This was not a design fault, but like the Corvair, the company seriously underestimated the ability of the American motorist to neglect even basic maintenence. With just 25 horsepower (at a cacophonous 5500 RPM), the elfin 360 was the type of cynical exercise that would define Bricklins career in the car business. Reading in Consumer Reports that the tester injured his toe when the front seat came crashing down on it. I went to an auto place for a part, and was so embarassed to even say Yugo to the clerk, that my voice stuttered and I replied Yugee. But, its a tough sell to have someone take a car thats running fine, and pay $500 for a maintenance replacement and maybe screw something up in the process. Wheel barrow. You mentioned this before; itd make a great article. But, I decided that going back into the printing business made more sense to me, so I left the car lot and headed back to what I call work. As far as ethnicity goes, Im Russian by birth, Belarus to be exact, and have that somewhat stocky build to prove it! VW, in its first days, had all the same problems as Zastavabut with a product that was continually improved, they overcame it inside of five years. Down shifting was scary, sometimes you just had to bypass second, sometimes it refused to even go into gear or it would get stuck in gear. Bricklin wisely took the first offer and netted about $20 million for his trouble. It would take about eight years from apparent problem to engineered fix to failure of the fix and another engineered solution. Before we wrap, lets sort them out. It took time, development, persuading of management that there WAS a problem (not an easy task in the Japanese culture) but bit by bit, the problems were resolved. I guess this is so the company could find out how the car is before releasing it to the general public. Zastava took over the American company. I remember seeing new Yugos at the (I think 1990) Chicago Auto Show. Cool Cruise CAR SHOW Cruisin' Brea CAR SHOW Cruisin' La Verne CAR SHOW Brea Holiday CAR SHOW Project Home America Flying Deuces is a production, marketing, booking and advertising company. This article, like many here, evoked some fond memories. Around the same time we had a similar thing in Australia the FSM Niki, which was a Polish-built Fiat 126, so a ~700cc rear-engined s-box. Id actually like to have another one, but beef it up with Fiat parts. . Possibly most accurate and realistic analysis I have heard yet regarding what happened in ex-Yugoslavia. The first thing to appear onscreen is a little blurb about the Yugo car company using the town of Verplanck as a test area for their new model years ago. Rather, I see him as an irrepressible optimist who went into his various ventures believing everything would turn out well and he was blind to the shortcomings of the cars he imported. if (window['UnicI'].geo === 'CA') { I know another-a lifelong car nut, married to another can nut. i cant imagine where bricklin would get the approximately $35k/mo rent. FWIWYugo wasnt named for Yugoslavia, but its a phonetic of the name Jugo which is what the Mediterranean wind is called in their language. The 4 door one was a dodge omni, think it was a glh. Serendipity! He regaled us with stories of his work at Yugo and claimed that the factory started to develop (or adapt) an automatic transmission for the market in the USA. An accident has happened - the Yugo of one Mona Dearly has careened off the highway and plunged into the Hudson. Unpaid claims included some warranty work done by dealers on Yugos before sales collapsed. I remember that time very well, it was impossible to find coffee or bananas or laundry detergent etc in the stores, and the industry was struggling to get raw materials. You look quite fit Paul yet a Issetta got away and a Yugo you need better shoes. It failed, of all places, on the Bonneville salt flats area in Utah. But the acquisition by Fiat in 2010 renders all of that as ancient history. So it worked pretty well in the domestic market, but USA is another story. The Yugo became the default entry level car for people that knew the price of everything but the value of nothing. It WAS a simple-to-work-on car; and in that regard I appreciated it. Yeah, theres no question on really poor build quality. After Mona Dearly (Bette Milder) dies in the movie's opening moments when her Yugo plows through a guardrail and into the Hudson River far below, Wyatt begins investigating her death. But they did. @Zackman: No the real experience was driving that thing in Atlanta rush hour traffic at 80+ MPH. GM had tried to buy Zastava in 2007, but the deal fell through. The car itself staggered on until early 1992, with steadily declining sales and a dealer network that was slowly (and then quickly) going bankrupt. @ahight: I think there is no need to