I had a AMC Gremlin X, the sport model.
orange with black vinyl striping. I bought it used from a bank repo, drove it for a few months in college, sold it for a profit after replacing the universal joint in the drive shaft and re-sealing the motor that was spraying oil all over the inside of the engine bay. In addition to the mechanical woes, that car drove like a jeep (and I mean that in a bad way). No wonder it made it on the list.
I also got a 1979 Honda Accord hatchback (not the 1978 model listed in the slideshow). Mine was metallic brown with tan interior, 4-speed manual, and cloth sunroof. Man, that was a fun car; a poor man's CRX. A bit short on the horsepower and a far cry from the 1975 Pontiac Firebird I drove just before getting it, but it was cheaper to own, cheaper to operate, and easier to park on crowded college campuses. Quality was excellent, so I guess the 1978 model must've been a real eye-opener for Honda. I thought the design was good so I guess the quality problems must've been in the workmanship.
Pontiac Fiero. Ah, got a great story about that one. My buddy had one and was living with his dad and his brother in a townhouse. The homeowner's association said owners couldn't park in the road and they had 3 cars but space for only 2. My buddy was behind in his payments and couldn't afford to sell his Fiero and take a loss; plus the car was falling apart. He was also learning to play the drums, much to the annoyance of the neighbor, who was on the homeowners association board. Soon a feud erupted between my buddy and the neighbor - "Crazy old man!" and "Rotten kids!" type stuff.
The homeowner's association had leased some extra parking space from a nearby church where folks at the complex could park when the church wasn't having services. So, he came home late one night and had to park in the church lot. He woke up later to the sounds of a fire engine siren screaming and flashing lights. He got out of bed to see what was going on and got there just in time to see the firemen foaming down the smoldering remains of his Fiero.
Parked right next to it was the neighbor's Saab, with the paint scorched all down one side of the car.
My buddy had gotten his revenge on the neighbor unintentionally; and insurance paid off the Fiero and the repairs to the Saab. It all came together beautifully.
