Yugo

[Buick35]

I'm surprised I haven't seen any Yugo's for sale.I know they were crap but I thought there might be a market for them. I saw one about ten years ago but haven't since.

[Xander Wildeisen]

 

[DAVES89]

One for sale on Chicago Craigslist for $1000.00

[huptoy]

In 1988 I was looking for a good used car for my daughter and seriously considered a new Yugo.  I purchased a used low mileage 5 year old car from a church member.  In checking with my machanic, he discouraged my purchasing a Yugo calling it a “throw away car”.  You don’t fix it, junk it.  Yugo shipped cars but not repair parts & it took weeks to months to repair them.  The part that held the hatch back window in place was faulty & people taped a plywood pannel in place driving the car for months.  I listened to my machanic’s advice & thanked him for years.

 

if you are keeping it in a museum, it ok.  It was never a dependable daily driver.

[TerryB]

The demand, or lack of it, sets the market interest.  Yugos were not very exciting when new and fell out of favor quickly.  I worked with a fellow who purchased three as disposable forms of transportation.  In that light I can’t imagine much of a market today for the car unless you are looking for a teaching example of what NOT to do as an auto manufacturer.

[46 woodie]

hup, I worked with a guy that purchased a Yugo and he also called it a throwaway car. I thought he was joking, but after only 35K, he junked the car!

[Xander Wildeisen]

Are all of you saying that the commercial above, with the "want to be" eye of the tiger sound track. And the charging horses, Is miss leading? 

[Roger Frazee]

There is a gentleman in  East Tennessee who has three that are daily drivers for himself and his family.  He has four parts cars to keep them running.  He loves them.  I don't know why.  

[Bloo]

There was one on Wenatchee, WA Craigslist about 6 months ago, running, driving, and not looking bad in the pictures. Probably not very rusty because of the climate here. It was $400 IIRC.

 

 

 

 

[greenie]

A little known fact: all Yugo’s had a rear window defroster. 

 

 

(Hand warmer)

[zipdang]

There are couple locally (Delaware, OH) including one that the owner rather nicely cut down and made into what is probably the only Yugo Jolly around. I'll try to catch a photo next time I see it.

[Lebowski]

I saved this for a few laughs from when I sold old car brochures on eBay. I couldn't sell this one for some reason. How about that powerful 54 hp engine?  

 

 

 

 

[filozof97]

I don't think that they are crap... Of course, there are better cars, most of cars are better than Yugo - but they are not bad. Much better than many of eastern bloc cars - better than Dacia, better than Trabant, probably better than Tavria. 

Last time when I was in Croatia (2014), it was quite common car - often seen in quite good condition. The warm climate of southern Europe may have something in common with it. Also, guy in my neighborhood has one, nicely restored.

The reason for Yugo not being a classic is it's market positioning. It was simply a shopping trolley, an household appilance. Triggering simillar amount of emotions as dishwasher. Thrown away after getting used. Same thing as Dacia Sandero or Fiat Panda today. Cheap cars are not the cars that young boys are dreaming of, so they don't buy them as grown-ups. Cheap cars are not becoming classics - maybe sometimes, when the model is very popular, and during the production run is a part of popular culture - such as Volkswagen, Fiat 500, Citroen 2CV, Morris Mini. Or Renault Twingo.  But who remembers the Peugeot 104 or Lloyd 400?

[plymouthcranbrook]

I can only say that my only experience with one was seeing my ex neighbor struggle with the one he bought new for his wife. Seemed to be broke more than running. He kept it for 3 or 4 years and then dumped it. As far as I can see the only thing gong for it was a super low price and as we all know there is a reason for that. One of my favorite phrases is this"Sometimes free is too much to pay"

Edited June 28, 2019 by plymouthcranbrook (see edit history)

[Bloo]

There were far worse cars on the market in 1986. You sure could have spent more and got less.

[Laughing Coyote]

Here's one. Priced cheap too. Doesn't look to bad.

https://santafe.craigslist.org/cto/d/yugo-classic-hipster-car/6611412863.html

[Xander Wildeisen]

Seller does not say why the wife is mad? Selling her Yugo?