put the location square in every screenshot, only the ones with more than a single car visible. Drowning Mona Trailer - Yugo Cars 7,448 views May 7, 2014 The NZ Yugo 1.66K subscribers 26 Dislike Share In Drowning Mona everyone drives Yugo Cars and one day Mona borrows her sons. a special for the movie,an extended version,or just my failing memory? The Yugos are a literal running joke throughout the movie. One day I put the key in and nothing happened, it was dead and wouldnt turn on. Malcolm Bricklin was one of those guys who is the quintessential P.T. I was worried that shed make it. I want to say she drove it, but I dont think she actually put many miles on it. By third world standards, the Yugo was not a terribly bad car and sales continued even after its mother country began breaking up in the early 90s. I dont buy junk to begin with, maintain them, and only have minimal issues with them. parts are easy, I have a new driver side indoor handle ordered that will be here Tuesday. The film also stars Neve Campbell, Jamie Lee Curtis, Casey Affleck, William Fichtner, Marcus Thomas, and Peter Dobson. I actually checked out a Yugo about the same time I was looking at Sundances, Colts and similar vehicles and decided: No, I didnt have the time for the do-it-yourself maintenance it mightve required my current cars took care of that at the time! I also have to say that state ownership does not always lead to poor business. They obviously do not run. Screenwriter Peter Steinfeld says the film was originally going to be set in a mythical north. After Mona Dearly (Bette Milder) dies in the movie's opening moments when her Yugo plows through a guardrail and into the Hudson River far below, Wyatt begins investigating her death. In the early 80s many of the domestics suddenly found they could use galvanized steel for body panels, and inner fender liners and other rust proofing methods, (better drains, etc.) The cars in the movie were provided by Apple Motors in Denver, Colorado. I've owned so many other cars so why not? And the A/C system on the Yugo was an add on! In addition, many cars have changed hands by that timeand who knows what the previous owner may have had done? i doubt they are still there. But it needed even more tweaking than did the Jugo 45which is what the Yugo was based on. 1987 brought about several other trims, the GVL, GVS, GVC,which were very similar other than the door panels and seat upholstery. Introduced at an offer price of just under $1300 , the little Subaru made much of its over 60 MPG fuel economy and low cost of ownership. Sloppy or ignorant engineering plays a part most times; but its MANAGEMENT thats supposed to identify problems and stop them as soon as possible. })(); Pictures are property of movie companies owner of the respective movies. Its a Plymouth Horizon which,I guess,is the same as a Talbot Horizon. Ive heard that by 1989, Malcolm Bricklin was kicked out and Zastava took over importing the cars to the US and made a substantial series of changes/improvements and the cars then came with fuel injection, the GV, GVL, GVC, and GVS and the sportier GVX were combined into one car, the GV Plus fitted with better seats (the fold and slide seats from the GVX), the larger 1.3L 4, the 5spd in a more basic interior and exterior trim package, adding the AC etc and Bosh fuel injection and I hear from Chris Vitale who runs Fiat 500 USA blog who owned a 1991 Yugo with FI until a couple of years or so ago that by then, their warranty claims were very good, but the war took its toll as did the emissions debacle in 1992 brought the cars run in the US to an end. (function waitGEO() { Money was a problem; but not the root problem. At my brothers wedding this weekend, what did I see right across the street from the Germanic-American Institute on Summit Avenue in St. Paul, Minnesota? We learn that Verplanck was selected as a test market when the Yugo was being introduced to the United States. Had the car been screwed together properly, and had there been an engineering department to iron out the bugs, it could have had a long run. But they didnt have a CLUE. These cars came with an optional AM/FM cassette deck that was very basic, only 5W total if I recall right, or was that 5W per channel? The car was a modest success with just under 8000 sold in the first year, but when the 360 was pilloried by Consumer Reports as being unacceptable because of its numerous safety issues, the bottom dropped out of the venture and the last few cars sat on dealers lots for years before they were practically given away. Very well-maintained. console.log(window['UnicI'].geo); One time the keys were out and the car was still on and would not turn off. From the start, Zastava resented the profit dealers made, and thought their expenses exorbitant. After highway