Alfa Romeo GT
There is no denying that the Alfa Romeo GT was a stylish car that turned heads wherever it went. However, it was also extremely impractical. More so, the car cost an absolute fortune, meaning that it only appealed to a very niche market. This led to low sales numbers in America.
Fiat Strada
Fiat has released some incredibly quirky and practical vehicles over the years - especially for city drivers. However, the Strada fell short in a number of ways. The main issue was rust, which drastically reduced the longevity of the vehicle.
Lancia Beta
The Lancia Beta was another Italian vehicle that struggled with severe rust issues. The car cost a fortune to begin with, but owners would have to spend even more on maintenance and repairs, which didn’t leave them overly impressed.
Maserati Biturbo
Despite Maserati’s reputation for luxury and class, the Biturbo fell short in just about every department. It was essentially a mechanical disaster, leaving owners outraged at the incredibly high price the car sold for. Repairs and maintenance also cost a fortune.
Alfa Romeo ARNA
The Alfa Romeo Milano had a quirky design that appealed to a niche audience. Unfortunately, despite its uniqueness, it simply wasn’t a very good car. With plenty of mechanical flaws, the American market didn’t take much of a liking to the vehicle, resulting in low sales numbers and very low demand.
Alfa Romeo 164
The Alfa Romeo 164 was a complex vehicle that fell short in several areas. The biggest issue was definitely the cost of maintenance, as spare parts were hard to come by and, therefore, extremely pricey.
Fiat 128
The Fiat 128 may have looked great, but it had its fair share of issues. To start, the car was fragile and underwhelming in terms of performance. It was practical in size, but also prone to mechanical issues, which were costly to repair.
Maserati Quattroporte II
While Maserati has a reputation for its powerful and impressive sports cars, the Quattroporte II was simply awkward and forgettable. It didn’t offer anything special when compared to other sports cars of the time, leading to a low demand from the American public.
Fiat 850 Spider
The Fiat 850 Spider had many appealing qualities, but it simply wasn’t a very practical car. In fact, many buyers claimed that they could not drive the car on highways, as it had no power and felt way too fragile on busy roads.
Lancia Zagato
The Lancia Zagato didn’t resonate with American buyers and for good reason. The car lacked any sort of practicality for American roads. It also looked rather peculiar when compared to popular American cars of the time.
Fiat 124 Spider
The Fiat 124 Spider was designed to compete with the ever-popular Mazda MX-5 Miata. Unfortunately for Fiat, it fell short when released to the American public. It was seen as a watered-down version of the Mazda, resulting in incredibly low demand.
Fiat Multipla
The Fiat Multipla became known for its incredibly strange design. While the car itself drove okay, the exterior put off too many people, leading to a low demand and sales numbers.
Alfa Romeo Brera
There is no denying that the Alfa Romeo Brera is a gorgeous car. With that being said, the American public couldn’t overlook the sluggish performance that it offered. For such a car, you would expect eye-watering power and speed, neither of which was accomplished.
Fiat 500L
The Fiat 500 is by far the brand's most popular car - even in America. However, the 500L is one of their biggest flops. It became known for its incredibly awkward proportions, which made the car rather unpleasant to drive. It struggled especially with cornering, leading to an overall low demand.
Fiat X1/9
The Fiat X1/9 had a novel layout, but it was very poorly executed in design. It also lacked power, making the car rather disappointing to drive. As a result, the public wasn’t overly fond of the car, making it a massive flop on the American market.
Alfa Romeo SZ
The Alfa Romeo SZ had a unique design and offered a pretty decent performance. However, the car wasn’t for everyone, as evidenced by its performance in American sales. It was also incredibly pricey, which put off a lot of buyers.
Lancia Thema
The Lancia Thema was advertised as a luxurious car. While it may have achieved this in terms of looks, it definitely didn’t meet the mark in performance. Overall, the car was labelled as bland and disappointing, resulting in low sales numbers.
Maserati Ghibli
The Maserati Ghibli has become infamous for being one of the most disappointing sports cars ever released. While the car still costs a fortune and looks incredible, it didn’t offer anything special in terms of performance. It also had a cheap interior and an underpowered engine, leaving buyers frustrated.
