14 Cars Which Disappointed Public Expectations

Photo by order_242

11. Sterling

(1987–91)

The Austin Rover Group created the Sterling brand as a mechanism to re-enter the U.S. market after leaving it previously. The Sterling was basically a Rover 800 rebadged under the Sterling brand and was based on a re-bodied Acura Legend. The new brand was intended to help prevent the obvious consumer connection with the previous SD1 model that was not a success in the American market. Unfortunately, the first two years of Sterling production failed to live up to the quality expectations of the market and sales began to suffer as a result. The end result was Rover ceasing production of the Sterling in 1991 nd leaving the American market for the third time in the previous 20 years.