Ogle @ I-Sores - 50 Most Ugliest Automotifs ...

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Cadillac Cimarron

Introduced: 1982

The Cimarron went a long way in killing Cadillac's reputation. It was basically a Chevy Cavalier with few extra pieces of chrome and a heftier price tag. The front end is far too busy, housing blocky headlights, a grille that resembles a sewer grate, and a couple of cringe-worthy orange parking lights.

 

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Citroën BX

Introduced: 1982

Design: Marcello Gandini

The BX seems like an attempt to place the most geometric shapes possible on one car. The windows, doors, and sides of the rear hatch seem to fit like puzzle pieces, rather than a uniform styling. Plastic hubcaps complete this masterpiece.

 

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Toyota Van

Introduced: 1984

An extremely sharp front slope, bus-like windows, and some gag-inducing paint jobs made the Toyota (TM) Van an eyesore for the ages. What's more, all four wheels are pushed toward the vehicle's center, implying a seesaw-like imbalance.

 

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Lamborghini LM002

Introduced: 1986

There's a reason you don't hear about Lamborghini (VOW) SUVs. Take a look: awkward geometric doors, angular fenders, and a busy hood. The only thing round besides the wheels are the headlights, which don't quite seem to fit the machine's aesthetic.

 

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Nissan S Cargo

Introduced: 1989

A tall curved roof, bizarre rear cargo hold, and windows shaped like pizza slices make this vehicle stunningly strange. The large body looks even more misshapen sitting on its tiny wheels, and for proportion's sake, the headlights could use a bit more space between them. And what's with the circular rear windows?

 

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Renault Twingo

Introduced: 1992

Design: Patrick le Quément

The ultra-small headlamps of this city car are cut in half on the French Twingo—it looks sad—and the front end has an unusually steep slope for a car its size.

 

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Toyota RAV4

Introduced: 1994

A "crossover" SUV, the RAV4 seeks to combine the strength of a car and a light truck, but apparently, that concept didn't extend to its aesthetics. The plastic bumpers and door appear to have gills. The soft stylings of the body were meant to appeal to women, but poor sales proved it appealed to no one very much.

 

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Suzuki X-90

Introduced: 1995

The X-90 was related to the Sidekick, but even uglier. Its only claim to fame is becoming the go-to ride for Red Bull's roving ads. The front end is stubby, the driver's cabin seems truncated, and the rear wing is gimmicky.

 

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Ford Taurus

Introduced: 1996 (3rd Gen)

Design: Jack Telnack

An oval was the design inspiration for the third-generation Taurus, and to ill effect—the headlights, grille, windows, front intakes, and bubble-butt rear end mimic the shape. A year after this model was introduced, the Taurus lost the title of America's top-selling car.

 

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Plymouth Prowler

Introduced: 1997

Design: Chip Foose

A pie wedge on wheels, the Prowler is indulgent and corny—perfect for a mid-life crisis. The sharp, angular front also draws attention to the squished headlights, jarring grille, and seemingly pasted-on front bumper.

 

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Toyota Prius

Introduced: 1997

The first mass-produced hybrid must have been an exercise in technology, not design. The spoiler is supposed to make the Prius look sporty. But the car still has all the style of a soybean.

 

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Fiat Multipla

Introduced: 1998

The Mulipla featured two sets of headlamps, gigantic side windows, and a front windshield that could have come from a UFO. Maybe it was meant to be ironic, but New York's Museum of Modern Art displayed this mutant in its "Different Roads—Automobiles for the Next Century" exhibit.

 

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Nissan Cube

Introduced: 1998

It might be called Cube, but there's hardly a straight line on it. The side windows might have come from cruise ships, the hub caps are disastrous, and the grille and headlights look like a pair of cheap sunglasses.

 

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Volkswagen New Beetle

Introduced: 1998

Design: J Mays and Freeman Thomas

VW defiled a classic car design with the New Beetle. The entire front end is swollen, the headlights are too large, and the exaggerated fenders are gimmicky. Plus, the windshield looks as if it had been stretched back over the front of the roof.

 

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Cadillac Escalade

Introduced: 1999

The perfect car design if fuel, practicality, maneuverability, and class mean nothing to you. One of the most self-indulgent vehicles ever made, the Escalade is for looking rich while you're burning gasoline.

 

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Corbin Sparrow

Introduced: 1999

Designer: Michael Corbin

The electric, three-wheeled Sparrow was designed for a single occupant, so naturally it's tiny. The curvaceous body, bent windshield, and concave hood, though, make the car look like a rolling big toe.

 

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PT Cruiser

Introduced: 2000

Design: Bryan Nesbitt

The Cruiser was meant to look retro, but some styles shouldn't be recycled. The body's oversized face and grille are flashy. The front wheel housing is inexplicably long, extending back into the front door. The flared logo on the hood attempts to convey regality, but the Cruiser just can't back it up.

 

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Pontiac Aztek

Introduced: 2001

Design: Wayne Cherry


Perhaps the most hated of ugly cars, the Aztek's body appears to be hammered into shape. The head and rear lights are too small, the encompassing bumper resembles a trash can, and the rear end is total minivan. No wonder GM is dropping Pontiac.

 

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Chevrolet Avalanche

Introduced: 2002

Design: Marc R. Asposito

The Avalanche is another modern American case study in excess. The dual cabin, stacked headlights, and wheelhouses all seem unnecessarily supersized, but the real culprit here is the abruptly cut rear bed.

 

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BMW 7 Series

Introduced: 2002

Design: Chris Bangle

The 7 Series made designer Bangle simultaneously loved and hated. Critics ridiculed the concave and convex panel work—dubbed "flame surfacing"— and the "Bangle-Butt," an extra strip of metal below the trunk.