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If a car is derisively called a “Baroque angel” when it is new, there is trouble in the Bavarian house: it was thanks to the 501 (pic) or 502 that BMW was almost swallowed by Mercedes(!) in 1959. It was already new and never deserved, it just cost money. Otherwise, BMW had only the ISO-licensed, front-doored Isetta, which was quickly expiring. At the last moment, the forgotten BMW 700 (here more cars that saved their brand) brought the money back to the coffers to develop the successful “Neue Klasse” (ancestor of the 5 Series).

To this day, there are rumors that politics ruined the then fifth-largest German automaker. But Carl F.W. Borgward (1890–1963) had already ruined himself, his legendary Isabella suffering from flaws but still being successful. Borgward then made a name for itself with the luxury sedan P 100 and the beautiful but disastrously produced 1959 Arabella, which were hardly sold at the same time by affiliated brand Lloyd (pictured), and by 1961 Borgward went bankrupt. The recent Borgward revival failed (more failed car comebacks here ).

Please who? Glass! The now forgotten Hans Glas (1890–1969) first produced the small Goggomobil, modern middle-class models and cool little coupés in Dingolfing (D), Bavaria. Then Glas had a very vague dream: the fat V8 coupé Glas 2600, nicknamed “Glaserati” for its resemblance to the Maserati, did not sell as well as the Glas and was sold only 700 times. BMW took over the bankrupt brand due to production capacity, delivered several V8s with the BMW logo (BMW 3000, picture) and closed the glass shop in 1968.

VW missed the milestone away from the rear engine, as the Beetle (still) sells like hot cakes. No one bought the first four-door VW PW, 411 (pic) or 412. Nicknames: “Coati” and “411 stands for 4 doors, 11 years late”. The mid-range K 70 sedan, rushed over by subsidiary NSU, was also met with indifference, and there was still no sign of the Golf. VW is done. The rescue came from Audi, the new subsidiary newly launched by Mercedes and later acquired by VW: the 50 series became the Polo, while the 80 series became the first Passat.

With the car (“Alfa sud”) produced in Southern Italy, Alfa entered the front-wheel drive era in 1972 but went bankrupt. Schlendrian (air-stored body shells painted to eliminate rust) and Russian recycled metal sheets (along with non-ferrous metals that encourage rust) caused the very successful Alfasud to fall apart in the showroom. Its successor, the Arna, a Nissan Sunny clone with Italian shoddy boring Japanese design, went under completely and failed to salvage its ruined reputation: in 1986 Fiat swallowed Alfa Romeo.

The perpetrator escaped, the victim still suffers today: The then company General Motors (GM) sent José Ignacio López (now 80 years old) to Opel. The manager saved the Golf rival, which had just been renamed from Kadett to Astra to improve its image, until it suffered from rust and breakdowns. F series Astra damaged Opel’s reputation. After this “López effect”, López moved to VW (where he was nicknamed “The Strangler of Wolfsburg” for saving money) and took Opel’s secret plans with him to VW: one of the biggest scandals in automobile history (see more Here) ).

As with Oldsmobile, the Saab brand that is still lost today, or later almost close to Cadillac, US giant General Motors (GM) proved with Pontiac that pinstripe rivets can lead any brand to extinction with incredible misunderstandings. Pontiac was once the young sports brand on the other side of Chevy and this side of Buick. Then it was killed off: Pontiacs became Chevys with Pontiac logos. After all, the ugly Aztek (Image: SRV) was supposed to raise Pontiac’s profile again and enlist it in the SUV trend. A big fiasco. Pontiac closed in 2010.