Cars We Remember/Collector Car Corner

— A Lifetime of Driving Leads to One Big Three Verdict —

[By Greg Zyla]

Q: Throughout my long life, I have owned automobiles from all of the American Big Three makers, GM, Ford, and Chrysler, along with three European and three Asian brands. I know some people maintain strict brand loyalty. I’m thinking pickup drivers in particular who would not dream of committing nameplate adultery.

I, on the other hand, usually had a particular vehicle in mind when I was in the market for a new ride.

So, my question for you may be imponderable and difficult to quantify: Considering the classic Big Three American brands and looking at their entire histories, how would you rank them in terms of build quality, design, and innovation? I understand all have had their hits and misses and have survived dark periods of financial distress as European and Asian brands increased their market share.

Can you disclose your unbiased opinion of your pick for Numero Uno?

I am a loyal Press Enterprise (Bloomsburg) reader of your always informative and enjoyable column!

Todd Layser, Danville, Pa.

A: Todd, thanks for the kind words as it makes my day and keeps me going week to week.

I’m going to answer your interesting question with a blend of history, personal experience, and the acknowledgment that there is no perfect answer. In fact, my answer could start an argument at any cruise night in America.

Throughout my career, I’ve been fortunate to test drive more than 1,750 vehicles since 1994 from Detroit’s Big Three and numerous import manufacturers. Each week a new vehicle arrived for evaluation, giving me the opportunity to experience an enormous variety of automobiles.

I’ve also learned one thing for sure: No automaker has ever been perfect.

Every manufacturer has produced both a crown jewel and a lemon. Cadillac gave us the unforgettable 1959 Cadillac and the forgettable Cimarron. Oldsmobile sold millions of Cutlass Supremes but suffered a black eye from its troublesome diesel V-8 engine.

Such highs and lows remind us that even the brightest engineers occasionally strike out.

At the end of this week’s column, I list some of my favorite winners and stinkers. Every company has built outstanding automobiles, and every company has produced its share of disappointments.

Still, if I were forced to rank the traditional American Big Three based on their entire histories of build quality, design, engineering innovation and overall impact on the automobile industry, my list would look like this:

First Place: General Motors

Second Place: Chrysler Corporation

Third Place: Ford Motor Co.

Now, before Ford fans send me angry letters, hear me out.

I place General Motors at the top because of its tremendous influence on the American automobile. GM gave us Chevrolet, Pontiac, Oldsmobile, Buick and Cadillac, a collection of brands that at one time offered a vehicle for virtually every buyer and budget. The company pioneered annual styling changes and marketing strategies that transformed the industry.

From the elegant Cadillac V-16s of the 1930s to Chevrolet’s small-block V-8 in 1955, GM repeatedly demonstrated an ability to combine engineering excellence with mass-market appeal. The Corvette remains America’s sports car, and the company’s Hydra-Matic automatic transmission was a groundbreaking advancement that changed the driving experience forever.

Build quality fluctuated over the decades, particularly during the difficult years of the 1970s and 1980s, but when viewed across its entire history, General Motors produced an extraordinary number of benchmark vehicles.

Second Place: Chrysler Corporation

Some readers may be surprised I rank Chrysler ahead of Ford, but Chrysler’s record of innovation is impressive. The company introduced the modern Hemi V-8, developed torsion-bar front suspension systems, and gave America some of its most memorable performance cars.

The 1955 Chrysler C-300 is often considered one of America’s first true high-performance automobiles. The legendary 426 Street Hemi and Race Hemi became the gold standard of factory performance. During the muscle car era, few manufacturers generated the passion of Mopar enthusiasts.

Later, Chrysler changed the family vehicle market forever with the introduction of the minivan. Whether people loved them or hated them, minivans altered the automotive landscape and remain among the most important innovations in transportation history.

Financial troubles repeatedly threatened Chrysler’s survival, yet the company consistently found ways to reinvent itself. That’s a remarkable achievement. Its K-Car led directly to the minivan, and Chrysler returned to profitability. Later, even Chapter 11 bankruptcy could not stop Chrysler. The company filed for protection on April 30, 2009, and emerged just 42 days later, on June 10, 2009, beginning a new era under Fiat leadership.

Third Place: Ford Motor Co.

Let me be clear. Being third on this list does not mean Ford is undeserving.

In many ways, Henry Ford changed the world. The Model T put America on wheels, and the moving assembly line revolutionized manufacturing across countless industries.

