| Manufacturer | Zastava Yugo Automobili |
|---|---|
| Also called | Yugo Innocenti Koral |
| Production | 28 November 1980–11 November 2008 |
| Assembly | Kragujevac, Serbia |
| Class | Subcompact |
| Body style | 3-door hatchback 2-door convertible |
| Engine | 0.9-1.3 litre |
| Transmission | 4-speed manual; 5-speed manual; 3-speed automatic |
| Wheelbase | 2,150 mm (84.6 in) |
| Length | 3,485 mm (137.2 in) |
| Width | 1,548 mm (60.9 in) |
| Height | 1,390 mm (54.7 in) |
| Curb weight | 825 kg (1,819 lb) to 920 kg (2,028 lb) |
| Related | Fiat 128 Fiat 127 |
The Zastava Koral (Serbian Cyrillic: Застава Корал), also known simply as the Yugo, was a subcompact car built by the Zastava corporation. The first Yugo 45 was handmade on 2 October 1978.
The car design was based on the mechanics of the Fiat 127, under license from Fiat, with a modified body style. The Zastava Koral was sold with an updated design, priced at about 350,000 dinar (3,500 euro, 4,300 USD), until 11 November 2008, when production stopped with a final number of 794,428 cars. The Yugo entered the United States by means of Malcolm Bricklin, who wanted to introduce a simple, low cost car to that market. In total 141,511 cars were sold in the US from 1985 to 1991, with the most American units sold in a year peaking at 48,500 in 1987. 1991 sales were only 3,981 cars.[1] Like the Lada, they are a common sight on the urban landscape in the cities and towns of former Yugoslavia.
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In the lifetime of the model range the car has gone under a variety of different names:
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Yugo 45 derivative models have included the Yugo 55, 60, 65, Koral, Ciao, Tempo, Cabrio, GV, GV Plus, GVX, and GVL. Yugo engines were fitted with a carburetor until late into the 1980s before fuel-injected models (starting with Koral 65) were introduced beginning with the GVX-EFI (Electronic fuel injection), which featured a 1300cc engine.
The fuel injection system Motronic MP3.1 which was developed with BOSCH and had Multiport fuel injection with a three-way Bosal Catalytic converter and "Lambda" sensor.
Near the end of its production run, Zastava sold an updated version of the Yugo Koral model, known as the Zastava Koral IN, which has Central locking, three steps rotary switch on the dash marked "0", "1", "2", "3" for Headlamps levelling control in four height positions, 4-speakers Car Audio system, Electric windows, Folding Electro-adjustable Side-view mirrors, alloy wheels, optional Air Conditioner and also an optional Renault-designed three-speed automatic transmission. Zastava sold these in Serbia, Montenegro, Croatia, Republic of Macedonia, Greece, Lebanon, Libya, Syria, Tunisia, Poland and Egypt. Besides all the Koral versions available, other models included the Florida and Skala. In October 2005, an agreement with Fiat was reached for production of the Fiat Punto by Zastava for Eastern European markets, which will be known as the Zastava 10.
The Koral IN L, with a Peugeot fuel injected 1.1 L - 60 PS (44 kW) engine, met the European Union safety standards in a test supervised by the German Technischer Überwachungsverein (Technical Monitoring Association), a necessary step for importation to E.U. countries.
Zastava was founded as an arms manufacturer in 1853. By the late 1930s the company had expanded into automobile production supplying Ford designed trucks to the Yugoslav Army. Vehicle production continued until 1941 when World War II reached Yugoslavia. Following the war Zastava was permitted to produce Jeeps under license from Willys-Overland until production was halted in the early 1950s.
The first passenger models were produced on 26 August 1953 using designs licensed by Fiat of Turin. The first model designed by Zastava was a sedan called the Milletrecento ("one thousand three hundred") powered by a 1300 cc engine. Some of the most successful models were those based on the Fiat 128 model, marketed under different names: Zastava 101, Zastava 128, Zastava 311, Zastava Skala, etc.
