The ugliest cars

Cars represent both engineering marvels and design achievements, but not every vehicle that rolls off the production line is a masterpiece. While some drivers prioritize performance over aesthetics, it’s undeniable that automotive design shapes our visual landscape. The vehicles featured below have earned their place in history—not for their beauty, but for their questionable design choices that continue to spark debate decades later.

1. Sebring-Vanguard Citicar: America’s Electric Oddity from the 1970s

Born during the 1974 oil crisis, the Sebring-Vanguard Citicar emerged as America’s answer to fuel efficiency concerns. This electric vehicle became the best-selling electric car of its era, with nearly 4,300 units sold—an impressive feat considering it was initially designed for Citibank employees commuting between offices.

Key Specifications:

• Engine power: 3.5 horsepower
• Top speed: 57 km/h (35 mph)
• Range: Approximately 90 kilometers per charge
• Safety features: None
• Production years: 1974-1977

The Citicar’s design was its Achilles’ heel—resembling an awkward hybrid between an armored vehicle and a minivan. Despite its unusual appearance, the vehicle found a niche in urban areas with narrow streets and early adopters of environmental technology. Today, it’s remembered as a unique piece of American automotive history, famous precisely because of its unassuming and unconventional looks.

2. Daimler SP250: The Sports Car with a Fish-Like Face

The Daimler SP250, produced in limited numbers (only 2,645 units), represents a fascinating contradiction—impressive performance wrapped in controversial styling. This rare British sports car emerged from a company in crisis, designed to capture the American market in the late 1950s.

Performance Highlights:

• Engine: V8, 2.5-liter displacement
• Horsepower: 140 hp
• Top speed: 201 km/h (125 mph)
• 0-96 km/h acceleration: 9.5 seconds
• Features: Hemispherical combustion chambers, SU carburetors

While the SP250 delivered respectable performance for its era, its front-end design remains its most memorable—and controversial—feature. The distinctive grille and front fascia resembled a fish with a broken jaw, creating an appearance critics described as rare absurdity. Production ceased in 1964, making this an extremely rare sight on modern roads.

3. Citroën Ami 6: France’s Beloved Ugly Duckling

The Citroën Ami 6 enjoyed an impressive 18-year production run (1961-1979), proving that unconventional design doesn’t always spell commercial failure—at least in the right market. Built on the 2CV chassis, this French automobile became a surprising bestseller in its home country.

Technical Specifications:

• Engine: Two-cylinder, 602 cm³ with air cooling
• Power output: 22 hp initially, later upgraded to 35 hp
• Transmission: Four-speed manual
• Fuel consumption: 6 liters per 100 km
• Top speed: 106 km/h (66 mph)
• Available variants: Berline, Tourisme, Comfort, and Club (with 4 round headlights)

The Ami 6’s most distinctive feature was its reverse-sloped rear window—a design choice so eccentric it actually attracted French buyers seeking something different. Over 17 years, approximately 2 million units were sold in France, making it a genuine bestseller domestically. However, international buyers were less forgiving of its unusual styling. In 1969, Citroën attempted to modernize the car with a revised rear window, updated radiator grille, and front disc brakes, but the fundamental design remained polarizing.

French enthusiasts still defend the Ami 6 as an elegant, tastefully designed vehicle of its era. Sales peaked in 1966 when it became France’s best-selling car—proving that beauty truly is in the eye of the beholder.

4. Fiat Multipla: Italy’s Most Controversial Minivan Design

Launched in 1998, the Fiat Multipla challenged conventional automotive design with its unique approach to family transportation. While Fiat marketed its innovative three-abreast seating configuration, critics focused on a different distinguishing feature: the peculiar front-end styling that polarized automotive enthusiasts worldwide.

What Made It Controversial:

• Distinctive two-tier front design with headlights and instruments separated
• Unconventional “double bubble” styling
• Six-seat configuration (three rows of two, or 2+2+2)
• Compact external dimensions with spacious interior
• Production: 1998-2010

The original Multipla’s appearance proved too radical for many buyers. After several years of disappointing sales, Fiat redesigned the front end in 2004, creating a more conventional look. The irony wasn’t lost on critics: a car produced in the same country as Ferrari, Maserati, and the iconic Fiat 500 could look so unconventional. The Multipla consistently tops lists of the world’s ugliest cars, yet examples can still be spotted on European roads in Belgium, France, and Italy—appreciated by those who value function over form.

