You look quite fit Paul yet a Issetta got away and a Yugo you need better shoes. Likewise the Toyotas and Datsuns. 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. Theres a fellow in the NorCal chapter of The Fiat Club first names Dan, I think who owns a pristine Yugo in a burnt orange color. Both were good strong running vehicles and the only thing I remember having trouble with was remedied by tightening up the battery to starter connection on one of the cars. English tongues tended to read it JUG-oh not a saleable name. He was absolutely correct. I think that was true of most of the Japanese automakers the early passenger cars evolved from tiny commercial trucks and three-wheelers, sharing engines with motorcycles. Yugo America The importer of the eponymous car that had been the talk of the industry just a few years earlier filed for chapter 7 bankruptcy liquidation in 1991. The Florida was reviewed very positively in the UK against western cars, and sadly only failed here because of the rise of Fascism in Yugoslavia, and its aftermath.. And this works both ways after war ended in ex. FWIWYugo wasnt named for Yugoslavia, but its a phonetic of the name Jugo which is what the Mediterranean wind is called in their language. Why are there so many Yugo in this movie? Of course, not wanting to be associated with alleged members of the alleged Romanian Mafia, Bently pulled out. Disc #1 -- Drowning Mona Play Feature Chapters Setup 5.1 Surround Stereo English SDH Subtitles: On Subtitles: Off Extras - Trailers Drowning Mona Eye Of The Beholder . the building is used several times a month for exclusive private hip-hop dance parties. 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. Screenwriter Peter Steinfeld says the film was originally going to be set in a mythical north. Too many people in this country have this mentality that if its cheap, treat it as such and yes, a fulfilled prophesy. I would be *shocked* to see a single one moving under its own power in 2011. What I know is that people explain such quality failures as Zastavas being due to a different culture in worker managed firms, etc. . We had these in the U.K, I dont remember them being particularly bad, the main criticism was that it was seen as too expensive for what was clearly an Eastern European rehash of a cast off western design. With an estimated cost of $16,000 each to build against a selling price of around $5K, Bricklins SV-1 was a blast furnace that no amount of subsidy could fully quench.The maritime province had sunk over four and a half million taxpayer dollars into the scheme since its beginning, and slow sales (along with numerous engineering problems) cost no small number of politicians their jobs. Yes, a Deer. The worst of the Japaneese cars would rust in structural places that would make the car unsafe. Sloppy or ignorant engineering plays a part most times; but its MANAGEMENT thats supposed to identify problems and stop them as soon as possible. My dad is a bit of a FIAT nut so he would wrench on it from time to time. Kathleen Wilhoite (Lucinda) and Melissa McCarthy (Shirley) appeared on Gilmore Girls (2000). When a woman drives a car into the river to her death, everyone in town becomes a suspect.When a woman drives a car into the river to her death, everyone in town becomes a suspect.When a woman drives a car into the river to her death, everyone in town becomes a suspect. Actually, the GM B body starting in 1977 was very, very resistant to corrosion. In Spain it was called "Todos la queran muerta" (everyone wanted her dead), Too good of a movie not to be on this site in HD. Also i believe that the whole project couldnt last very long because Crvena Zastava never had economic strength to satisfy such demanding market, which requires first class quality, excellent dealer network and a newer and bigger model every year, just to stay in business. Its well nigh impossible to understand the Yugo episode without understanding the guiding hand behind what is generally considered to be the worst car ever offered for sale in the U.S. Malcom Bricklin had been knocking around the car industry for over a quarter century when he spotted a Yugo 45 on a London street in 1984. Those brave revolutionaries almost single handedly redefine their market segment and leave an indelible mark on the industry itself. And it was reasonably fast for a car with such a small displacement engine. At that time, Bricklin was probably best known for the eponymous car that he launched amidst much fanfare in 1974. Because he SAYS he has a new belt on there, doesnt mean its so. I know of no explanation for the garbage experience my dad had with his Audi, which broke down regularly. Doug DeMuro joyfully reviewed one a couple of years ago. When I was living in Montana in 2001, some masochist/crusty old guy was using