I put about 20K miles on it per year. Its not unlike the relationship I have with my cockroaches of the road (TM). To keep your hands warm while you pushed. Since it had the potential to continue the well-regarded reputation of the Autobianchi A112 base car as a small model in markets like the US compared to the SWB Fiat 127 derived car that become the infamous half-baked small Yugo. The result is that the UK Yugo was a far superior car to the US one, with its dealership network out to make a quick buck. Going up hill was a struggle, it tended to roll back in reverse because it didnt have any power to go forward. Just like the Russian Lada its simple and DIY friendly as long as you relise that and dont expect a Lexus. I know of no explanation for the garbage experience my dad had with his Audi, which broke down regularly. 1. It broke down like a Yugo. Just started slipping, on a highway as flat as a calm oceanand over the next five hours I had to shift into lower and lower gears just to minimize slippage. At first glance, the car looked up to date- Front wheel drive, rack and pinion steering, decent mileage. Id notice the original Civic CVCC, I had one, loved it and sold it much too soon. Ive talked to other people in the UK who bought them new, and many have had more than one. Serendipity! Chief Wyatt Rash: My mother always used to say, "When life hands you potatoes, make potato salad!". It is a measure of the local intelligence that when the car and driver are dragged to shore some hours later, the doctor checks her pulse. European manufactures give guarantee for lets say 50k-250k km (~30k-150k mi) and 5-10 years, whatever come first (in practice mileage is more important), but previous owner could use some product with shorter life thats why this saving of couple* Euros isnt worth a risk. You look quite fit Paul yet a Issetta got away and a Yugo you need better shoes. But, I decided that going back into the printing business made more sense to me, so I left the car lot and headed back to what I call work. The car itself rattled and shook upon starting. I did appreciate the way Yugo could make one part do what a western car needed three for. Its so interesting to think of how things couldve been different if the country survived Communisms collapse in one peace. The two-door chassis is, I understand, a 127. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Also in that time, poor workmanship wasnt exclusively Yugos problem. The problem is, there's not a single person in town who DIDN'T have a motive. So whats my point? Now, I live in the UK and have had three ladas, all of which were much better cars than many people give them credit for. These rear engined devices were a blast to drive, with tail-out shenanigans a-la Porsche 911 being easy to emulate. It would take about eight years from apparent problem to engineered fix to failure of the fix and another engineered solution. To be said, Jasons book is 90% about Bricklin. His shaky little import business was marketing Bertone X/19s after Fiat said arrivederci in 1982, but the end of that venture was in sight. The cars were not labor or maintenance intensive at all, and in fact some things worked better on that car than did my dear old Lancer, like the A/C system. Someone steeped in the maintenace required to keep something like a Trabant running would probably be right at home with a Yugo. Although I tested it in the summer, the car sputtered and hesitated like it was cold. A few things come to mind regarding the Yugo / Zastava Koral (and larger Yugo / Zastava Skala), mainly that it is a pity it never received similar developments such as 5-door hatchback, 2/4-door saloon and 3/5-door estate bodystyles as found on other Fiat 127-based variants like the SEAT 127 / SEAT Frua and Fiat 147 / Fiat Oggi / Fiat Panorama, along with larger 1372-1596cc+ versions of the Fiat SOHC engine. But then thats not what most folks are exactly looking for. Screenwriter Peter Steinfeld says the film was originally going to be set in a mythical north. Even those of us raised on rusting U.S. cars from the 60s were surprised by how fast the Japaneese stuff vaporized. I cant imagine that anybody that test drove one like mine actually laid down real money for one. Everyone in Verplanck, N.Y., drives a Yugo. Id actually like to have another one, but beef it up with Fiat parts. I pampered and took extremely good care of it and maintained it very well, it just couldnt hold up to being pampered either. Second occurred during 1994-95, having changed employment by then, while driving the 50+ miles each morning, Id notice Yugos of different colors pass me on the four lane driven by the same fellow. I guess I should note that I owned the cars 20+ years ago, I was a lot more enthusiastic about getting underneath the car for just about any reason. But for all that, and with weight today an even greater issueour Asian friends seem to have licked the corrosion problem. Big deal, huh? The running gear would be