The Most Over-Engineered American Cars Ever Made

By Danie Botha

The engineering behind a new car plays an essential part in the success or failure of that particular car. Sometimes, car companies try to save a few pennies in that process, and pay the penalty later when that car lands on a showroom floor.

Some car companies spend years and millions upon millions of dollars to get the engineering just right. Like Toyota, a company obsessed with reliability and maintaining its reputation, running development cars to the point of destruction to ensure the customer gets the best product it can offer.

Here are 10 American cars that were properly over-engineered... often for the better, but sometimes also not.

Note

We researched American cars that came with a degree of overengineering, some by design, others by the insistence of eccentric individuals. Cars listed according to the year of introduction, or premier at a motor show.

Duesenberg Model SJ

Year Of Introduction: 1932

Indianapolis auto company Duesenberg's SJ was a thing of technological wonder. The barge-sized car, with a 153.5-inch wheelbase, is powered by an advanced, 6.9-liter, supercharged straight-eight engine producing 320 hp, ensuring a top speed in excess of 100 mph. It came with a three-speed manual gearbox, the suspension consisted of a beam-type front end, and a live axle at the back, along with semi-elliptic leaf springs, and it had advanced, vacuum-assisted hydraulic brakes.

In 1932, the SJ cost as much as $20,000. Launched just ahead of the Great Depression financial crisis, the Duesenberg company closed down by 1937. Great car, wrong time.

Tucker 48

Year Of Introduction: 1948

The Tucker Torpedo, as the Tucker 48 was also known, was an extremely innovative American car. The "48" was the brainchild of Preston Tucker, a former Ford employee who demanded a lot more from his staff than most folks were willing to give. He wanted to elevate the automobile to the next level of safety and innovation.

The Torpedo's engine, which came out of a helicopter, was located at the back. It also has three headlights that swivel according to steering inputs, it has a built-in roll cage to enhance rollover safety, and it has a shatterproof windscreen. Legal battles, spiraling development costs and a high staff turnover eventually saw the Tucker company go belly-up.

Chrysler Turbine Car

Year Of Introduction: 1963

In the early 60s, Chrysler went down the turbine engine rabbit hole, spending millions of dollars developing working prototypes. With a body styled by Italian firm Ghia and powered by a 130-hp turbine engine, the car sure looked cool. But the turbine experiment did not work out as well.

Performance was below par, heat management was a major challenge, the turbine engine did not take to higher altitudes, and it required an eight-step starting procedure, instead of turning a key. Most importantly, the engine could not comply with the newly introduced Clean Air Act, regulating emissions. Chrysler closed down the project, after 55 development cars were made.

Vector W8

Year Of Introduction: 1989

In 1979, Jerry Wiegerts, owner of the California-based Vector outfit, began developing the W8. A supercar with a striking, aerodynamic design far ahead of its time, the W8 is powered by a modified, twin-turbocharged Chevrolet small-block V8 producing 625 hp. An Oldsmobile TM424 transaxle sends the power to the rear wheels. As is often the case with smaller start-ups, it required a decade of development before the hand-built W8 finally went on sale. Managing the excessive heat generated by the V8 proved to be a particularly challenging prospect.

By that time, the Vector W8 retailed for nearly half-a-million dollars, more than double the price originally envisaged. Only 17 W8s were eventually made before the company ceased operation in 1993.

Cizeta-Moroder V16

Year Of Introduction: 1991

In 1988, former Lamborghini engineer Claudio Zampolli, running his own workshop in California, managed to raise funds to create a bespoke new supercar. Zampolli believed he needed a unique engine to trump the likes of Lamborghini's Diablo, so he came up with a 540-hp, V16 engine. A combination of two Lamborghini V8 engines, the complex engine required a lot of development and funding.

In 1991, when it was finally up and running, the Cizeta-Moroder V16T cost $300,000. At the time, one could buy two Ferrari Testarossa supercars for that amount. The exorbitant asking price was the last nail in the V16T coffin. Only 11 original Cizeta-Moroder V16Ts were made.

Read the full article on CarBuzz

This article originally appeared on CarBuzz and is republished here with permission.