Saturday, September 06, 2008

And Now, For Something Completely Different: The 100 Ugliest Cars Of All Time

The 100 ugliest cars of all time, from The Telegraph.co.uk, the online version:
100-81
80-61
60-41
40-21
20-6
#5 Porsche CayenneA masterclass in engineering… but this predominantly V8-engined SUV solves all kinds of problems that don't exist. That said, it does have the ability to tear along at 140mph in areas that don't yet have speed cameras (fields, the River Spey, Ben Nevis, Blackpool beach – that kind of thing).

#4 - Austin Allegro/Vanden PlasThe same car in most respects, but one has a Rolls-style grille that looks rubbish on a compact saloon. Not actually as good as the Austin 1100 series that went before. And what was the point of a quartic steering wheel?

#3 SsangYong RodiusThe original design brief, apparently, was to capture the essence of a luxury yacht. To gauge the success of this, we recommend the entire production run be shipped to the mid-Atlantic and dropped over the side.

#2 Fiat MultiplaDerided for the blandness of its output during the 1980s and early 1990s, Fiat dared to start thinking outside the box. In this case, however, it simply added wheels to the box and chucked in a few curved balls.

And the #1 Ugliest Car: 1 - Pontiac AztekWhen voting began, many of you possibly didn't know what an Aztek was. As a trickle of votes came in, however, people began searching Google's image database, eyes boggled, the floodgates opened and the Fiat Multipla's comfortable lead was pegged back.

Proof that Americans do ugly better than anyone else, the Aztek was General Motors' first mid-size "crossover" sport utility vehicle, based on a 1999 show concept with "Xtreme" styling. On sale from 2001-2005, priced from $21,445 with a 3.4-litre V6 engine and front-wheel drive or "Versatrak" 4WD, the Mexican-built Aztek was marketed as "quite possibly the most versatile vehicle on the planet", in other words the product of a cost-cutting committee's attempt to please as many people as possible. But designer Wayne Cherry (previously responsible the droop-snoot Vauxhalls of the 1970s) deserves most of the blame. There was also a GT version. Need we say more?

2 comments:

Jackie Melton said...

Hmmm. I've always been attracted to ugly shoes.

Now, I find out I like ugly cars too.

This could be a pattern....

Józef Jan Hughes said...

So, I'm scrolling down, thinking "What about the Aztek?" Scroll down some more - yeah, this is seriously ugly, but WHAT ABOUT THE AZTEK? I get down to the bottom post - and there it is. Ugliness personified! Ugliest car ever! So ugly it's cute! Aack!! (plugs ears, closes eyes, and sticks out tongue at Jackie). Go away!