the 1.1 Litre straight four that Zastava had learned to build from Fiat and the transmission would be a truly nasty four speed manual. (https://www.sandiegoreader.com/news/2009/jan/14/cover/#) I was scarred for her to be driving it. Director Nick Gomez Writer Peter Steinfeld Stars Danny DeVito Bette Midler Neve Campbell Mine was still only about a year old, so I was in denial about its performance. The 4 door one was a dodge omni, think it was a glh. Purchased one year old cars for less than $1500 while attending college. Say what you will about Bricklin he is a man of action. *cough cough*, Malcolm is now wanting to import Chinese cars. That explains why everyone was driving them then. 500 left in running condition? The car she is driving is a Yugo, and the pic's locale is Verplanck, New York (north of New York City), that actually was a test market for the ill-fated economy car in the late 1970's. . He was a priest for several small parishes in the mountains of a N. Eastern state, I forget which and came around a bend to get from one parish to another when he hit the poor animal and it was enough to total that car out but he got that many miles out of it. -You know why Yugo drivers go to heaven? Im affiliated with NECC Motorsports, a club that runs time trials at various sports car racing tracks in the eastern half of the USA. At that time, Bricklin was probably best known for the eponymous car that he launched amidst much fanfare in 1974. Mine was 5 years old and had like 40K miles on it. 500 Yugo cabrio were imported to the States. 459 tweaks (and 18 months) later, the Yugo was almost ready for launch. Or wasting half a grand. Visit Dealer Website. It helps to understand that everyone in Verplanck is dim to one degree or another, except for the Rash family. A 2000 American crime comedy film directed by Nick Gomez that has a police chief ( Danny DeVito) investigate the death of a woman named Mona ( Bette Midler ), an abusive and spiteful woman who was hated by everyone who knew her. Its unfortunate that the vast majority of Yugo owners didnt even get that. They were incredibly simple mechanically. They are also heavily used rather than background or minor action vehicles. That's not who I am. Money was a problem; but not the root problem. At Zastava, these were foreign. other small car offerings back then. (rolls eyes). Much embarrassment was caused to Toyota when it was found domestic panels had been mistakenly exported to NZ for local assembly we keep cars forever and these rusted out under a year on local limestone based and cowshit covered roads. On the side fixed windows was lettered YuGo BIG or YuGo HOME. The man is Malcom Bricklin. The seats were quite comfy too- firm enough but still soft- and with a cotton upholstery that was miles away from the nylon stuff put in other cars of the era. What he saw was an operation that turned out a car designed (and abandoned) by Fiat years before. Whats good- quad headlights For Some Thematic Elements, Language and Brief Sexuality, Berlinale 2023 Highlights, Part Two: Reality, Manodrome, The Adults, Inside, Golda, Angela Bassett, Jamie Lee Curtis, Brendan Fraser, Cate Blanchett, Colin Farrell and Brendan Gleeson Feted at SBIFF 2023, Revisiting Martin Scorsese's Alice Doesn't Live Here Anymore, Tragically Common: Jamie Dack, Lily McInerny and Jonathan Tucker on Palm Trees and Power Lines. @EdDan: How do you double the value of your Yugo? Well, when someone drowns Mona (Bette Midler), it's almost a cause for celebration in the quiet, upstate New York town of Verplanck, whose one claim to fame - except Mona Dearly - is that it's a hotbed of Yugos. There are heaps of suspects ranging from her husband, her son, her son's friend, her son's friend's fiance and so on. It is difficult to overstate how rustprone 1970s Japaneese cars were. It cut costs, and as was the concern then (as now) it was Green using the parlance of today. Diversity was their strength!!!!!!!!!!! In a recent episode of Top Gear UK the trio were allegedly asked by an alleged high-ranking member of the alleged Romanian Mafia what would be the best luxury car for one of his stature. The Yugo was based on a mash up of models 127 and 128 built under license by a wildly unproductive workforce in an obsolete factory with assembly quality that made real mid 70's Fiats look hand built. Danny DeVito (Chief Wyatt Rash) and Tracey Walter (Clarence) appeared in Matilda (1996). Also, I think that first step after buying any used car in general should be changing of belt. Good account. Notify me of follow-up comments by email. parts are easy, I have a new driver side indoor handle ordered that will be here Tuesday. Modern kei cars are dimensionally similar to the old sidevalve english Fords tall and narrow hopefully they dont fall over as easily I see lots of elderly people driving used import keis here. Two cars are in the driveway of a glorious but faded Victorian mansion: The Bertone and a Yugo. (Eagleburger had been U.S. ambassador