10 Greatest Luxury Cars Ever Made

Luxury cars are becoming more difficult to sell with each passing year. Here are 10 incredible ones that went unnoticed by the general public.

Luxury automobiles may be large in terms of size, performance, and, of course, price, but when it comes to sales, they are typically few. Car sales follow a pyramid pattern, with the cheapest automobiles at the bottom selling the most since they are affordable to a huge number of people. Because there are only so many crème-de-la-crème people and only so many deep pockets who can buy these luxury cars, the most expensive cars are right at the top, with the smallest market share.

This is, of course, the sales pyramid for good automobiles. Cars that do not sell for reasons unrelated to their quality do not earn a spot on a pyramid. They end up on a list like this one. Here are the ten best luxury automobiles that no one bought for a variety of reasons. Have any of these ever occurred to you?

10. 1958-1960 Ford Edsel: A $250-Million Mistake

Ford’s luxury-laden Edsel should have done well, but it turned into the automotive industry’s largest catastrophic disaster. These were good Ford automobiles that had been rebadged as luxury land cruisers with a plethora of options and high sticker prices. However, the Edsel brand was largely harmed by the 1958 recession, which squandered what little chance it had.

Unlike any other car brand, Edsel had a stunning premiere in the spring of 1957. It also had some unique features, such as a rolling dome speedometer, self-adjusting brakes, and a variety of ergonomically designed controls. The pushbutton automatic transmission in the centre of the steering wheel was the most noticeable of them all.

9. 2000-2012 Maybach 57 And 62: The Lone Luxury Ranger

When Rolls-Royce was sold to BMW and Bentley was sold to VW, Daimler was left to its own devices. So it took the Maybach marque, which had been on the verge of extinction since 1941, and created the smaller Maybach 57 and the larger Maybach 62.

Consider them to be stretched Mercedes S-Class cars with opulent interiors and individually reclining back seats. An electroluminescent top panel was also available, and these automobiles sold for over $300,000. Until 2012, Daimler produced just over 3,000 Maybach vehicles before discontinuing production. Today, the Maybach moniker is more associated with Mercedes’ top-of-the-line models.

8. 2011-2012 Fisker Karma: Batteries Killed The Hybrid Car

When the Fisker Karma, a full-size luxury car, was introduced to the world, everything seemed to be going swimmingly. It produced 402 horsepower and completed a 6.2-second 0-to-60 MPH sprint using a 23.5-kWh battery pack, two electric motors, and a turbocharged GM-sourced 2.0-liter Ecotec four-pot.

The Karma was the idea of Henrik Fisker, who is credited with designing one of the first plug-in hybrids for the American market. This magnificent sports sedan was filled with space-age technology and lavish amenities, but the manufacturer went bankrupt due to faulty batteries, and the car was killed before it could actually roll.

7. 2004-2009 Cadillac XLR: A Glorified Corvette

For decades, the Cadillac name has been associated with high-end automobiles. It’s a true-blue American vehicle company to the core, with lots of legendary cars since 1902. The Cadillac XLR, a beautiful folding-hardtop convertible, is one such wonderful car.

It has a 4.6-liter V8 engine with 320 horsepower under the hood. The XLR-high-performance V’s model used a supercharged 4.4-liter V8 with 443 horsepower and a 4.7-second 0-to-60 MPH time. However, Cadillac only sold 15,460 XLRs in total throughout its 5-year lifespan, owing to the fact that it was essentially a rebadged, glorified Corvette.

6. 2002 Lincoln Blackwood: The Luxury “Work” Truck

According to the dealers, the Lincoln Blackwood was a premium pickup truck for customers with refined preferences. While it was a Lincoln and equipped with all the standard comforts that could spoil any buyer at the time, a carpet-lined bed rendered the pickup truck obsolete.

Ford hoped it would sell with a tonneau cover, LED lights in the power-operated trunk, and luxury leather in the cabin. The affluent and famous, on the other hand, did not want something as banal as a pickup. As a result, it only lasted a year, making it the shortest-lived nameplate in Lincoln’s history.

5. 1976-1990 Aston Martin Lagonda: The Fancy Digital Cluster-Flub

When Aston Martin faced a major financial crisis in the 1970s, it was only logical to go on the offensive. As a result, they unveiled the Lagonda, a full-size luxury saloon designed by William Towns to be razor-sharp.

It included a 5.3-liter V8 engine that produced 280 horsepower and 301 lb-ft of torque, as well as a digital instrument cluster with LED technology. It was quite futuristic, except that it didn’t work. Later, cathode-ray tubes were used to replace the LEDs, which were even worse. Aston Martin stopped producing cars after 650 were found to be defective. The automobile, on the other hand, had a lot of potential.

4. 1989-1991 Chrysler TC by Maserati: Bad Partnership

Simply because Lee Iacocca was pals with Alejandro de Tomaso, Chrysler and Maserati decided to join forces in the late 1980s to create a love child. Despite the 200-horsepower turbocharged 2.2-liter four-cylinder engine, this was constructed in Milan and was ultimately a Chrysler K-car.

Even after the engine was replaced with a Mitsubishi-built V6, the Maserati-designed 16-valve cylinder head and hood logo were unable to salvage the car. Isn’t that completely un-Italian? Only 7,000 units were sold in three years, despite the fact that this could have been a pretty cool car if Maserati and Chrysler had put in a little more effort.

3. 1987-1993 Cadillac Allanté: Problems On Wheels

Cadillac was not always a problem-free luxury vehicle manufacturer, nor was it always known for models that were technologically ahead of their time. The Cadillac Allanté was a sporty roadster designed by GM in collaboration with Pininfarina.

You’d think the Allanté, with its rear leaf springs, high-performance tyres, and digital display, would be manna from heaven. It was at first. Unfortunately, as it became older, it became a Pandora’s box of quality faults, complete with a cumbersome convertible top.

2. 1981-1994 Maserati Biturbo: Italian For Black Sheep

Never before in Maserati’s history has a car like the Biturbo been produced solely for the purpose of being a more affordable luxury car, something for the masses. It was the first regular-production automobile with two turbochargers when it was introduced in 1981, and it drew a lot of attention.

The Biturbo possessed a 3.5-liter V6 engine that produced 185 horsepower, but it also had electronic gremlins and an unpredictable temperament. Overall, a good automobile with significant quality control issues. The Ghibli is a straight descendant with few issues.

1. 2004-2006 Volkswagen Phaeton: Over-engineered Hubris

The Volkswagen Phaeton was a massive failure in the United States, but it is considered by some to be the best full-size luxury car ever made. It was the brainchild of Ferdinand Pich, Ferdinand Porsche’s grandson, and adhered to his stringent requirements.

The Phaeton had a basic price of $83,000 and was powered by a 4.2-liter V8 engine with 335 horsepower or a 6.0-liter W12 engine with 420 horsepower. It was an over-engineered car, and the shear cost of upkeep and repairs was what brought it down.