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In the United States[edit]
International Automobile Importers (IAI) was the company founded by Malcolm Bricklin to import the X1/9 and 2000 Spider after Fiat halted their manufacture. Bertone and Pininfarina carried on production under their own names and Bricklin's IAI took over their American importation. Bricklin wanted to import additional brands, and international dealmaker Armand Hammer had been asked by the Yugoslavs to identify business areas in which they could generate exports to bolster their economy. Hammer thought the idea of exporting the small cars made in Kragujevac, Serbia, by Zavodi Crvena Zastava would be viable. Zastava had, since the mid-19th century, been a quality armaments producer and sponsored its own museum.

As Zastava celebrated its 100th anniversary, it started producing vehicles made under license from the Italian company Fiat, located just across the Adriatic Sea. For three decades, Zastava produced the rear-engined 600 and the 101, a bustle-backed version of Fiat's 128. On its own initiative in 1980, Zastava introduced its Jugo or Yugo model which, though still using Fiat 128-type power train and underpinnings, was an update of the Fiat 127. Styled in Turin, the two-door hatchback's lines were reminiscent of the original VW Golf or VW Rabbit. Zastava was already exporting its new offering to other Eastern European markets, installing the bigger 128 overhead-cam engine for a top speed of 90 mph (145 km/h).

Yugo GVX (1.3 EFI version) in Wausau, Wisconsin, USA
In 1982, American entrepreneur Miro Kefurt (also responsible for the Oka NEV ZEV) contacted Zastava in Kragujevac (ZCZ-Zavodi Crvena Zastava) with an idea to export the Yugo 45 to the United States. The vehicles were to be renamed Yugo GV for the United States market and YugoCars, Inc. was formed in Sun Valley, California by Kefurt and Ray Burns. The proposal required approval by FIAT in Italy due to existing contractual restrictions in effect for FIAT—Zastava collaborations.

The first three Yugo vehicles (Red, White, and Blue) were introduced to the American public at the Greater Los Angeles Auto Show in May 1984 held at the Los Angeles Convention Center. The car was promoted with a 10 year/100,000 mile warranty, free maintenance, and a price of only $4,500 - front page articles about the Yugo appeared in the Los Angeles Times (Business Section), New York Times, and The National Enquirer. However, problems soon arose as one car was sent to the California Air Research Board (CARB) for emissions testing - it failed abysmally. The Yugo needed lots of reengineering, and with no help forthcoming from Zastava, Kefurt was in a problematic situation.[5]

Reportedly, Malcolm Bricklin attended the Los Angeles Auto Show, and while the show was still in progress, flew to Yugoslavia to "seal the deal" to import the Yugo to the United States himself. Kefurt and YugoCars, Inc. however already held the exclusive import contract for 5,000 vehicles for the 1985 model year to be sold in California only and the California Certification was already in progress. In November 1984 the marketing rights were sold by YugoCars, Inc to International Automobile Importers (IAI) for $50,000 ($10 per car). Additionally, Miro Kefurt obtained an exclusive dealer franchise from IAI to sell the Bertone X1/9 in North Hollywood, California. Both companies, YugoCars and IAI, were satisfied with this arrangement.

YugoCars, Inc. had intended to fit their YUGO 45 with the 903 cc four (45 HP) with a ZEUNA catalytic converter and Lambda feed back - planned gas mileage was 42 to 45 MPG at 70 mph, the emission system was largely identical to the one used on FIAT/BERTONE X1/9 since the 1980 model year. In late 1983, Zastava had added a version called the Yugo 55, powered by a bigger engine used in the 101/128. IAI's Tony Ciminera preferred using this larger, 1,100 cc engine (55 HP) with air-injection and a fuel economy in the 30 MPG range. Thus equipped it was faster and more able to keep up on American freeways, but even so, with an 86 mph (138 km/h) top speed, it was the slowest car sold in the United States.[6]

Setting up Yugo America to import the car, Bricklin assigned Bill Prior to sort out the distribution and Tony "Hurricane" Ciminera to fine-tune the Yugo for United States markets. Ciminera carried out a bumper-to-bumper audit that resulted in more than 500 changes to meet the needs of the American market, including the safety and emissions improvements that United States laws demanded. The vast Yugo facility was patterned after the Fiat factories of the early 1950s and employed 50,000, divided among 85 basic associated labor organizations and 25 work committees. For American production models, a separate assembly line was built with handpicked elite staff earning extra pay ($1.23 per hour extra), building Yugos destined for the New World. The first shift began at 6:00 in the morning and after an eight-hour day many employees left for their second jobs in other workplaces.

