In the 1980s, the Yugo GV was the cheapest new car you could buy in the USA. It retailed for less than $4,000 and was sold between 1985 and 1992. Produced in the former Yugoslavia with old Fiat engineering, the Yugo quickly developed a bad reputation for build quality and reliability. In short, it was as cheap as the price tag, and most of the 141,000 copies sold in the States have long since turned to dust. This example may be an exception, and it’s being listed here on Facebook Marketplace by a friend of the owner. The model year isn’t disclosed, and the car can be found in Newton Falls, Ohio, where it’s available for $2,200. Kudos to “Aspidude” for the tip.
Production of the Yugo by Zastava Automobiles lasted longer than imports to the U.S. took place, accounting for 794,000 units worldwide. Business mogul Malcolm Bricklin spearheaded sales of the Yugo in America, which may not have been his shining moment. It was an underpowered little car with a 1.1-liter 4-cylinder engine that was rated at 53 hp. A 4-speed manual transmission was also along for the ride.
It’s amazing how many of the little cars were sold as they did, because the Yugo quickly became the butt of a lot of jokes. For $4,000, you probably would have gotten less grief from your friends by buying a used Toyota Corolla instead. Somehow, this 40-year-old automobile has survived rust-free in Mid-America, and we’re told it runs great, though the photos suggest it’s been sitting.
The seller says the car has a lot of new parts, which we assume have been installed and are not stored inside somewhere. But just what are these parts and how difficult is it to get more of them if needed? The body, paint, and interior seem to be in good shape. This Yugo is priced in cheap wheels territory, and would you consider a surviving Yugo to be a good purchase?
If you live in an area like I do, 10 miles one way or 15 the other to a job with only a few short stretches where you can run 55 it would be fine. Offer 2k, take reasonable care of it, and when it dies, pull the plates and walk away.
I agree about buying a low mile used Corolla back then. I actually drove a new one from the dealer for giggles. The flimsy door was the first impression, got worse from there. The car I drove needed an alignment, obviously. Had something broke,or were they all that bad, why would a new dealer allow a car to go out like that? Even the radio would not work in that car. Fit and finish was abysmyl. Rattles galore. The engine actually ran pretty well, but the shifter was so loose it reminded me of the door. I was driving an Escort to work back then, no virtue of glory, let me tell ya, but it was leaps and bounds ahead of that particulat Yugo. Now, I have been told if you could get one built when the workers were not drunk and somewhat motivated, plus you got all the kinks worked out, they could be reasonable cars if you did not abuse them and keep up the services on them. My guess is that people bought them for the price, then ignored them as they were “new cars”. A mistake. These were not Dads 1969 slant six Dodge Dart, they needed regular oil changes and under hood inspections.
The interior must be trashed, if they couldn’t bother to open the door to take a picture. I doubt you would be able to find parts for this piece of junk and I definitely, absolutely wouldn’t pay them $2,200 for it!
Was there ever an automatic equipped Yugo ?
Apparently an automatic transmission was available for the 1991 Yugo GV+, which the internet says is a 3-speed unit sourced from Renault. There is even a repair manual available:
https://www.yugoparts.com/3255%20price.htm
(The above site claims to be a factory-authorized parts source for Yugos in the U.S.!)
No.
Sorry, Joe, but some of the last iterations (covered fuel filler the clue) with the fuel injected 1.5 engine did come with a 3-speed automatic sourced from Renault.
I’ve been through this before but a properly sorted Yugo is a fine machine- sturdy, reliable and fun to drive (this from the Voice of Experience to the tune of a quarter million miles from two of them)
The Yugo GV offered a Renault supplied 3-speed automatic later in the U.S. sales run.
Automatic only for the turbo version!
Automatic came with the turbo version!
Yugo, and classic, words in the same sentence will never leave my lips… Oh… Wait…
Yugo….here in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan more then a fair share
referred it as….It Went….why? Because one dang fool drove it clean off
the Mackinac Bridge. It was in 1993 or 94 🤔 though I’m just guessing 🥴
https://www.9and10news.com/2023/09/22/today-in-history-driver-plunges-off-the-mackinac-bridge/
I remember that story, maybe because it is mentioned often connected with Yugo. This particular one looks good for what it is. The first two words in the ad are rust free. That is why I checked due to it being in Ohio.
There were high wind warnings posted for the Mac Bridge that day and the fool woman decided to wing it… she did! The wind took her right over the railing for one helluva final sprint… straight down! She ain’t gonna do that again!
It was not just the wind, she was driving poorly and too fast. Lost control and the car aimed at the railing, not the road ahead. The Yugo was innocent. I wonder if her toll was refunded?
And what is the clump of wires sticking out of the dashboard? There have been far nice examples shown here on BF. Wouldn’t mind having one in nice condition, but this is too beat for $2200.
You’d go elsewhere or anywhere than buy this model. I know some folks love this model but I remember them being repaired often as drive train issues and electrical problems.
Lil humor…
Why do Yugo’s have heated rear windows?
To keep the owner’s hands warm when they are pushing it!
Q: What’s included with every Yugo’s owner’s manual?
A: A bus schedule.
Q: How do you double a Yugo’s value?
A: Fill the gas tank.
Now, that first one is one I have never heard before. I’ll have to add it to my growing repertoire of Yugo jokes.
Trite.
Crap then Crappier now.
I had one in 1986 for my DC commute.Served me well until the wind almost blew me off the 14th Street bridge.I traded it after a year for a Fiero GT.
I’ll always remember my best friends comment to me when I bought a new 88 F250 4×4 diesel for 17K.
“Your nuts, you could have bought 4 Yugos and we could have gone to Vegas on what was left over”. RIP David S
Almost bought an ’87 new– that was until AFTER the test drive. Jim Adams Ford was selling them in Lakeland Florida, and was charging people $20 to test drive it! Our tester had it’s share of problems. It was waaay under powered for Florida roads, the tranny wanted to pop out gear at the most inopportune times, it had a tangle of wiring under the
dashboard that made the car look
thrown together inside, the seats
were hard as bricks, and when you climbed a small hill, the gas
gauge ran to empty VERY fast.
And the price? Forget about the
$3990 they advertised. It ballooned up to well over $8000
in no time flat! Throw in the fact
that you couldn’t get the selling dealer to service it was the last straw. Yeah, we lost $20 for the test drive, but my wife and I learned a lot in a hurry. You get what you pay for and we waited 2
more years to buy a new Escort that wasn’t much better. I also heard that folks that bought them
couldn’t find parts for them when
something broke. Owners were
going through the junkyards just
to find spark plugs!! At least it was that way here in Florida for a
long while. Our AG at the time had to force the dealers that sold them to service what they sold or
lose their license to sell cars here. It turned out to be a bad experience all around for everyone.
Not many left because they were junk!
This has “Lemons Rally” written all over it. I look forward to all the Yugo jokes that will inevitably follow.
Our local Lincoln-Mercury dealer gave you a free Yugo, with every Town Car purchase. I imagine somebody’s stara babica was tooling around in one of them.
$200.00
1980s Yugo? Do we not know what year it is or am I getting more than one. /shudder.
Evidently not in the Facebook ad. The post is for someone else who may know the year and may have the title. “Rust free”, if that can be believed, and go from there? Anyone nearby?
The Malcolm Bricklin story, Part III. The most successful(?)
Not too bad.