When you think of “ugly cars,” you likely think of vehicles that are so weird that they make you wonder what the designers were thinking.
Wait until you see it yourself! There are a number of unusual vehicles, from boxy, oddball vehicles to electric experiments that missed the mark.
Whether it’s the Fiat Multipla’s insect-like headlights or the Tesla Cybertruck’s sharp angles, these cars deserve their “wall of shame” in the automotive design world.
In this article, we break down our top picks for the 10 ugliest cars of all time!
The Top 10 Ugliest Cars Ever
These cars, from the classic gas versions to the new electric cars, have all made headlines in the past with their eye-popping and strange designs.
Each car’s design flaws make it stand out among the crowd… in all the wrong ways.
1. Fiat Multipla: A Bug-Eyed Oddity
Seen for the first time at the Turin Motor Show in 1998, the Fiat Multipla was made with the intention of cramming 6 people into a compact four-meter shell.
The split headlights and bulging bonnet gave the car the appearance of a flattened spaceship and were ranked among the ugliest cars ever by CarThrottle & MotorTrend.
The layout was brilliant, but the bodywork was a visual disaster, yet it was a sales success across Europe due to its practicality.
2. Pontiac Aztek: A Mismatched Mess
An all-new 2000 vehicle, the Pontiac Aztek tried to combine SUV toughness with minivan practicality and offered an optional camping tent attachment.
From the start, it was mocked for its plastic body cladding and mismatched proportions, but its most memorable moment was being driven by Walter White in Breaking Bad.
Many referred to it as a “design disaster”, but today, collectors have developed a strong attraction to the oddities of this vehicle.
Also Read: Top 15 Fast And Furious Cars That Steal The Show
3. Chrysler PT Cruiser: Retro Charm Gone Awry
The Chrysler PT Cruiser was intended to capture the style of hot rods from the 1930s, but it instead resembled an awkward funeral hearse combined with a taxi.
The scalloped hexa-light design paired with the bulky body led to 132,000 units sold in 2005, according to goodcarbadcar.net, but the retro look did not hold up long. The convertible version only made it more awkward.
4. Nissan Cube: A Cartoonish Cube
Manufactured from 1998 to 2019, the Nissan Cube celebrated its boxy look in a bizarre way with its refrigerator door & ripple effect on the headliner.
It had a high roof that allowed for ample space. But the body style said “toy store delivery van”. Nissan Cube garnered fans because of its quirky individuality and was visually odd.
5. Stout Scarab: The Beetle That Flopped
The Stout Scarab, manufactured in the 1930s, was essentially the first minivan and had an Art Deco style with a beetle-like exterior. Internally, it featured a rear-mounted engine and rotating-seat design… something you had never seen until that point.
With a price of $5,000 (almost $100,000 today) and a body similar to a submarine, it only produced nine Stout Scarabs. Regardless, it is safe to say this minivan, as we know it today, was a pioneer, irrespective of sci-fi prop look.
6. Tesla Cybertruck: Brutalist Blunder
Okay, there might be divided opinions on this, but you’ve got to admit it’s not the best-looking vehicle out there. Launched in 2024, the Tesla Cybertruck is odd in appearance due to its angular, stainless-steel shell, which gives it a low-poly video game render.
Critics call it “laughably ugly” due to the Cybertruck’s rust-prone properties and overall mismatched panels. Nonetheless, the capability of towing heavy & the cult following show that some appreciate its boldness.
7. Nissan Leaf: Bubble Gum on Wheels
The design of the 2011 Nissan Leaf, an early electric vehicle, may not be what many would expect from an electric car. Its bloblike form and concealed dual door handles were meant to prioritize efficiency.
Edmunds refers to it as a “bubble gum bubble” design, with its podgy rear contradicting its eco-friendly mission. It is practical for driving in urban spaces while having a slightly forgettable design.
