Richard Porter
This fantastically snarky book full lives up to its title. Porter lists the (arguably) 50 top bombs and give succinct descriptions of the lemon, along with a nasty little “If this car was…” tagline. #15, the AMC Gremlin “If this car was… a movie, it would be ‘Dude, where’s the rest of my car?’” and #6, the Chevy Vega “If this car was … only a little rusty, it was still on the production line.” On the sagging leather seats for #29, the Chrysler TC by Maserati “And just look at those seats.. Ever wonder what it’d be like to see your grandparents naked?” #26, the Renault Feugo “When it came to destroying a car’s reputation on every front there was little else that could have been done, short of paying a big man to stand at the door of every Renault showroom greeting prospective customers with a punch in the face.” The old car ads illustration the book are also priceless – a man in polyester suit and helmet hair in his Hyundai Excel (#19) or a couple in knee-high tube socks beaming in delirious delight that they will never have to own a Merkur Scorpio (#46).