Film Focus: Drowning Mona. My problem was that I didn't care who killed Mona Dearly, or why, and didn't want to know anyone in town except for Chief Rash and his daughter. But, I decided that going back into the printing business made more sense to me, so I left the car lot and headed back to what I call work. Saw a lot of Datsuns with the box off, and the tiny size of the frame on those thingsthey were half-ton trucks only by extreme optimism. Purchased one year old cars for less than $1500 while attending college. So, with connections, he was brought to Japan for a series of lectures; and if America wasnt interested, Japan was very much so. My point is more that while suited for its home market, the Yugo was a cynical attempt by its promoter to make a quick buck by appealing to the most fickle, least loyal of all purchasers-the price shopper.It is only coincidental that the car was built in Yugoslavia. Drowning Mona is a 2000 American 'comedy' film starring Danny DeVito, Bette Midler, Jamie Lee Curtis, Casey Affleck, Melissa McCarthy, Brian Doyle-Murray, and box-office superstar Will Ferrell. Many wars (holocausts, massacres) are blamed on religion, I can understand why some people no longer believe. The 4 door one was a dodge omni, think it was a glh. It took time, development, persuading of management that there WAS a problem (not an easy task in the Japanese culture) but bit by bit, the problems were resolved. . These cars came with an optional AM/FM cassette deck that was very basic, only 5W total if I recall right, or was that 5W per channel? So it worked pretty well in the domestic market, but USA is another story. I bought a used, year-old Yugo. I would suggest you read Jason Vuics book on the Yugowhat he described the Yugo America advance men as finding, had little to do with shortages of raw materials. Its not unlike the relationship I have with my cockroaches of the road (TM). I remember the shifter being very vague and rubbery but it did the job and the car wasnt too bad on other respects and I rather liked its styling. Could not resist seeing what a piece of crap would look like with no tin on the top. It had a three way folding back seat back that could make multiple level shelves out of itself, you could haul a lot of stuff in that car. Thus American drivers were introduced to the second worst car ever sold- the tiny, dangerously underpowered 360 from Subaru. The one thing that the Yugo shared with its Fiat ancestry, was the fact that these things were biodegradable in the midwest. A "Fetzer valve" is a fictional part of an engine, introduced in the movie Fletch (1985). Many years later I saw it, and her, driving down a street near my house. There was nothing inherently wrong with the 360, and all the other Japanese manufacturers had a car at the time with more or less similar features. Holy mackerel, Goe, what a story and experience! Most can be rectified by the shareholders or the Boards of Directors, the shareholders representatives. Someone steeped in the maintenace required to keep something like a Trabant running would probably be right at home with a Yugo. 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. The base GV had a 1.1L, SOHC motor that originated in the Fiat 128 and the GVX had the 1.3L\, SOHC, motor, also from the Fiat 128 and I think it had the 5spd manual in it but the base GV got the 4spd manual. The poor gal, if I remember, was named Lelo. The cars in the movie were provided by Apple Motors in Denver, Colorado. Here in Greece they are still around and not that rare. (A former test site for the Yugo car company, we're told. Those brave revolutionaries almost single handedly redefine their market segment and leave an indelible mark on the industry itself. But of course, a parking lot fender bender would be enough to total these cars. I remember the lights were tied to the ignition switch so if you left the light switch on, theyd go off when you shut down the car, and back on when you started it back up, and that meant headlights and all, ala SAAB. Or inherrent underdog status? after about 30 years of having the car rust off of the frame. Thank you for the history, it complements the story of the car well. Required fields are marked *. 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.. During WWII, they built a few Jeeps. I saw one not long ago on the streets in Eugene, but couldnt catch it. 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. Even those of us raised on rusting U.S. cars from the 60s were surprised by how fast the Japaneese stuff vaporized. A lot of Wehrmacht occupation troops went home in tiny little pieces because Zastava knew what they were doing. I know of a 1979 Datsun pickup that completly rusted out in 6 years. Its not like Fiat designs were anything special, quite the contrary in many instances. Im trying to remember, she actually, may have owned two of them. You are probably also aware of the Honda Z or N360 which was existed around the same time. This is the real reason that Yugo failed in the US- a poor dealer network. 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. I would be *shocked* to see a single one moving under its own power in 2011. He drove them all fast and hard which no doubt shortened their operational life. All Rights Reserved. The seats were quite comfy too- firm enough but still soft- and with a cotton upholstery that was miles away from the nylon stuff put in other cars of the era. Whats terrifying is that a convertible version of this thing the flimsiest vehicle imaginable was sold in the U.S. No flimsier than the Toyota Paseo or Geo Metro convertible. My BIL and I popped out the axles, but that was more of a preventative move, rather than a necessity. You could disassemble the whole car with like 5 Allen keys, three sockets and two Phillips-head screwdrivers, if you were inclined. It cut costs, and as was the concern then (as now) it was Green using the parlance of today. Even so, Kei cars remain too small to be accepted by American consumers. She put about 50,000 miles on it without a problem-it was scrapped when she got rear-ended by a Camry. There was something wrong with every single facet of this car. Which together would have theoretically allowed the Yugo to be more successful. It really has all of the benefits of an Italian car with none of the drawbacks. 