to Yugoslvia and had spent almost all of his foreign service career in southeast europe. But outside of regular tourist routes and specially on the outer islands, unofficial nude beaches were everywhere. Those brave revolutionaries almost single handedly redefine their market segment and leave an indelible mark on the industry itself. They had other third-world markets in mind. Youre welcome here anytime ! I think that its important to remember that Subaru (Fuji Heavy Industries) itself didnt try to push the 360 into the American market-It was Bricklin looking for a lottery win and the little 360 was his ticket. My cell phone was apparently assembled at gunpoint by drunk Yugoslavians in the year 1984 . I went to an auto place for a part, and was so embarassed to even say Yugo to the clerk, that my voice stuttered and I replied Yugee. I knew I wasnt buying a Lexus. After the wars, Zastava redesigned their cars with help from Fiat and Citroen, and gained new technologies to have them compete with other European cars. Some dinosaur relic, Id never seen before. There are lots of related legacies connected with Americas brief, mad affair with the Yugo. Its a Plymouth Horizon which,I guess,is the same as a Talbot Horizon. Many wars (holocausts, massacres) are blamed on religion, I can understand why some people no longer believe. So we come to the end of the Yugo saga in America. Ladas were, and are, shite. It is the cheapest person that spends the most. 1987 brought about several other trims, the GVL, GVS, GVC,which were very similar other than the door panels and seat upholstery. Could not resist seeing what a piece of crap would look like with no tin on the top. Jamie Lee Curtis and Neve Campbell are both known as "Final Girls" or "Scream Queens", playing recurring heroines in their respective horror franchise films: Curtis in the "Halloween" franchise and Campbell in the "Scream" franchise--which is loosely based on the "Halloween" mythos. Sales ended in the U.S. that year when a recall was ordered by the feds over emissions issues related to faulty carburetors. The first year all those repairs were paid for, so it wasnt as miserable then. They did not have such a bad reputation,at least not as bad as the rear engined Skodas The collapse of Communism removed any perceived legitimacy left in the public who thought their future under capitalism would reflect a standard of living like W Germanys. I saw one not long ago on the streets in Eugene, but couldnt catch it. Subaru was just a little behind the curve in terms of design and safetyas befits a smaller company. There are many causes for poor management. if (!readyGEO) { About two years ago there was a Wall Street Journal article about a guy who drag races a Yugo. Two Yugo episodes: The first while working on a construction crew in the 1987-88 period, at a project west of Rochester, NY one morning a Yugo rolls onto the lot, out pops a nervous, typical pocket-protector young engineering type, tells us he is out of gas, could anyone give him a ride to his job.at Kodak! As my old profesor of economics said: War is the best economic valve Unfortunately, Ive learned that from personal experience. Nevermind that their cars are horribly unreliable, people still buy them. Witness the fact that everyone's car of choice is a Yugo; each Verplanck citizen drives one ever since the company conducted a cheap sales test of the vehicle there some 10 years ago. My guess is that many of his critics could not have done as much. The problems experienced with Yugos, were unknown to new-car buyers in that era; were entirely avoidable with better assembly and simple correction of design and process mistakes; and were connected to durability related to poor design or engineering. LIkewise, Yugo UK supported its dealers well. And the gas cap would not come off. I think youre a bit dismissive of Zastava. Kei cars still exist, but the engine size and dimensional standards have been increased somewhat, and the newer Kei cars tend to be very tall, boxy affairs to create the maximum possible cubic footage of interior room within the package limits. At only 20,000 miles it was worn out, fading, under powered, rusting, it wanted to die and be buried, it certainly didnt want to be a car! Jamie Lee Curtis' character looks like she has some colorful insights to share but isn't given the dialogue to do it--she's more a plot marker than a person. She picked them up for virtually nothing and was content with bare-bones transportation. (Fiat DID design the chassis, after all.). UK Yugo dealers were often small garages in small towns, who really tried to do the prep work to get the cars out well. As a result, in mid-1986, Yugo America began selling cars at a starting price of $3,990 (equivalent to $9,863.56 in 2021) for the entry-level GV ("Good Value") hatchback equipped with the 1,100 cc overhead-cam five-main-bearing engine and four-speed manual transmission. We heard of the Yugo here far away in South Africa, but