I was watching a show on the BBC the other evening when a commercial for another show came on that featured an Audi from the mid-80's. That image for whatever reason reminded me of the Audi 5000s and the whole controversy surrounding the numerous unintended acceleration claims that arose.
In the end Audi was exonerated from any wrong doing, however the damage had been done. Audi struggled for years in the USA, and most likely where it not for the A4, probably would not have made it here in the USA given the image created by the stories that proved ultimately to be false.
Fast forward to 2009, and a viral video showing some employees doing things that are disgusting to food while working at a pizza shop again demonstrate how quickly an image can be destroyed - in this case by stupidity of some poorly hired employees.
It got me thinking about cars and some of the true winners and losers we have seen in the last 12 months or so. We have discussed at length Hyundai's rise with both the Genesis sedan and Genesis Coupe, but Hyundai has systematically been studying the market and refining the products it sells.
How about the cars that haven't been good for their makers.
Yesterday in traffic I was behind a GMC Envoy XUV, what a flop that was! The original Lincoln Blackwood was a dismal failure quickly pulled from the market.
You get the idea...
What car, truck or SUV do you think has done more harm than good to its maker? Image is everything, and just like Audi back in the late 80's, that image can be harmed by a poorly timed or executed design, or worse yet a vehicle that answers a question, or meets a need people didn't ask or need.
So have some fun, but check in and share your wisdom with us.
When you get done, be sure to check out the exciting Shanghai Auto Show Gallery, Agent 001 is in China covering this exciting event.
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