drive a Yugo GV with pride if it were presented to me. Oh, and yes, I also know where the mental asylum is in my home town, but that's entirely unrelated.
In 1985, under the auspices of Malcolm Bricklin, the first Yugo GV ("Great Value") was imported into California at the low price of $3,990; according to the official CPI calculator, that works out to $8,124.10 in today's dollars. This puts it a full $2,000 less than a Chevy Aveo or even the most stripped out Kia. Buyers who picked up a Yugo were treated to a Fiat 127 redone with VW Rabbit-inspired styling, all built under the careful eye of the best, most talented workers that Zastava could muster. Thus, buyers were treated to an affordable, modern, stylish twist of an old tried-and-true design. This formula would be used again 10 years later to bring the Daewoo Lanos to our shores.
The Yugo GV was not, by any stretch of the imagination, a performance demon, something which Chris touched on with some derision nearly a year ago. It was equipped with a 1.1-liter 4-cylinder and a 4-speed manual, which, put together, gave the Yugo gas mileage figures that match up well against a modern-day Hyundai Accent. Unfortunately, it only generated 55 horsepower, which didn't bode well for its acceleration or top speed. Compared to some of its contemporaries, however, it measured up reasonably well, especially given its price; a base Dodge Omni of that time, for example, had a 64 horsepower, and the Chevette never came equipped with more than 70 horsepower. Both cost at least $1,000 more.
It's true that the Yugo GV had its flaws. Life is about compromises, and getting that base price down took quite a few of them. For all its faults, however, it accomplished what it was meant to accomplish very well. In a time when transferrable warranties only existed in the imaginations of addicts in smoke-filled opium dens, the Yugo was a very affordable way for young, first-time buyers to purchase a car, secure in the fact that, were something to go wrong, the dealer would take care of it. This certainly wasn't an option on any used Omni, Chevette, or Civic. In short, the Yugo was an adequate car built and delivered at the perfect time.
The first video sums up the markets into which Yugo was hoping to make
inroads; the second video focuses on Yugo's warranty and reliability
for the price.
The fender shot at the top is from Jalopnik's Evil Clint's 1987 Yugo GV Flickr set.
Chris Hafner: At the conclusion of my snide GVX post, I admitted:
"What has been so far left unsaid in this sordid tale is that part of me--and not a small part--thinks the Yugo is actually not a terrible-looking car. I'm ashamed to say that that I came this close to making the Yugo GVX a Car Lust instead of a Car Disgust."
There's an expensive waterfront house in Seattle that I pass somewhat regularly that always has a Yugo and an AMC Pacer in the front driveway--the sheer absurdity of the combination is fantastic.
Yes, Yugo did briefly import a cabriolet--and I'd definitely drive it. Thanks to the photo go out to Flickr user Sherlock77.
Steaming Pile on September 22, 2008 at 05:43 AM
@Toad - I always wondered how the Yugo managed to get DOT certification. The thing looked like you could crush it like a beer can by leaning on it.
Everybody - there was a movie, I think the Coen brothers made it, where everybody but the sheriff (played by Danny DeVito) drove a Yugo (the sheriff drove a Dodge Omni). What was the name of that movie?
Steaming Pile on September 22, 2008 at 05:50 AM
Never mind. I found the answer to my own Yugo trivia question. The film was "Drowning Mona."
Here's a not-so-kind review: http://www.popmatters.com/film/reviews/d/drowning-mona.shtml
"The plot of Drowning Mona is this: poor Mona Dearly (Midler) drives her canary-colored Yugo off of a cliff, and everyone on the small town of Verplanck, New York is a suspect in her apparent murder. Who could have killed her, and why? Within twenty minutes, it was clear I wasn't going to care. Even given her recent box office bomb, Isn't She Great?, Midler is this film's only strong element, but sadly she isn't on screen long or often. She shines as the town's nasty crankster, complete with the requisite vocabulary and sneers to elicit the only laughs during the film's entire 95 minute running time. "
--snip--
While it's plainly unfunny, Drowning Mona also has a tough time trying to sustain any one tone, sometimes hip, at others oafish, and at still others, almost giddy. For examples, it repeatedly offers up sexual situations involving the Wheel of Fortune home game, and a tiresome running sight gag involving the personalized license plates on everyone's Yugos (the only brand of car in town). First-time feature screenwriter Peter Steinfield seems unable to decide if he is concocting a murder mystery, dark comedy, or broad slapstick: the movie might have done well to stick to just one genre.