500 Yugo cabrio were imported to the States. Even on foot. 2. 500 left in running condition? The Little SuBARu Wow!, http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zLPp-NFInXw. lol, Yugos were marketed in USA 1985 to 1990 by Malcolm Bricklin's vehicle imports Firm. The Yugo was a far superior car compared against a Chevette, or first generation Hyundai. Trouble for him was, the rest of America wasnt interested in postwar America. Roger Ebert was the film critic of the Chicago Sun-Times from 1967 until his death in 2013. And that, sadly, is the point and the problem. if (window['UnicI'].geo === 'EU') { Last Update: . Technically if its going downhill it wasnt moving on its own power. Drowning Mona is one of my favorite comedies, and its currently available on YouTube for free. Zastava built some world class arms. (Italy) 1989 Chrysler TC 1983 Dodge Omni 1991 Dodge Ram 1980 Ford F - 350 Ford Ranger 1993 Ford Ranger GMC C / K - Series 1992 Honda Civic -Because they have already been through hell. Much bigger players failed on this field, like Peugeot and Renault, while on the domestic market and in the whole EU they are doing just fine. I recall taking my younger brother out to teach him how to drive. Nevermind that their cars are horribly unreliable, people still buy them. They are also heavily used rather than background or minor action vehicles. The Yugo was not always viewed so favorably, although its $3,990 price ($9,900 in today's dollars) grabbed headlines on its introduction in 1985. The problem is, there's not a single person in town who DIDN'T have a motive. I think it's worth keeping them separate because it's a in-joke of the film that almost everyone has a Yugo. Serendipity! 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. And, with such an unsatisfying ending and its inability to capitalize on a potentially funny situation, it's a film that you probably shouldn't rush to see on DVD. 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. He lost his house, his fortuneAnd the dozens of Yugo GVs that he received as part of his settlement with his bankers. Ever notice how a lot of movie smokers seem to have just lighted their cigarettes? Of course not. Bricklin often says that the first model year or so of production the cars were well assembled and then once Zastava saw the money they let things slip. The local news interveiwed some and they were going for $4000 Id end up with used junk, but now I got a new import!. 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 1969, Subaru started producing a larger, much more traditional (well, mostly) car, the 1000. Although it shares some similarities with the Fiat 127, it is actually based on the much more advanced Autobianchi. 1. I knew a guy in the 90s, who was very smart (the grandson of a Nobel Prize winner in fact!) Two Yugo episodes: The first while working on a construction crew in the 1987-88 period, at a project west of Rochester, NY one morning a Yugo rolls onto the lot, out pops a nervous, typical pocket-protector young engineering type, tells us he is out of gas, could anyone give him a ride to his job.at Kodak! Bricklin was kicked out in the first (of two) bankruptcies, true. During lunch the high schoolers came out and lifted it up so the front tires were up on the sidewalk. Its so interesting to think of how things couldve been different if the country survived Communisms collapse in one peace. Yugo gave everybody in town one to have. He was a statistician in the War Department who became interested in using statistical controls to produce higher-quality manufactured goods. And it was reasonably fast for a car with such a small displacement engine. He claimed the belt was good for 200,000-plus miles, often outlasting the pulleys. Notify me of follow-up comments by email. Joe Friday (Dan Aykroyd) had a gold one in the Dragnet movie. Back in another shop (an independent who specialized in Fiats) there was some general loose talk about popping a 128 engine in there; but given a verbal estimate, I cut it off. I went to an auto place for a part, and was so embarassed to even say Yugo to the clerk, that my voice stuttered and I replied Yugee. And often wins. The Yugos are a literal running joke throughout the movie. Too many people in this country have this mentality that if its cheap, treat it as such and yes, a fulfilled prophesy. But, its a tough sell to have someone take a car thats running fine, and pay $500 for a maintenance replacement and maybe screw something up in the process. alignments. Mona Dearly (Bette Midler) is an anagram for "only a dream". That's not what I'm about." I had two of them. Youd have to go from fourth to first gear to come down. The body and car belonging to Kiely Rodni, a missing 16-year-old girl, may have been found in a Califronia lake on Sunday, according to a search and rescue group. The place where I used to work was given a Yugo 45. In fact, as it became evident that the Yugo was heading toward failure, Bricklin tried to modify and import the Proton from Malaysia to take advantage of low wage rates and favorable exchange valuations that would have made that car an asian version of the Yugo. What a story! Ive never felt safe in any car that light so would never have considered owning one, no matter how cheap, even if they had been decently made vehicles. This car had one genuine asset: ride quality. I recall A caddy dealer in the Cleveland area who gave away a free Yugo with the purchase of a Cadillac! There was a dealer in Denver Colorado, called Apple Motors, who used to sell warmed up Yugos. So on the line, a worker would have to cut and install and tape it, with about a 25 percent failure rateincorrectly re-connected. The other Eastern European lemon sold in Australia at the same time as the Niki was the Lada Samara. Well, as they say, two out of three aint bad. https://jalopnik.com/the-yugo-is-not-the-worst-car-ever-and-anyone-who-says-1830229976, The Yugo Is Not the Worst Car Ever and Anyone Who Says That Is a Lazy Hack So Lets Prove It, Your email address will not be published. The civil war in the former Yugoslavia was the finishing blow, but wasnt the reason it wasnt brought over. I actually grabbed a brochure on the convertible as a joke, it was only a single page. I also started using Restore engine treatment, and that took care of that issue. I had very good support for the Yugo as Atlanta is the home of Bayless, which is a big Fiat parts house. 