Which Direction Are We Headed?
This Frankenstein's monster of a vehicle has got to be a custom job because we can't imagine any car company would actually make a vehicle like this. Somehow, it looks like this guy grabbed two C10 Chevy's, chopped the beds off, and then welded the cabs together to make a double-ended pickup. Driving this thing probably makes turning around and parallel parking pretty easy at least. But, you'll definitely get a lot of funny looks.
We'd be hard-pressed to believe that this thing actually has two working engines. One end is probably just cosmetic, and it still probably has a normal drivetrain.
We Can't Imagine What Driving This Is Like
We love when people are able to embrace the road, and spend a few days living out of their vehicles. It's even better if those people can get themselves a camper van to tow, and they can live in some comfort on the road. So, you'd think we'd be happy for this person. They added a giant sleeper cab onto the original bed of their pickup and then extended the bed off the back of that. Only one problem: just look at it.
At the end of the day, if this person is happy, good for them. But, the whole thing just looks like a nightmare to drive, so all the best to them.
They Should've Brought This Concept To Market
In the late 60s and early 70s, there was a major trend in automotive design circles to make the car feel more like the home. Because of this, wheelbases got longer, interior compartments got more spacious, and the ride got more comfortable. Most of these traits remained in the vehicles we drive over time. But, some companies experimented with less popular ideas, like the ones you see down below. This camper car concept would've had pop-out compartments and a variable interior.
We don't know about any of you, but we would have loved to drive this thing. You've got a day bed and a tanning spot right in your own back seat.
Is This Even a Car?
When we first saw this image, we were as confused as could be. We almost thought this might be a new type of farm truck that you pull up a silo and fill up before driving off. But, it's actually an art installation instead. The artist, Erwin Wurm, has a number of other sculptures and installations that play with vehicles as their medium too. But, this is our favorite from his collections.
Can you imagine if you just walked up and saw this on the street? You'd probably think that just stumbled on the strangest car accident of all time.
Do You Think It Can Still Drive With The Water Inside?
If you've never been to a car show, look no further than this picture as reason why you need to check one out. Even if you're not a motorhead or a big car person, there are always interesting exhibitions and things to see that you never would expect. This hot tub car is the perfect example of that. It combines automotive design with a luxury appliance, and you can tell by the faces of the people in the picture that everyone is pretty mesmerized.
We'd love to take a dip in that hot tub, but not while the car is moving down the road (if it even drives). We feel like things would slosh around too much.
A Monster Of A Truck, Not A Monster Truck
If there were one word that could describe this truck, it would probably be, "Americana." That thing is like a rolling piece of history, even though it's obviously been customized and changed over the years. In front, we see a classic mid-century truck body, with a nice big engine bay. But, then the person has lengthened the wheelbase to add on a sleeper cabin before the truck's shortened bed sticks out the back.
This thing is probably good for camping, hauling, and car shows. But, finding parts must be a nightmare! Everything on that car is at least fifty years old.
Is It Floating Or Is It A Camera Trick?
At first glance, we thought someone had done the panorama trick on this truck where they shortened it and made it look like it only has two wheels. But, in actuality, this is a real unedited photo. What you're looking at is actually a floatplane truck. These interesting little contraptions do exactly what it sounds like they do. They pick up floatplanes, and either put them in or take them out of the water.
It's incredible how many different specialized vehicles there are to do different jobs. Each different job on a construction site, or at an airport, needs to be done by a different type of car.
A Monster Truck of a Monster Truck
This behemoth might look scary, but that's only because it is. This giant truck has been dubbed MonsterMax by its creator, Youtuber WhistlinDiesel. Normally, the truck doesn't look this ridiculous. But, those four giant monster truck tires on each axle were added so that the truck had extra buoyancy. After that, it was able to drive down a boat ramp and straight out into the ocean off the coast of Florida.
There's a whole series of videos on Youtube about the adventures this truck has gotten into. But, if you're going to watch them, remember not to try any of this on your own vehicle unless you're a practiced mechanic who knows what they're doing.
One Of The Strangest Cars On This List
The Reliant Robin is the cult classic of cars if there ever was one. This three-wheeled creation was very popular in North England in the early 70s after it was released because its low horsepower meant that drivers didn't need a full license in order to drive one. Anyone with a motorcycle license could get a Reliant, and then they'd be out of the rain as well. Just keep the speed down on turns if you don't want to tip over!