Sojourner Wolf on September 22, 2008 at 09:28 AM
I owned a Yugo...the first new car I ever owned bought about two years after I was married. One of the selling points was it used the same grade steel as a Rolls-Royce...supposedly. Called it the "crow killer". My ex and I were driving to Tulsa from Wichita and these two crows were in the road. She assumed they would fly off, right? Well, they had obviously heard about the Yugo and treated its threat with contempt and, well, one of the duo moved just a bit too slow. TH-ump, TH-ump. I looked back to see the deceased's buddy return and start lunching on him. She felt awful about it...especially since neither of us could stop laughing. (I consider myself a member of the TRUE P.E.T.A. = "People Eating The Animals.")
Hey, what other car had its fuse system UNDER the hood where you could easily change them out?
They make great front yard planters and aquariums (I've seen both)...and remember the worldwide touring art exhibit a few years back or they guy who turned one into a submarine.
Shawn on September 22, 2008 at 06:11 PM
For more Yugos on the Silver Screen, see the trailer for the new movie Nick & Nora's Infinite Playlist. A bright yellow Yugo appears to be a major ongoing character in the film:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-btDYY-uLeY
Sojourner Wolf wrote: Hey, what other car had its fuse system UNDER the hood where you could easily change them out?
Any vintage BMW, for one.
David Colborne on September 22, 2008 at 10:51 PM
As for fuse placement, my SO's Malibu has most of its fuses under the hood. My Dakota has its relays in the engine bay, too, though the fuses are located near the parking brake release on the driver's side.
Steaming Pile on September 23, 2008 at 05:51 AM
@Shawn - I guess the most famous of these Yugo sightings would be the movie Dragnet, where Tom Hanks and Dan Aykroyd were eventually given one after they totaled two other police cars.
jfruser on September 23, 2008 at 10:32 AM
What do you get when you stuff one average-sized driver and four jumbo-sized passengers (225-315 lbs each) into a Yugo and drive it at top speed on the interstate?
1. Dialog like the following.
JP01: Hey, I can't put on my seat belt! What if we crash?
JP02: Dude, we're going top speed in a Yugo stuffed with over 1,000 lbs of college students. If we crash, they'll be wondering who's part is who's. A seatbelt is not gonna change that.
JP01: I think you missed an opportunity to use 'whom' in a sentence.
2. Blown Yugo motor spewing black smoke down the interstate.
Good times. Sure glad it was someone else's Yugo.
Mike on October 07, 2008 at 07:04 AM
I had a 1987 Yugo, too. I had just spent loads of money fixing up a used VW Super Beetle that was plagued with issues. Got to the point where it was actually cheaper to buy a new Yugo than to get the darn bug running again. i have owned 18 vehicles to date, and I'll tell you, the Yugo was one of the funnest little things I ever owned. Never had any problems. Only reason I got rid of it was because Yugo America folded and dealers were shutting down. Did not want to get stuck without service in case I ever really needed it.
I find it absurd that people look at the Yugo in the same dumb menatality they did back when they were out. Does anyone recall the first Honda's, Mitsubishi's, Datsun's and Toyota's imported into the U.S.? They had their issues as well. Heck, Hyundai's had more recalls in their first year than Yugo's did for their entire duration and the poor little Yugo's were still thrown under the bus. How quickly we forget. And for those who don't really know it, they are still being produced in Yugoslavia by Zastava. To date, I have yet to meet anyone who has bad mouthed a Yugo who actually owned and/or drove one. What gives?
It has been a couple of decades since their intro here, and if you think they are building the same quality lacking vehicles, think again. They are runing strong. A friend of mine even saw a newer Yugo on the Autobahn in Germany once and she said it was unbelievably fast.
Too bad they are no longer around. And I will tell you what. I would rather get behind the wheel of another Yugo than the Chinese made cars that are trying to make their way into the U.S... they are death traps, any way you look at them.
One more thing... if you wonder why Yugos died off quickly, few are on the road, and all those you find in junk yards have less than 50,000 miles on them... here is the reason. Unlike most engines that require timing belt changes anywhere from 50,000 to 100,000 miles, depending on make, the Yugos had to have them changed much sooner. In fact, they recommended having them inspected at 15,000 mile intervals, something most drivers never bothered with, assuming they operate like any other car. Not sure why they designed them that way, but they did. And most blown Yugo engines were the result of a failing timing belt.
