skidmark 12 Sep 2000, 15:50 Has anyone got any good contenders for the ugliest cars ever built ?
I started off just thinking of things like the Austin Allegro ... but I now realise there are far uglier machines out there.
Some of the big American cars from the 70's are just hideous, but I'm sure some of you can come with some real ugliness.
One of my all time hates is the Porsche 911 ... love it or hate it ?
Let's get some ideas.
For me, one of the newest models from Pontiac must be one of the ugliest of all time.... the Pontiac Aztek, billed as most versatile vehicle on planet.
http://www.news.bridge.com/newsdir/autoreview/aztek1.jpg
My God, what the hell were they thinking or maybe smoking?
MichaelC 12 Sep 2000, 17:55 The 911 was OK when it was small. It's got too big now.
As for ugly try this:
http://www.multiplafiat.com/images/foto/11.jpg
or this
http://www.multiplafiat.com/images/foto/1.jpg
It's the Fiat Multipla. These photos don't do it justice at all, it's waaaaay uglier than they show. You just have to see one of these things coming at you on the road to understand why I dislike them so much!!
I agree with you, MichaelC, about the Multipla. It's really ugly.
About the initial post of skidmark, how the hell can you hate a car like the 911? It seems unbelievable to me. You can like or not his aesthetics, but can't hate it. Is one of the very true legends amongst the sports cars... to me, IS THE CAR!!!
How about this one, the 1950 Saab 92.
http://www.li.net/~eurzi/saab.jpg
I have two of them: in the 1950s, the Nash Rambler. In the 1970s the AMC Pacer.
There is no excuse for either of these cars.
I find it inconceivable that any designer would put his name to this...
http://www.sonic.net/ec/ESV/ESV.jpg
What was going on in his mind?? :)
Yep - that's pretty bad !
There's been some real winners on both sides of the pond - poor taste seems to know no national bounderies !
For the record, I'll start with the following:
AMC Pacer & Gremlin
Almost all '70s GM products, but especially the Buicks & Oldsmobubbles
2CV & Messerschmitt
Whatever they call that new Porsche that came out last year
My God, Sparky, what was that? It looks like a mutation of the Fiat 126, with added trunk and the "flexible elements at front and rear". I suppose it (luckily) never made it into production, I would recall seeing such a monstrosity. The ultimate road-going bumper-car!
I'll have to agree with the proposals so far, and I'll also agree with Enzo - that new-look Porsche 911 Turbo (with the front end copied off the Boxter - and copied badly, if I may add) is horrible. However, the old Elfers are OK, as far as I'm concerned. Not the most beautiful cars ever made, but they've got that little something. Maybe it's because I'm a Beetle fan (old models only, the new one doesn't even come close).
Now, the car that really upsets me whenever I see it (it's all subjective, I know, but really...) is the new Hyundai Coupe - hideous! There's an anecdote that I once read about a famous car-designer who was asked by a manufacturer to come over to their stand at a show and assess their new model. So he went there, and when he saw the car, he first stood there for a while, cathcing his breath, his jaw dropped. He then went over to the other side of the stand and said: "Oh, My God, it's the same from this side!" This was my reaction when I saw that...vehicle, I don't know how to call it.
By the way, here's a site you might be interested in(I know there's a separate forum for this, but it's on this particular subject): http://www.uglycars.co.uk. Some witty comments, too. And there's this special feature called "Paper Bag Rating" that they "award" each of the cars exhibited there - as described by the authors "the number of paper bags you would have to wear on your head before accepting a ride in the car". Hillarious!
I vote for sparky's. Man.....that's some ugly car. I also have quite a few american cars on my list.
I agree with KC the new Aztec is the most hideous thing I've seen rooled out in recent memory. Styling ahs never been one of GM's strong points but this really takes it though! Actually the pic. you show is as good as it's looked since I first saw the thing. Remember the Edsel?
Hey, except for the grille, I liked the Edsel!
That ugly cars site is indeed hilarious. I remember seeing an Isetta at a car show when I was about 6 and thinking it would have made a wonderful pedal car.
Y'know Liz, I kinda like the Edsel too!
I offer these, though I know they won't approach the 'Toxic Fiat' I posted above!
http://www.dc-designs.com/images/concept/lildc1.jpg
http://www.dc-designs.com/images/concept/jusvan.jpg
http://www.dc-designs.com/images/concept/118NEvintage.jpg
http://www.dc-designs.com/images/concept/viva4x4.jpg
Look at the state of this!!
http://www.brandscreations.com/images/scanned/closed_rt_front.jpg
I expect Star Trek had just started on TV when this was 'designed'!
http://www.allpar.com/model/concepts/63turbinb.jpg
BTW, the front's no better!! ;)
Isn't that the Chrysler Turbine show car ? If so, that would have been '62, I think.
