The Ten Automotive Conspiracy Theories You Believe

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We're not saying these are true, but we're not saying they're false either.


10.) GM Kills Anything Faster Than The Corvette

Gotta maintain the hierarchy, amiright? Why else was the Fiero killed before it reached its full potential? Why did GM underrate the performance of the Syclone and Typhoon, then kill them after just one year?

Protect the king at all costs.

Suggested By: Chevy Sonic the Hedgehog, Photo Credit: Pontiac


9.) Automakers Provide Upgraded Cars For The Press

Sure Lincoln, we totally believe that you sell the MKZ with a set of freaking Michelin Pilot Super Sports. Moving right along, nothing to see here.

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Don't think Lincoln is the only one either: Jaguar is known for tuning the earliest E-Types to back up their 150 MPH claims, and Ferrari, don't get us started.

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Suggested By: Scot Zediker, Photo Credit: Kevin McCauley via Jalopnik


8.) Car Of The Year Awards Are Rigged

Everyone makes mistakes, but I'd just like to point out that a certain automotive publication named the 2002 Ford Thunderbird Car Of The Year. Just think about that for a minute.

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Suggested By: BenAresenal, Photo Credit: Ford


7.) Automakers Design Cars To Break Down

This is most definitely a thing, but not because automakers want your car to fall apart after 4 years and you go back to the dealer and buy a new one from them.

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It's called planned obsolescence and it exists for two reasons: one, because making cars last forever is needlessly expensive (see Porsche up to the mid-late '90s), and two, because consumers actually want to upgrade to newer rides and not be stuck in rickety old Model Ts forever.

Suggested By: As Du Volant, Photo Credit: Porsche


6.) Henry Ford Pushed Out Of Company For Antisemitism

Officially, Henry Ford was pushed out of his namesake company in 1945 for his failing health, and indeed his mental state wasn't great after he suffered a stroke.

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That being said, it must have been a pretty bad look for a post-WWII company to be ran by a guy who wrote a book that was cited by Hitler as an inspiration.

Suggested By: davedave1111, Photo Credit: Getty Images


5.) Porsche Sandbags The Cayman

Everyone who knows anything about cars knows that the lightweight, mid-engined Cayman is theoretically better than its bigger brother, the 911. Porsche realized this too and has always made the Cayman less powerful to maintain the all-important Porsche hierarchy.

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"But wait" you say! "Porsche just launched the Cayman GT4 which is more powerful than the base Carrera." Yes they did, but the 3.8 L motor in the GT4 is detuned from the Carrera S, andit only comes with a manual, which makes it slower than most 911s

Suggested By: Forgetnomore, Photo Credit: Porsche


4.) Daimler Pillaged Chrysler

This was pitched as a "merger of equals" and it doesn't really seem to have turned out that way. More like Daimler just sucked all the blood out of Chrysler

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Suggested By: Labcoatguy, Photo Credit: Getty Images


3.) GM Killed Streetcars

As we explored yesterday, there is an odd correlation with GM and others buying streetcar lines and those streetcar lines closing shortly thereafter.

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Especially odd considering that public transit like this would theoretically be a competitor to their products.

Suggested By: Michael Ballaban, Photo Credit: via Jalopnik


2.) Colin Chapman Faked His Own Death

This one is particularly crazy for sure, but given the massive legal woes the Lotus founder faced as part of the Delorean Motor Company debacle, it does seem rather convenient that he died of a heart attack when he did.

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Coincidence? Probably. But who knows?

Suggested By: DMCVegas, Photo Credit: Lotus


1.) The Big Three Killed Tucker

Preston Tucker's 48 was poised to be one of the most revolutionary cars of its time, but the Big Three didn't like that too much. They involved the SEC in investigating Tucker, killing the company.

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Suggested By: Patrick Frawley, Photo Credit: RM Auctions via Jalopnik

Welcome back to Answers of the Day - our daily Jalopnik feature where we take the best ten responses from the previous day's Question of the Day and shine it up to show off. It's by you and for you, the Jalopnik readers. Enjoy!

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Top Photo Credit: RM Auctions via Jalopnik