I have the duboius honor of getting to mow all my company's lawns in
Ann Arbor Hills north of Geddes, and my partner and I have noticed a pre-
ponderance of ugly European cars in this neighbor hood.  
   A SAAB 900 Turbo putzes past - <Uck>
   Another Volvo wagon zooms by doing 80 - <BRACK>

   I suppose this does beat having to look at Caddilac El Rear-end-oh's all
day.  What I want to know is what makes *you* chuckle/sigh/vomit when it
drives past?  What are the ugliest examples of automotive wretchedness you 
have to look at?

65 responses total.

  Ford Crown Victorias and Chevy Caprices/Impalas.

'nuff said

Omni wagons made to look like the original Rabbit.  Mid 80's Ford LTD
(Looks the the back end of a coffin.)

We have recently seen 2 or 3 Gremlins.  STeve and I both expressed shock that
there were still any on the road and how unlikely it was to have seen 2
different ones in the space of a couple of weeks.

I also vote for the Gremlin.  I even had one for a couple of years.  They
were ugly, but cheap.

I had one of those clip-tail Gremlins.  It was cheap and I drove it for
11 years.  Last I heard, it is still on the road.  For the price it was
a great car!

   You were very Very VERY lucky Klaus.  I remember helping a friend work
on one, and it helped keep me from owning a car for years.  The Gremlin
is indeed the Most Ugly car in the world.

Any car from the Avocado Era. Specifically, a Dart or a Duster.

This year's Buick Skylark.  Not only is it ugly,  but its possessed!
Ergonomics are terrible: to roll down the window on, say, your left side,
you have to use your right hand because the armrest and door handle are in
the way.  You CAN do it with your left, but you'll crack your wrist doing
it.

And, the wiper stalk is more convenient to use than the column shifter
(auto trans), so when you want to use the shifter you get wiper action.

The power door locks lock and unlock at exactly the wrong times.  Like,
they lock as soon as you turn off the car.  What's the likely thing you'll
do when you turn off your engine?  Yeah, open the door.  They also lock
automatically at wierd times.

We rented one on a recent trip to Minneapolis and the _uckin' thing locked
hte keys in twice before we realized its system.

And GM wonder's why it doesn't sell cars the way they used to...

Cars just are really ugly.  What difference does the kind really make?

My uncle was in radio and was once given a Gremlin by an advertiser.
He took it because it was free, but he hated it.  He always called
it "the Goblin".

The Mercury Cougar has gotten a little bit better lately, but for a
few years there it was the ugliest car on the road.

I can
......
I can't really say ugly, but the 400 series Mercedes sedans look a little
silly.  And when something that tall and skinny weighs 4500 pounds, you
know it really *is* silly (How would you like a car that flat-spotted
its tires every night in the garage?)

The "El-Rearend-oh" I've referred to is the Cadillac Eldorado, the new one with
the trunk lines 6 inches above the mid and forward waistlines.  Of course,
as long as it'll hold two full sets of golf clubs in 38-pocket bags and fuzzy
hats on the woods the typical buyer won't care.

#10.
There is no such thing as a free car, unless it comes with free insurance.

Re#7 Dodge Dart '74.......................
heh... My friend has one a' them.
The Cadillac Eldorado is the car.

The most beautiful car I've ever seen required two drivers: one to take
tickets and the other to adjust the various controls so that the car could
tightly grip the cables for those steep hills.

Or the '64 Impala......Black, Convertible Low-Rider.
It could just kill a man, 'specially with those speakers.

any american car ever made is ugly.

What about the Nash Metropolitan?:)

you guys are all screwed up. Some of the most ugly cars came out of theties.
nLike the 57 DeSoto or an EARLY Volvo no these are ugly cars. The cars today
are much more refinded than these. These cars didn't just look ugly they 
handled teribly and were a pain to drive!!!!!

You have to admit that '70's  American cars were U*G*L*Y*.   I'm a 
European and I think that American cars have really come a long way.   
Except for the Cadillac Allante - what a square thing for a nearly new car !
Japanese cars are ugly - they ahave no character/.   Sure, Toyotas are great 
cars but you wouldn't look at them twice.   My favourite c - sorry - at hte
moment -- has to to be the Citroen XM.  You know it instantly -  it has
character and when it was launched in 1989 it was really futuristic sorry
looking.   I would love to own one.   Volvos are really nice too.  They are not
so boxy as they used to be.  I love the cars.

