Traveling Across the U.S. in World's 'Worst Car'

The last Yugo sedan rolled off the assembly line in Kragujevac, Serbia in the fall of 2008.

In a country celebrated for MVPs Novak Djokovic and Nikola Jokić, the Yugoslavian-originated sedan was anything but, famously dubbed stateside as the "worst car ever." But on May 19th, at the Beldocs International Documentary Festival in Belgrade, it will be a more joyous celebration when the U.S. road trip feature Yugo Goes to America kicks off the event.

Made by Serbians Filip Grujić and Aleksa Borković, the documentary chronicles the pair's travels with the help of a third friend, Aleksandar Blažić, from New York to Los Angeles in a 1980s-era Yugo sedan. Grujić's family owned one of the cars and he essentially grew up in it. The movie was shot at various points between 2023 and 2025.

“Parts for the Yugo were manufactured all across Yugoslavia, which created the image of the Yugo as a product of the entire country, and as such, a source of pride for all its citizens," Grujić told Vogue Adria. "In order for the Yugo to be imported into the American market, 419 modifications had to be made. Just to set foot on that market!"

"A special production facility was built for export to the U.S.," he continued. "There was no way that was profitable. And when some U.S. companies come to our market, the laws are changed in favor of the stronger side."

Yugo Goes to America premiered in March at the Copenhagen International Documentary Festival. With the Yugo now a vintage collectible in the U.S., the movie will likely strike a different chord

The project relied heavily on Jason Vujić’s 2010 book The Yugo: The Rise and Fall of the Worst Car in History. Making appearances in the documentary are former Yugo America vice president Tony Ciminera and Yugo America founder Malcolm Bricklin.