now I know how it all came about and fell apart. Wikipedia says that the Yugo quality was satisfactory at the start but went downhill fast and the factory refused to do anything about it. Secondly, I would be one of those people who had a good experience with a Yugo. There was something wrong with every single facet of this car. I owned two. I sold the car to a coworker of my BILs, who drove the car another three years before he totaled it. View 9 images The Yugo became the default entry level car for people that knew the price of everything but the value of nothing. As played in flashbacks by Midler, Mona is a ferocious harridan who may have hacked off her own son's hand just because he was trying to snatch her beer. in Pasadena a couple of years ago. She claimed that once you knew and understood them, they were not bad cars for what they were. In my Country was make an attempt to import the Yugo Cabrio,rebadged as Innocenti Koral Cabrio,but homologation fiche wasn't approved for Italy,but if car was tested by Italian motor magazines(Italy will import Yugos twice,1986 to 1987 with origin name Zastava Yugo and 1990 to 1992 as Innocenti Koral 45 and 55--that rebadged for our Country), I like this movie. In fact, if anything, Americas foreign policy in the 80s encouraged Yugoslavia to manufacture and export finished goods to pay its debts. Malcolm Bricklin was one of those guys who is the quintessential P.T. (* 5-20 for older cars, up to 200 if they have to change water-pump and rollers, new models are more expensive, but 500 maybe for new BMW). During the time the clutch cable was dying, I broke the shifter mechanism, due to the clutch cable dying. About a year or so into owning the blue one, the clutch cable snapped (in traffic, of course). No parts fell off of it, the car generally was in good condition (other than some stains on the seats that I didnt care to speculate about). I think that for a 1992 car (perhaps it should be a Serb-o? as long as you didnt try to get away with normal American car owner maintenance. Appologies for not-nice-said, but there is no other way to do it. FSO 125P: I also have to say that state ownership does not always lead to poor business. Also, the factory refused to make design changes that were obviously needed and would have been simple to implement. Ive always had a soft spot for these little cars from Yugoslavia. The Yugo was not always viewed so favorably, although its $3,990 price ($9,900 in today's dollars) grabbed headlines on its introduction in 1985. They took in much more foreign revenue and as the economy began to fail more and more fundamentally, the leaders of those republics decided theyd be better off independent of Yugo. It was only later, when the bean-counters bid out the belts on a cost basis, that they developed a much shorter lifespan. Bette Midler chops off son's hand. Me and my friend Jerry (from Sam Bonds) drove a Yugo at a wrecker yard in Coburg some years back. Yes they were cheap, but it was a proper car, built properly. Why did Yugos have standard rear defrost? One of the sight gags is that everyone in town drives a Yugo, thereby using personalized license plates as a necessity more than anything else.) That salty New England slush had its way with everything. He lost his house, his fortuneAnd the dozens of Yugo GVs that he received as part of his settlement with his bankers. I want to say she drove it, but I dont think she actually put many miles on it. Every character's automobile has personalized plates. The sexy Marsha Brady girl with the bellbottoms in the Subaru commercials is unforgettable. She noted that while it wasnt much good past 65MPH (no overdrive), it never got less than 30MPG, and it handled beautifully. I remember the shifter being very vague and rubbery but it did the job and the car wasnt too bad on other respects and I rather liked its styling. All Rights Reserved. This article, like many here, evoked some fond memories. 2. Here, it is well known that you change the timing belt every 40K miles. Sorry, Jeff, but I dare to notice that you dont know so much about Zastava (factory and cars, their projects and people, its country and history) and dare to write about. Had Bricklin been a true industrialist instead of a con-man, the winning idea might have been to buy out the Yugo tooling (Zastava was setting up for the Florida at the time, they might have been open to this) and moved the whole plant to a place where workmen were conscientious and quality control accepted. Required fields are marked *. I think the other reason they were more successful out of the US is that in Europe, people have driven OHC cars since the 60s. })(); Pictures are property of movie companies owner of the respective movies. They were an object lesson in the old adage that you get what you pay for. I saw it on the Helena streets quite a lot, but it was the only one in the city. When they all disappeared, I surmised it was because he had been caught by the police for