(Car Lust) - During Viva Las Vega week, my fellow contributors acted as the prosecution in the case against the Chevrolet Vega-- the car that should have been GM's small-car savior but that instead has become one of the automotive world's most notorious synonyms for failure. They built a thoroughly damning case against the Vega and spared none of the painful details, including the rampaging rust, the massive engine vibration, the durability issues caused by its aluminum block and cast-iron head, and the labor issues that compromised the assembly of an already flawed design.
It is now my turn to present my defense of the Vega, and I'm left with very little foothold to do so. I can't appeal to the facts-- the facts have already been presented, and they are damning. I can't pander to public sympathy--too many people have been burned by Vega ownership, and the worldwide community has long condemned the Vega as one of the automotive world's great failures. Ultimately, I have to admit that the prosecution is right--their case is air-tight and well-presented. Public opinion has concurred in pronouncing the Vega guilty of being a truly awful car.
But yet, despite all that, I can't help but love the woebegone Vega and its H-body siblings, and so I'll explain why I continue to lust after it despite all of the evidence that I'm a fool to do so...
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