24: Chevrolet Cavalier
The hardest thing for GM was to move away from grandiose, V8-powered cars. The 1982 Chevrolet Cavalier was the first step in this direction. The minuscule compact car was designed with the idea of cheap transportation (via Hemmings). Unfortunately, what buyers got was cheap indeed. The 1982 Cavalier was indeed a small car, a stark departure from traditional GM design.
Interior pieces were also cheaply made, and the car rattled like a soda can. Surprisingly enough, the Cavalier would become one of the best-selling Chevy models of all-time. That doesn’t mean the car was a success though. Insufficient quality hurt Chevrolet’s reputation in the compact segment.