It’s hard to argue with a seller who comes right out and says that the car they have listed for sale “Has rust and rot everywhere, been sitting in a field 10+ years.” This field find is a 1986 Yugo GV, and it’s listed here on Facebook Marketplace in Foster, Rhode Island. The seller is asking $1,500. Here is the original listing, and thanks to Gary for the tip!
There are only two exterior photos, but the seller took the time to pop the hood to show the engine, so almost anything else can be forgiven in my world. The photo above showing the rear of this Yugo doesn’t look overly horrible, rust-and-rot-wise, but the first exterior photo doesn’t make it look like an easy weekend project.
A 2023 Car & Driver article says this under the heading Problem Areas: “Corrosion and rot. Yugo claimed to rustproof the U.S.-bound Yugos, but that didn’t do much to stop these econoboxes from oxidizing.” So the seller isn’t kidding about rust and rot. We’ve seen many Yugos here on Barn Finds over the years, and some have been really nice, haven’t they? I mean, condition-wise? The interior of this example doesn’t look horrible to me, I’m sure it could be cleaned up and would look pretty nice for a 40-year-old car.
Various parts of Yugos were made in various Yugoslav countries, and overall assembly was generally done in Serbia. A lot of the interior parts were made in Macedonia and Croatia, and other than whatever the dark stuff is under the driver’s seat, it looks nice in the above photo of the back seat. Is that a rust stain from a seatbelt buckle on the bottom of the rear seat? It’s generally agreed upon that the “best” Yugo era was between 1988 and 1991, quality-wise.
The engine should be a Fiat-derived 1.1-liter SOHC inline-four with around 55 horsepower. I say, with 55 horsepower. Backed by a 4-speed manual sending power to the front wheels, the seller says it was running when parked, but it’s been sitting for around a decade. And there is no title. And there is rust and rot everywhere. And it’s $1,500. And, and, and… I really like Yugos, even though I’ve never owned one. Any thoughts on this one?
Thoughts?
Well, lemme get this straight: someone is wanting $1500 for a rotting Yugoslavian version of a Fiat 128 which was a car based on some model of a British Austin and though “it ran when parked” it has no title?
Hmmm…
Well, as Wayne Gretzky once said “You miss 100% of the shots you don’t take”.
The seller is shooting for the moon here IMHO, but take the shot.
If it doesn’t sell they can yank the seats for their front room and scrap the remnants for a set of seat covers (“new furniture!”).
Any Yugo written up here will result in jokes, or (more likely) derision. Especially a rusty, non-running example. Nevadahalftrack is right, this might be the Wayne Gretzky effect. Maybe we should start applying this term — “the seller must be Wayne Gretzky.”
Thanks SG.
I’m confused – are they saying they will pay someone $1500 to haul it to the dump?
Junk yard bound. People complain about overpriced rusty Mopars, this cars asking price proportionally to value this is just as bad.
Steve R
$1500 is strong money for a parts car, and we’ve seen enough shiny, solid Yugos that if you want one you can wait for one.
This would only be worth it for someone studying auto body work and looking for experience/a rolling resume.
This car performs and looks as good as it did when it left the factory. It’s fun to hate on Yugos.
I thought Scottie had done his magic and pulled the original sales brochure when I read the headline. 😀
When you’ve got green stuff growing on the inside door panel that looks like it came from the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool, and the exterior looks like it does.. a couple hundred as a parts car is about all you can expect. $1500? That’s funny. And I like Yugos… in a kitschy kind of way
And………….
Cue that Yugo rear defroster joke starting here…….
Just kidding. I’m actually in the camp of liking Yugos. I actually had a chance to buy a lighly used Yugo around 1991. My Dad of all people knew of it from someone he worked with. We talked about it, and he then said, no maybe you should get something else. But part of me really wanted that thing. This one looks like it has a decent interior. Without a title it’s a parts car at best at this point. Scotty, you did this Yugo justice with your write up.