Leyland P76 (1973)
When British Leyland (BL) decided to create a car purely for the Australian market, the result was the P76. There could be no compromises as this was a vehicle that didn’t need to work in other markets too, so it was no ‘world car’.
But the P76’s handling was as ugly as its design, while the build quality was typical 1970s BL. Despite significant investment in the programme, the plug on the P76 was pulled after just two years, and BL’s Sydney factory went with it.
Triumph Stag (1970)
We could have filled this whole feature with the products of British Leyland, which is why this isn’t the last such car that you’ll see here, but the Stag must surely be one of the saddest cases of a missed opportunity in the automotive arena.
Designed as an affordable alternative to the Mercedes SL, this V8-powered four-seater convertible had the market to itself when it arrived in 1970, but fewer than 26,000 were sold globally by the time production ended in 1977, because of build quality issues affecting the unique V8 engine as well as the bodyshell.
Ford Pinto (1971)
If ever there was a missed opportunity, this was it. Designed to head off Japanese compact sales in America, it was soon discovered that rear-end impacts could puncture the fuel tank of the Pinto, resulting in fires.
Ford was later forced to recall the car for rectification, but the damage to its reputation had been done.
Lancia Beta (1972)
The Lancia Beta could have been an all-time great with its smart design, wide array of bodystyles and zesty twin-cam engines. But when Lancia’s owner Fiat went too far with the cost cutting, the result was poor-quality steel that led to premature corrosion which effectively destroyed Lancia’s reputation across much of Europe.
Ford Mustang II (1973)
When Ford launched the original Mustang in 1964 it became the fastest-selling car in history, but within less than a decade the Mustang brand had been devalued so comprehensively – in part by new emissions controls – that we ended up with a ‘muscle car‘ that featured a V6 engine so weak that the car couldn’t even get to 100mph.