About

Hi. My name is Matt. Pretty much as far back as I can remember – and I can remember further back than most people (although I can’t tell you where I placed my car keys 10 minutes ago), I’ve been an automotive fanatic. I can tell you that the first car I remember is my father’s red 1968 Ford Falcon. I can also ramble off every single car I’ve owned in my relatively short driving lifetime (that spans two decades, so I’m still older than some). I’ve attended many manufacturer and custom auto shows and events over the years as well, critiquing new cars and either marveling or mocking design prototypes envisioning the future of personal transportation. I’ve even done a fair share or work in both the manufacturing and retail segments of the auto industry – you can say I’ve studied it from a wide variety of different angles.

Between my days living in North Carolina and the Midwest’s automotive rustbelt, I’ve been heavily exposed to a good dose of car culture. I have an interest in all sorts of cars, really, although I’ve always gravitated towards current and future car trends, rather than reflecting on past classics. That being said, my idea for this blog is really to focus on neither, although I’ve elected to feature vehicles that are no less than 10 or 15 years of age or older. It’s just to easy to bash the vehicles we see and loathe on our streets on a daily basis – giving those beasts time to fade away and then gain some perspective is how I’d prefer to see cars inducted into this archive.

And just what qualifies as an “automotive horror”, might you ask? Admittedly, “horror” is a bit stronger of a description than will fit most cars I have in mind, but in terms of marketing my blog to readership – it will suffice just fine. I’m not solely seeking out cars that were just ugly or pieces of junk – to be more accurate, I’m seeking out any car attached to a distinct notoriety that could have ultimately played a part in its downfall or failure. This could be by virtue of bad design, bad engineering, bad marketing – possibly even bad management. Anything can be a factor. A few good selling, popular cars may ultimately find their way into the blog, but in my mind, the more vague and less-produced the car was – the more interesting it gets.

I can’t say how often I’ll update with new entries. I like to research and get my facts as straight as possible, although I will inevitably mix in some of my opinion (after all, it is my blog). But this is open for public reading, and therefore, I invite public feedback, comment, and discussion. I would eventually hope that I get to read comments and hear from those who have had personal experience with the automobiles that will eventually grace this archive. After all, for good or bad – and in most cases, it will be bad – these contraptions will have earned their place in automotive history. One side note I’ll add: while researching these cars, I typically discover fan sites and discussion forums where these four-wheeled rejects have galvanized a fan base, or cult of sorts. People who own these vehicles – and actually like them – have somehow found a way to see through the warts and rashes and are happy to share a few of the finer points of owning these cars with their fellow owners and fans. There’s always a layer of beauty underneath somewhere that’s also worth sharing, as I’m quickly finding out.

And so it begins. I hope you will enjoy reading about these wretched machines, as much as I will enjoy getting familiar with and writing about them.

-MT