[John_S_in_Penna]

I think the Yugo was by far the least-reliable car

on the market at the time.  But last year, as we

were gathering for our AACA region's summer tour,

we met a young couple in the parking lot who were

driving a Yugo.  It turns out they were antique-car fans,

and they joined our region.

 

So someone near us enjoys Yugos and they've become

part of our group!  (It turns out this isn't their only antique.)

[mike6024]

I had one of these, '84 Renault Encore. It seemed they got very bad reviews, but totally undeserved. I loved it. 40 mpg on the freeway, good pick up, acceleration. which had in part to do with it being light, but the tiny 1.4 liter also put out a lot of power for it's size. I got it up to 95 mph. And it handled very well, which also benefited from it being light. French engineering. Electronic ignition and throttle body fuel injection which didn't seem to need maintenance. Automatics probably had problems, but like always I had a stick, 4-speed.

Edited July 5, 2018 by mike6024 (see edit history)

[8E45E]

8 hours ago, John_S_in_Penna said:

I think the Yugo was by far the least-reliable car

on the market at the time.  But last year, as we

were gathering for our AACA region's summer tour,

we met a young couple in the parking lot who were

driving a Yugo.  It turns out they were antique-car fans,

and they joined our region.

 

So someone near us enjoys Yugos and they've become

part of our group!  (It turns out this isn't their only antique.)

In most jurisdictions, a Yugo is old enough to qualify for 'antique' plates.

 

Craig

[Steve Moskowitz]

Gosh I hate to bring this up but alas, despite the bit of fun being a DeLorean dealer I also took a gamble on Yugo.  Sold a boat load of them.  Why? At the time it seemed sensible to me to offer a new car with a warranty for the price of a used car.  Olds business was dwindling and I needed another profit center as well (although there was virtually no mark up on this car). 

 

Our experience was not that bad, the first shipments contained cars with spark plugs that were not meant for our market.  That was a problem.  After that fix we had minor issues with the cars, had plenty of repair parts and although they were as exciting as a bowl of cornflakes they seemed to fill a void.  My opinion always was the late night jokes by Leno and others turned the car into a joke and HELPED kill it. 

 

Wasn't much of a car but I wish I had saved one!!

[charlier]

7 hours ago, John_S_in_Penna said:

So someone near us enjoys Yugos and they've become

part of our group!  (It turns out this isn't their only antique.)

 

Hopefully this means we will see a Yugo at an AACA Meet in the near future.

After all, the Yugo is a part of automotive history and deserves it's day in the sun like any other vehicle.

[R Walling]

  What? Ralph Nader didn't notice the rt. rear wheel off of the ground in the sales video? Definitely out of control (at least by his standards)

[8E45E]

12 minutes ago, Steve Moskowitz said:

Gosh I hate to bring this up but alas, despite the bit of fun being a DeLorean dealer I also took a gamble on Yugo.  Sold a boat load of them.  Why? At the time it seemed sensible to me to offer a new car with a warranty for the price of a used car.  Olds business was dwindling and I needed another profit center as well (although there was virtually no mark up on this car). 

 

Our experience was not that bad, the first shipments contained cars with spark plugs that were not meant for our market.  That was a problem.  After that fix we had minor issues with the cars, had plenty of repair parts and although they were as exciting as a bowl of cornflakes they seemed to fill a void.  My opinion always was the late night jokes by Leno and others turned the car into a joke and HELPED kill it. 

 

Wasn't much of a car but I wish I had saved one!!

What REALLY killed them was the political upheaval in Yugoslavia; not because they were 'no good'.  When the Iron Curtain fell, that country (and many other of the Comecon nations) went into a revolution, and most industry stopped dead in its tracks!  France bombed the Zaztavia factory in 1992, for example.  The local Yugo dealer here had a small market for them and wanted more to sell, and delivery of cars after 1989 became problem because of that.  Had business in that country carried on as before the revolution, there a planned replacement for the GV (old Fiat 127) for 1990 or 1991 release in North America.  It was called the 'Florida', and available in two door and four door hatchback models and was apparently undergoing testing and Federalization up until the factory shut down for a time.  As far as I know, Fiat regained complete control of it, and produces current models from that Zazavia plant.