Zastava continued to produce vehicles for the Yugoslav and European markets until exports were limited by sanctions imposed by the United Nations in the 1990s. In 1984, automobile entrepreneur Malcolm Bricklin tested the U.S. market for Zastava vehicles, now branded as Yugo. As a result, in mid-1986, Yugo America began selling cars at a starting price of $3,990 for the entry-level GV ("Great Value") hatchback equipped with the 1100 cc overhead-cam five-main-bearing engine and four-speed manual transmission. The similar GVL offered a plusher interior, but the sporty top-line GVX was powered by the 1300 cc engine mated to a five-speed manual transmission, and included as standard equipment a number of deluxe features such as a ground-effects package, alloy wheels and rally lights. However, even though the GVX was billed as a upscale, sporty version of the base GV, it went from 0-60 mph in 13.56 seconds, just a half a second faster than the GV.[2] When the political instability in Yugoslavia intensified in early 1992, Zastava was forced to stop exports.
Today there are various models available in the former Yugoslavia, including an agreement signed with Fiat for the production of the 2003 Fiat Punto model.[3]
International Automobile Importers (IAI) was the company founded by Malcolm Bricklin to import the X1/9 and 2000 Spider after Fiat halted their manufacture. Bertone and Pininfarina carried on production under their own names and Bricklin's IAI took over their American importation. Bricklin wanted to import additional brands, and international dealmaker Armand Hammer had been asked by the Yugoslavs to identify business areas in which they could generate exports to bolster their economy. Hammer thought the idea of exporting the small cars made in Kragujevac, Serbia, by Zavodi Crvena Zastava would be viable. Zastava had, since the mid-19th century, been a quality armaments producer and sponsored its own museum.
As Zastava celebrated its 100th anniversary, it started producing vehicles made under license from Fiat, just across the Adriatic Sea. For three decades it produced the rear-engined 600 and the 101, a bustle-backed version of Fiat's 128. On its own initiative in 1980, Zastava introduced its Jugo or Yugo model which, though still using Fiat 128-type power train and underpinnings, was an update of the Fiat 127. Styled in Turin, the two-door hatchback's lines were reminiscent of the original VW Golf or VW Rabbit. Zastava was already exporting its new offering to other Eastern European markets, installing the bigger 128 overhead-cam engine for a top speed of 90 mph (145 km/h).
In 1982 US Enterpreneur Miro Kefurt (also responsible for the Oka NEV ZEV) contacted Zastava in Kragujevac (ZCZ-Zavodi Crvena Zastava) with an idea to export the Yugo 45 to the United States. The 903 cc 4-cylinder engine was just under 50 cubic inches displacement, and was exempt from California Emission Inspections (all engines under 50 CID were exempt). The vehicles were to be renamed Yugo GV for the US market and YugoCars, Inc. was formed in Sun Valley, California by Kefurt and Ray Burns. The proposal required approval by FIAT in Italy due to existing restrictions that were in effect in FIAT — ZASTAVA collaboration agreements.
The first three Yugo vehicles (Red, White & Blue) were introduced to the American public at the Greater Los Angeles Auto Show in May 1984 held at the Los Angeles Convention Center. The car was promoted with a 10 year /100,000 mile warranty, free maintenance and a price of only $4,500 - front page articles about the Yugo appeared in the Los Angeles Times (Business Section), New York Times, and The National Enquirer.
Reportedly Malcolm Bricklin attended the Los Angeles Auto Expo Show and while the show was still in progress flew to Yugoslavia to "seal the deal" to import the Yugo to the United States himself. YugoCars, Inc. however already held the exclusive import contract for 5,000 vehicles for the 1985 model year to be sold in California only and the California Certification was already in progress. In November 1984 the marketing rights were sold by YugoCars, Inc to International Automobile Importers (IAI) for $50,000 ($10 per car). Additionally Miro Kefurt obtained exclusive dealer franchse from IAI to sell BERTONE X1/9 in North Hollywood, California. Both companies, YugoCars and IAI, were quite satisfied with this arrangement.