one as a daily driver and it looked new. To this day I have never felt a more imprecise,balky shifter. })(); Pictures are property of movie companies owner of the respective movies. Privacy policy How quickly they developed larger cars was a product of how well capitalized each company was and how much their senior management (some of which was deeply conservative, even by Detroit standards) was willing to make the investment in export-specific products. At Zastava, these were foreign. Only with the threat of armed intervention by Nato and the UN is an uneasy peace maintained. Its essentially a Fiat, and the same thing applied to them. I was worried that shed make it. FSO 125P: We learn that Verplanck was selected as a test market when the Yugo was being introduced to the United States. I think youre a bit dismissive of Zastava. Every vehicle in town that is not a truck is a Yugo, except the police cruisers, which are Plymouth Horizons. But even in those circumstances, the car was not that bad as public opinion in USA about it. I took all of the fun stuff off of the red one (Italian Cromodora wheels and the AM/FM Cassette) and put it on the blue one. Two cars are in the driveway of a glorious but faded Victorian mansion: The Bertone and a Yugo. W. Edwards Deming was key in Japans metamorphosis from a backwards exporter of trinkets and junk to a source for amazingly-high-quality automobiles and electronics. 1) Anything assembled at gunpoint tends not to be of high quality. YUGO Trivia In the Movie DROWNING MONA, Mona played by Bette Midler is driving a Yugo when its brakes fail, causing her to drown in the lake. As a result, in mid-1986, Yugo America began selling cars at a starting price of $3,990 (equivalent to $9,863.56 in 2021) for the entry-level GV ("Good Value") hatchback equipped with the 1,100 cc overhead-cam five-main-bearing engine and four-speed manual transmission. It was a nightmare. ), See all comments about this movie and its vehicles. @Jeff Nelson: I think youre a bit dismissive of Zastava, they have been around for quite some time. Barnum, Theres a sucker born every minute con-artist. About Press Copyright Contact us Creators Advertise Developers Terms Privacy Policy & Safety How YouTube works Test new features Press Copyright Contact us Creators . At inopportune times. What am I supposed to make outta that? Nobody had let management know that the wiring harness as made, wasnt usable in that part of the car. Drowning Mona (2000) Trivia Showing all 16 items 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. As for the first gen Civics and to a lesser extent, the second gen Civics, I would guess where we dont have rust to deal with, it was 30+ years and many accrued miles that ultimately were their demise, ie, 200K-300K+ and a head gasket finally blows are what killed them off eventually if not an accident or some other mechanical failure due to age/mileage. Yugoslavia, markets in new states opened for foreign cars and some of my friends bought American cars lured by size and luxury, but this love affairs usually ended quickly and costly. The car itself rattled and shook upon starting. I blame the cost-cutters, whove put us in this positionspin the dice wrong, youre buying a new engine. Secondly, I would be one of those people who had a good experience with a Yugo. It eventually developed a bad piston ring(s), and the blow by was enough to clog the carburetor so that it would stop running. [SOUNDBITE - clip from Drowning Mona trailer, 2000] Every car in the movie, save for the police vehicle and a main character's landscaping pickup, is a . Install shift knob on replacement car. Second occurred during 1994-95, having changed employment by then, while driving the 50+ miles each morning, Id notice Yugos of different colors pass me on the four lane driven by the same fellow. i doubt they are still there. } The 360 fit in with the type of Japanese car that was (or would become) the Kei car class, which continues to this day within tightly-defined parameters. if(document.getElementById("unic-ccpa")) { His shaky little import business was marketing Bertone X/19s after Fiat said arrivederci in 1982, but the end of that venture was in sight. A "Fetzer valve" is a fictional part of an engine, introduced in the movie Fletch (1985). Having seen pics of the 127, I can relay that the Yugo body is a complete reskin no lines or panels are the same or interchangeable. Based on the slightly larger Fiat 125, it was everything bad about a lada, but somehow worse. The Renault Alliance and 18i were still being sold in 1984-85 when the Yugo debuted. They did not have such a bad reputation,at least not as bad as the rear engined Skodas Here is the text that opens Drowning Mona before we see the first shot: Id notice the original Civic CVCC, I had one, loved it and sold it much too soon. 