Automotive Oddballs
When it comes to automotive design, the spectrum ranges from the ordinary to the outlandishly extraordinary. Some vehicles go way beyond the bounds of conventional wisdom and leave us questioning what exactly was going through the designer's head. How many double-takes are you prepared to do? Because these 20 automotive enigmas will have you scratching your head for the rest of the day.
1. Dymaxion Car
Buckminster Fuller's 1933 creation looked like a confused penguin on wheels. This three-wheeled “car” had rear-wheel steering that made it notoriously unstable. The car's bizarre teardrop shape and tendency to become uncontrollable in crosswinds made sure it never made it past the prototype stage.
2. Amphicar
The Amphicar proved that sometimes, trying to make something do two jobs means it does neither well. This 1960s German creation was a weird vehicle and an even worse boat. It rusted dramatically and had the unique ability to disappoint users both on land and water. Owners joked that the best feature was being able to drive directly into the lake when the engine inevitably failed.
3. Peel P50
Less a car and more of a motorized rollerskate, the Peel P50 holds the dubious honor of being the smallest production car ever made. This three-wheeled vehicle was so tiny that it had no reverse gear. Instead, it had a handle at the back so you could physically pick it up and turn it around. Imagine explaining that feature to your date.
Philip (flip) Kromer from Austin, TX on Wikimedia
4. Ferrari 512 S Modulo
It looks like something a child would draw if asked to design a "future car," but the 512 S Modulo was Ferrari's attempt at avant-garde design gone horribly wrong. Its wheels were partially covered, making simple tire changes an engineering nightmare, and the cockpit resembled a greenhouse.
Thomas Vogt from Paderborn, Deutschland on Wikimedia
5. Buick Centurion
The 1956 Centurion concept car seemed designed to answer the question, "What if we made a car look like a fish bowl?" Its massive bubble canopy not only looked like a goldfish on display, but the red and white color scheme seemed like a giant candy cane on wheels.
JOHN LLOYD from Concrete, Washington, United States on Wikimedia
6. Cadillac Cyclone
The 1959 Cyclone looked like it was designed by someone who watched too many sci-fi B-movies. Its "radar-based collision avoidance system" was more science fiction than reality, and those rocket-like nose cones weren't just for show. They actually contained faulty proximity sensors.
Yahya S. from United States on Wikimedia
7. Anderson Detroit Electric Model 90
In the 1910s, this electric oddity put the driver in the back seat, presumably so they could better appreciate the confused looks from pedestrians. Its design seemed to suggest that cars should look exactly like horse-drawn carriages, just without the horse.
8. Reeves-Overland Octoauto
Milton Reeves had a simple solution to making cars ride more smoothly: add more wheels. The result was the eight-wheeled Octoauto, proof that sometimes more isn't better. The car was so long and unwieldy that turning corners became an adventure in geometry.
9. Vanguard-Sebring CitiCar
Looking like a wedge of cheese with wheels, the CitiCar was America's answer to the 1970s energy crisis. Its top speed of 39 mph meant you'd be passed by determined joggers, and its range was optimistically listed as "depends on how much you like to push."
10. Norman Timbs Special
Another weird vehicle launched in the ‘40s was the custom-built Norman Timbs Special. The vehicle looked like half a car stretched to the length of a full one. Its rear end extended so far back that parallel parking would require a zip code change.
Timbs Special and Hudson Italia by MyClassicCarTV
11. Tasco
This 1948 creation featured the world's first T-top roof, though that innovation was overshadowed by its overall appearance, which suggested a collaboration between an aircraft designer and a confused boat builder. The result looked like neither, yet somehow managed to incorporate the worst aspects of both.
12. Streamline X "Gilda"
Only a few people would agree on this one, but the 1955 Gilda looked less like a car and more like a chrome-plated missile missing its launch pad. That ultra-low profile meant that speed bumps weren't just obstacles. They were mortal enemies.
13. Messerschmitt KR200
Built by an aircraft manufacturer who clearly couldn't let go of their aviation roots, this three-wheeled bubble car opened from the top like a fighter plane cockpit. Getting in and out with any dignity was virtually impossible, especially in the rain.
14. BMW Isetta
The Isetta's front-opening door meant that parallel parking too close to a wall could trap you inside. Nothing says "luxury automobile" quite like having to exit through the sunroof of your car because someone parked too close to you.
15. Mini Moke
Looking like a golf cart having an identity crisis, the Mini Moke was originally intended as a military vehicle. The British Army took one look at its minimal ground clearance and complete lack of protection and wisely said, "No thanks."
16. Lotus Europa
The Europa's design philosophy seemed to be "What if we made a car as close to the ground as physically possible?" The result was a vehicle that could be outmaneuvered by speed bumps and would scrape its belly on autumn leaves.
17. Reliant Robin
The Reliant Robin was perhaps the only car in history to be famous primarily for falling over. The three-wheeled Robin became a rolling punchline. The vehicle’s tendency to tip over while cornering made every trip a risky adventure about probability.
18. Volkswagen Type 181 "The Thing"
VW apparently decided to name this vehicle by asking someone who had never seen a car before to describe it. "The Thing" looked like a Wehrmacht jeep designed by a committee that couldn't agree on anything except that it should be ugly.
19. Subaru Brat
To avoid import taxes, Subaru bolted plastic seats to the cargo bed, creating the world's first production vehicle designed to deliberately endanger its passengers. When you look at the “brat,” nothing says "safety first" quite like rear-facing seats in a pickup truck bed.
Andrew Duthie from Nashville, TN, USA on Wikimedia
20. Renault Twizy
The Twizy is what would happen if a golf cart and a smartphone got mixed. This modern electric vehicle proves that even in the 21st century, we haven't lost our ability to create truly bizarre automobiles. Its doors were optional extras, probably because keeping rain out is a luxury feature.
