Bad ideas aren't exclusive to the car business--but sometimes, they get mass-produced there.
Not all of the cars on this list are bad, but they sure were short-lived. Maybe it was timing. Or maybe they really deserved it, you make the call.
Here's a concise compendium of cars that lasted just a year or two--or less--on the market.
ALSO SEE: 10 things the next Toyota Supra has to be: We lay it out
1956 Dodge LaFemme
(Photo courtesy Flickr user Hugo90)
Dodge LaFemme (1956)
Dodge's ill-fated attempt at swooning the li'l ladies of the house reeked of a few "tee many martoonis" during the all-male lunch hour. Dodge execs trotted out this Coronet wearing a pink apron for a year before discovering that patronizing wasn't an effective sales strategy. It had roses on the interior and a matching change purse. Woof.
2011 Saab 9-5 and 2011 Saab 9-4X
Saab 9-4X (2011)
The Saab 9-4X was born under a bad sign. By the time it was announced, the Swedish automaker was seriously in trouble and executives were already scrambling for cash. Underneath its Storm Trooper exterior in white was a Cadillac SRX (which went on to be very profitable for Cadillac) but a wonky 2.8-liter turbo that shouldn't have seen the light of day.
2009 Chrysler Aspen Hybrid
Chrysler Aspen Hybrid (2009)
By the time you understood the complex two-mode hybrid system with 8 planetary gearsets, Chrysler had pulled the Aspen Hybrid from sale. It was a short-lived SUV whose life was made shorter by the recession and bankruptcy. The 5.7-liter Hemi V-8 hybrid powertrain was also found in the down-market Durango Hybrid that didn't sell well either. Only about 1,000 were produced before the Delaware plant that made them was shuttered.
2002 Lincoln Blackwood
Lincoln Blackwood (2002)
An F-150 wearing a tuxedo and terrible tailgate system, the Blackwood was a rear-drive pickup truck with nice carpet and an inflated sticker. Lincoln tried again with the 2006 Lincoln Mark LT before eventually just charging whatever they wanted for an F-150 Platinum.
2016 Scion iA
Scion iA (2016)
In this case, the Scion is guilty of its parents' sins. Scion's parent-company Toyota couldn't quite bring Scion back to its initial heyday and the iA was a last-ditch attempt at getting the cheap and cheerful crowd. It's not a bad car, it was just at the wrong place at the wrong time. Oh yeah, and Mazda (who builds the iA for Toyota) isn't really helping much with its Mazda 3 pricing either. And it's not like Scion launched the iA with a similarly named car at the same time to confuse buyers, right?
2016 Scion iM
Scion iM (2016)
... never mind. The Scion iM was a good idea on paper for the fledgling automaker. The iM is a Corolla hatchback under its skin, and the Corolla sells by the gazillions worldwide. Plagued by a ropy manual and a worse continuously variable transmission, the Scion sibling could have used all-wheel drive or better options. Maybe next time around when it's called a Toyota?
2009 Kia Borrego
Kia Borrego (2009)
Kia sold a Borrego? Huh.
2009 Saturn Aura
Saturn Aura (2007-2009)
Based on the Chevy Malibu, the Aura had all the right stuff—except the automaker's name in front of it. Saturn closed up shop in 2009 and the Aura didn't come back. "Probably the best car on that list," says one of our editors. Is that like having the record for the most home runs in the minor leagues?
2011 Lexus LF-A leak
Lexus LFA (2012)
Wait, what? Who put this list together? I love the LFA! It was a V-10 Lexus that shot up to 60 mph in like 3 seconds. I mean, yeah, initially Lexus only let you "lease" the LFA with the option to buy one to control buyers and resale, and yeah, it took them like 10 years to make it and so what if it cost $450,000 to buy ... I get it now.
2005 GMC Envoy XUV SLE
GMC Envoy XUV (2004-2005)
Is it a truck? Is it an SUV? Nope, it's just the automotive Quasimodo. The Envoy XUV had a short life thanks to that chopped and long rear end, terrible fuel economy, and impatience with a rear end that opened like a Wagonaire. When Studebaker did it better, you're not long for this world, we think.
