The quick and the dead: 10 cars that were (sometimes mercifully) axed fast

Bad ideas aren't exclusive to the car business--but sometimes, they get mass-produced there.

Not all of the cars on this list are bad, but they sure were short-lived. Maybe it was timing. Or maybe they really deserved it, you make the call.

Here's a concise compendium of cars that lasted just a year or two--or less--on the market.

(Photo courtesy Flickr user Hugo90)

Dodge LaFemme (1956)

Dodge's ill-fated attempt at swooning the li'l ladies of the house reeked of a few "tee many martoonis" during the all-male lunch hour. Dodge execs trotted out this Coronet wearing a pink apron for a year before discovering that patronizing wasn't an effective sales strategy. It had roses on the interior and a matching change purse. Woof.

Saab 9-4X (2011)

The Saab 9-4X was born under a bad sign. By the time it was announced, the Swedish automaker was seriously in trouble and executives were already scrambling for cash. Underneath its Storm Trooper exterior in white was a Cadillac SRX (which went on to be very profitable for Cadillac) but a wonky 2.8-liter turbo that shouldn't have seen the light of day.

Chrysler Aspen Hybrid (2009)

By the time you understood the complex two-mode hybrid system with 8 planetary gearsets, Chrysler had pulled the Aspen Hybrid from sale. It was a short-lived SUV whose life was made shorter by the recession and bankruptcy. The 5.7-liter Hemi V-8 hybrid powertrain was also found in the down-market Durango Hybrid that didn't sell well either. Only about 1,000 were produced before the Delaware plant that made them was shuttered.

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