8. Mitsubishi i-MiEV: The Egg-Shaped EV
The 2012 Mitsubishi i-MiEV, a small electric vehicle, has a rounded body and tiny wheels. Fair to say it looks like an egg that could’ve easily rolled off the line.
The i-MiEV and vehicles like it were intentionally designed to sacrifice style for range. It demonstrates that early electric vehicles battled with their styling.
9. Peel P50: The Suitcase-Sized Microcar
You may not know, but the Peel P50 was the smallest car in the world when it debuted in the 1960s. At just 137cm long, it only has one headlight and no reverse gear.
Although the third source reference didn’t mention it, the charming aspect of driving a Peel P50 was that you physically picked it up (and turned it around like a suitcase to go backward) to travel on. In 2022, one sold at auction for £111,000, but that does not take away from how strange it is.
10. AMC Pacer: The Fishbowl Fiasco
The 1975 AMC Pacer looks like it was designed to be an aquarium on wheels, with its bulbous body & narrow wheelbase, making it an icon of the ugly cars from the 70s.
Even now, it is still marketed for sale by vintage dealers in the 10k price range for collectors interested in its retro charm.
These cars may be ugly, but that doesn’t mean they don’t deserve a unique or fun car name like Fishbowl, Bubblegum, and so on.
Why Are Modern Cars So Ugly?
One reason why a lot of modern cars look so ugly relates to safety. Many pedestrian impact regulations required designs to have softer & rounder shapes from the grill down. This results in bloated shapes, like the fourth-generation Prius’s “random lines,” according to Pedal Commander.
Some regulations affecting shape are based on aerodynamic principles regarding efficiency, resulting in similarly shaped vehicles without any podgy profile like the Nissan Leaf.
Additionally, oversized grilles have been trending on some luxury vehicles, often a cartoonish one on some SUVs, seemingly resulting from the cooling requirements of electric components.
Frequently Asked Questions about Ugly Cars (FAQs)
What is the ugliest car ever made?
For the most part, the Fiat Multipla is often at the top of the lists to be the ugliest model, with its bug-eyed headlights and squashed design being voted the worst by CarThrottle and MotorTrend.
What decade had the ugliest cars?
The 1970s, which have been dubbed the “malaise era” in U.S. automotive history, produced quite a few eyesores, such as the AMC Pacer created by the fuel crisis & emissions regulations.
Do ugly cars become collector’s items?
Yes, there are some models, such as the AMC Pacer and Pontiac Aztek, that have not yet reached their potential for rarity & nostalgia, often fetching $10,000-$12,000 at auctions.
Just to make sure after you end up buying, check the VIN for the car’s history.
10 Ugliest Cars at a Glance
| Car Model | Design Flaws |
| Fiat Multipla (1998) | Bug-eyed headlights and a squashed, spaceship-like body |
| Pontiac Aztek (2001) | Mismatched plastic cladding and uneven SUV-minivan proportions |
| Chrysler PT Cruiser (2000) | Retro hearse-like design with scalloped lights |
| Nissan Cube (1998-2019) | Boxy, cartoonish shape with a refrigerator-like backdoor |
| Stout Scarab (1930s) | Beetle-shaped minivan with a submarine-like silhouette |
| Tesla Cybertruck (2024) | Angular, rust-prone exoskeleton resembling a low-poly render |
| Nissan Leaf (2011) | Blob-like electric car with a “bubble gum bubble” rear |
| Mitsubishi i-MiEV (2012) | Egg-shaped EV with tiny wheels and no style |
| Peel P50 (1960s) | Suitcase-sized microcar with one headlight and no reverse |
| AMC Pacer (1975) | Fishbowl windows and bulbous body from the fuel crisis era |
Final Say
Hey, I like my cars as long as they perform well and require low maintenance, but to each their own. These ugly cars may be seen as design flaws, but they’re indeed cemented into automotive history. Therefore, the next time you see a Nissan Cube or a Tesla Cybertruck, nod to it.
It is proof that no matter how strange a ride is, it can stand the test of time and sometimes end up becoming an iconic vehicle.