The F-Series pickup has been an American icon for generations. The Mustang remains one of the most successful automotive designs in history. Ford also delivered engineering excellence with vehicles ranging from the flathead V-8 to the GT40 that famously defeated Ferrari at Le Mans.

Again, I highly recommend watching the movie Ford v Ferrari.

So why third?

For me, Ford’s overall product history has not been quite as broad or influential as GM’s, nor as creatively daring as Chrysler’s. That’s a subjective judgment, and reasonable people can certainly disagree.

Now let’s talk imports.

I’ve test driven and reviewed vehicles from Toyota, Honda, Nissan, Volvo, and Kia through the years, and I found all of those manufacturers highly professional in how they presented their products. Toyota and Honda, in particular, earned their reputations through reliability and consistency. There is a reason they captured so much market share from Detroit during the past four decades.

In the end, however, your question may indeed be impossible to answer definitively.

Todd, if you ask 10 car enthusiasts to rank GM, Ford, and Chrysler, you’ll likely get 10 different answers. Brand loyalty runs deep, especially among truck owners, muscle car enthusiasts, and collectors. Some Chevrolet owners would never buy a Ford. Some Ford owners would not dream of parking a Dodge in their driveway.

My answer simply reflects a lifetime spent driving, testing, racing, and writing about automobiles.

For me, the final order is GM first, Chrysler second, and Ford third.

But if you ask the fellow sitting next to me at the local cruise night, don’t be surprised if he tells you exactly the opposite.

Let’s end with some fun. Here’s my list of winners and stinkers from the American automobile industry.

Cadillac

Winner: 1959 Cadillac and modern CTS-V. The fins, chrome, and styling became an American icon and still define the classic Cadillac image. Introduced as a 2004 model, the CTS-V reestablished Cadillac as a world-class performance brand and proved America could build a luxury sports sedan capable of challenging Europe’s best.

Stinker: Cimarron (1982-88). Essentially a dressed-up Chevrolet Cavalier that hurt Cadillac’s luxury reputation for years.

Oldsmobile

Winner: Cutlass Supreme and 442. America’s best-selling car for years and the backbone of the division.

Stinker: 5.7-liter diesel V-8 (1978 to 1985). Poor reliability and head-gasket issues soured many buyers on diesel passenger cars. It sometimes seemed as though Oldsmobile simply converted a gasoline V-8 into a diesel, although engineers made numerous changes that ultimately proved insufficient.

Chevrolet

Winner: Small-block V-8, Corvette, and Camaro. Arguably GM’s greatest engineering success, powering everything from Corvettes to pickup trucks. The Corvette and Camaro remain American performance legends.

Stinker: Cosworth Vega and regular Vega models. Rust and durability issues hampered success and damaged the car’s reputation.

Ford

Winner: Mustang. A game changer that created the pony car market and remains on top today.

Stinker: Edsel (1958 to 1960). The textbook example of a highly anticipated automotive flop, and unfair to Edsel Ford, who was a visionary automotive leader.

Plymouth

Winner: Road Runner and GTX. Affordable muscle car brilliance. Powered by a 383, 440 or 426 Hemi, they were impressive performers.

Stinker: Cricket (1971 to 1973). Plymouth’s rebadged Hillman Avenger struggled badly against imports, even though it was a British import itself! 

Pontiac

Winner: GTO. Widely credited with launching the intermediate muscle car era.

Stinker: Aztek. Although some view it kinder today, its styling became a national punch line when new. Nowadays, if I see one at a car show, I run over to look at it.

Buick

Winner: Grand National, GNX, and 1970 GSX Stage 1. These performance legends remain highly collectible.

Stinker: Reatta. An interesting concept, but expensive and too niche to become a major success.

Dodge

Winner: Caravan and Grand Caravan, along with the Ramchargers-bred R/T and Super Bee muscle cars. The minivan changed the way American families traveled, while the performance models remain Mopar legends. Honorable mention goes to the Viper.

Stinker: Aspen (1976 to 1980). Rust, quality issues and recalls tarnished Dodge’s reputation in the late 1970s. Omni a close second.

Mercury

Winner: Cougar and Grand Marquis. The Cougar delivered performance with a touch of luxury, while the Grand Marquis offered comfort and durability at a very attractive price.

Stinker: Bobcat. Essentially a rebadged Ford Pinto, carrying the same baggage without offering much additional appeal.

Thanks again for your question. 

(Greg Zyla is a syndicated auto columnist who welcomes reader input on collector cars, auto nostalgia, and motorsports at extramile_2000@yahoo.com or by mail to Greg Zyla, Roosevelt Street, Sayre, Pa. 18840.)