Berwyn car spindle. Spindle was a sculpture created in 1989 by artist Dustin Shuler. It consisted of a 50 foot spike with eight cars impaled on it. From 1989 until its demolition on May 2, 2008, it was located in the parking lot of Cermak Plaza shopping center, at the corner of Cermak Road and Harlem Avenue (Illinois Route 43) in Berwyn, Illinois.

7 Crazy Cars The Public Shunned At The Showroom

July 13, 2015June 11, 2020 Joe Ditzel

The marketplace is cruel. Sometimes things just don’t work out so well for new car models. Here are 7 crazy cars the public shunned at the showroom.

Ford Longfellow

Courtesy San Diego Air and Space Museum via Flickr Commons

Would only work with a passenger reading the works of Henry Wadsworth Longfellow.

Chevrolet Land/Sea

Courtesy Australian National Maritime Museum via Flickr Commons

The first successful underwater car, the hardtop was a hit. Sales fell off when the convertible model was released.

HMAC Pizza

The HMAC Pizza was a pizza delivery cannon, firing pizzas from the street through the front window of a house. In 1915, a family died when one of them inadvertently fired hubcaps at a hungry group of relatives.

The Olds Pup

Courtesy State Library of New South Wales via Flickr Commons

A gorgeous car that should have been a hit. It failed because it was solely powered by the pull of a small dog who came with a purchase.

The Plymouth Emotional Baggage

Courtesy US National Archives via Flickr Commons

The emotional baggage was initially popular with ex-girlfriends and mothers-in-law who appreciated the large luggage area. Beyond these two groups, it sold poorly.

The Buick Sea Water

The Buick Sea Water was a scam car that supposedly ran on sea water. Thousands of duped consumers left them at the beach when they would not run.

The Amtrak Railer

Courtesy National Library of Ireland via Flickr Commons

The Amtrak Railer was the first car by a railroad company — it was designed to run on tracks, providing a faster, better experience than the trains of the day. Sales fell to zero when reports of cars like the one shown would fly off the tracks down dirt roads, hurtling passengers miles off course.