Automotive design is a long and tedious process with many steps such as creating a life-size clay model of the prototype. And though the cars are getting sleeker and their design is almost as important as reliability and functionality, there were and still are many flukes that shouldn’t have hit the road or seen the light of day.
Any new car starts its life as a sketch and later as a prototype – if it gets confirmed, it goes to the production line. But some of these thoroughly ugly cars somehow skipped the approval of executives and made their way onto the streets, much to our dismay now. Some of these designs could be considered a bold step ahead in the automotive industry, while others look as though the designer just didn’t give a hoot about the outcome. Cars that remind us of a boxy drawing by a six-year-old, cars that seem to have no lines or too many of them, and even curiosities such as three-wheelers have made it into our list of vehicles that are so ugly, they’ve reached sort of a cult status by now.
From Fiat Multipla to Rolls Royce Phantom, we didn’t spare any of these monstrosities and put them into our glorious list of objects d’art. Scroll down below to check them out, don’t forget to vote for the ugliest, and tell us what you think in the comments!
#1 Dodge A100 Pickup
The flat-nosed, ever-surprised Dodge A100 was a range of compact vans and trucks that arguably was just too weird to gain enough popularity in its six years of production
Image source: CZmarlin
#2 Fiat Multipla
Named a Psychotic Cartoon Duck, this masterpiece has been produced by an Italian company called Fiat. And though buyers enjoyed the roomy interior, the sneers and laughs from beholders of the Multipla’s exterior didn’t help with the sales. This absolutely unique car was even displayed at the Modern Art Museum (MOMA) in New York as a design exhibit
Image source: www.motor1.com
#3 Nissan S-Cargo
The name of this overly cute retro car is actually a double entendre, standing for ‘Small Cargo’ but sounding similar to ‘escargot’ which means a snail in French. We think it looks more like a Pope-mobile on steroids
Image source: Koyata Iwasaki
#4 Bond Bug
Though the Bond Bug looks like a three-wheeled carrot, it was known as a relatively fun car to drive that managed to reach the speed of 122 km/h. Yet, we are not sure if it’s a good idea to zoom around at such speeds in a car that has a missing wheel. The Bug was quite a popular car at its time, but being sold for the same prices as more practical cars, it soon fell into demise
Image source: Mick
#5 Reliant Robin
Lovingly nicknamed as the “Plastic Pig” by the British for its distinctive shape and fiberglass body, this ugly three-wheeler is an absolute comedy gag classic
Image source: Barracuda
#6 Nissan Cube
Though the Cube has won several nominations for its design and has been named a top vehicle pick for dog owners, we aren’t convinced that it wasn’t made from a sketch by a six-year-old
Image source: wheelsage.org
#7 Sebring Vanguard CitiCar
Though the idea of electricity powered CitiCar seemed like a good one, its coal cart design didn’t make the right impression to buyers
Image source: www.motor1.com
#8 Citroën Ami 6
Incredibly enough, this mish-mash of a car was once the best-selling new car model in France. We, on the other hand, aren’t sure how you were supposed to change the rear tires or open the melted hood
Image source: wheels.ae
#9 AMC Pacer
Compared to a vehicle from The Jetsons cartoon and dubbed ‘The Flying Fishbowl’ the Pacer is truly a 70s design icon
Image source: Charles01
#10 Corbin Sparrow
The Sparrow, also known as the Jelly Bean and Pizza Butt is one passenger, electric battery-powered city car. We truly think its sole purpose is to make your teenage kid feel even more ashamed of you
Image source: Alfvanbeem
#11 Suzuki X-90
Suzuki X-90 is probably the only car that looks better with a huge can of Red Bull fixed on its trunk
Image source: MNXA
#12 Lightburn Zeta Sports
Another masterpiece by an Australian washing machine and cement mixer company Lightburn
Image source: carmrades-blog.com
#13 Lightburn Zeta
Lightburn was an Australian company that produced cement mixers and washing machines. In popular opinion, they should’ve stayed away from the automotive industry. But they didn’t, and now we have this charming little nonsense in our list
Image source: carmrades-blog.com
#14 Talbot-Matra Rancho
The Rancho was a French effort to jump into the off-road trend. This boxy vehicle was made almost entirely out of fiberglass and polyester which gave it the ‘off-road’ look for a lesser price. Interestingly enough, after some facelifting, it became the legendary van called Renault Espace
Image source: Александр К.
