When creating new vehicles, car designers take into account speed, safety, cost, style, and comfort. Before they can begin the design phase, there are certain categories they must consider for what kind of car they will create – whether it will be a sedan, a sports car, a compact car, or a hatchback. Manufacturers are also influenced by current fashion trends such as the space age, art movements such as Art Deco, environmental impact, and the needs of those living in cities or rural environments. They are only limited by their imagination. (These are 35 amazing-looking cars from bygone times.)
However, sometimes, they make decisions that simply do not withstand the test of time. All of the cars on the list made it through a design process, focus groups, and executive review before reaching showrooms — just as any new car does. But these creations have not resonated well with the car-buying public. Though some of these designs might have seemed brilliant in concept, they became some of the auto industry’s biggest busts.
24/7 Wall St. reviewed lists of unsightly automobiles from outlets like Cheapism, Motortrend, HotCars.com, and more to compile a list of incredibly ugly cars. The vehicles listed are widely considered to be the ugliest of all time.
Certain cars, like the Bugatti Veyron, Aston Martin DB5, or the Ferrari 250 GTO, might represent the pinnacle in automobile design, but the auto industry has had to suffer the indignity of others, like the Ford Edsel – the company spent millions on its development; the Pontiac Aztek – it made Edmunds.com’s list of the “100 Worst Cars of All Time”; and the Yugo GV – cheaply made, tiny, and odd.
While many of these vehicles enjoyed a brief lifespan, some of these blunders helped doom the brands that produced them. Such was the case with the 1995 Oldsmobile Aurora, a desperate attempt to revitalize the Oldsmobile nameplate. It was technologically innovative, but its squinty front end was visually unappealing. The public balked at buying it, and when the Aurora tanked, it was the death knell for Oldsmobile, which folded in 2004. (On the other hand, this is America’s oldest car brand.)
These cars are the ugliest ever created
1. Chrysler PT Cruiser
Source: kenmo / iStock Editorial via Getty Images
2. Pontiac Aztek
Source: Public Domain / Wikimedia Commons
3. Geo Prizm
4. Honda Element
Source: Public Domain / Wikimedia Commons
5. AMC Gremlin
Source: kenmo / iStock Editorial via Getty Images
6. Nissan Juke
Source: Emirhan Karamuk / iStock Editorial via Getty Images
7. Subaru Tribeca
Source: DarthArt / iStock Editorial via Getty Images
8. Chevrolet SSR
Source: Public Domain / Wikimedia Commons
9. Tesla Cybertruck
Source: Tesla Inc.
10. Nissan Cube
Source: Peter Fleming / iStock Editorial via Getty Images
11. Plymouth Prowler
Source: kenmo / iStock Editorial via Getty Images
12. Suzuki X-90
13. Fiat Multipla
Source: Public Domain / Wikimedia Commons
14. Ford Scorpio Mk2
15. AMC Marlin
16. Cadillac Cimarron
17. Chevrolet Lumina
18. Oldsmobile Aurora
Source: DarthArt / iStock Editorial via Getty Images
19. Lincoln MKT
Source: 152930510@N02 / Flickr / Public Domain
20. AMC Pacer
Source: Roman Babakin / iStock Editorial via Getty Images
21. Ford Edsel
Source: bgwalker / iStock Unreleased via Getty Images
22. Pontiac Trans Sport
Source: 152930510@N02 / Flickr / Public Domain
23. Lexus SC 430
24. Yugo GV
25. Hyundai Tiburon
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