Many of us are car enthusiasts. We subscribe to Motor Trend and other magazines like it. When it comes to car manufacturing of the day, we can say it is generally well taken care of. In the past, there have been vehicles that were produced that did not make sense then or now. Let us take a look at some of the most poorly designed vehicles of all time. Some made the list because the design was entirely out of the ordinary.
1. TransAm Type K
The TransAm Type K was a concept car. It was designed by Chevrolet to be a family car. There were big hopes set for the Type K. When all was said and done, though, Chevy had to scrap the idea of the TransAm Type K. The company cited they would have had to charge the cost of two of its Corvettes.
2. Space Shuttle Convertible
The Space Shuttle Convertible is a one-of-a-kind vehicle. It was built on the Faroe Islands by a Norweigan man. Some of his colleagues assisted him in putting it together. The vehicle has changed ownership several times. The current owner has plans to restore it to its natural beauty.
3. 1971 Chevy Vega
When Chevy introduced the Vega, it first received high marks from critics. It has a four-cylinder engine and a beautifully designed body. Motor Trend even named the Vega its car of the year in 1971. Many people bought one only to be disappointed in the realization that they purchased a lemon vehicle.
4. Plymouth Prowler
The Prowler was met with happy eyes. Many thought the eye-catching design was beautifully articulated for the time. The design of the Prowler was inspired by the 1930s racecars. Instead of being a fast car, the Prowler fell short. Because it only had a 250 horsepower engine, sales for the Prowler were not as expected.
5. Aston Martin Lagonda
The Aston Martin vehicles are what was driven by James Bond in those days. The Lagonda was an overambitious vehicle. There were many gadgets and trinkets set to the computer systems of the day. Since the Lagonda was before its time, not many ran out to purchase the vehicle as was expected.
6. Suzuki Samurai
At first, the Samurai appeared like it was going to be a front-running vehicle. Sales were phenomenal. In fact, sales for the Suzuki Samurai outnumbered sales for the Jeep Wrangler shortly after it appeared on the scene. It did not take long, though, for sales to plunder. That is, they fell because the Samurai could flip. The vehicle did not flip at high speeds, it flipped rounding corners at typical speeds.
7. Saturn Ion
When it first appeared on the market, the Saturn Ion looked like it was going to do well in sales. Saturn was marketed as the first All-American-built vehicle. Many rushed out to buy a Saturn for these reasons. But the Ion fell short of consumer’s expectations. Its engine was small and did not perform as well as expected. The sales plummeted and Saturn discontinued the Ion in 2007.
8. Yugo GV
The Yugo GV was first introduced to the communist side of the Iron Curtain. There were not many who bought the car. The Yugoslavia company decided to try and sell it in the US. At first glance, it looked like the GV was going to sell in the States. But it did not go over well with American buyers. After all, the key feature was upholstery.
9. Ford Model T
It was the first mass-produced car in the US. At first, many were buying the Model T. But it had no windshield and brakes were not well. Overall, while a sensation at first, the Model T was not a safe vehicle, and Ford stopped production of it in 1927. Later Ford automobiles were deemed safe and affordable by US buyers.
10. Citroën Pluriel
The Citroen Pluriel is a car produced in France. American auto buyers have not taken well to the French automakers. The French have had a few success stories in the US, though. The Citroen Pluriel was a poorly manufactured vehicle. The lemon was comparable to a chocolate teapot. The design was flawed. In 2010, the French stopped production of the car.
11. Scripps-Booth Bi-Autogo
Designed by James Scripps Booth, the Bi-Autogo was a vehicle that had 2 wooden spoked wheels. Drivers had a terrible time keeping the car balanced. Only one of these was manufactured. Is it any wonder why? Today, it is rumored that the Detroit Historical Society owns the one manufactured Bi-Autogo. They are keeping it preserved and may put it on display one day.
12. Reliant Robin
There are not many 3-wheeled vehicles in the United States. They have never caught on well. In the UK where there are many, the Reliant Robin is a laughing stock. The car tips over often. Despite that, you can pick it up yourself. The vehicle is lightweight. When the Robin first appeared, it seemed like it was going to take off.
13. Briggs and Stratton Flyer
Once called the Smith Flyer, the Briggs and Stratton Flyer seats 2. It has no floorboards. The suspension boards doubled as the floor. Compared to many other vehicles produced in the 1920s, the Flyer fell short on many levels. The only plus about the Flyer is that there was a fifth wheel to keep its balance.
14. Overland Octoauto
The Overland Octoauto is called just that because it has 8 wheels. There were never too many odd cars in the US. But the Octoauto caught on because of the American saying that ‘Bigger is Better.’ The 20-foot long vehicle handled the streets awkwardly. It was manufactured in 1911. That was the only year the Octoauto was produced.
15. 1957 Trabant P50
The Trabant P50 is an East German manufactured vehicle. There were not many that left East Germany. They were not seen in the US. The body was made of plastic. The passengers felt cramped once inside. The engine required owners to put 2-cycle oil in the gas tank to keep the vehicle running.
16. Desoto Airflow
The Desoto Airflow was way before its time. The car would have sold much better if it has been introduced to generations that followed. In the first models, the engine fell out of the vehicle. Despite its manufacturer redesigning it so the engine stayed inside the car, there was no shaking the bad reputation.