The chief engineer and head of Zastava's Research and Development Institute was Zdravko Menjak, who responded to the many changes needed to qualify the car for sale in the West. Bricklin had his own people at the plant to monitor the effort, constantly stressing the need for high quality. A team of British quality experts sent a cadre to Kragujevac to study the factory and recommend improvements.

At first, five models of Yugo were sold in the United States for the 1987 model year: the basic entry-level $3,990 GV (for "Great Value"), the GVC with a glass sunroof, the nearly identical GVL and GVS with minor trim and upholstery upgrades, and the race-inspired GVX with the 1300 cc engine, five-speed manual transmission and standard equipment including a plush interior, ground-effects package, alloy wheels, rally lights, and a centre high mount stop lamp. The Cabrio convertible was introduced in 1988.

In the late 1980s an automatic transmission was being sourced from Renault and a larger model (named the "Florida") had been styled by Giorgio Giugiaro and was in the early manufacturing stages. With communism's collapse, however, Yugoslavia began to unravel.

By 1990, the GV, GVL, and the 1100 cc engine and four-speed manual transmission were replaced by a 1,300 cc OHC engine and five-speed manual transmission, and an optional Renault-designed three-speed automatic transmission, and also an optional air conditioner with a holder for cooling two soft drink cans on the 1990 Yugo GVX model was offered too. The standard model became the GV Plus.



Ad for Yugo in the American market
In 1990, Yugo America introduced an EFI (Electronic Fuel Injection) version of the YUGO GVX to replace the less expensive carbureted fuel system. It arrived too late as the result of a recall by the United States Environmental Protection Agency of over 126,000 vehicles sold in the United States due to a failure to meet exhaust emissions. The recall effectively caused Yugo America to cease importation and fold in 1992. The faulted emission system used an "emissions" carburetor of outdated design, a two-way catalyst that required an air pump, and an EGR (Exhaust Gas Recirculator) valve; the outdated, power-reducing application of this equipment on an already under-performing drivetrain was one of the major problems that caused the vehicles to get a reputation for poor drivability and the inability to meet emission standards.

By the early 1990s, the effects of the United Nations sanctions on Yugoslavia forced Zastava to withdraw the car from every export market. After embargoes stifled production, the coup de grâce was NATO's 1999 bombing of the company's automotive division, instead of Zastava's arms manufacturing division. Only in 2000 could production be restarted and not until 2003 was the Florida launched.

Malcolm Bricklin signed a deal with Zastava in 2002 to bring the Yugo back to American shores with a model tentatively called the ZMW. Under Bricklin's direction, 'Zastava Motor Works USA' expected to sell 60,000 cars in 2003.[7] However, Bricklin instead turned to marketing the Chery line of Chinese cars.[8] Bricklin's foray into importing and marketing Chery cars from China folded in mid-to-late 2006 when Bricklin could not come up with the investment required to fund United States-specification vehicles from Chery. As of early 2008, Bricklin was working with several universities to develop a car powered by advanced lithium-ion batteries.

Југо (YUGO) је аутомобил који се производио у фабрици Застава у Крагујевцу, у Србији.

Постоји више модела овог аутомобила: југо 45, југо 55, југо 65, југо корал, југо кабрио... Застава је произвела 794.428 примерака овог аута од 1980. године a 256.691 је извезено из Југославије од чега 141.651 на тржиште САД[1].

Од 1986. до 1991. југо је продаван и на тржишту Сједињених Америчких Држава, увожен преко компаније »Југо Америка« познатог аутомобилског предузетника Малкома Бриклина. Тамо је стекао велику популарност својим димензијама, ниском ценом и за америчке услове лошим квалитетом, тако да је постао веома познат аутомобил који има чак и своје клубове обожаватеља широм државе. Југо се појављује и у већем броју холивудских филмова.

al mu je amer lupio i cijenu dobru

http://www.nezavisne.com/automobili/aut ... 60172.html

Ovo je ocigledno vrijedno vijesti..