Alfa Romeo Giulia
While Alfa Romeo is known for their luxurious vehicles, the Giulia stands out like a sore thumb. Buyers had a number of reliability concerns, as the car frequently experienced engine and transmission issues. For such an expensive vehicle, this simply didn’t sit well with the general public.
Fiat 500X
The Fiat 500X was another failed attempt at improving on the original 500 design. It was supposed to be a crossover version, but it felt generic in both design and performance.
Alfa Romeo ARNA
The Alfa Romeo ARNA was essentially a failed attempt at a Nissan Alfa hybrid. The car lacked any sort of originality and simply fell short in the performance department. Because of this, the American public wasn’t overly impressed or interested.
Fiat Panda
The Fiat Panda had a unique design that just didn't appeal to the general public. Americans found it far too utilitarian, leading to low interest and sales numbers. The car also struggled with a few reliability issues, making it a massive flop for the brand.
Lancia Ypsilon
The Lancia Ypsilon didn’t offer what the general American public wanted: practical and reliable. It was small and featured an odd design. The car also struggled with reliability concerns and frequently had to go in for maintenance or repairs, leaving owners frustrated and with thinner wallets.
Fiat Bravo
The Fiat Bravo had a forgettable design that didn’t resonate with the American public. This led to low sales numbers and a general lack of interest.
Alfa Romeo 75
The Alfa Romeo 75 was actually a pretty good car. However, when it came to impressing the American public, it had one major problem - it was far too eccentric. This may have appeased the Europeans, but it definitely didn’t appeal to the Americans.
Fiat Croma
The Fiat Croma was blasted by the American public for being a bit too uninspiring. It wasn’t actually a bad car. It just offered nothing unique or special, making it a major flop for the Italian brand.
Lancia Dedra
The Lancia Dedra didn’t appeal to the American public, and for good reason. It lacked any sort of identity. The car was basic and uninspiring, leading to very low sales numbers and a general lack of interest from the public.
Fiat Seicento
The Fiat Seicento was a microcar that lacked any sort of practicality. While it may have been good for city driving, the car often struggled with mechanical and electrical issues. It also didn’t have the best power, making it somewhat of a hazard on highways.
Alfa Romeo Spider
The Alfa Romeo Spider was outdated from the day that it was released to the American public, making it another flop for the brand. Not only was the exterior bland and boring, but the interior also lacked any sort of creativity or advanced features.
Fiat Ritmo
The Fiat Ritmo offered a weak performance that turned away many American buyers. Simply put, it wasn’t worth the asking price. The car also struggled with numerous mechanical and electrical issues, leading to costly repairs.
Lancia Fulvia
The Lancia Fulvia was an odd-looking car that didn’t appeal to the general public. Around the time of its release, Americans were looking for practical vehicles—a quality that the Fulvia simply didn’t possess. It also struggled with a number of mechanical issues, including suspension and steering. Seeing as the car cost a fortune to begin with, buyers weren't overly happy to have to spend even more on repairs.
Maserati BiTurbo Spyder
The Maserati BiTurbo Spyder struggled with a number of mechanical issues, resulting in frequent and costly repairs. On top of this, it came without a roof, which wasn’t exactly practical. Overall, the car wasn’t worth the high asking price, leading to low sales numbers.
Fiat 131
The Fiat 131 was a boxy and uninspiring car that failed to impress the American public. While it wasn’t exactly a bad car, it wasn’t necessarily good either. There were plenty of other great options available at the time, leading to a low demand.
Fiat Doblo
The Fiat Doblo was a commercial van that offered very little charm. In fact, it was incredibly uninspiring. The exterior resembled that of every other Fiat model released at the time, and the interior lacked any exciting special features. This made the car a real flop on the American market.
Lancia Kappa
The Lancia Kappa came with plenty of issues. Not only was it prone to mechanical and electrical issues (mostly associated with the transmission and steering), but the car was also incredibly pricey to repair and maintain. On top of this, it offered no real unique or exciting features that made the vehicle worth the extra money or effort.
