Serbia bids farewell to Yugo

http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5hqKljc6dAmhhKdgrGTR9O_62PggQD94I1K200 ^

[kronos77]

BELGRADE, Serbia (AP) — Why does a Yugo have a defroster on the rear window?

To keep your hands warm while you push it.

That's just one of the "Yugo jokes" about the cheap and much-maligned subcompact that won notoriety for being one of the worst cars ever exported to the United States.

[montyspython]

Better to burn out than fade away...

[eleni121]

Not sure how the Zastava is doing these days (probably better than GM) clunkers but I’d rather drive this baby this any day:

http://www.teslamotors.com/

[Revolting cat!]

[Truth29]

"Yugo is a derivative of a 1969 FIAT 128. The YUGO was bound to be a fine example of communism?s influence on the fine example of FIAT?s notorious quality control."

After the US government gets through bailing out/seminationalizing the big three we could end up with USA automotive and products like the Yugo. We could call it the Obama Acorn or maybe the Obamamobile

[Bokababe]

"Not sure how the Zastava is doing these days (probably better than GM) clunkers but I’d rather drive this baby this any day: http://www.teslamotors.com/ "

I am so with you there -- been drooling over that Tesla Roadster for the last several years! All electric, no gas, and it will beat a Maserati for short distance speed and it's gorgeous.

Ahh...we all can dream, but for now, must settle for my little Miata.

[egannacht]

On the other hand, Yugoslavia has some of the best wine and best cork wood in the world.

I’m a huge fan of Avia.

[egannacht]

The glorious hills of Slovenia

[Bokababe]

"On the other hand, Yugoslavia has some of the best wine and best cork wood in the world. I’m a huge fan of Avia."

And I am a huge fan of the stuff Montenegrins make with the leftover mash. It's called Lozovac and it similar to Grappa, but not quite as sweet. The best & smoothest of it is made at home over there, and shipped via someone's luggage here (generally with the maker's name written in magic marker on surgical tape and slapped on a reused bottle), but there is some commercially available in the US at specialty liquor stores.

[ExGeeEye]

http://www.wildfirevehicles.com/

[archy]

Serbia bids farewell to Yugo

The factory in Kragujevac that turned out the Zastava/Yugo line of automobiles was also a manufacturer of some pretty effective small arms, and thus was a primary target for the NATO bombings during the air war. I always wanted a Yugo car with a sunroof and Zastava M/53 light machinegun mount for it....

Letter from Yugo factory

Monday, 12 April 1999

Dear friend,

We are sending you letter of workers from automobile company *YUGO* that was bombed by NATO planes regardless that workers decided to make live shield around their factory. Now with factory destroyed more than 40,000 people has lost their jobs and means to feed their families. Photos and more stories about crimes committed over Yugoslavia You can find at www.aic.org.yu and www.barw.org.yu.

COMMUNICATION TO THE PUBLIC OF ALL NATO MEMBER COUNTRIES

This night, the 9th of April, the ZASTAVA factory plants in Kragujevac were bombed. The live shield is broken through. This bombardment has inflicted sever damage to factory equipment and almost completely destroyed the energy supply complex that served not only to the ZASTAVA needs, but also for the heating of the entire city of Kragujevac: its residential houses, schools, faculties, hospitals... Yet, horror-stricken we were at the civilian victims: tens of men inside a live shield that was safeguarding the factory plants. Among the victims there were not only the ZASTAVA workers, but also members of their families and other citizens of the city of Kragujevac. What none from among us either could, or was willing to assume as possible did happen: Kragujevac has re-experienced its WW II tragedy, its citizens have again become the target of a barbarian assault. In the name of what aims did war planes take off from the once our friendly countries which used to send us the ideas of humanness, freedom, maybe the greatest treasure that we have in the modern civilisation? What has happened to all those ideas and have they been just an illusion that had dispersed at the first sound of raised arms? We, the small people, that has looked with admiration at all the great things coming from you, could nor, or did not want to accept that this was so. Haven't we, still, been mistaken? Has any one from among you give a thought to our future and the future of our children that has become entirely uncertain due to this insane act, and precisely this future we have been defending at the price of our own lives. Already exhausted by sanctions that have reduced our average monthly salary from DEM 870 to DEM 5-60, knowing that a destruction of the factory would bring into the question the very existence of ourselves and our families, we have made a desperate move: with our bodies we have made a live shield that has been guarding our factory night- and-day. We have been resolute, since the very onset of the attack on our country, and persisted in the realisation of that decision every day, not to leave our plants after the expire of the working hours, not even when the alarms would sound air strikes, thus staying round the clock by our workplaces. By night our family members and citizens of Kragujevac were visiting us, giving us support and making us these moments of painful suspense easier. In order to prevent a horrendous catastrophe that may arise due to an insane act of attack on our factory, through the media, we have addressed local and world public, giving the precise co-ordinates of the factory, and pointing at the potential losses, spiritual and material, that may be inflicted by its destruction. In our addressees we appealed to the public of NATO member countries, to the conscience of the common men in those countries. Besides by local, our appeal was published and broadcast by numerous foreign media: TV networks and news houses.

We, the ZASTAVA workers and citizens of Kragujevac, are afraid of the future standing in front of us. Now we wonder whether we have any future at all. Our children are hungry, and their eyes filled with horror. We have no more answers to their questions.

Kragujevac, 9thpril 1999

EMPLOYEES AND MANAGEMENT OF "ZASTAVA" AND CTIZENS OF KRAGUJEVAC

Sincerely Yours,

Belgrade Academic Association for Equal Rights in the World editor@barw.org.yu

[archy]

Good Bye to the Yugo, the worst piece of crap ever imported in modren history.

I wouldn't say that. I've had a US Chevette, a couple of VW Rabbits and a much-abused Yugo, and I'd say the Yugo was the best of the three. It was parts availability that killed it, though none of the three could be faulted for excessive creature comforts.

Once other Yugos hit the boneyards and became parts doners, they weren't the worst econobox around, though clearly, their time has come and gone. Now if a nice little mini-truck comes along to replace them, they'll sell like hotcakes.

[FORTRUTHONLY]

Forget the Yugo. What about a TRABANT? :)

[BabaYaga]

:-) There`s one yugo 45 in Metallica short WOT film for song The day that never comes ... we never had it in our family, but it was usual for driving schools, so I was also trained on that, hm, carton box ...