There's a wonderful episode of Top Gear UK where Jeremy Clarkson goes driving about in a Reliant Robin, and it is absolutely worth a watch. Just be warned, he crashes a lot– but he's fine in the end!
This Truck Was Cancelled Before It Even Hit The Market
The Bollinger B2 was created in the hopes of filling a hole in the pickup truck market that nobody knew existed. Even though Ford and GM have been improving upon their electric technologies for years, Bollinger thought that a fully electric truck with no bed walls for three times the asking price would do well with consumers. Obviously, it didn't, and the project was canned before the company could even get the truck into production.
You can't blame Bollinger for trying to disrupt the market, but maybe take a smaller bite next time. For example, there's a Chinese company right now producing tiny, electric work trucks for a fraction of the price of a full-size pickup. And they're getting incredibly popular thanks to their versatility and affordability.
The Classic Carting Trike
Like some of the other vehicles we've discussed and will discuss on this list, this little vehicle has a very special purpose. It's not just floating there on two wheels, it actually has a pivoting third wheel located underneath, meaning that it can make incredibly tight turns and small maneuvers. With the pallet on the front, this means it's the perfect little truck to use in a scrap yard or mechanic's shop to shuttle parts back and forth.
We love the classic dark green paint job on this thing too. The truck just screams pre-1950, and they just don't make cars like that anymore.
The World Famous Egg
This vehicle was once called the strangest car in the world, and the name fits pretty well. L'Oeuf Electrique, or The Electric Egg in English, was an electric concept car created by world-renowned designer Paul Arzens in the 1940s. Arzens was an automotive and locomotive designer, and even occasionally did airplanes. But, he's probably most well known for his work on the Electric Egg, or his other concept car The Whale.
The aviation project Arzens was involved with saw him taking a decommissioned military Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress, and turning it into luxury travel accommodations for general Eisenhower and his friends.
We're Pretty Sure We Had A Hotwheels Version of This One
We encourage everyone to drive what they want and customize it however they see fit. However, no one ever should have told that to the owner of this car. What did they even do to it? This looks like an apocalypse mobile with a windshield like somebody's sunroom and tires so uselessly bulky that this person is probably losing eight miles per gallon. Plus, that upper bumper guard isn't actually protecting anything.
This is a classic case of someone who doesn't understand cars doing a bunch of things that they think will improve their car. And, like happens every time, they royally messed up everything they tried to do.
The Perfect Little Pink Farm Truck
This adorable little contraption is used in the countryside for hauling different equipment around the farm. It's pretty, it's pink, and it does everything it needs to with none of the frills. As you can see, it even has an open back that works as a type of truck bed. Plus, with just one seat, you're never going to get bogged down by people asking for a ride, and this thing is always going to be easy to park!
We're not 100% sure, but this very could be a Lada or another Soviet work truck from the late 60s. These vehicles were built so well, that many of them are still on the road today.
Why Would You Do This When An El Camino Exists
For some time now, people have been slapping pickup truck beds onto vehicles that do not need them, and we can't understand why they won't stop. The only time that has ever been a good idea was on the Chevy Avalanche, and the El Camino (also a Chevy unsurprisingly). But the Honda Ridgeline, the Subaru Baja, and this thing we're staring at down below had absolutely no business ever being made in the first place.
The craziest part is that BMW doesn't make a car like this. So, this person decided to have their BMW gutted and turned into a worker's vehicle– sheesh.
A New Take On An Absolute Classic
We love when mechanics can find a way to seamlessly blend the old-school stylings of classic cars with modern-day technologies and toys. If you're not sure what we mean, look no further than the '50 Chevy down below. This car is one of the most recognizable of all time, but instead of its classic low-profile look, this mechanic vaulted the truck up in the air and turned it into a mud monster.
This thing can go over and through some serious terrain now, which wasn't the case when the car first came out. Certain components were much more fragile back then, and trying to off road in a '50 Chevy could leave you with a broken axle.