Nathan King on October 30, 2008 at 01:21 PM
I had a 2000 Daewoo Lanos. It wasn't a bad car, just not all that fun to drive. And someone mentioned 41mpg... I never got near that. I'd be lucky to get 30mpg on the highway. They were not very efficient cars. Mine made it to 100,000 miles and then threw the timing chain. Yes... it was murder... Now I'm very happy driving my 2008 Scion xD, thank-you-very-much.
djkenny on November 29, 2008 at 08:28 PM
Paying 10k for an Aveo seems lofty. I see the advertised for under 8 grand in almost every other Sunday paper. Sure they are stripped...but I find it almost ludicrous that people buy cars like Hyundai Accents and Chevy Aveos equipped with AT, Alloy Wheels, and CD players. Why buy this class of car if you are going to make it as pricey as the next class of car up? Just buy a Mazda MX6 if you are getting leather in a MX3...or a Elantra with better all around driving experience, in it's most basic form...for about the same price of a Accent.
Marco on February 14, 2009 at 03:27 AM
I drive Yugo once. He made a 90mp/h.
smitty on March 18, 2009 at 03:00 PM
At least one Yugo owner is getting the last laugh. I ran into him at a weekend carshow/cruise in south Seattle a few years ago. He was parked out at the edge of the gathering, probably having anticipated that he would be ignored, as indeed he was. His Yugo looked essentially stock, though if you were paying attention you would observe that he had lowered it slightly, and was using slightly wider rims and tires. Nothing flashy, a sleeper. I told the owner that I, for one, was glad to see him and his out-of-the-ordinary car at the kind of show that always has endless rows of Cameros and Firebirds and such. He laughed and told me (paraphrased), "What those guys don't know is that the Yugo had a Fiat engine with a good twenty years of racing development done by the Italian aftermarket. I rebuilt this engine with all of those parts, and I just LOVE to watch the faces of (Camero, Mustang, etc.) owners when I put my foot down!!"
Malcolm Bricklin expects to get the last laugh, too. He is working with a Chinese automaker . . . .
mark maerz on March 23, 2009 at 06:06 PM
I've owned two (2) Yugo GV's. My first was a 1986 that, NEVER gave me a single problem... Except for that pesky speeding ticket. Good thing I wasn't racing it that night... Yes, I street raced it. It was more like Rally since there was no strait flat roads involved. I loved that car. My second... A 1988 was a butt-load of trouble. The electrical system blew dead bunnies from hell. The shift rod snapped once leaving my wife and I stuck in third gear. That was an interesting ride home. The hatch started to fall off. And it was always interesting getting it to start in the winter. But, I still love the Yugo GV.
Lindsey on June 19, 2009 at 05:13 AM
Sir, I feel your lust very deeply, I have been wanting a yugo for some time now. I however have not been lucky enough to see one in real life! haha.
Eric Howk on June 20, 2009 at 01:07 PM
I just bought my friend a rust free, fuel injected '91 GV with a 1.3. The timing belt just got replaced, the gearbox is smooth and fun, the interior is in great shape, it's mighty nimble with a beefy, funny exhaust note, and it was 700 off craigslist in Tacoma. Its nickname is Slobadon Yugosovich. If you find a good one, buy it! It's going on its first month and I would say if it dies tomorrow it'll be worth the money.
Patrick on January 15, 2011 at 09:12 PM
Hello
I just purchased a 1987 Yugo GV. Original 83 thousand miles on it and want to fix it up. It is just the coolest little car I ever owned! What would be some of your ideas as far as paint, tires and rims, ( want to put a size or two bigger tires and rims on it) but cannot seem to find a custom tire and rim shop in my area. I like the old Creggor look. Or maybe a deep dish with baby moons. I would like some of your help here?
Thank you
Patrick
Marcus on July 06, 2011 at 12:06 PM
It may be a fun hobby, but I would never drive that communist built piece of sh**. The Yugo is a prime example of forced labor at gunpoint. The car is already super simple and uncomfortable, and as if it already wasn't appealing, they couldn't even make it hold together worth crap.