10 cars that sank Detroit

They’d like to blame the economy. Foreign competition, too. But when you get right down to it, one of the biggest problems that proved to be the undoing of the Detroit-based automotive industry went on right under the Big Three’s noses:

Bad cars. Lots of ‘em.

Sure, the American automobile industry has enjoyed some winners, but decades of noteworthy lemons helped erode Detroit’s image both at home and abroad. U.S. News & World Report did a little research and came up with its list of the 10 Cars That Sank Detroit.

Here’s a peek:

1. Ford Pinto
2. Chevrolet Astro
3. Chevrolet Cavalier
4. Ford Taurus
5. Ford Explorer
6. Jaguar X-Type
7. Toyota Prius
8. Chrysler Sebring
9. Hummer H2
10. Jeep Compass

To read more about why these helped Motown’s undoing, and to see a slideshow, visit U.S. News & World Report.

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