There I was at the Dodge booth during the Detroit auto show. One spokesperson proudly pointed at the new Sixpack Charger and said, “That won North American Car of the Year this morning, it’s sure to be a hit.”
I have nothing against the I6 Charger, and I genuinely hope it succeeds. Still, the moment raised a question. How many flops have won “Car of the Year”? The answer: more than you’d think. Here are four.
2011 Chevrolet Volt
Let me be clear: I don’t think the Chevrolet Volt deserved to flop. Its series-hybrid powertrain was a genuine innovation. It operated as a full EV for daily driving–not an anemic hybrid. It also had a gasoline-powered generator to extend range on road trips.
The problem wasn’t the engineering. The problem was timing. In 2011, the market wasn’t ready.
Critics awarded the Volt both North American Car of the Year and MotorTrend Car of the Year. Chevrolet ultimately sold about 150,000 Volts. But it canceled the powertrain in 2019. The Volt’s replacement, the more conventional Bolt EV, ended production after an even shorter run.
Ironically, enthusiasts are now rediscovering the Volt. It has become one of the most in-demand used electrified vehicles.
2007 Saturn Aura
Long before “aura” became everyday Gen Z slang, Saturn tried to generate some of its own. The midsize, front-wheel-drive Aura won 2007 North American Car of the Year.
The Aura previewed GM’s new Epsilon platform. That same architecture underpinned the 2008 Chevrolet Malibu. The connection likely influenced critics. GM eventually spread the platform across the Aura, Malibu, and Pontiac G6. It also shared components with the Saab 9-3, Opel Vectra C and Signum, and Fiat Croma.
In hindsight, that level of platform sharing should have raised alarms. Saturn launched the Aura for the 2007 model year. By 2010, the Saturn dealerships themselves were gone. GM sold about 140,000 Auras in the U.S.
2001 Chrysler PT Cruiser
The PT Cruiser has become an object of ridicule. It’s often treated as the automotive equivalent of Crocs.
That reputation may be unfair. Chrysler launched the PT Cruiser for the 2001 model year as part of the retro-futuristic wave that also produced the New Beetle and BMW-era Mini Cooper. The PT Cruiser simply missed the aesthetic mark. GM later executed the same 1930s–1940s theme more convincingly with its HHR.
Today, the PT Cruiser is shorthand for automotive failure. Despite winning 2001 Car of the Year awards from both North American Car of the Year and MotorTrend, it’s widely viewed as a flop.
Yet the story isn’t so simple. The PT Cruiser effectively pioneered the mass-market crossover formula. It combined front-wheel-drive car mechanics with a tall seating position and flexible cargo space. Chrysler sold more than 1 million PT Cruisers in the U.S. alone.
Maybe the professionals saw something the armchair critics didn’t.
1983 Renault Alliance
By the early 1980s, the Detroit Three had each partnered with Japanese automakers to sell rebadged compact cars in the U.S. American Motors Corp. ran out of options. As this game of global musical chairs slowed, floundering American Motors Corporation was left with few options besides Renault.
What better name for your optimistic joint venture vehicle than “Alliance.” It was a French design assembled in Wisconsin. MotorTrend embraced the idea and named it 1983 Car of the Year.
The alliance behind the Alliance didn’t save AMC. The company sold off its brands, including Jeep to Chrysler, and closed its doors by 1987. AMC sold only 140,000 Renaults in the U.S.
