Car of the Year flops

Another crowd-pleaser, the car that was "too cool to categorize" wowed voters with its clever retro styling, causing them to overlook two other cars that pioneered the gas-electric hybrid, the most significant technological development in a century. One of those cars, the Toyota Prius, has gone on to be a best seller and spawn its own line of associated models while the Cruiser has been discontinued.

NEXT: 2002 Ford Thunderbird