The YugoCars, Inc YUGO 45 was 903 ccm (45 Hp) with ZEUNA catalytic converter and Lambda feed back and delivered 42 to 45 MPG at 70 mph (top speed) (the emission system was identical to the one used on FIAT/BERTONE X1/9 since 1980 model year), but IAI Tony Ciminera preferred the 1,100 cc engine (55 Hp) with outdated carburetor, air-injection and fuel economy in 30 MPG range. The car was capable of 110 mph (180 km/h) on level road.
Setting up Yugo America to import the car, Bricklin assigned Bill Prior to sort out the distribution and Tony "Hurricane" Ciminera to fine-tune the Yugo for US markets. Ciminera carried out a bumper-to-bumper audit that resulted in more than 500 changes to meet the needs of the American market, including the safety and emissions improvements that US laws demanded. The vast Yugo facility was patterned after the Fiat factories of the early 1950s and employed 50,000, divided among 85 basic associated labor organizations and 25 work committees. For American production models, a separate assembly line was built with handpicked elite staff earning extra pay ($1.23 per hour extra), building Yugos destined for the New World. The first shift began at 6:00 in the morning and after an eight-hour day many employees left for their second jobs in other workplaces.
The chief engineer and head of Zastava's Research and Development Institute was Zdravko Menjak, who responded to the many changes needed to qualify the car for sale in the West. Bricklin had his own people at the plant to monitor the effort, constantly stressing the need for high quality. A team of British quality experts sent a cadre to Kragujevac to study the factory and recommend improvements.
At first, five models of Yugo were sold in the United States for the 1987 model year: the basic entry-level $3,990 GV (for "Great Value"), GVC with Glass Sunroof, the nearly identical GVL and GVS with minor trim and upholstery upgrades, and the race-inspired GVX with the 1300 cc engine, five-speed manual transmission and standard equipment including a plush interior, ground-effects package, alloy wheels, rally lights and Centre High Mount Stop Lamp. The Cabrio convertible was introduced in 1988.
Toward the later 1980s an automatic transmission was being sourced from Renault and a larger model (named the "Florida") had been styled by Giorgio Giugiaro and was in the early manufacturing stages. With communism's collapse, however, Yugoslavia began to unravel.
By 1990, the GV, GVL and the 1100 cc engine and four-speed manual transmission were replaced by a 1300 cc OHC engine and five-speed manual transmission, and an optional Renault-designed three-speed automatic transmission, and also an optional air conditioner with holder for cooling two soft drink cans on 1990 Yugo GVX model was offered too. The standard model became the GV Plus.
In 1990, Yugo America introduced an EFI (Electronic Fuel Injection) version of the YUGO GVX to replace the less expensive carbureted fuel system, it arrived too late as the prospect of a recall by the United States Environmental Protection Agency of over 126,000 vehicles sold in the USA due to failure to meet exhaust emissions. The recall effectively caused Yugo America to cease importation and fold in 1992. The faulted emission system used an "emissions" carburetor of outdated design, a two-way catalyst that required an air pump, and an EGR(Exhaust Gas Recirculator) valve; the outdated, power-reducing application of this equipment on an already underperforming drivetrain was one of the major problems that caused the vehicles to get a reputation for poor drivability and the inability to meet emission standards.
By the early 1990s, the effects of United Nations sanctions on Yugoslavia forced Zastava to withdraw the car from every export market. After embargoes stifled production, the coup de grâce was NATO's bombing of the company's automotive division instead of arms manufacturing division (Zastava is also a producer of military equipment). Only in 2000 could production be restarted and not until 2003 was the Florida launched.