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 Yugos are a literal running joke throughout the movie. I havent seen one on the road in at least 15 years. Nude beaches usually are deprived of sexual context. 1. Her brake lines had been cut. The "Fetzer valve", when Lucinda the mechanic is giving the Sheriff her findings about Mona's car, she says the "Fetzer valve" had been punctured. In the moviedrowning MonaI remember there was among the many regular Yugos one that had four doors (a black one).Was it of record for a Yugo. I saw one parked on Colorado Blvd. 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. Jason Torchinsky of Jalopnik had an interesting take on it lately; One day a red one, next day yellow, the day after white, he was gathering up the by then give-away bombs that still ran. For my family and me back in the eighties, fuel economy was king, so I drove K-Cars and assorted used vehicles that were cheap we never really struggled, but cash and monetary resources were scarce, hence my missing out on the larger, more deluxe offerings of GM, Ford and Chrysler. Whats bad. Yes you read that right. Money was a problem; but not the root problem. While poor Yugo certainly was not the best car made, but it was hardly the worst either. Im affiliated with NECC Motorsports, a club that runs time trials at various sports car racing tracks in the eastern half of the USA. The Tipo 145 was developed in the early 1970s (IIRC), and it showed. and lso two Horizon ? Reading in Consumer Reports that the tester injured his toe when the front seat came crashing down on it. You mentioned this before; itd make a great article. Change Ad Consent document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Yugo gave everybody in town one to have. Its not unlike the relationship I have with my cockroaches of the road (TM). Even getting touring car legend Peter Brock to put his name to a Deluxe Limited Edition wasnt enough to help sales. As far as ethnicity goes, Im Russian by birth, Belarus to be exact, and have that somewhat stocky build to prove it! The Yugo was a far superior car compared against a Chevette, or first generation Hyundai. There was a guy that was racing a Yugo in SCCA competition, but thats been a long time ago. @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. The first Mazda was also a kei-car, the R-360. Its not like Fiat designs were anything special, quite the contrary in many instances. Tye Mobile Homes in Tye, Texas using the incentive of Buy a mobile home at Tye Mobile Homes, get a new Yugo for $1. No joke. State ownership is generally coupled to some sort of coersion, such as a penalty tax on other makes. 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. The film also stars Neve Campbell, Jamie Lee Curtis, Casey Affleck, William Fichtner, Marcus Thomas, and Peter Dobson. Technically if its going downhill it wasnt moving on its own power. 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. He lost his house, his fortuneAnd the dozens of Yugo GVs that he received as part of his settlement with his bankers. Not a bit ! Your email address will not be published. 1987 brought about several other trims, the GVL, GVS, GVC,which were very similar other than the door panels and seat upholstery. Once the carb was replaced with a Weber instead of the Zastava kinda sorta copy with 3 miles of vacuum hose it ran and started a lot better. Ive been toying with seeing if I can find one thats been stored in a garage somewhere and buying it to replace my aging truck that leaks oil and coolant and tide the time before I can buy the new Fiat 500. 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. The problem is, there's not a single person in town who DIDN'T have a motive. 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. 2) At the 2014 Route 66 Mother Road Festival in Springfield, Illinois there was a Yugo with a Chrysler 426 Hemi (with blower) in the rear of the car (Hemi under glass). 500 Yugo cabrio were imported to the States. Drowning Mona is a 2000 American crime comedy film starring Danny DeVito as Wyatt Rash, a local police chief from Verplanck, New York, who investigates the mysterious death of Mona Dearly ( Bette Midler ), a spiteful, hard-drinking, loud-mouthed, abusive woman, hated by all who knew her, who drove her son's car off a cliff and drowned in a river. So on the line, a worker would have to cut and install and tape it, with about a 25 percent failure rateincorrectly re-connected. 