The Smallest Car In The Entire World
The Peel P50 has the distinction of being the world's smallest car, and it wears that distinction proudly. There is a hilarious episode of Top Gear where Jeremy Clarkson drives around in one of these things, and if you watch that video, you'll be able to tell what we mean about the size of this thing. It is so tiny that Clarkson barely fits into the car, and he's almost looking like Mr. Incredible from that scene in the first Incredibles movie.
This was the only car produced on the Isle of Man, which is another fun distinction that the Peel P50 can hang its hat on.
It's No Wonder This Car Won So Many Awards
We know that what you're looking at almost seems like a fake advertisement for a car that never existed, but that's only half true. This promotional photo was taken to create some buzz around a fully custom concept car that two Dodge designers spent two years creating in the 60s, a car they called the Deora. It won a bunch of major awards in 1967, and has remained an engineering marvel since.
Every time there seems to be a trend in the market towards people buying small trucks again, automotive enthusiasts begin clamoring for Dodge to create a production line Deora. But, we don't expect it to happen any time soon.
This Was So Not-PC Of Them
The 1950s were a strange, but progressive time in the United States. Still, things weren't progressive enough to stop Dodge from creating a car specifically designed for women. The 1955 La Femme was supposedly built with interior patterns that would please a woman, and... that was about it. The car was almost exactly the same as Dodge's Royal Lancer, which they were already having enough trouble selling, so the La Femme put the last nail in that coffin.
To give the La Femme its credit, it lasted about two years on the market, which is a lot longer than some other concept vehicles last.
What Happened To The Cadillac We Know And Love?
For years, driving a Cadillac meant that you were living in the lap of luxury. They were the coolest, most desirable vehicles in the 50s and 60s, but after that, something began to change. By the time the 80s rolled around, Cadillac was making the same, generic-looking and poorly-performing vehicles as all of the other major companies. This '82 Cimarron is the perfect example of that lack of innovation that started to infect the auto market.
The Cavalier, the Cimarron's predecessor, had been a popular car. So, this just proves the classic rule, and Cadillac should've known it all along: if it ain't broke don't fix it.
We Don't Even Want To Acknowledge This One
There are bad cars, and then there is the type of cars that enthusiasts refuse to even talk about. The Mustang II is one of those cars. You'll even find people out there who collect and refurbish every model Mustang except for this one. This 1974 rerelease of the original, iconic Mustang was less powerful, less sleek, less cool, and oh yea, it was basically a Pinto! With that rear-mounted gas tank, you could go up in flames even in a tiny fender bender!
There's a great episode of Top Gear America about the Mustang II and everything that went wrong with the vehicle. If you're interested in learning more, it is definitely worth a watch.
Ford Really Just Threw Everything At The Wall Here
When designers at Edsel were creating the 1958 Edsel Corsair, they wanted to make something that no other car company would try to reproduce. Now, they succeeded, however, that was more because nobody wanted to recreate their work than nobody was able to. The Edsel Corsair's front grill was supposed to look futuristic and instead looked like it belonged on a car 30 years its senior. Plus, according to almost everyone who bought it, the thing was a nightmare to drive.
A few years after this failure, Edsel was fully absorbed into the Ford Automotive company. They continued making the Corsair through 1959.
The Classic DeLorean DMC-12
Everyone knows the DeLorean from the Back To The Future movies, but did you know that this car was a complete and utter failure on the market? Why do you think we don't see any of them driving around anymore. The car's creator was famous for his work contributing to the original Pontiac GTO, which they thought would boost sales. But, it didn't help much. Neither did the fact that the car broke down all the time.
Now, thanks to the movies, and their urban legend status, the DeLorean is a highly sought-after car that goes for top dollar at auction.
This East German Marvel Never Stood A Chance
During the Cold War, Germany was stuck being pulled back and forth towards both sides of the iron curtain. Berlin was famously divided by a massive wall, separating Communist East Germany and Capitalist / Democratic West Germany. You would think that the East German authorities would realize that it was the wrong time to manufacture a new vehicle when no one in the country has enough money to buy one, but the Trabant P50 was born nonetheless.
The Trabant not only struggled with sales but also with being a vehicle in general. The car was poorly designed and body panels could fall off if it started going fast enough, which it rarely ever did.