Malcolm Bricklin signed a deal with Zastava in 2002 to bring the Yugo back to American shores with a model tentatively called the ZMW. Under Bricklin's direction, 'Zastava Motor Works USA' expected to sell 60,000 cars in 2003.[4] However, Bricklin instead turned to marketing the Chery line of Chinese cars.[5] Bricklin's foray into importing and marketing Chery cars from China folded in mid-to-late 2006 when Bricklin could not come up with the investment required to fund US-specification vehicles from Chery. As of early 2008, Bricklin was working with several universities to develop a car powered by advanced lithium-ion batteries.
Zastava (GB) LTD set up its headquarters at Reading in 1981 and the first cars seen by British motorists were the 1100/1300 series in the autumn of that year, badged as Zastava ZLC (5 door) and Zastava ZLM (3 door). These cars were based upon the FIAT 128 which had been voted European car of the year in 1969. The Kragujevac factory produced faithful copies of the 128 saloon, known as the Zastava 128 (Osmica) and then from 1971 also began production of the Zastava 101. The legendary “Stojadin” was a FIAT 128 with a re-designed rear which was available in 3 and 5 door hatchback versions. In 1982-3 as sales slowly improved, Zastava (GB) LTD introduced special trim levels in the form of the “Mediteran” and the“Caribbean”. The UK market was the only market catered for with Right Hand Drive versions.
By the time the first British users were getting used to their new Yugoslav machines, attention in Yugoslavia had moved away from the Stojadin towards the new “Yugo” series which began production in October 1980 and appeared on British roads from 1983 onward. The “Type 102” answered a call for a small, economical family car and was based mechanically on Fiat’s 127 hatchback. The styling of the car also owed much to the contemporary small Italian Autobianchi Abarth, which was never available in the UK.
The “Type 102” morphed into the early production Yugo 45 with a 903 cc engine, later into the 55 with a 1,116 cc engine and then the more powerful 65 fitted with a 1,301 cc engine also became available on the UK market. The new Yugo competed with indigenous cars such as the Austin Mini-Metro and Ford Fiesta MK1/MK2, captive imports such as the Vauxhall Nova (Opel Corsa A), as well as French models like the Citroen Visa and Talbot Samba.
In 1984 only, Zastava (GB) LTD imported small numbers of the Zastava 128. After that, with the company’s branding altered to “Yugo Cars”, relegating the Zastava name to the small print, Zastava (GB) LTD concentrated on selling the 101 range, branded as Yugo 311/313/511/513, and the 45/55/65 series. The cars sold steadily throughout the decade and even though they managed to avoid the dreadful reviews reserved for Lada and FSO, commentators in the British motoring press were rarely more than lukewarm in their praise of the car - A headline from 1986 read “The Yugo 55 is a good small car, but would you be seen in one?” Brand snobbery in the UK was just as prominent then as it is now.
In 1988, Zastava launched the first of its new “Florida” range, envisaged as a long-term replacement for the ageing Stojadin. Styled by Giorgetto Guigiaro, the car was a modern design for the time, and bore more than a passing resemblance to the Citroen BX and future Citroen Xantia. The “Florida”, marketed as the “Sana” in the UK, first appeared in Britain in 1990 and seemed set to fare well with positive early reviews. The Stojadin range ceased to be exported to the UK in 1991, with sales of the Sana under way.
Fortunately, by the end of the 1980s, Yugoslavia was on the brink of a disintegration that many anticipated under the leadership of Tito. Slovenia was the first to secede from the Federation in the middle of 1991, swiftly followed by Croatia, Bosnia-Herzegovina and finally Macedonia. Hostilities, other than in Macedonia, began not long afterwards.
This had direct implications for the company at Kragujevac. The Yugo had been envisaged as an all-Yugoslav car; the alternator came from Slovenia, the plastics and the interior came from factories in Croatia, the seats and rear boot-struts from Kosovo. The disintegration of the Yugoslav federation suddenly saw supplies dry up at Kragujevac and production rates declined steeply. The Sana may well have established Yugo as a fixture in the UK market in the 1990s but political developments left this prospect unrealized.