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. IIRC, when hers finally died, she said that she tried to find another but couldnt. She does figure in a quiet little in-joke. 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. From the start, Zastava resented the profit dealers made, and thought their expenses exorbitant. However, the 67 cu inch motor had plenty of power if you kept it revved, and I never really had a problem keeping up with traffic. The Proton is only a Malaysian Mitsubishi exactly the same awful car Hyundai built as trhe EXCEL. Me and my friend Jerry (from Sam Bonds) drove a Yugo at a wrecker yard in Coburg some years back. I also have to say that state ownership does not always lead to poor business. He sat in the front seat once and never again! document.getElementById("unic-ccpa").style.display = 'inline'; Generally what kills them is the cost of major systems repairs, to where its not economically justifiable. I attach a picture of a 1100,the previous model,(5 door too! 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. Rona Mace (Jamie Lee Curtis) is an anagram for "a romance". Your email address will not be published. But like so much of his other stuff, the deal fell through. Ah yes, I can see it now. It began the use of the FWD, horizontal boxer engine which carries on in Subarus to this day (albeit in a modern form). Nuff said? One of a kind, Im sure, There is an article from 2012, quoting the Time magazine Damn that X1/9 still looks beautiful just like mine the 81 behind the new Abarth. Yugo Cars in Drowning Mona 4,507 views May 7, 2014 19 Dislike Share Save The NZ Yugo 1.65K subscribers Oh such a crack up movie and it involves my favorite thing YUGOS! Jason Torchinsky of Jalopnik had an interesting take on it lately; The real reason why Crvena Zastava went into this adventure was that they were desperate to get some foreign currency to keep assembly lines alive. And the A/C system on the Yugo was an add on! The effort collapsed along with Yugo sales in America. I heard a version on Car Talk of a deer that a priest hit and it had 150K on the clock when he hit it in his Yugo. At only 20,000 miles it was worn out, fading, under powered, rusting, it wanted to die and be buried, it certainly didnt want to be a car! Even getting touring car legend Peter Brock to put his name to a Deluxe Limited Edition wasnt enough to help sales. All four brake drums were tampered with, the brake fluid was drained, and the perp also drained some other fluids just to be on the safe side. The battery required water to be poured into it. Sales quickly slowed when word of the myriad problems began to circulate in the media. It wasnt my intention to advocate poor workmanship on the Yugo, it was all too obvious but i wanted to show that there were also other circumstances involved. This may seem shocking, but Yugos really dont rust badly. (Eagleburger had been U.S. ambassador to Yugoslvia and had spent almost all of his foreign service career in southeast europe. It failed, of all places, on the Bonneville salt flats area in Utah. This doomed script and conventional direction venture for Nick Gomez (" New Jersey Drive "/" Laws of Gravity "), results in a comedy that got by with a few mean-spirited jokes. I see one maybe twice a year. But outside of regular tourist routes and specially on the outer islands, unofficial nude beaches were everywhere. The interior was fading right from day one. An older Yugo, since the car hasn't been manufactured since its country went out of business. Ive got video somewhere. It is a measure of the local intelligence that when the car and driver are dragged to shore some hours later, the doctor checks her pulse. Which, actually, was a very good little car . Saying that, it doesnt mean that people were particularly promiscuitive or anything like that. Bricklins old nemesis Consumer Reports weighed in on the cars many shortcomings in its February 1986 issue and refused to recommend it at any price. A girl I hung out with in college had a Yugo. That explains why everyone was driving them then. Pictures provided by: garco, antp, ahight, Display options: Display as images Display as list I really dont think that anyone has a competitive advantage in rust resistance any more. After we meet the local residents, we understand why they're driving them now: They can't afford to replace them. Witness the fact that everyone's car of choice is a Yugo; each Verplanck citizen drives one ever since the company conducted a cheap sales test of the vehicle there some 10 years ago. Visit Dealer Website. Even though the price was a come on (dealers larded as many options onto the car as they could get away with, see below), America was hooked. The Yugo, new clutch, new exhaust, patched wiring and all, went into the trash. He later served briefly as acting Secretary of State during the last months of the first Bush presidency). Hell, he only paid something like $500 for a beater commuter car and this was in the late 1990s. It wasnt four door Yugo, that was Chevy Citation, if I remember correctly. She wrote something like, How cute, Ill be Lelo in her Yugo.. http://www.observer.com/2010/culture/wannabe-warhol?page=0, I have two things to share concerning Yugos, Bette Midler drove one in the movie Drowning Mona. His foreign service career in southeast europe them now: they ca n't to... 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