17. 1981 Delorean DMC-12
Despite the heavy publicity the Delorean DMC-12 received in the Back to the Future trilogy, the car was not at all like the movies portrayed. It needed a flux capacitor in real life. Also, the doors would malfunction. They were the first doors of their kind. The maker John DeLorean was caught up in a laundering scandal which caused the company to shut down.
18. The Michelin PLR
Michelin owned Citroen at the time the PLR was manufactured. The PLR could reach speeds of 111 MPH. It came equipped with 10 tires. Under the hood, there were 2 Chevrolet 5.7-liter V8 engines. That assisted the vehicle in reaching 111. When the PLR was manufactured it was only produced in France.
19. 1958 Edsel Corsair
In 1958, Ford tried to compete for hands-down with GM. They failed. The Edsel was supposed to bring the company much revenue. But instead, the Corsair turned out to be only hype. Ford quit manufacturing the Corsair after only 1 production year. The name has become known as the lemon of all lemons.
20. 1982 Cadillac Cimarron
The Cimarron was GM’s way of appealing to the crowd of buyers who thought the Cadillac was too big and bulky. They failed in every way possible. The Cimarron under-performed for a V8. It did not appeal to loyal followers of the Cadillac, nor did it appeal to buyers who like the BMW instead. The Cadillac brand was nearly discontinued over the failure.
21. Waterman Arrowbile
Yes, the Waterman Arrowbile was both an airplane and a car. If you wanted to fly halfway around the country in it, then detach the wings for driving on the road, you were free to do that. Only 5 Arrowbile’s were produced. The hype did not go over as well as the executives at Studebaker had thought it would.
22. 1958 Zundapp Janus
The Janus was an attempt by a popular motorcycle company to venture into the vehicle market. When you looked at a Zundapp Janus, you could not tell if it was parked forward or backward. That is, the vehicle looked the same both in the front and in the back. The Janus was the only attempt made by this company to venture into the car market.
23. Amphicar
The Amphicar was both a boat and a car. It could drive on the water and dry land. Many who purchased the Amphicar were disappointed with how much oil and grease they needed to use after taking it on the water. Many thought the Amphicar was good as a boat but when it came to driving it on the road, it fell short of expectations.
24. 1947 Davis D-2 Divan
The Divan was one of many failed attempts at delivering a 3-wheeled vehicle to the American population. The company executives marketed the Davis D-2 Divan and there was much hype over it. They did not sell as well as expected despite the publicity. The car company went under and now there are only a dozen of these vehicles left today.
25. Lotus Elite
The Lotus Elite was a British auto maker’s attempt at bringing the sports car to the everyday driver. It failed. The company lost money on each model that was sold. There were only one thousand or so of the Lotus Elite produced. The sports car was the most expensive 4-cylinder vehicle of its time.
26. 1975 AMC Pacer
The Pacer was the first compact car. It handled poorly on the road. When breaking and turning, the driver of the Pacer would lose control. Its strongest selling point was that it had excellent fuel economy. The Pacer was soon followed by other compact vehicles. AMC went out of business shortly after.
27. MGA Twin-Cam
Production of the MGA Twin-Cam ended after only 3 years. There were around two thousand of them produced. Despite its sleek design, the MGA Twin-Cam failed with engine and other warranty problems. The Twin-Cam is something that burned oil in excessive amounts. Sometimes, the oil would detonate.
28. 1998 Fiat Multipla
The Fiat Multipla failed in the US in part because it was an ugly vehicle. The design was not well thought out. The interior was something that could accommodate the soccer mom and other large families. It was just not eye-catching to those in the US. Fiat stopped producing it soon after.
29. Chevrolet Corvair
The Corvair was rightfully named so because it was a cross between the Corvette and the BelAir. Both were popular Chevrolet models. The Corvair was produced throughout the 1960s. When a book by Ralph Nader came out in the mid-60s, Chevrolet was forced to discontinue the Corvair and concentrate more on developing and selling its Camaro.
30. Chrysler PT Cruiser Convertible
The PT Cruiser was one of Chrysler’s most failed missions. The company tried to make it like their hotrods from back in the day. The only thing about the hotrod that it became was a gas guzzler that was classified as a truck for purposes of emissions. The design made the PT Cruiser look like a minivan and no one wanted it.
31. Peel Trident
The Trident was one of the smallest cars ever made. It still is considered the smallest car ever made. When drivers set out on a hot and sticky day, they would apparently roast inside the cabin. It had no air conditioning and there were also no windows that opened.
32. Renault Dauphine
Yet another French failure in the automobile industry. The American drivers never did like the French car manufacturers. There is a reason for this. The Renault Dauphine is something that sold plentifully at first. When it was realized how poorly designed the vehicle was, sales soured.
33. AMC Gremlin
The Gremlin, while fast for its day, was designed poorly. The front being too long, and the back being too short made the Gremlin a challenge to handle on the road. It was excellent on gas mileage. Now, many collectors have taken to finding a Gremlin to add to their collections.
34. Original Smart ForTwo
The Original Smart ForTwo was poorly designed. It had the engine in the rear of the vehicle, while the cooling system was in the front. Occupants of the car would roast in the summer months. The poor design nearly ended the Smart ForTwo line before it all began.
35. Triumph Stag
The Triumph Stag was a beauty to look at. It had a sleek design. When it was not malfunctioning, the engine could explode from overheating. In later model years, the company added a cooling system to the engine. If the cooling system failed, the engine could still overheat and explode. It was one of the most dangerous cars of its day.
