The automobile industry is one of the most innovative industries, no doubt about that. Automakers come up with new designs and trends to meet the needs of the public. While many of these designs are always on point, some others were outrightly weird. Whether it was due to a loss of aesthetics or practicality, these weird cars were just too strange. Here are five of them.
Fiat Multipla: How boxy is too boxy?
Of course, Italian car manufacturers have made some of the best cars in history but they’ve also had their share of manufacturing fails. In 1998, Fiat decided to take its 1950s-era Multipla, which was a small car, to the next level.
They made the vehicle like a minivan- it had plenty of cargo area and folding seats. However, the boxy shape of the car and its headlights, which were placed in the windshield, were a major turn-off. Fiat didn’t sell up to 500 Multiplas in its first year. We wouldn’t buy it either.
Stout Scarab: It was custom-made, you know?
Designed by an aircraft architect, William Bushnell Stout, this vehicle was made to serve as a sort of spacious refuge. The interior features a couch where the driver takes a rest. But that’s about where the functionality ends.
The Stout Scarab, which was manufactured in 1932, had an unaesthetic, elongated egg shape. Although drivers could rack up 250,000 miles on the car, only nine were manufactured. Who would want to drive a dragon’s egg around?
Ford Ranchero: Which of them are you, buddy?
Just like many other weirdly designed cars, the Ford Ranchero also had a reasonable explanation behind its production. Ford was manufactured as a kind of truck for farmers who wanted cargo space in a comfortable sedan.
When it was first built, people seemed to like the car plus truck combo; Ford sold about 500,000 units. However, people started to lose interest in the borderline design. They either wanted a full truck or a sedan.
Pontiac Aztek: What was the manufacturer’s viewpoint, exactly?
Right from when it was unveiled to the public at the 2000 Detroit Auto Show, it had entered the category of the weirdest designed cars. A look at the car makes us wonder what the manufacturers had in mind.
Aside from the fact that the back looks like someone removed part of it with a saw, the dual roof looks weird, even creepy. Our guess is that the manufacturers wanted to attract all types of buyers- well, they captured none in the end.
Reliant Robin: Of course, it wasn’t dependable
In 1973, Britain’s Reliant Motor Company introduced the fiberglass Robin to the public. Of course, they thought their one-of-a-kind idea of a three-wheeled vehicle was going to take the world by storm.
Well, the first issue was the three-wheel mechanism; it wobbled on the road! As if that wasn’t frustrating enough, strong winds often made the doors crack- the steering wheel also came off without any warning. Your steering wheel could take a break anytime!