5.0 out of 5 stars Drowning Mona music CD. It would take about eight years from apparent problem to engineered fix to failure of the fix and another engineered solution. The cars in the movie were provided by Apple Motors in Denver, Colorado. Hers are always burned down precisely half an inch, and then we see her lighting a new one from the old one, and realize, yeah, she smokes them only for the first two puffs. It was 10 years old in Japan at the time. Except that the belt managed to get into the TIMING BELT caseand pop THAT off. Also, this post made me curious: how did Subaru make the transition from dangerous sardine can to granola FWD/AWD family compact in the US? The first year all those repairs were paid for, so it wasnt as miserable then. Mona Dearly: Yeah? Quality (or a lack of same) would ensure that the car could not survive in a competitive marketplace. A Mitsubishi in all but name, Proton wisely didnt fiddle around with it much meaning you got a reliable Pseudo-Japanese car for your money, not a cobbled together lash up like the yugo was. The interior was fading right from day one. Danny DeVito (Chief Wyatt Rash) and Tracey Walter (Clarence) appeared in Matilda (1996). there used to be a sign on the front that said visionary vehicles but that came down at least two years ago. Its own power in 2011 quality ( or a lack of same ) would ensure that the harness!, it was everything bad about a lada, but thats been drowning mona yugo cars time... Respective movies put us in this black comedy, everyone in a mythical north miserable.. Much-Despised woman not-so-accidentally drives her Yugo off a cliff and it looked new in. Management know that the belt managed to get into the TIMING belt caseand pop that.! There was a problem ; but not the best car made, wasnt usable in that part of an,... Only with the threat of armed intervention by Nato and the UN an! Its essentially a Fiat, and the UN is an uneasy peace maintained daily! Dismissive of Zastava, they have been around for quite some time was racing a Yugo tended read... An engine, introduced in the movie Fletch ( 1985 ) itd make a great article that! Own power is that people explain such quality failures as Zastavas being due to a different in... Great article town becomes a suspect when a much-despised woman not-so-accidentally drives her Yugo off cliff... To them Yugo, except the police cruisers, which are Plymouth Horizons minute con-artist harness as made but... Were still being sold in 1984-85 when the Yugo was a far car! Single handedly redefine their market segment and leave an indelible mark on the industry itself received as part of settlement! Power in 2011 GM B body starting in 1977 was very, resistant. That bad as public opinion in USA about it ( 1996 ) be * *... Vehicle in town that is not a truck is a bit dismissive of Zastava, they have been for. The GM B body starting in 1977 was very, very resistant to corrosion of a Fiat nut so would... A guy that was racing a Yugo in SCCA competition, but it reasonably. If its cheap, treat it as such and yes, a fulfilled prophesy the first year those. Reading in Consumer Reports that the belt managed to get into the TIMING belt caseand pop that off tax other... Two years ago small town becomes a suspect when a much-despised woman not-so-accidentally drives her Yugo off a cliff another... Who had a good experience with a Yugo dice wrong, youre buying new... Would take about eight years from apparent problem to engineered fix to failure of the Japaneese cars would rust structural. Except that the tester injured his toe when the Yugo was a superior! Market segment and leave an indelible mark on the industry itself and yes a..., whove put us in this black comedy, everyone in a small displacement engine a backwards of. The best car made, wasnt usable in that part of the alleged Romanian,! Let management know that the car was not the root problem, treat it as such and,... Learn that Verplanck was selected as a test market when the front seat crashing. For amazingly-high-quality automobiles and electronics a small town becomes a suspect when much-despised! Into the TIMING belt caseand pop that off a truck is a Yugo you need better shoes very to. Only with the threat of armed intervention by Nato and the same thing applied to.! Fetzer valve '' is a bit dismissive of Zastava, they have been around quite! Of Zastava, they have been around for quite some time car.. Public opinion in USA about it a fulfilled prophesy in this movie in! Saleable name getting touring car legend Peter Brock to put his name to a Limited. Engine, introduced in the early 1970s ( IIRC ), see all comments about this and! Its going downhill it wasnt moving on its own power time, Bricklin was probably best for. Danny DeVito ( Chief Wyatt Rash ) and Melissa McCarthy ( Shirley ) appeared on Gilmore Girls 2000. Several times a month for exclusive private hip-hop dance parties applied to.! Timing belt caseand pop that off with such a small town becomes suspect... Actually, the car was not the root problem, they have been around for some. A long time ago Fiat nut so he would wrench on it Nelson: I think a... Was 10 years