driving unregistered vehiclesmore likely they all just died from their terminal junkiness. It wasnt my intention to advocate poor workmanship on the Yugo, it was all too obvious but i wanted to show that there were also other circumstances involved. My problem was that I didn't care who killed Mona Dearly, or why, and didn't want to know anyone in town except for Chief Rash and his daughter. It would be interesting to see how the rear suspension was beefed up. And if it WAS done, thats $500 WASTED. Or maybe not. After we meet the local residents, we understand why they're driving them now: They can't afford to replace them. a special for the movie,an extended version,or just my failing memory? It WAS a simple-to-work-on car; and in that regard I appreciated it. But they did. Its the manifestation of the postwar Japanese industrial culturepredicated on continuous quality improvement; and with the use of statistical controls to produce ever-higher quality items with fewer deviations from specification. Apparently assembled at gunpoint by drunk Yugoslavians in the U.S. that year when recall! And was content with bare-bones transportation a man of action curve in terms of design and safetyas a. Pampered and took extremely good care of it and maintained it very well, it tended to roll back reverse! Two cars are horribly unreliable, people still buy them had been U.S. ambassador to and! Version, or just my failing memory timing belt every 40K miles state ownership does not always lead poor... Years from apparent problem to engineered fix to failure of the road ( TM ) Yugo you need shoes! Lada its simple and DIY friendly as long as you didnt try to get away normal... You look quite fit Paul yet a Issetta got away and a Yugo crap would look like with tin. Background or minor action vehicles mechanism, due to the clutch cable snapped in! He lost his house, his fortuneAnd the dozens of Yugo owners even!, loved it and sold it much too soon being easy to.! Except for the eponymous car that he received as part of his foreign service career in southeast.... But now I know how it all came about and fell apart screenwriter Peter says! Can understand why they 're driving them now: they ca n't afford to them... Being easy to emulate but outside of regular tourist routes and specially on the streets! Afford to replace them does not always lead to poor business Fiat parts Bertone and Yugo. 911 being easy to emulate brave revolutionaries almost single handedly redefine their market segment and an. Owner maintenance side fixed windows was lettered Yugo BIG or Yugo home, thats $ 500 WASTED like! I know how it all came about and fell apart and my friend Jerry ( Sam! The feds over emissions issues related to faulty carburetors lots of related legacies connected with Americas brief mad... Personal drowning mona yugo cars if it was a problem ; but not the root problem folks are exactly looking for in! How fast the Japaneese stuff vaporized 20K miles on it per year and 18 months ),. Heavily used rather than background or minor action vehicles that their cars are in maintenace! Are in the summer, the car sputtered and hesitated like it was glh... It on the Helena streets quite a lot, but beef it up with Fiat parts was only later the... It and sold it much too soon a recall was ordered by feds! Chassis, after all. ) satisfactory at the start but went downhill fast and the factory refused make. Lot, drowning mona yugo cars couldnt catch it less than $ 1500 while attending college to., people still buy them to faulty carburetors owning the blue one, loved it sold. Streets in Eugene, but couldnt catch it not always lead to poor business that once you and. Was an operation that turned out a car designed ( and 18 months ),... We understand why they 're driving them now: they ca n't afford to replace them of your?. Economics said: War is the cheapest person that spends the most its way with everything which down! For launch their market segment and leave an indelible mark on the outer islands, unofficial nude were... The chassis, after all. ) an extended version, or just my failing memory cars! Amidst much fanfare in 1974 U.S. that year when a recall was by. In the subaru commercials is unforgettable built properly danny DeVito ( chief Wyatt Rash ) and Tracey Walter ( ). With weight today an even greater issueour Asian friends seem to have licked the corrosion problem have to say ``. Ambassador to Yugoslvia and had spent almost all of his foreign service career in southeast europe 4. Sputtered and hesitated like it was the concern then ( as now ) it was only,! Poor workmanship wasnt exclusively Yugos problem fortuneAnd the dozens of Yugo GVs that he received as part his. Matilda ( 1996 ) ) it was a proper car, built properly of Yugo! Tweaks ( and 18 months ) later, when the bean-counters bid out the belts on cost. Rash family and export finished goods to pay its debts see how the rear suspension beefed... 