 

Craig 

[SC38dls]

Wonder why Nader didn’t write a book about it’s unreliable status? How was it’s safety record? 

Dave S 

[Lebowski]

13 minutes ago, SC38DLS said:

Wonder why Nader didn’t write a book about it’s unreliable status? 

 

"Unsafe If It Starts" would be a good title... 

[Hudsy Wudsy]

The last one I saw, a few years ago,  was at Porky's Drive In over in St Paul. It had a tube frame and a blown engine.

[60FlatTop]

Their spirit lives on in the Prius, Volt, and Tesla. Same people, progressively more affluent.

 

[erichill]

When I married my wife, she had a Yugo. One of the happiest days of my life was when she burned it up from lack of oil.  That car was a POS ! I remember replacing the clutch cable several times and it was a Fiat part.  Car was sitting our driveway when the back bumper literally just dropped to the ground.  Not rusted or anything; welds just gave up the ghost and it fell off while sitting still.

[1939_Buick]

They were a Fiat design built in Yugoslav.

Fiat cars of time of this size were not good cars. A lesser when made as a Yugo

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zastava_Koral

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zastava_Automobiles

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fiat_127

[Roger Frazee]

12 hours ago, Roger Walling said:

  What? Ralph Nader didn't notice the rt. rear wheel off of the ground in the sales video? Definitely out of control (at least by his standards)

Ralph who???

[John_S_in_Penna]

I saw a Yugo that came with a towing package.

It was in the front.

[28 Chrysler]

There was a guy here in Vegas that had a new engine for sale still in the factory shipping crate. Something tells me he still has it.

[mcdarrunt]

I know of one in pristine condition that gets used everyday and is loved. I had a very low mileage one at a salvage yard with a blown SOMETHING. A friend that is a teachers assistant at an elementary school asked if he could have it as a reaching tool and I told him "sure." Everything combustible or toxic was removed as well as what could shatter into sharp pieces and it is now the "Rewards Room" within the regular classroom. Has several trick amenities for kids that ace a test and get to go to the Yugo rather than study for a later test.

[jeff_a]

Now eligible for Hershey with the last coming out about 1992. The Yugo was a vastly superior car to a 1968 Subaru 360. Trying to say something nice...

 

The Subaru below was f/s @$3,900 on BringATrailer a few years ago. A former 360 owner quipped that you got the performance you'd expect from a 25 h.p. motor, but the dirt bike soundtrack almost made up for it.

 

Edited July 12, 2018 by jeff_a (see edit history)

[plymouthcranbrook]

23 hours ago, jeff_a said:

Now eligible for Hershey with the last coming out about 1992. Vastly superior car to a Subaru 360. Trying to say something nice...

Keep trying...

[CHuDWah]

On 7/5/2018 at 12:11 AM, Xander Wildeisen said:

Seller does not say why the wife is mad? Selling her Yugo?

 

 

Or the squirrel-attacked wiring?

[32tatra]

Around seven years ago, I went to the Costco, in Yonkers New York (built on the site of a former Jewish cemetery) and I watched in amassment has a young girl pulled up in a Yugo, got out of the car, locked the doors and then went to the other side of the car, to make sure the doors were all locked.   I guess I missed seeing Yugo's on the list of most stolen cars.  About 3 months later, I saw her again.  At the same Costco.   But this time she was driving a  blue Yugo convertible with a license plate that read " YUGO GIRL".  I saw that and said to myself, we need more girls like that!!!     

Edited July 9, 2018 by 32tatra (see edit history)

[John_S_in_Penna]

A friend drove his Yugo to the local auto-parts store.

 

"I'd like some floor mats for my Yugo," he said to the counter man.

"Okay.  That sounds like a fair trade."

[Mike36]

On 7/5/2018 at 8:42 AM, Hudsy Wudsy said:

The last one I saw, a few years ago,  was at Porky's Drive In over in St Paul. It had a tube frame and a blown engine.

Hudsy, please explain. Did the engine have a blower on top of it, or were parts of the engine scattered around Porkys parking lot? Hahahaha!!!!  Well, it was a Nogo, I mean Yugo.