Whoever wrote this was a poor writer. Comments like the one about the public not liking the car consequently it was a best seller for a few years come to mind. They picked that Fiero pic? Obviously someone with no firsthand knowledge. I didn't see ANY foreign flops on the list, and there were plenty. I didn't happen to like the pinto whatever that is, or the pacer, the VW bus, or a few others, but size, shape, and (lack of) popularity don't make a bad car.
The Fiero seems to be a fairly reliable car--even 30 years later--unlike the new cars that drown out when it's wet outside, or the mazdas that keep catching on fire. There is no way I'd trust a bunch of cars that they didn't list to drive for 12 hours with no backup at 30 yearsof age.
So, let's see. This uneducated person with no knowledge of cars but an agenda to push wrote an uninformed, inaccurate article. They complained about cars because they were fuel efficient, because thet weren't efficient enough, because they were too big, too small, too ugly, too unpopular, etc. And for good measure, they threw in a few cars with problems. Isn't this the straw man argument?