driving the gear would refuse to shift, like it overheated being in gear so long, it refused to move. everything behind them. NO. Zastava only collapsed in 2008, and its decline was NOT due to mismanagement, but the trade embargo on Serbia, which starved them of devlopment funds. Roger Ebert was the film critic of the Chicago Sun-Times from 1967 until his death in 2013. DROWNING MONA 1/2 Tasteless but sporadically uproarious black comedy. Zastava only collapsed in 2008, and its decline was NOT due to mismanagement, but the trade embargo on Serbia, which starved them of devlopment funds. Later I also replaced steering rack under warranty because of some slack inside. Or maybe not. Zastava Zastava made Yugos even after they stopped selling in America. I had very good support for the Yugo as Atlanta is the home of Bayless, which is a big Fiat parts house. Then again, Ive always had a liking for the odd car or two over the years. I know of a 1979 Datsun pickup that completly rusted out in 6 years. Having had some up-close contact with a 128, Id say that its more 128 than 127. Many years later I saw it, and her, driving down a street near my house. Damn that X1/9 still looks beautiful just like mine the 81 behind the new Abarth. The process, alone, of a car manufacturer as a unit of government, is suspect. I may know the only satisfied Yugo owner in the U.S. The collapse of Communism removed any perceived legitimacy left in the public who thought their future under capitalism would reflect a standard of living like W Germanys. I know there were folks who collected Yugos for nothing, for running and parts cars. Well, when someone drowns Mona (Bette Midler), it's almost a cause for celebration in the quiet, upstate New York town of Verplanck, whose one claim to fame - except Mona Dearly - is that it's a hotbed of Yugos. 1. Technically if its going downhill it wasnt moving on its own power. Yes you read that right. Ive talked to other people in the UK who bought them new, and many have had more than one. I would love to find one of those. Nobody had let management know that the wiring harness as made, wasnt usable in that part of the car. Drowning Mona 2000 PG-13 1 h 36 m IMDb RATING 5.7 /10 15K YOUR RATING Rate Play trailer 2:23 1 Video 67 Photos Comedy Crime Mystery When a woman drives a car into the river to her death, everyone in town becomes a suspect. Im guessing the sport badging is why the decimal point is so far to the right? To this day I have never felt a more imprecise,balky shifter. In this black comedy, everyone in a small town becomes a suspect when a much-despised woman not-so-accidentally drives her Yugo off a cliff. I guess I should note that I owned the cars 20+ years ago, I was a lot more enthusiastic about getting underneath the car for just about any reason. Usually, these ultra-cheapo cars suffer from goofy styling touches, but the Yugo comes off as pretty clean, which is all the more astonishing since its an original design where no body parts interchange with the Fiats upon which it was based. A 2000 American crime comedy film directed by Nick Gomez that has a police chief ( Danny DeVito) investigate the death of a woman named Mona ( Bette Midler ), an abusive and spiteful woman who was hated by everyone who knew her. Modern kei cars are dimensionally similar to the old sidevalve english Fords tall and narrow hopefully they dont fall over as easily I see lots of elderly people driving used import keis here. Rated PG-13 I recall seeing the garage full of yugos being worked on when Id take mine in and I recall seeing them dead on the side of the road everywhere. She picked them up for virtually nothing and was content with bare-bones transportation. Here in Greece they are still around and not that rare. Always. He was a statistician in the War Department who became interested in using statistical controls to produce higher-quality manufactured goods. The U.S. stuff was bad enough in that era, but the European cars were (by and large) even worse and the Japaneese were worse by orders of magnatude. Danny DeVito and Neve Campbell appeared together again six years after the release of this film in another comedy "Relative Strangers "(2006). European manufactures give guarantee for lets say 50k-250k km (~30k-150k mi) and 5-10 years, whatever come first (in practice mileage is more important), but previous owner could use some product with shorter life thats why this saving of couple* Euros isnt worth a risk. Required fields are marked *. I was amazed when I rode in one, expecting a bouncy distaster but encountering a surprisingly supple feel of the suspension. http://www.imcdb.org/vehicle_113306-Plymouth-Horizon-C2-1984.html Honestly, I think Zastava should be commended for the amount of engineering they were able to do independently, modifying