As the terrible events of the wars of Yugoslav succession (1991-95 and 1999) unfolded, Zastava (GB) LTD became a barely noticed casualty. In Easter 1999, the Zastava factory in Kragujevac was targeted by NATO forces during the Kosovo campaign and whilst severely damaged was not put out of action. Supplies of vehicles to the UK were however reduced to a trickle in 1991-92 and with the imposition of UN sanctions on Slobodan Miloseviç’s rump Yugoslavia (consisting of Serbia and Montenegro), the company folded in 1993. The remaining Yugos on dealer forecourts were sold at drastically reduced prices or written off altogether as economically unviable.
The Yugo was vigorously marketed in the late 1980s as a car that would fit into everybody's life, providing basic economical and reliable transportation along the lines of the Volkswagen Beetle and the earlier Ford Model T. The car was promoted as a uniquely affordable new vehicle — providing an option for buyers who would otherwise have chosen a used vehicle — and as a reliable second car for wealthier buyers. The Yugo carried the tagline "Everybody Needs A Yugo Sometime."[6] This marketing appealed successfully to its target market of low-budget new car buyers, as well as wealthier people looking for an affordable second or third car.[7] A popular ad included the 39-90 campaign, a play on the $3,990 price of the car.
Along with other Central and Eastern European vehicles marketed in the West during the 20th century — such as Lada and Škoda - the Yugo was subjected to derision by critics who pointed to its use of old-generation Fiat technology and to alleged issues with build quality and reliability. The Yugo was voted Car Talk's worst car of the millennium.[8]
Defenders of the vehicle have counter-argued that the Yugo's reputation suffered due to an issue that also appeared with initially inexpensive cars as the Chevrolet Chevette, Rambler, Crosley and others — dealers were finding that too many owners were considering inexpensive cars as "disposable", and were failing to perform basic maintenance such as oil changes.
One critical maintenance issue specific to the Yugo 55 & 65 (the 45 was a 903 cc pushrod engine, with a timing chain) was the need for regular replacement of the interference engine's timing belt — every 40,000 miles (64,000 km). In a non-interference engine, timing belt failure does not cause further damage to the engine. In an interference engine, however, timing belt failure disrupts synchronization between pistons and valves, causing them to collide with one other (hence the name interference engine), thus potentially destroying the engine. Though this requirement was stressed in owners' manuals, it was frequently overlooked by owners.
The factory also stresses the need for 89-octane fuels for the low compression engines. Some Yugo owners have reported that regular oil changes and appropriate maintenance allow the cars to remain dependable and trouble-free.[9]
In 1989, 31-year-old Leslie Ann Pluhar, driving a 1987 Yugo over the Mackinac Bridge in Michigan, died when her Yugo was blown over the bridge's 36-inch (910 mm) railing by a 50 mph (80 km/h) gust of wind. The incident was widely publicized, with the make of car prominently identified. While Mackinac Bridge Authority's chief engineer initially thought the car was exceeding the 45 mph (72 km/h) speed limit enforced on the bridge, it was later discovered that Pluhar had panicked when the high winds made driving too difficult and stopped the Yugo on the bridge. The act of stopping the car denied it the downforce generated by forward motion, and along with the car's light weight, blew the Yugo off the bridge.[10][11]
Owners of the Yugo and related models in the former Yugoslavia benefit from a ready supply of inexpensive spare parts due to general continuity in the car's design; local mechanics' ready familiarity with the Yugo also lowers the cost of ownership. All parts for the Yugo are readily available in the United States.[12]
With the 794,428th and final car, production of the car ended on November 11, 2008.[13]
| Type | 1950s | 1960s | 1970s | 1980s | 1990s | 2000s | 2010s | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | ||||||||||
| City car | 600 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 750 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 850 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Subcompact | Yugo 45/55/60 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 10/Punto | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Compact | 101 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Yugo Florida/Miami | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Full-size | 1300/1500 | 128 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| LCV | Ducato | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||