The Ugliest Cars in History

Published: April 29, 2024 by 24/7 Tempo Staff

When it comes to cars, we have an incredible amount to choose from. According to Cars and Automakers Database, as of April 2024, there are around 129 brands of automobiles that manufacture a total of 1,582 models (still in production). This gives the buyer an exorbitant amount to choose from. But not all vehicles are created equally. Some may have everything we’re looking for while others may not rank quite as high. One aspect that is at the forefront of many car buyers concerns is how a vehicle looks.

There are many aspects that car designers factor in when creating a new vehicle. Style, comfort, safety, speed, and cost are all significant components but before the design phase can launch a manufacturer must decide what type of car will enter production. According to Car and Driver, there are nine basic vehicle types – convertible, coupe, hatchback, mini-van, pick-up truck, sedan, sports car, station wagon, and sport-utility vehicle (SUV). The body type gives a lot of options on where to begin but many other components are then figured in to the final design.

Manufacturers are often influenced by current fashion trends like the space age, and art movements like Art Deco, as well as the environmental impact, and the needs of those living in different regions like cities or rural environments. Some vehicles are cutting edge in design and have outstanding durability. Others, however, sometimes simply don’t withstand the test of time.

Just like any new car does, all vehicles listed here made it through a design process, focus groups, and executive review before reaching showrooms but these conceptions have not resonated well with the car-buying public. Though some of these designs might have seemed brilliant in theory, they became some of the auto industry’s biggest busts. (To see incredible cars, check out these must-see car museums in the world.)

24/7 Tempo reviewed lists of unsightly automobiles from outlets like Motortrend and HotCars.com, and more to compile a list of the ugliest cars in history. 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 – a car that the company spent millions on its development; the Pontiac Aztek – which made the list of the “100 Worst Cars of All Time” on Edmunds.com; 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.

These are the ugliest cars in history: