- Automakers spend millions developing and producing new vehicles.
- Despite huge investments, some models bomb and get discontinued.
- Some ill-fated nameplates have been failures on multiple occasions.
Spooky season is right around the corner, so we’re asking our readers which monikers are the most cursed? This, of course, is less about scares and more about scarce customers.
The classic example is the Edsel, which was launched 69 years ago on September 4, 1957. Despite lots of fanfare, many saw the brand as little more than warmed over Fords with questionable styling.
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Despite this, they got off to a decent start and 63,110 units were reportedly sold in the first year. Edsel underwent a series of changes after launch, but sales dropped nearly 30% the following year. The brand was then discontinued in 1959.
While Edsel survived for a little over two years, some nameplates aren’t even that lucky. The Acura ZDX is likely one of the most cursed automotive nameplates as it launched on an angular crossover coupe in 2009. It was met with a shrug and the company reportedly sold less than 7,191 units by the time production wrapped up in 2013.
Despite that terrible pedigree, Acura decided to use the name again on an electric crossover. Made by GM, the second-generation ZDX was Acura’s counterpart to the Honda Prologue. There was even a Type S variant with 499 hp (372 kW / 506 PS) and 544 lb-ft (737 Nm) of torque.
It was a tough sale as pricing started at $64,500 and climbed to $73,500 for the performance variant, which offered just 278 miles (447 km) of range. Consumers bought 7,391 in 2024 and the ZDX was dropped in the fall of 2025 after just one model year.
Interestingly, the ZDX wasn’t the only doomed Acura as the RSX name was slated to return on an electric crossover. Those plans were ultimately dropped, but at least we still have fond memories of the original Integra successor.
While those are just a few examples, what do you think is the most cursed automotive nameplate?