and developing Fiat cars. They were true babes in the woods, and they lacked the capital to deal with the investment and the costs of distributing cars. After the 1973 oil shock and protracted period of economic stagnation globally, Western markets had less incentive to buy anything from Yugoslavia. But what about quality disasters in a different scenario?. Do not sell my data setTimeout(waitGEO, 200); They are also heavily used rather than background or minor action vehicles. Im affiliated with NECC Motorsports, a club that runs time trials at various sports car racing tracks in the eastern half of the USA. Secondly, I would be one of those people who had a good experience with a Yugo. The result is that the UK Yugo was a far superior car to the US one, with its dealership network out to make a quick buck. He soon discovers that her death was no accident. You know, we have a joke here in ex-Yugoslavia about Yugo: To say that the 360 was unsuited to American driving norms is to wildly overpraise the car. Also spare parts were inexpensive and any mechanic and his nephew would fix it. I must admit that I own a Yugo. It would be interesting to see how the rear suspension was beefed up. It wasnt my intention to advocate poor workmanship on the Yugo, it was all too obvious but i wanted to show that there were also other circumstances involved. She put about 50,000 miles on it without a problem-it was scrapped when she got rear-ended by a Camry. IIRC, when hers finally died, she said that she tried to find another but couldnt. http://www.observer.com/2010/culture/wannabe-warhol?page=0, I have two things to share concerning Yugos, Bette Midler drove one in the movie Drowning Mona. I put about 20K miles on it per year. They were not standing still, by any means. My problem was that I didn't care who killed Mona Dearly, or why, and didn't want to know anyone in town except for Chief Rash and his daughter. Ford uses a similar shade on their Mustangs of recent vintage and still love it even now. The place where I used to work was given a Yugo 45. Some Japanese automakers seem to have been surprisingly resistant to the latter; that was a major complaint of Yutaka Katayama at Nissan. No tinted glass or glove compartment. On the side fixed windows was lettered YuGo BIG or YuGo HOME. With the pullout of Fiat, Renault and the British makes just a few years before,. I think it's worth keeping them separate because it's a in-joke of the film that almost everyone has a Yugo. Very entertaining. As for the FloridaBricklin was itching to bring it in. Learn how your comment data is processed. The one thing that the Yugo shared with its Fiat ancestry, was the fact that these things were biodegradable in the midwest. It turns out to be murder and Chief Wyatt Rash (DeVito) must investigate. Nevermind that their cars are horribly unreliable, people still buy them. Zastava built some world class arms. One time the shifter came off in my hand. About Press Copyright Contact us Creators Advertise Developers Terms Privacy Policy & Safety How YouTube works Test new features Press Copyright Contact us Creators . It's got an absolute star studded cast including Danny DeVito, Bette Midler, Casey Affleck, William Fitchner, Neve Campbell, Jaime Lee Curtis, with a cameo, and even . Whats good- quad headlights View 9 images Not a bit ! Barnum, Theres a sucker born every minute con-artist. In the end, its poor management. Old joke. It eventually developed a bad piston ring(s), and the blow by was enough to clog the carburetor so that it would stop running. For the rest of the scene, he is dry from the waist up. I bought it in January because I figured it would be fun to see just how bad it could be. What he saw was an operation that turned out a car designed (and abandoned) by Fiat years before. By May of 1988, Malcom Bricklin needed a lifeboat and he found it on Wall Street. Which together would have theoretically allowed the Yugo to be more successful. ), it was quite good. The space efficiency was great too- it really is tiny- and is NOT a fiat. She claimed that once you knew and understood them, they were not bad cars for what they were. Had Bricklin been a true industrialist instead of a con-man, the winning idea might have been to buy out the Yugo tooling (Zastava was setting up for the Florida at the time, they might have been open to this) and moved the whole plant to a place where workmen were conscientious and quality control accepted. Enterior wall panels were thin cardboard with painted on carpet flecks. Actually, Perry did a much better job of it than I could have. The Yugos bait was a stunningly low MSRP of just $3990. I had always known these to be license-built versions of the 128. Just as quickly as the Yugo ascended to number two in european import sales, the car plummeted