Possibly The Ugliest Entry On This Entire List
The Pontiac Aztek is a vehicular definition of the "Who Asked" meme if there ever was one. The car was created with strange rear doors, a removable cooler in the center console, and one of the ugliest two-tone paint jobs of all time. The false hatchback in the back is a stunning and confusing addition as well. But, after all these years, the Aztek's ugliness has somehow endeared it to certain consumers, who now find the car quirky and desirable.
If the Aztek has one thing going for it, it's that this was Walter White's daily driver during Breaking Bad. So, at least one person likes it.
The Vega Was Doomed From The Start
"Lemon" is a term that every car owner should know. It refers to a car that comes out of the factory with an essential defect that a manufacturer won't be able to just easily fix in a short span of time. Unfortunately for drivers in 1971, pretty much every Chevy Vega that rolled off the assembly line was a lemon. These cars had massive issues with oil lubrication, and would tear themselves apart from the inside after about 100 miles.
The underbody construction was also notoriously shoddy. Even if you took good care of your engine, you could count on that front bumper rusting off after two winters, maximum.
This Car's Ad Slogan Couldn't Have Been Further From True
When the Yugo GV came out, the company thought they'd stumbled upon a genius marketing campaign to sell the car. It featured people running around behind a Yugo, and the slogan, "Everybody needs a Yugo sometime." Here's the one problem: nobody needs a Yugo ever. The car has awful gas mileage for something so small, fares terribly in crash tests, and notoriously breaks down all the time. Due to all of this, the Yugo consistently lands on lists described as one of the worst cars of all time.
If there's one thing to like about the Yugo (and it's part of the reason the car has all of those other issues), it's the massive engine the thing carries. An average Yugo engine cranks out about 480 horsepower.
The Original Firebird
When General Motors got to work creating the original Firebird, we can't imagine they had plans to turn it into a civilian vehicle. Harley Earl, GM's chief design officer, mainly had these cars commissioned for auto shows throughout the 1950s. They wanted to show the world the incredible technology that GM was working with. They also wanted to prove that the automotive industry was moving ahead just as quickly as the aviation industry, and stole some styling to subconsciously imply it.
Now the GM firebird isn't to be confused with the Pontiac Firebird Trans Am, a completely different car. That one was actually made for civilians to drive, but only barely.
The Car That Made Ralph Nader Famous
The Pinto was a Ford classic. It was stylish, sleek, small, and sporty. But, very quickly after its release, people started to notice a common problem. Ford engineers decided to place the gas tank between the rear bumper, and the rear axle. This costly mistake meant that during a rear-end collision, the gas tank was likely to be punctured and ignite, endangering everyone inside both vehicles. But, Ford didn't want to fix the problem.
It was the Pinto specifically that led consumer advocate and future third-party Presidential candidate Ralph Nader to write his famous book, "Unsafe At Any Speed."
The Good Old PT Bruiser
It takes a certain type of person to drive a PT Cruiser, and if you're wondering if you're that type of person, you can stop already. The PT Cruiser driver already knows they're a PT Cruiser driver. They are born with it. They love ragtops and boxy rear ends and strange teardrop headlights. Performance-wise, the car was actually well respected. But at the end of the day, it was still a complete eye sore.
One particular factory option that added to people's dislike of this car was the option to add flames running down the side of the PT Cruiser, which a lot of drivers decided to purchase (for some reason).
The First Polish Entry Into This List
This very scientific-looking sedan was created in a collaboration between Italian automaker Fiat and a number of Polish companies from the mid-70s, all the way through the early 2000s. The FSO Polonez wasn't exactly the most attractive vehicle on the market, but what it lacked in looks it made up for in practicality. The Polonez is dependable, easy to repair, and can be customized to do a number of different jobs.
In Poland, where the cars were being produced, they even decided to use the Polonez as an ambulance. Can you imagine taking a ride to the hospital in the back of that thing, though?
The Original Chevette Barely Lasted A Year
When Chevy saw some of its competitors downsizing at the start of the 70s, they thought they'd follow suit. Now, we don't mean downsizing like making the companies smaller, we mean they were all making the cars smaller. So, Chevy decided to release a model called the Chevette, a teeny tiny thing boasting a whopping 51 horsepower. The car was so weak, it could barely get around, and with the engine working overtime it was also insanely loud all the time.
