What has happened when great designs haven't worked out?

When manufacturers bring out a new design in their range of vehicles, it can go one of two ways. The public either love it, or just aren’t interested. Sometimes, the model doesn’t even make it on to the sales court!

The smart car is an example of a risky design that has gone on to reap the rewards. The miniscule automobile releases low emissions and is an affordable car to drive, meaning the public have bought into the design. In its first few years, sales continued to rise – by 95% in 2015 and a further 42% in 2016. It’s small frame also takes some of the pressure off parking.

However, not all designs have had the same success. Here, we will look at some designs manufacturers clearly failed with.

BMW GINA

It was a project that first started in 2001 before being unveiled in 2008. The BMW GINA (which stood for Geometry and Functions In ‘N’ Adaptions) was designed by former head of design at BMW, Chris Bangle. It was anticipated that the design would allow the body to change shape according to the exterior speeds and conditions, while the driver would also be able to change it at will.

With ‘bird wings’ for doors, it was a futuristic idea which unfortunately never made it to the production line. The concept of the GINA is still available to view in the BMW Museum, in Munich, Germany.

Vauxhall SRV

Wayne Cherry, a young GM designer, was an avid racer and, in 1965, accepted an invitation to work with Vauxhall. He was tasked with producing a new design and the concept of the SRV was born in an attempt to push the boundaries. The low-to-the-floor design had a tilting front spoiler that was activated by a pedal inside the car and was intended to complement the height adjustment for the rear suspension.

Originally introduced at the Earl Court Show in 1970, the SRV looked like it was going to be a smash hit. The sleekness of the model wowed the crowds, as did the futuristic ‘cockpit’. Standing at just over a metre tall, the car unfortunately never took off and was retired to the Vauxhall Heritage Collection.

Citroen Pluriel

With a similar style to the Fiat 500, it’s perhaps surprising that this car didn’t fare better. However, with a manual retractable roof that took forever to disassemble and put back together, the car was very impractical. You might be wondering how this differs from other retractable roofs. Well, unfortunately once you removed the top of your car, there was actually nowhere to store it!

Ford Edsel

After spending millions of pounds on focus groups, the American giants Ford thought they had came up with a car design that was streets ahead of its time. Unfortunately, the concept wasn’t welcomed by the public and the ugly design – with an awful front grill – was a huge flop.

Ford Contour

Another design by the American manufacturer that didn’t make the grade was the Ford Contour. This was launched in 1995 in an attempt to ease the Ford Mondeo off the production line. However, the small size of the car, along with its relatively high price, meant that it flopped with buyers and was discontinued only five years later.

Volkswagen Phaeton

This lowly-sold model was only on the production line between 2002 and 2006. Built as a competitor for the Mercedes S-Class and BMW 7 Series in the American market, the Phaeton looked as though it had everything going for it. However, with a price of over $100,000, the American car-buying industry simply wasn’t ready for a Volkswagen that brought a six-figure price tag with it.

Austin Allegro

The main problem with this model was the fact that the front axle actually collapsed! It brought a host of dimensional issues along for the ride, making it no real surprise that this car wasn’t a success. With a ‘quartic’ steering wheel which was rectangular with rounded sides, this car will go down as one of the biggest flops in the automotive industry.

While many cars will continue to be a success, spare a thought for those – and their designers – that failed to make the positive impact they strived for.