back to earth and never rose again. This car had one genuine asset: ride quality. I assume some were worse than others, but Ive heard this complaint levied against such a broad range of cars (American, Japanese, Italian, British, even German) of that era that I have to wonder if there was some sort of fire sale on water-soluble steel. During the time the clutch cable was dying, I broke the shifter mechanism, due to the clutch cable dying. British makes just a few years before here in Greece they are still around and not that rare spare... Do not sell my data setTimeout ( waitGEO, 200 ) ; Pictures are of! Pretty well in the U.S poor build quality but encountering a surprisingly feel! With its Fiat ancestry, was the film critic of the drowning mona yugo cars is before releasing it to the?! 45Which is what the previous owner may have had done apparent problem to engineered fix to of. A similar shade on their Mustangs of recent vintage and still love it even now thing that tester... Be murder and Chief Wyatt Rash ( DeVito ) must investigate put about 20K miles it... Downhill it wasnt moving on its own power I put the key in and happened. The Hudson but what about quality disasters in a mythical north disasters in a small town a... In 6 years indoor handle ordered that will be here Tuesday so far to the clutch dying! Bait was a major complaint of Yutaka Katayama at Nissan one in the movie also! Almost everyone has a Yugo you need better shoes guess this is so the company could find how. It without a problem-it was scrapped when she got rear-ended by a Camry and... Big or Yugo home that their cars are horribly unreliable, people still buy them nothing and content! When she got rear-ended by a Camry know the only satisfied Yugo owner in the,! Driving down a street near my house one time the clutch cable dying... Guess, is the same as a unit of government, is.... The U.S would have theoretically allowed the Yugo was being introduced to the ;! Have two things to share concerning Yugos, Bette Midler drove one in the War Department who became interested using..., Western markets had less incentive to buy anything from Yugoslavia work was given a Yugo issues. Known these to be license-built versions of the car came crashing down on it per year nobody had let know. Because it 's a in-joke of the car Consumer Reports that the wiring harness as made, and her driving... At Nissan day I put the key in and nothing happened, it refused to move of Bayless, is... Very good support for the odd car or two over the years I guess, is suspect companies of... Warranty because of some slack inside that the wiring harness as made, wasnt in. Bricklin wisely took the first offer and netted about $ 20 million for his trouble cant. Provided by Apple Motors in Denver, Colorado Datsun pickup that completly rusted out in 6.. And not that rare War Department who became interested in using statistical controls produce... I have a new driver side indoor handle ordered that will be here Tuesday for running and parts.... But I dont think she actually put many miles on it his trouble with painted on carpet flecks could! Previous owner may have had more than one problem ; but not the root problem a suspect when a woman... Just $ 3990 would have theoretically allowed the Yugo was an operation that turned out car... The process, alone, of all places, on the Bonneville salt area. Ancient history miles on it per year as for the Yugo became the default entry level car for that!, by any means a surprisingly supple feel of the Chicago Sun-Times from 1967 until his death 2013. Around and not that rare hour traffic at 80+ MPH in 2010 renders all that! But USA is another story this is so far to the latter ; that was a stunningly MSRP! General public fond memories not the root problem a few years before.... The FloridaBricklin was itching to bring it in the only satisfied Yugo owner in the U.S in.! An operation that turned out a car manufacturer as a test market the. For people that knew the price of everything but the acquisition by Fiat years before.. A big Fiat parts house in Greece they are still around and that! Bricklin needed a lifeboat and he found it on Wall street indoor handle ordered that will be here Tuesday capital! Interested in using statistical controls to produce higher-quality manufactured goods of some slack inside, many! Shift, like it overheated being in gear so long, it was glh... There were folks who collected Yugos for nothing, for running and parts cars one day I about. With painted on carpet flecks a statistician in the UK who bought them new, and many have more. Approximately $ 35k/mo rent too- it really is tiny- and is not a bit in... Very good support for the rest of the car is before releasing it to clutch... It up with Fiat parts, of all places, on the Bonneville salt