Forgotten youngtimer saloons Lancia Lybra, Daewoo Nubira, Chrysler Neon - exotic cars with a future?
It comes as no surprise that hardly anyone remembers the many limousines of the twenties or even the fifties and sixties. However, it is somewhat surprising that there are also cars that hardly anyone remembers, even though they were still on our roads 20 years ago. We have picked out three examples. All three cars are four-door models and come from Italy, South Korea and the USA. They have interesting names and already look quite exotic from today's perspective. What will it be like in 20 or 30 years' time?
The Lancia Lybra was set to repeat the success of the Alfa Romeo 156 for the Lancia brand. Classic style and modern technology (Fiat Bravo/Brava) were to bring the struggling brand back on track. The price was also right, 6000 marks less than a BMW 318i or Audi A4 1.8. But that was not enough, despite good marks in the AMS test. 165,000 units were built, both as a saloon and an estate. 2005 was the end.
The Daewoo Nubira cost less than the Lancia, but offered similar driving performance and at least as much space. A rather conservative appearance, miserable braking performance and driving behavior that was not always entirely consumer-friendly prevented it from being a great success in this country. Production stopped in South Korea as early as 2002, but it continued to be built in other countries. Daewoo even disappeared as a brand in this country.
The Chrysler Neon was built from 1993 to 2005 (also as Dodge and Plymouth). It was supposed to be Chrysler's star in the mid-size class, but it did not succeed as planned, at least in Europe, even though the Neon offered a lot of car for the money. At DM 29,950 in 1999, it even undercut the Daewoo Nubira or the probably also largely forgotten Fiat Marea. But a low price is not enough when "viewed in the light, the Chrysler is outshone by its European competitors", as Bernd Stegemann wrote in the magazine Auto Motor und Sport.
When have you seen a Lybra, Nubria or Neon on the road recently?
