The Yugo

The Rise and Fall of the Worst Car in History

By: Jason Vuic

Narrated by: Erik Synnestvedt

Length: 8 hrs and 57 mins

Publisher's summary

Six months after its American introduction in 1985, the Yugo was a punch line; within a year, it was a staple of late-night comedy. By 2000, NPR's Car Talk declared it "the worst car of the millennium." And for most Americans that's where the story begins and ends. Hardly.

The short, unhappy life of the car, the men who built it, the men who imported it, and the decade that embraced and discarded it is rollicking and astounding, and it is one of the greatest untold business-cum-morality tales of the 1980s. Mix one rabid entrepreneur, several thousand "good" communists, a willing U.S. State Department, the shortsighted Detroit auto industry, and improvident bankers, shake vigorously, and you’ve got The Yugo: The Rise and Fall of the Worst Car in History.

Brilliantly re-creating the amazing confluence of events that produced the Yugo, Yugoslav expert Jason Vuic uproariously tells the story of the car that became an international joke: The American CEO who happens upon a Yugo right when his company needs to find a new import or go under. A State Department eager to aid Yugoslavia's nonaligned communist government. Zastava Automobiles, which overhauls its factory to produce an American-ready Yugo in six months. And a hole left by Detroit in the cheap subcompact market that creates a race to the bottom that leaves the Yugo...at the bottom.

©2010 Jason Vuic (P)2010 Tantor

Critic reviews

“This is a fun read about a heap of junk that should make anyone feel better about having to take their car to a repair shop.” ( Publishers Weekly)

Flim Flam at its Best

This is a wonderfully entertaining and humorous story about the introduction of the little Yugo - the worse car ever - to the US. Individuals interested in business history will find this book interesting. Car buffs may also enjoy the book, though those expecting technical specs, road tests, and other information will be disappointed. I actually found the sections dealing with Subaru, early Honda introductions, and - in particular - the involvement of Malcolm Bricklin et al very informative.

In sum, this book is well written and the reading of Synnestvedt is very good. Unless you are a motorhead, this might well be an interesting diversion for you. Thank you Jason Vuic for a great job.

Definitely not a clunker

Wonderfully enjoyable in the same perverse way demolition derbies are enjoyable; You know there's going to be mayhem, you're just there to watch how it happens. Vuic does a great job of bringing the whole Yugo story to life with rich detail, and then shows how it all fits in the context of the times.

The Narrator is a little stilted and it may be a chapter too long but those are nits. In the end it's a great listen for car buffs and regular folks alike.

Go Into Business with Malcom Bricklin - Go Broke

Other than hearing the Yugo jokes, and occasionally glimpsing on of these trophies of Serbian and Baltic engineering and craftsmanship, I had no idea how these cars showed up in the United States. This is a highly entertaining story of the process that brought Yugos to America and how they failed ignominiously.

But mostly this is a story of Malcom Bricklin - the serially failed entrepreneur - and how he was able to get millions of dollars and take over the company. As presented in this history, apparently the only person who ever makes a nickel from Malcom Bricklin companies (starting in the 1960's until today) is Malcom Bricklin. The shenanigans and outright deceptions are laid out in horrifying detail.

About half of this book really involves the Yugo, the rest is the story of Mr. Bricklin. But it is all very entertaining.

Would have been fun to own one.

As one who was too young to own one, I had always wished to find one. knowing the back story of the company just makes me happy, and this book is wonderfully written.

A detailed look at the history of Yugo...

What did you like best about The Yugo? What did you like least?

You probably already know the story of Yugo. A car so bad that Consumer Reports said "You'd be better off buying a good used car for the same money than buying a Yugo". The car was a decade or more behind the times. Totally lacking in innovation, and having the reliability of cheap battery operated toy.

So why was it built? Why was it imported into the US? Just who thought it was a good idea? What factory built it? Why was it called a Yugo? (The answer may surprise you).

The story tells you, in great details, all of this and more. You learn about the car, the design, who imported it, their background, the finances of the company, the car business in general. The book is extremely thorough. In fact, by the time I was done, I felt like I'd earned a couple of college credits in Automotive History and Technology.

Unfortunately, the story drags at time due the exhaustive details. The author obviously did extensive research and when you're done you'll feel ike you understand the situation completely.

What about Erik Synnestvedt’s performance did you like?

I didn't really notice the narration at all. That's a good thing, it means it didn't get in the way, it wasn't annoying, it was well paced and easy to understand. For me, a great narrator fades into the background and lets the story take center stage. That was the case for this book.

Could you see The Yugo being made into a movie or a TV series? Who should the stars be?

A movie? I don't think so! Way too much detail and historical background. The story line isn't exactly compelling. "The car sucked, and, as you might expect, they went broke!"

Besides, it's a Yugo, so car chases are going to be problematic. "Dang, it broke down *again*?!?"

However, this would be a good subject for a class in economics and/or business.

Having grown up in Dearborn...

And worked for Ford's (didn't we wall), I have to say that this was an interesting account of an interesting car: and the psyche and ethos of the times. Slightly pre-Michael Milken, the protagonist of this story is of the same character, though, perhaps of less real passion. I got a kick out of this "snapshot in time" of the industry, and also know that major car best-sellers AND flops were made upon even less due diligence, well into the 90's and early 2000's. I also learned stuff about Yugoslavia, that combined with my fictional interests of late, have combined in an oddly interesting way. Worth a discounted buy if you're just a casual listener, maybe more if you've been there and done that.

An informative, fun listen..

As a child of the 80's, I remember my brother and I occasionally spotting a little Yugo motoring around town, and laughing and pointing with excitement. When I saw this book, it made me wonder about the origin, history of the Yugo, and whatever became of it. The book gave me just that. It was fun, informative, and really provided insight into an era of car industry history in the United States and abroad.

I actually found myself pulling for the Yugo

Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?

Yes. It is an interesting story. there is a lot of background info about importing cars in the late 60's and 70's that I found interesting.
Of course I have heard of the Yugo but I never knew anything about its story and how it ended up in North America.
I have also heard of Malcolm Bricklin because of the Bricklin Sports car built in Canada but had no idea he was involved with Subaru , and Yugo.
I also had no idea he was basically a con artist.
Fascinating how he built his companies up and then ran them into the ground.
Also included is a succinct explanation of deregulation of the US banking system that I found fascinating.
The most interesting thing that I found was that I ended up pulling for the Yugo to succeed. I can't stand crummy imported economy cars but really this car did not sound at all as bad as I originally thought. Some people just want to get from point A to point B as cheaply as possible and this car delivered.

Who was your favorite character and why?

N/A

Have you listened to any of Erik Synnestvedt’s other performances before? How does this one compare?

N/A

terrifying business ethics

This book made me terrified to buy a car. The free wheeling, nonresponsive ethics here are really scary. What frightens me is that I don't really think there are more safeties now than there were then.

Interesting slice of automotive history and more

Quite an entertaining book, perfect as a bridge between the beefier books on offer. Listeners are treated to a fairly in-depth story behind the car that was always destined to be a joke.

At times like this, I wish the option of the guided review were available. In any case, I'd say that my single greatest reaction was that of sorrow. Not for the story of the Yugo itself, or it's promoters. But rather that, even in its very limited scope, this book presents some good insights into the history of the Balkans, from pre-Nazi occupation through post-Soviet bloc communism and war in the 90s. Which is not to say it's an overarching history of the area, just that there is sadly a dearth of good histories, at least on audiobook, on the subject.