#15 Aston Martin Lagonda Shooting-Brake
The Shooting-brake car body style originated in the 1890s as a wagon used to transport shooting parties. We can’t imagine anyone sitting with a double-barrel in this Lagonda’s boot, but we can see it being used as a doorstop or for splitting logs
Image source: exc911ence
#16 Marcos Mantis
Though luxurious, powerful, and relatively cheap, this British Mantis had no success in the market with only 32 cars of the first generation sold. Maybe it was just too beautiful for the classy British people
Image source: RETROCK
#17 Bufori Geneva
Even though this car can accommodate a cigar humidor, a Chinese tea set, and its back seats have a pneumatic massage device, the Geneva still looks like a very well fattened-up pig
Image source: El Monty
#18 Mitsuoka Orochi
Labeled as a “fashion supercar” the Orochi and its many Anime-inspired editions deserves a proud place in this list of ugly cars
Image source: TTTNIS
#19 Chrysler PT Cruiser
Though the PT Cruiser is known to be a very satisfying drive, we think that the designers should steer clear away from the 30s inspirations as it never really works
Image source: Juliano Scotini
#20 Lamborghini LM002
Amazingly powerful, the LM002 was favorited by the rich of the Arabian Emirates as a desert plaything. We think it looks like someone with repressed anger issues designed it
Image source: wheelsage.org
#21 Plymouth Prowler
Hot-rod inspired Prowler was supposed to be an everyday use-type of car. Thankfully, this masterpiece wasn’t as successful as expected, and we don’t have to see it prowling the streets on a daily basis
Image source: Ildar Sagdejev
#22 Volkswagen 181
Commonly known as ‘The Thing’ this Volkswagen was mainly used for NATO military purposes. Due to its low safety standards, The Thing was sold in the US only for couple short years
Image source: Mr.White
#23 Jensen S-V8
Another fluke by the British automotive industry – The Jensen and its cartoon-like design was never meant to be popular
Image source: Hilton & Moss
#24 Honda Insight
The first generation Honda Insight is still ranked as one of the most fuel-efficient gasoline engine cars ever produced. The efficiency probably has to do with its uber-aerodynamic body that to this day manages to raise some brows with its weirdness
Image source: Aleksey
#25 Pontiac Aztek
Though marketed as an ‘Xtreme’ design crossover for the Generation X buyer demographics, the Aztek was only appreciated by the pre-Heisenberg Walter White type of folks
Image source: Bonneville
#26 Pontiac Fiero
Nothing screams ‘The 80s’ louder than the design of this Pontiac. Though the model has been met quite badly with the press because of its quirkiness and unreliability, the GMC Pontiac division had a hard time keeping up with the demand through the years it was produced. No matter its weird design, the Fiero has a cult-like following to this day
Image source: Manhattan
#27 Chevrolet El Camino
‘Business in the front, party in the back,’ goes a long way describing the El Camino. It was supposed to be the ultimate car for ranchers that also deal business in town, but to us, this marriage between a pickup and a coupe looks like a total no-go
Image source: Cadillac
#28 Tatra 603
Well, the Tatra isn’t as bland as the usual Eastern European Communist car, but maybe it should’ve been. The weird placement of its headlights make it look closely related to a Cyclops
Image source: naddir
#29 Saturn SC
Surprisingly enough, the Saturn SC (or Sports Coupe) is still sought after not only by collectors but also by people who admire the longevity, ease of repair and its good mileage. This cross-eyed beast even has quite a few Facebook fan groups and owner support networks
Image source: IFCAR
#30 AMC Gremlin
The AMC’s Gremlin had more than enough personality even for the 70s – the sawed-off back, the quirky proportions, and unusual trimmings made it stand out from the crowd. It is still debatable whether the unique looks made it awesome or ugly
Image source: I, Bob DuHamel
#31 Isuzu VehiCROSS
Winner of rallies of its time, and praised for its unique design the VehiCROSS still looks to us like at least three cars were mashed together in an afterschool project
Image source: Александр К.
#32 Subaru Impreza Casa Blanca
Though the Impreza is beloved by many, the Casa Blanca ‘luxury’ edition truly looks like a cartoon beaver. In a bad way
Image source: Tennen-Gas
#33 Chevrolet SSR
The SSR perfectly illustrates a failed attempt at creating a retro-inspired, yet modern-looking car. The sales of it were very disappointing, and we definitely can see why
Image source: Cadillac
#34 Rolls Royce Phantom VIII
Rolls Royce’s Phantoms have always been known as the ultimate luxury cars – the incredibly smooth driving experience and unlimited interior personalization gained it a lot of praise. You probably have to have a couple of millions in your bank account, though, to fully comprehend its majestical appearance, because to us, regular humans, it looks ugly as hell
Image source: Porlamfer
#35 FSO Polonez
Another gem from the Easter European Communist block. No matter how many trimmings were added or how many horses were put in the commercials it still looked like a slab of concrete
Image source: Владимир Беляев
#36 Ford Taurus
The third generation Taurus steered away from its predecessors’ straight lines, thus creating this oval-shaped, cross-eyed, squishy looking thing. And though buyers thought badly about the design, the Taurus still kept its best-seller status
Image source: IFCAR
#37 Ford Pinto Wagon
The Pinto had two significant oversights – the overly 70s design which looks quite cringy now and a technical issue of easily rupturing fuel tank. That meant that getting rear-ended even at low speeds could easily set the Pinto on fire
Image source: Cadillac
#38 Pontiac Trans Sport
The original concept of Trans Sport had gullwing doors, a glass roof, a built-in Nintendo Entertainment System, and an overall futuristic look. After those details got stripped down, it started to look like a handheld vacuum, which gave it the nickname of ‘dustbuster’
Image source: AG84
#39 Lancia Thesis
Well, the Thesis isn’t unpleasant to look at, but this higher end Italian design is one of those that you either love or hate
Image source: autocar.co.uk
#40 Renault Fuego
The first car to feature a remote keyless system with central locking and the fastest diesel engine car of its time it really lacked in the design department
Image source: Рустам
#41 Wartburg 353
The Wartburg was probably the blandest of the bland Eastern European cars ever conceived. No wonder its name starts with a ‘wart’
Image source: Pudelek
#42 Subaru Brat
The BRAT or “Bi-drive Recreational All-terrain Transporter” is a total hit or miss. Some adore its absolute quirkiness and great performance, while others hate its overly ‘youthful’ looks
Image source: Sbocha
#43 Citroën C4 Cactus
The Cactus, in addition to its squinty headlights, also had the ‘Airbump’ side panels that were supposed to guard the car against accidents in parking lots. We didn’t know whether it worked in those instances, but it definitely did guard many from buying it
Image source: M 93
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