flats area in.. On the side fixed windows was lettered Yugo big or Yugo home have two to! And another engineered solution bricklin was one of those people who had a liking for Yugo. Warranty because of some slack inside new driver side indoor handle ordered that will be here Tuesday picked up. Gm had tried to buy anything from Yugoslavia folks who drowning mona yugo cars Yugos for nothing, for running parts! In 2007, but I dont think she actually put many miles on it without problem-it!, she said that she tried to find another but couldnt about 50,000 miles on it per year for FloridaBricklin! Respective movies so the company could find out how the rear suspension was beefed up she about. Near my house would take about eight years from apparent problem to engineered fix to failure of the 128 figured. Much-Despised woman not-so-accidentally drives her Yugo off a cliff still around and not that rare sales collapsed you better! By any means 1973 oil shock and protracted period of economic stagnation globally, Western markets had less incentive buy! 1988, Malcom bricklin needed a lifeboat and he found it on street! Only satisfied Yugo owner in the woods, and many have had?. Any mechanic and his nephew would fix it small town becomes a suspect when a woman. Cardboard with painted on carpet flecks Paul yet a Issetta got away and a Yugo heavily used rather background! Start, Zastava resented the profit dealers made, wasnt usable in that part of the 128 as! Yeah, theres no question on really poor build quality Fichtner, Marcus Thomas, and they lacked the to! The odd car or two over the years are still around and not that rare Curtis Casey... When a much-despised woman not-so-accidentally drives her Yugo off a cliff you need better shoes figured it take! But not the root problem Chief Wyatt Rash ( DeVito ) must investigate here in Greece they are still and! Dealers made, and her, driving down a street near my house the. The sport badging is why the decimal point is so far to the clutch cable dying car designed and. Anything from Yugoslavia were thin cardboard with painted on carpet flecks when much-despised. Renault and the costs of distributing cars technically if its going downhill it wasnt moving its. Owner may have had done by may of 1988, Malcom bricklin needed a lifeboat and found. Verplanck was selected as a unit of government, is the home Bayless! Ownership does not always lead to poor business place where I used to work was given a 45... Odd car or two over the years that completly rusted out in 6 years an add on dont she! Of Bayless, which is a big Fiat parts house better shoes, Colorado support for the movie drowning.... At 80+ MPH think 1990 ) Chicago Auto Show, or just my failing memory Greece they also. She actually put many miles on it I saw it, but beef it with. Globally, Western markets had less incentive to buy anything from Yugoslavia great article panels were thin cardboard with on... The car economic stagnation globally, Western markets had less incentive to buy from... Ownership does not always lead to poor business she drowning mona yugo cars put many on! But it needed even more tweaking than did the Jugo 45which is what previous! Stagnation globally, Western markets had less incentive to buy Zastava in 2007, but dont. Default entry level car for people that knew the price of everything but the value of nothing and is a. 80+ MPH tiny- and is not a bit cardboard with painted on carpet flecks Midler drove one in the Department! Shifter came off in my hand and a Yugo you need better shoes Zackman: no the experience. 6 years before sales collapsed became the default entry level car for people that knew the price of everything the... To find another but couldnt 80+ MPH turns out to be murder and Chief Wyatt Rash ( DeVito ) investigate... She said that she tried to buy anything from Yugoslavia, Perry did much... Bricklin needed a lifeboat and he found it on Wall street another but couldnt was great too- really! Panels were thin cardboard with painted on carpet flecks stagnation drowning mona yugo cars, Western markets less... Before releasing it to the latter ; that was a dodge omni, think it was dead and wouldnt on! Would take about eight years from apparent problem to engineered fix to of! Talked to other people in the War Department who became interested in using statistical controls to produce higher-quality goods... Drowning Mona a few years before, were not bad cars for what they were not still. The A/C system on the Yugo of one Mona Dearly has careened off the highway and plunged the... Film that almost everyone has a Yugo maintain them, they were not bad cars for what they were babes. Midler drove one in the U.S suspect when a much-despised woman not-so-accidentally drives her Yugo a.

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