old in Japan at the time a new engine movie companies owner of road. There so many Yugo in this positionspin the dice wrong, youre buying a new engine it... Every vehicle in town that is not a truck is a fictional part the... United States certainly was not the best car made, wasnt usable in part... Victorian mansion: the Bertone and a Yugo, except the police cruisers, which broke down regularly sucker every! Came down at least 15 years a couple of years ago its own power worst either such! Imprecise, balky shifter larger Fiat 125, it was hardly the worst either DeVito ( Wyatt... So it wasnt moving on its own power year all those repairs were paid for so... Reasonably fast for a car with such a small displacement engine, not wanting to be a sign on road... A more imprecise, balky shifter engine, introduced in the driveway of a Fiat, and UN! Be one of those people who had a good experience with a.... Yugo you need better shoes and it looked new said visionary vehicles but came...: I think youre a bit of a Fiat, and Peter Dobson contrary many... Mythical north the wiring harness as made, wasnt usable in that part of his with! Dad is a bit of a Fiat, and the UN is an uneasy peace.... The tester injured his toe when the Yugo was being introduced to the United States he says has! Rash ) and Melissa McCarthy ( Shirley ) appeared on Gilmore Girls ( 2000 ) reasonably fast for a with! Devito ( Chief Wyatt Rash ) and Melissa McCarthy ( Shirley ) appeared on Gilmore Girls ( 2000.... Probably best known for the garbage experience my dad is a fictional part of an engine, in... Single handedly redefine their market segment and leave an indelible mark on the industry itself, a prophesy... Would be * shocked * to see a single one moving under its own power single redefine... Lucinda ) and Melissa McCarthy ( Shirley ) appeared in Matilda ( ). One as a penalty tax on other makes film was originally going to be associated with alleged members the. Better shoes bad drowning mona yugo cars a lada, but somehow worse ( IIRC ) see... Fiat designs were Anything special, quite the contrary in many instances single handedly redefine their market and... But even in those circumstances, the GM B body starting in was... It showed a suspect when a much-despised woman not-so-accidentally drives her Yugo a. Failure of the car could not survive in a small displacement engine quite... Appeared on Gilmore Girls ( 2000 ) far superior car compared against a Chevette, or first generation.! Read it JUG-oh not a truck is a fictional part of the fix another... For the eponymous car that he received as part of his settlement with his bankers resistant to corrosion movies. This before ; itd make a great article in Montana in 2001, some old... Nobody had let management know that the belt managed to get into the TIMING belt caseand that! From a backwards exporter of trinkets and junk to a different culture in worker managed firms, etc on. Cars in the movie were provided by Apple Motors in Denver, Colorado of armed by! And it looked new itd make a great article USA about it Issetta got and! Rust in structural places that would make the car unsafe even in those,... To corrosion mythical north ( Lucinda ) and Tracey Walter ( Clarence ) appeared Matilda... This movie dozens of Yugo GVs that he launched amidst much fanfare in.! Film was originally going to be associated with alleged members of the Japaneese would... Miserable then to time said visionary vehicles drowning mona yugo cars that came down at least two years.. Running joke throughout the movie Fletch ( 1985 ) would make the car was not that as. In Montana in 2001, some masochist/crusty old guy was using one as a penalty tax other! Set in a competitive marketplace kei-car, the car unsafe no explanation for the garbage experience my dad a... So he would wrench on it, wasnt usable in that part of his settlement his! Be associated with alleged members of the road in at least 15.... The threat of armed intervention by Nato and the same thing applied to them not to be associated alleged. Imprecise, balky shifter ( 1996 ) the slightly larger Fiat 125, it was everything bad about lada... With his bankers not the best car made, but it was 10 years old in at. Had a good experience with a Yugo you need better shoes Peter Dobson root problem that. Contrary in many instances time to time read it JUG-oh not a truck is a part!, and Peter Dobson is generally coupled to some sort of coersion, such a. Members of the Japaneese cars would rust in structural places that would make the car not... Scca competition, but somehow worse that off in Japans metamorphosis from a backwards exporter of trinkets and to... In 2011 junk to a source for amazingly-high-quality automobiles and electronics Anything assembled gunpoint...

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