The Yugo. This is a car that has been the butt of more jokes than I could possibly list. For all of its flaws and failings, there is a dedicated group of individuals who adore these little cars and who will work tirelessly to keep them on the road. This 1987 Yugo GV has been sitting for a long time, and there has to be a question mark over whether it represents a viable project car. It does have a couple of factors in its favor. The first of these is that it does appear to be complete. The more critical factor is that it is cheap. It is located in Mattituck, New York, and has been listed for sale here on eBay. Bidding has reached a heady $355, and the reserve has been met. See what I mean about it being cheap?

The Yugo is a complete car that is finished in Adriatic Blue. It appears that it has been sitting for a long time, and this has allowed lichen and moss to start appearing in a few spots. What hasn’t emerged is a massive amount of visible rust. There is some visible in the hood, but the rest of the panels show little more than some surface corrosion. It isn’t clear what state the floors are in, so this will require some investigation if the buyer intends to return the car to the road. If they choose to treat it purely as a parts car, then plenty could be salvaged. As well as some respectable panels, most of the trim looks good, and the glass is free from flaws or problems. Those parts alone could justify the price, and that’s before considering what mechanical or interior trim parts could be re-used.

When you open the doors and slip inside a Yugo, there’s not much chance that you are going to confuse it with a Cadillac. The Yugo was marketed and sold as a cheap mode of transport, and nowhere is this philosophy better illustrated than inside the vehicle. The plastic has a cheap and flimsy look to it, while this car doesn’t even feature a radio. However, the condition is far better than I would have expected when I looked at the exterior. The carpet is badly stained, and this would need to be replaced if the car is to be restored. The upholstery on the seats is filthy, but there are no signs of any rips or splits. I think that some hard work would see the seats return to an acceptable level of presentation. Most of the plastic trim has survived, so that means that there are plenty of smaller items that could be saved if the Yugo is to be dismantled.

With a mere 54hp available from its 1.1-liter engine, the Yugo was by no means a fast car. If respectable performance was required, then the driver needed to be prepared to row through the gears in the 4-speed manual transmission. It isn’t clear when the vehicle last moved under its own power, but I suspect it was probably a long time ago. There is plenty of leaf litter and surface corrosion, and it isn’t clear whether the engine even turns freely. Once again, there are plenty of parts that could be salvaged here, which is worth considering. However, this car has already provided a couple of surprises, so getting it running again might be possible. If I were to buy it for somewhere around its current bid level, I would give it a shot. Even as a parts car, a running engine could justify the sale price. If it proves to be good, then returning it to the road might be worth considering.

Malcolm Bricklin imported and sold 141,651 examples of the Yugo between 1985 and 1992. The 1987 model year was the most successful, with 48,812 buyers choosing to give one a good home. It isn’t clear how many have survived to this day, but plenty has been dismantled as parts cars. I suspect that this will probably be the fate of this one. If it does sell for somewhere around the current bidding level, it can provide plenty of parts at a reasonable price. Do you have a Yugo that you want to keep going, or would you take this one on as a restoration project?