There are some cars that meet the moment — cars that fit in perfectly with the time and place they were introduced, and because of that, go on to be instant sales successes. On the flip side of that coin, there are cars that are introduced well before they should have been and turn out to be flops. However, with some of those cars, we can look back years later and realize that they were just a bit early to the party and actually had a huge amount of influence over the automotive industry as a whole. That idea is what led me to today’s question.
I want to know what car you all think was too ahead of its time for its own good. Of course, some cars are forward-thinking, and that can be appreciated when the car is new, but that’s not always the case. Some stuff is just too far out ahead of the rest of the industry to actually be appreciated, and that’s a crying shame. Still, we can take the time to appreciate those cars and their contributions to the overall industry right now.
My choice
Please, please hold your boos and put down the tomatoes you were about to hurl at me. I know the Pontiac Aztek isn’t exactly loved around these parts (or any parts, for that matter), but you’ve got to hear me out. The Aztek is actually an incredibly forward-thinking vehicle, and if it had been released just a few years later — and maybe had some styling tweaks — it could have been a real success.
This thing predates the modern crossover movement by almost half a decade with its minivan-derived underpinnings, strange boxy shape and plastic cladding. Its interior was equally interesting with all sorts of weird touches, most notably the removable cooler that I still want to this day. For better or worse, a lot of modern trends in automotive design can trace their roots back to the Aztek, and that’s a mighty impressive feat for a vehicle that lasted just five model years while selling fewer than 120,000 units.
That’s enough out of me, though. How about you head on down below and let your fellow Jalops know what car you think was too ahead of its time for its own good? As always, I’ll be giving away cash prizes and trips to Jalopnik writers’ homes if you tell us why you think a car was so ahead of its time.