Well... the most ugly car ever made is the hyundai excel ! 
It is a 'modern' car... The list for 'old' cars is too long, as for old
_beautiful_ cars... Always european ! (sorry;))

go on shout it gass! Who needs an old American mobile home? hahaha ;-)

I'd say the Chevette is one of the ugliest cars.  But they never tear up. 
They're like wind-up cars or the Energizer Bunny-----they keep going and
goinggoing...unfortunately!

 I saw one called the chrysler atlantic, which was supposed to be a 
hot new concept car. Looked like a 48 Desoto to me. UGLY doesn't begin
to describe it.

for my money, the ugliest car was the AMC Pacer. The new NEon comes a close
second though.

If you can find something more UGLY than a new Buick Riveria let me know.
This thing resembles a disfigured catfish.  

 I don't know Mark, I've seen that thing, and I wouldn't take it home
even if GM gave it to me. We might have found THE ugliest car ever made ;)

It's sort of funny, because each individual feature looks pretty good.  It's
just when you put it all together that it becomes "uglified."
My bet is that they used a committee to design it!

Hmm, I like how the new Buick Riveria looks.  I remember one of them
coming up behind me on the highway late last summer, and watching it in
the rear view mirror as it slowly approached me, wondering "what is that
thing?"  When it finally passed me, I was in awe.  That car is a work of
art, as far as I am concerned.

I think they are pretty, too.  In the eye of the beholder, I guess . . . .

How about the 1960-62 Valiant?  Or the Edsel (An Oldsmobile sucking a lemon)?
But, of course, they could have done worse.  I did see pictures of prototypes
for 1962 Chrysler products (including the "Kevorkianed" 1962 DeSoto), and
there were some Plymouth models with one headlight on the left and three on
the right (driver's side), as well as one driver's side taillight and two
passenger side back-up lights next to a taillight.  Oh, and the rear license
plate was also left of center next to the lone driver's side rear light.
Another car that we were spared was the Studebaker Sceptre with the headlight
bar (a la Mercury Sable). Studebaker put this car out of its misery by going
out of business!

ugly- new  ford Explorer-ugly!ugly!ugly!  

No way, man.  Those new Explorers are AWESOME-looking, esp. Eddie Bauer
in Forest/tan.  But what is is with those '60s Chryslers??

There must have been something in the water.

But, indeed, the Grand Prize for the Ugliest of All Cars goes to.....
the  1940 Bantam Hollywood.

Hey, this is fantastic!  a 1940 Bantam.  I'll bet we are the only two people
on Grex who has any idea what they look like.  (Altho, we differ - I thought
they were sort of cute).  Bantam - the company that designed the army Jeep!

 
  The 1957 Mercury Turnpike Cruiser. I can cite other examples, but
that one's so ugly it deserves a response of it's own.

Hey, there is a 57 or 58 mercury for on Dexter Ave (South Side) in Ann Arbor,
it is gold but I don't think it is a Turnpike Cruiser.  It is about 1/4 mile
from Maple.

Well, okay; I have changed my mind on the Bantam...what about a Fiat 124
sedan or a '70s Ford LTD2?  I am not sure about the Saab Sonnet, even
25 years later.  AMC is definitely a contender (excepting the 
Javelin, of course).  What about that Stupidbaker that looks like its
prop fell off of the front (I'm not sure what it's called).  But
the 1963 Ferrari P4 will be my love for all time.  I have never 
seen a more beautiful car in my life.  (Though the XK140 is close).

I agree about theFord LTD2 & the old (49-52) Studebakers.  However, take a
look at a 1953 Studebaker commander starliner hardtop.  That's a well styled
car!  I like the XK120/140 and also the Mercedes Gull-wing.

Another example of an ugly car, IMHO, would be the 1959 Toyopet (Toyota)
Crown, which started the Japanese automobile invasion.  Another ugly one was
the 1968 Subaru (VW Beetle look-alike), which _Consumer Reports_ gave a "Not
Acceptable" rating.

Subarus have always had a very distinctive "Japanise" look, not the same as
other Japanese cars.  I sort of like them since they look like they are out
of a anime' movie.  :)

Ugly current cars:  The new New Yorker... looks like it's out of a Batman
movie, which is to say it is very dark and gothic.

- Backtalk version 1.3.30 - Copyright 1996-2006, Jan Wolter and Steve Weiss