5. Marcos Mantis: The British Sports Car Nobody Wanted

Released in 1971, the Marcos Mantis represents one of the most unfortunate design efforts in British sports car history. Even sports car enthusiasts struggled to appreciate its awkward proportions and conflicting design elements.

Design Flaws Critics Identified:

• Front grille resembling a manhole cover
• Poorly positioned rectangular headlights
• Excessively wide front pillars
• Uneven waist line disrupting visual flow
• Mismatched window sizes (larger rear windows, smaller front windows)
• High front wings with awkward chrome-plated headlight surrounds
• Elongated wheelbase with 4-seat body creating ungainly proportions

Technical Ambitions:

• Target top speed: 265 km/h (165 mph)
• Power: 335 hp
• Target market: United States
• Total production: Only 33 units

The Mantis featured a square-shaped steel frame instead of Marcos’s traditional wooden support structure, with a fiberglass body consisting of two large sections. However, the car never reached its intended American market due to new emissions regulations and safety requirements. The limited production of just 33 vehicles is simultaneously surprising and understandable given the controversial design.

6. Tata Nano: The World’s Most Affordable Car

The Tata Nano earned fame as the world’s cheapest car, with an initial price tag of approximately $2,500. This Indian automobile prioritized basic transportation over luxury, comfort, or conventional aesthetics.

What the Nano Lacked:

• Traditional trunk (accessible only from cabin)
• Rubber door seals
• Power steering
• Car audio system
• Air conditioning
• Airbags
• Brake booster
• Only three wheel bolts (instead of four or five)
• Single exterior rear-view mirror
• Central locking system
• Fog lights

What It Did Have:

• Two-cylinder, 630cc rear-mounted engine
• Water cooling with electronic fuel injection
• Power: 30+ hp
• Four-speed manual transmission
• Four-door hatchback configuration
• Surprisingly spacious cabin
• 15-liter fuel tank
• R12 wheels (135mm front, 155mm rear for better handling)
• Body-colored bumpers
• Front-mounted spare wheel (similar to classic Zaporozhets)

The Nano’s minimalist approach extended to every detail—doors required slamming to close properly due to absent seals, and the single windshield wiper provided adequate coverage despite the compromise. The dashboard featured only essential gauges: speedometer, odometer, fuel gauge, and six warning lights. Despite its bare-bones specification and unconventional appearance, the Nano offered remarkable interior space and capacity.

7. Bond Bug: Britain’s Three-Wheeled “Pocket Supercar”

Produced from 1970 to 1974, the Bond Bug represented British automotive industry’s attempt to create an affordable, fun vehicle for young buyers. This three-wheeled sports car featured a distinctive canopy entry system instead of conventional doors.

Unique Features:

• Configuration: Two-seater, three-wheeled design
• Entry: Lift-up canopy instead of doors
• Engine: Front-mounted Reliant unit, 700 cm³
• Power: 29-31 hp (depending on compression ratio)
• Top speed: 170 km/h (106 mph)
• Body: Plastic construction (fashionable at the time)
• Suspension: Wishbone-dependent rear setup

Design Characteristics:

• Extremely low silhouette
• Steeply raked windshield
• Rising dome-shaped body
• Bright orange color (most common)
• Spatial frame construction from profile tubing

Despite its unconventional appearance, some enthusiasts still consider the Bond Bug beautiful. Marketed as a “pocket supercar” and trendy gadget for British youth, the standard configuration was surprisingly sparse—even the radio, heater, and spare wheel were optional extras. A four-wheeled export version was also produced for European markets.

Final Thoughts: Beauty and Documentation Both Matter

These automotive oddities prove that unconventional design doesn’t always prevent commercial success—sometimes it even contributes to cult status and collector interest. While these vehicles made other cars look divine by comparison, they each filled a unique niche in automotive history.

Regardless of what car you drive—beautiful or unconventional—proper documentation is essential. If you don’t have an international driving license yet, you can easily and quickly apply for one on our site. With an international driver’s license, you can rent a car not only in Italy, but anywhere your travels take you!