I remember seeing it at a demo in New Jersey as a kid - we actually thought it was quite swoopy & snazzy at the time !
Thank heavens tastes grow up over the years !
Minardi fan 14 Sep 2000, 23:59 There was a revolting snot-green Fiat Multipla on the forecourt of the Fiat garage in Canterbury. Astonishingly, someone bought the bloody thing and I think it was replaced with a dark red one. YUCK.
That Aztek thing is also horrid.
I feel I should also mention the 2000 Jaguar F1...
;)
(Why the hell has no-one mentioned the '95 McLaren???)
"I nominate any 60-70's Citroen and whatever Mindardi Fan drives as the ugliest cars." he says as he eyes his lovely 1:18 diecast Jag R1, and wonders what it would look like if painted a Minardi ****-yellow.
;)
Ok, how about "urine" yellow?
Minardi fan 16 Sep 2000, 12:47 It's more of a tasteful Lime Yellow I think.
And who the hell are Mindardi?
;)
Ralf's Girl 16 Sep 2000, 19:48 Mindardi fan (;)), I see your point about the Fiat Multipla. Italy is overrun with the horrible things. They look like cut and shuts, only of the top and bottom of a car instead of the two ends!
And the Vauxhall Agila is pretty bad. I think it's fairly new. Nowhere near as bad as some of the aforementioned 'cars', but Vauxhall are going downhill. Big time.
Heeltoe6 16 Sep 2000, 19:55 The AMC Gremlin may have been ugly, but the gas cap had a cool gremlin design on it, which made the ugliness of the car seem ok. ;)
Not everybodys idea of an ugly car, I know, but this is the Bertone Slalom of 1996...
http://209.132.49.149/images-large/1996_bertone_slalom-1.jpg
ftp://ftp.team.net/ktud/pictures/Bertone/slalom_5.jpg
Is it me, or is that 100% Ford Focus?
Either Mr Opel is kicking himself for not copyrighting this design that he paid Bertone big bucks for, or some designer bloke at Ford is a plagiarising git. Probably. ;)
And while we're on the subject, these are all Daewoo products...
http://auto.whatodo.ru/csn/10-97/concept/3.jpg
The 'Nubria'. Did I hear you say 'Mondeo'?
http://auto.whatodo.ru/csn/10-97/concept/4.jpg
The 'Tacuma'. A 'Focus' wannabe?
And this...
http://auto.whatodo.ru/csn/10-97/concept/5.jpg
The 'Mya'. If this isn't a 'Puma', then I give up!
Are Ford in bed with Daewoo, as was suggested on the Touring Car Forum, or are they being ripped off?
But then I guess they stole the Slalom, slapped a Focus badge on the back and got away with it, so I guess it serves 'em right! ;)
Danielsun 20 Sep 2000, 15:16 Currently being in England, I'd go along with the Multipla theme. The journos all rave about how good it is to drive; at least it has one thing going for it...
But, come on Aussie, come on!! What about that bloody AU Falcon Forte? Is that not even worse than the EA of 1988?
DAVID PATERSON 28 Sep 2000, 13:05 Aussie, Aussie Aussie, Oy, Oy, Oy!
You're right Daniel the Series I Falcon Forte is BUTT ugly, but I have a Series II Falcon Futura and it's not that bad, really. I can't believe you didn't like the EA Falcon. When it came out, Ford, the motoring writers and the public all agreed, it was simply stunning, the best loking Falcon for a very long time.
My picks for ugliest car of all time, in no particular order:-
Ford Ka
the entire Daewoo range
Hyundai Coupe
most American cars from the '70s
any Citroen
Camry wagons
VR Statesman
bobdrummond 30 Sep 2000, 00:10 I'm just back from a fortnight in the US and was impressed by the styling levels of the Chrysler/Dodge range. Good stuff. Even Nissan has a decent looking car in the US. The Ford lightening pick-up was mental.
But car-wise, my over-riding memory of my holiday will be driving past a Pontiac dealer in Madison and seeing a row of four Aztecs. Good Lord they're horrendous. I mean, in this day and age, focus groups are meant to filter out this kind of ****. I thought instantly of the Simpsons episode where Homer designed a car for his brothers car company. Utterly Insane. To be honest, I thought at first that they were prototypes kitted out with the disguises you see in sneak photos in magazines. Alas, no.
As for the Multipla, I think it's kind of alright. It certainly appears to be selling fairly well.
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