We’ve seen a lot of nice-looking Yugos (is that an oxymoron?) here on Barn Finds and I, for one, think they’re pretty cool and interesting. Despite this 1987 Yugo GV reportedly having traveled over 129,000 miles, it looks like a gem, doesn’t it? Hello? We’ve heard the stories and the jokes, but seriously, they weren’t really that bad, were they? Thanks to Bruce M. for the tip!
The seller knocks it out of, not just the ballpark, but the universe with one of the best videos I’ve ever seen on a used vehicle listing, maybe of all time. It’s just over a minute long and is well worth taking the time to check it out. Turn the sound on as after some fun music, you’ll hear it start, idle, and see it inside, outside, underneath, and driving. Not to mention some great drone footage. Very, very well done, seller! I wonder if they could edit my drone videos, hmm…
We have only seen a dozen 1987 Yugos here on Barn Finds over the years, that’s surprising. 1987 was reportedly the peak year for sales in the U.S. with over 48,000 of them being sold here. They were available here from 1985 through 1992 in this country but were made from 1980 through 2008 for other countries. A two-door sedan and a two-door convertible were the only two choices, but those aren’t exactly bad choices.
The seller reports this car as having 129,376 miles on it and it doesn’t look like it has more than 29,376 miles to me. There are a few chips and one ding on the exterior and some rust, but overall, it looks great to me. The interior looks much nicer than a 130k-mile car should. The long shifter reminds me of my former 2002 Saturn SL-1 four-door five-speed, that rubbery shifter wasn’t the best but a manual is almost always fun to drive compared to an automatic. The back seat looks great and the rear package shelf is in place; those go missing sometimes and can be tough to find.
The engine should be a Fiat-sourced 1.1-liter SOHC inline-four with 55 horsepower and 59 lb-ft of torque, sending power through a four-speed manual to the front wheels. They say it’s a daily-driver so it must run well. It’s listed here on Facebook Marketplace in Xenia, Ohio and they’re asking $6,000. No, it didn’t cost that much new, but then again, a 1963 Corvette was only $4,300. Here is the original listing in case one of you can’t live without this beauty and the ad goes away!
No such creature as a nice one
We used to call those shifters turkey basters
There are better and more interesting cars available for the money. Unless this is your dream car, why?
Steve R
Like bruce wills said in one of the die hard movies it is made for economy no speed!
Had a young female customer that bought one new with factory air. Less than 2,000 miles and it would not idle with air on. Turn the air on while driving and it would down to the point everybody was passing you. Including the kid on the 10 speed. I was so glad when it finally broke a line fitting at the compressor that wasn’t available.
How many engines and transmissions helped this get past 129 thousand miles..,
These had such a bad reputation back-in the day .
The price made many think a thrifty new car possibly versus old used car.
Seriously…gotta ask…was this an amish car towed by one horse power ? I mean it probably towed with nicer suspension than the buggy carriage..
Good luck with the sale… The mileage is a testament of maintenance here.
This car demonstratesa little known phenomena; when a manufacturer makes enough examples, occasionally they screw up and make a good one! This must be that example.
Nicest Yugo left is an oxymoron.
Could be true…but I won’t be happy until I see a title line that says, “only one left.”
Its at 130k miles and needs a timing belt every 30k miles so its probably going to need one soon. But I wouldn’t buy it if I was given one it would be disposed of quickly
How did this survive Cash for Clunkers?
The running gear is Fiat designed, it’s either a 1.1 L, or 1.3L. Same design as the Fiat 128. If it’s sorted out and maintained it can cover a lot of miles. Not quickly, but a lot of miles none the less.
Maybe they rolled the odometer ahead.
I could do without the side graphics
I was thinking the same thing. It would look much nice without the brushed metal and the decals.
I’ve about had it with the snarky comments. Yeah, I know, 99% of those making the wisecracks are doing it on hearsay and probably never owned one, or knew a responsible owner, or drove one, or rode in one or, finally, probably never even saw one up close.
I’ve been a FIAT owner/driver since 1958 and during the quarter century that FIAT S.p.A. was hiding from the U.S.’s avaricious lawyers (see comment by “Dick the Butcher” in Act IV, Scene II of William Shakespeare’s Henry VI, Part II,), my wife and I bought and drove a pair of Yugos in addition to the FIATs we still had. Trouble free. Economical. Comfortable. Cruise endlessly at 60-70 MPH. Fun. Both running well when sold at 107K and 114K.
So much for “hearsay.”
However, for those who thought of and treated them as throwaway cars, they reaped their own whirlwind.
They couldn’t even give these away ; a local dealership offered a free Yugo with the purchase of a new Buick and people bought the Buicks , but didnt take the free Yugos.
As for Fiat ? there’s a reason you dont see any in the U.S anymore , and there reputation is well known. underpowered , and made of the most rust prone sheet metal since the Vega . In the rust belt, you’d be lucky to get 5 years before they had holes in them . Maybe if you’re constantly working on them they will run for 100k , but not where it rains and snows. There’s a reason they have pulled out of the U.S. market twice now
In the late 60’s and early 70’s, some NY Buick and Olds dealers did that with Subarus. A Yugo (you crash, you di……well, you get it) is not a Subaru for sure! At least the Subaru was reliable back up transportation if nothing else!
Fiat is still here, selling the excellent 500x and spirited 500e
The nasty comments on BF every time a Yugo (or most any econobox) shows up get old. This one was obviously well maintained, and if you didn’t use it as a daily driver, it would be a blast to drive. I drove one as a loaner in the 80s while my RX7 was in for some warranty work, a d while I wouldn’t want to depend on one, it was a fun little car.
Don’t click on comments next time if you’re that sensitive.
Or maybe if you don’t have something nice to say, don’t say anything. That works better
I like that solution better
I’m not sure how many of these are left, but BF manages to feature one every month.
Malcolm Bricklin would be proud, or embarrassed.