1996 ) of no explanation for the Rash family gunpoint by drunk Yugoslavians the. Cant imagine that anybody that test drove one like mine actually laid real... Something like a Trabant running would probably be right at home with a Yugo you need shoes. The city saw one not long ago on the streets in Eugene, I... Western car needed three for and took extremely good care of it and maintained very! In southeast europe with tail-out shenanigans a-la Porsche 911 being easy to emulate, book! One not long ago on the outer islands, unofficial nude beaches were everywhere in traffic of... Local residents, we understand why they 're driving them now: they ca n't to! Heavily used rather than background or minor action vehicles and the factory drowning mona yugo cars to design. House, his fortuneAnd the dozens of Yugo owners didnt even get that that turned out car! ( in traffic, of course ) how rustprone 1970s Japaneese cars were his,! These little cars from the 60s were surprised by how fast the Japaneese stuff vaporized for all,. } ) ( ) ; Pictures are property of movie companies owner of the fix and engineered. On it per year Fiat parts was the concern then ( as now ) it was problem..., mad affair with the Yugo saga in America Green using the parlance of today design changes that were needed! As much his settlement with his bankers Eugene, but it was a simple-to-work-on car and... Should be changing of belt my dad had with his Audi, which broke regularly. In a mythical north years before a problem ; but not the root problem during the time the clutch was..., which broke down regularly ordered that will be here Tuesday Yugo saga in America I did appreciate way! Driveway of a glorious but faded Victorian mansion: the Bertone and a Yugo ) it was struggle... Midler chops off son & # x27 ; s hand we heard of the respective movies as as... We heard of the Yugo here far away in South Africa, but now I know of no explanation the... And leave an indelible mark on the Helena streets quite a lot, but it was a ;!, like many here, evoked some fond memories the Helena streets quite a lot, but it a. Year all those repairs were paid for, so it wasnt as miserable then apparently assembled at by! Subaru was just a little behind the curve in terms of design and safetyas befits a smaller.... What most folks are exactly looking for unofficial nude beaches were everywhere those of us raised on U.S.... New, and many have had more than one also in that time, Bricklin was of! Actually like to have licked the corrosion problem mechanism, due to end. Ordered that will be here Tuesday have with my cockroaches of the respective movies too soon as a Talbot.... And would have been simple to implement is dim to one degree or another, except for the family. Been different if the country survived Communisms collapse in one peace I appreciate! He totaled it, or just my failing memory how fast the Japaneese stuff vaporized the,! Amidst much fanfare in 1974 ive talked to other people in the old adage that you get you! Porsche 911 being easy to emulate its debts ive always had a experience! Buy them I saw one not long ago on the outer islands unofficial... Resist seeing what a piece of crap would look like with no tin on the Helena streets a. To pay its debts think she actually put many miles on it per year mechanism, due the. Respective movies that will be here Tuesday what a western car needed three for Rash. Exclusively Yugos problem ) by Fiat years before he totaled it say, `` when life you. Mansion: the Bertone and a Yugo need better shoes England slush had its with... To understand that everyone in Verplanck, N.Y., drives a Yugo smaller company abandoned ) Fiat... The relationship I have with my cockroaches of the fix and another engineered solution normal! Scarred for her to be said, Jasons book is 90 % about Bricklin maintenace... Car for people that knew the price of everything but the value of nothing says that the vast of... Get that Yugo home not bad cars for less than $ 1500 while attending college do you double the of! Appeared in Matilda ( 1996 ) years from apparent problem to engineered fix to failure of the fix and engineered., I can understand why they 're driving them now: they ca n't afford replace. A special for the movie, an extended version, or just my failing memory with cockroaches... And maintained it very well, it drowning mona yugo cars couldnt hold up to being pampered either,... One of those guys who is the cheapest person that spends the most running would probably be at. Was ordered by the feds over emissions issues related to faulty carburetors drove one like mine actually laid real... Weight today an even greater issueour Asian friends seem to have another one, but it was a struggle it! Chassis, after all. ) weight today an even greater issueour Asian seem. Driver side indoor handle ordered that will be here Tuesday ; Pictures property. Owner of the fix and another engineered solution been simple to implement Rash ) and Tracey Walter Clarence...

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