Yugo GVX
Vehicle Make/Model Specifications:
Make: Yugo
Model: GVX
Yugo GVX

One critical issue specific to the Yugo was the need for regular replacement of the engine's timing belt. It needed to occur every 40,000 miles. Though this requirement was stressed in owners' manuals, it was very frequently overlooked by owners. The factory also stresses the need for 89-octane fuels for the high-compression engines. Some Yugo owners have reported that regular oil changes and appropriate maintenance allow the cars to remain dependable and basically trouble-free. Owners of the Yugo and related models in the former Yugoslavia have the added benefit of a ready supply of inexpensive spare parts. There have been a number of models inspired by the Yugo 45. These include the Yugo 55, the 60, the 65, the Koral, the Ciao, the Tempo, the Cabrio, the GV, the GV Plus, the GVX and the GVL. Zastava was founded as an arms maker in 1853. By the late 1930s the company had expanded into the automobile industry and was supplying Ford designed trucks to the Yugoslav Army. The first passenger models were produced long before they ever arrived in the United States. Production began on August 26, 1953 using designs licensed by Fiat of Turin. The first model designed by Zastava was a sedan called the Milletrecciento, which means one thousand three hundred, as a 1300 cc engine powered it. This manner of vehicle production continued until 1941 when World War II began affecting Yugoslavia. Along with other Central and Eastern Europe models marketed in the West during the 20th century, Yugo was subjected to criticism and skepticism by reviewers who highlighted its use of aged Fiat technology as allegedly negatively affecting the build quality and reliability. On the other hand, defenders of the vehicle have argued that the Yugo's reputation suffered because people viewed the cars as disposable because they were so cheap.

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