Chevy went back to the drawing board for the next model of the Chevette and shored some things up after this 1971 disaster.
General Motors Fumbled The Bag So Hard
Nowadays, electric cars are all the rage. More and more people are getting Teslas, and companies like Ford and Kia are now rolling out fully electric vehicles of their own. Heck, even Hummer is coming out with an EV late next year! But, all of these developments seem so recent. So, you'll be just as shocked as we were when you find out that General Motors was making a fully electric car all the way back in 1997.
Investors didn't see the use in funneling money into an electric car project, and GM gave up on the EV-1 soon after. But, if they had stuck after it, now all those people would probably be driving GMs instead of Teslas.
The Second Firebird
For the second generation of the Firebird, Earl wanted to keep the aviation styles of his original prototype, but turn the vehicle into a four-seat family car as well. The most iconic design addition to this vehicle was the two large scooped air intakes on the front bumper. But, the car did have a large drop-off from its predecessor, putting out something like 150 less horsepower than the original Firebird from a few years prior.
The Firebird II, like its older brother, was mostly used for auto shows. Although, GM did experiment with the car in order to learn from their tests and apply that knowledge to future projects.
This Is The Last One We Swear
The Firebird III combines styles of both the previous iterations and also a number of its own innovations. The passenger capacity of the second, with the bubble windshields of both, made it to this version. GM also added air drag brakes, like on an airplane, that pop out of the body panels in order to slow the car down at top speeds. All of that seems amazing, but we can't get behind the way you steer this thing.
The Firebird III had a no hold steering system, which basically just meant that it didn't feature a steering wheel. The driver controlled the car with a joystick between the seats.
Everyone Loves A Good Pope Mobile
If you're the Pope, you've got to travel in style. That's why the Vatican guards decided that a Mercedes would be best for when his holiness is trekking around town. However, they also realized that they have to protect the Holy Father in case any heretics are present on the day of a parade. So, how do you account for that? Kaboom! Bulletproof box all around the top of the viewing platform.
One of the coolest features of the Popemobile is how much thought went into the braking system. In order to not launch His Holiness on accident, the brakes in this vehicle are as smooth as could be.
The Subaru Brat Looks Like And Acts Like One Too
Subaru is one of those companies that we have a serious love-hate relationship with. They make such nice vehicles, most of the time, but then every once in a while we see something of theirs and immediately want to puke. This 1980 Subaru Brat is one of those vehicles. Brat apparently stood for Bi-drive Recreational All-Terrain Transporter. But, we really think it actually meant Bad, Really Awful and Terrible, because that's all we're thinking when we look at this car.
Subaru actually had some success with the Brat, and developed an alternative model for sale later on called the Subaru Baja. They are no longer in production but you can still see them out and about every now and again.
The Fifties Were A Very Different Time
Way back when, this little blue bug was the best selling car in the world. The 1950 BMW Isetta 300 broke all sorts of records for its time, and retains its critical appeal today since they just don't make cars like this anymore. One example of a feature the Isetta enjoys that we don't see much of anymore is a front windshield that opens up. This is the only door and only way in and out of the car.
Granted, you're not going to be piling the whole family into the Isetta for a cross country drive, but as a city car for a single person it looks like it would've been nice!
An Aviation Engineer Joins The Road
The Germans were ahead of much of the rest of the world with some of their engineerings in the early 20th century. Especially when it came to aviation engineering, the Messerschmitt company and others like it in Germany were producing vehicles that were well ahead of their time. But, after the war, when priorities in the country shifted, some of these Messerschmitt engineers started working on vehicles. And, lo and behold, the KR200 was born.
The German nickname for these cars was the Kabinenroller, which roughly translates to cabin scooter. It fits for a vehicle this size, wouldn't you agree?
Another One Of Fiat's Stranger Creations
Fiat as a company has a long rich history of innovation, although not all of their creations were created equally. This one we see below, the Fita 600 Multipla, was one of those creations that got just a little less love during the refining process, and they were therefore not so well accepted by the public upon release. However, thanks to how spacious the interior was (meant to seat six), they became very popular for use as taxi cabs.
To be fair though, this version of the Multipla actually had a little bit of charm. Trust us though, you do not want to see what they've done to this poor car in recent years.