26 November 2008 | Seventeen years after the disintegration of former Yugoslavia, the Yugo - the erstwhile federation’s emblematic car, also comes to an end.

Small, technically outdated and with a hopelessly outmoded design, this car was the Western Balkans’ alternative to the Russian Lada and Czech Škoda. The factory in Central Serbia where it was produced, even today looks the same as three decades ago. It did not manage to modernise its production and earlier in November officially announced its final close-down.

The Yugo, patriotically named after Yugoslavia, was proverbially known for its bad quality. It became the subject of many Socialist-Era jokes. A curious fact from its contemporary existence, however, is that it was assembled by hand until the end. Its design also had not changed from the one that preceded the federation’s disintegration.

In the last years, the roads in many of the former Yugoslav republics, especially Serbia, are flooded with old, barely-crawling Yugos, and driving alongside of them is a torturous experience. The situation could get worse in the coming years, as many Serbs cannot afford to buy new cars and the maintenance of the Yugos will most likely become more difficult after the factory closed down.

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