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30 Repelling U.S. Cars Auto Fans Dislike

Vukasin Herbez February 3, 2020

Car designers have a tough job. Not only do they need to provide engineers with modern, elegant, and production-ready shapes, but they also need to make them usable, practical, and inexpensive to produce. Also, a car’s design needs to be aesthetically pleasing, original, unique, and recognizable. It’s no surprise there are so many ugly cars on the roads. The American car industry, as one of the biggest in the world, has produced many gorgeous cars. They include cars so elegant and beautiful, they have found a way into many museums of modern art.

Everyone recognizes the swooping lines of the Corvette, the muscle stance of the Mustang, and the fantastic, mid-century lines of the ’59 Cadillac. However, not all American cars are show-stoppers or works of art. There are some that are downright ugly and repelling. Keep reading to learn about 30 hideously-ugly cars from the United States.

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30. Bricklin SV-1

The SV-1 was the brainchild of automotive entrepreneur Malcolm Bricklin. The Bricklin company produced it from 1974 to 1975 with less than 3,000 cars. For a short while, they marketed the SV-1 as the most advanced American sports car. However, as soon as the first cars started rolling down the assembly line, it was clear the SV-1 was not what people expected it to be. Their idea was to produce a safe-yet-fast sports car with the name SV-1 for Safety Vehicle One. Bricklin designed the car with big bumpers and numerous additional features like warring sensors. It also came with power Gullwing doors and an integrated roll cage, making it heavy and not agile.

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It also came without any cigarette lighters. Power came from the 360 AMC V8 engine, which wasn’t powerful. Later the company turned to the 351 Ford V8, but it still couldn’t deliver any real performance. The public praised the SV-1 for its dedication to safety but criticized it for its lack of performance. Its heavyweight, high price tag, and poor build quality killed this car, ranking it among our list of flops.

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29. Mercury Capri 1991

Over the years, Mercury sold numerous models under the Capri name. First, it was just a trim level on the regular Mercury sedan, then it was a re-badged Ford Capri from Europe. In the late ‘70s and early ‘80s, it was the Mercury version of a Fox-bodied Mustang. However, in 1991, it was a new and separate model.

Photo Credit: Best Car Mag

Mercury wanted a compact convertible/roadster, and this small car was exactly that. They assembled the 1991-1994 Capri in Australia and sold it in the U.S. The two-seat roadster had a 1.6-liter engine and front-wheel drive. Despite being a decent car in all aspects, it failed to gain significant popularity and ranked among sales flops of the time, so it was withdrawn from the market in 1994.

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28. ASC McLaren Mercury Capri

Although the Mercury Capri from the ’80s was just a Fox-body Mustang with a different grille, there was a special version that deserves more attention. In those days, the American Sunroof Company (ASC) was famous for its convertible versions of various production models. So they teamed with Ford to produce two-seat roadster variants of the Mustang and Capri.

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But Mercury also had a deal with McLaren, so in 1984, they introduced a special model called the ASC McLaren Capri. The cars were available as coupe or convertibles with many improvements over the standard model. The 5.0-liter V8 delivered 210 HP, a significant increase over the other models. There were different details, fog lights, special wheels, and body kits. However, the overall production was low as it fell down among other sales flops that they ended the ASC McLaren line in 1986.

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27. Plymouth Prowler

The hot rod culture is one of the key pieces of overall American automotive culture. However, no company ever dared to present a factory-built hot rod until 1997 when Plymouth presented the Prowler. It was a retro-futuristic roadster with a V6 engine and a unique look. They imagined the Prowler as a follow-up to the Viper.

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Fortunately, the Prowler was a hit on the show circuit, and Chrysler understandably wanted to capitalize on that. Despite having some initial success, the car proved to be a failure and now ranks as one of the biggest sales flops. Customers expected V8 power instead of V6 power.

Photo Credit: Net Car Show

26. Pontiac Torrent

Introduced in 2006, the Torrent was one of the last attempts to make Pontiac profitable and save it from its demise. The car was the twin brother to the Chevrolet Equinox and wasn’t that bad. However, with little money for styling improvements and a dull interior, the Torrent didn’t appeal to customers.

Photo Credit: Net Car Show

Pontiac needed a game-changing model, but unfortunately, the Torrent wasn’t exciting or fresh either. Sadly, Pontiac discontinued the Torrent along with the rest of the Pontiac lineup in 2010.

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25. Buick Lucerne

Even though the Buick Lucerne was an undeniably luxurious car with a V8 option and a long list of features, it was the perfect example of why the U.S. government needed to bail out GM in 2009. The Lucerne looked like Volkswagen Passat, it had outdated interior styling, no exciting details of features, and it drove like the car from the ’80s.

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Fortunately, since then, GM invested in Buick, changed its lineup, and turned it into a cool company. However, no one will miss the Lucerne.

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24. Chevrolet Aveo

It’s never a good idea to take a car from a specific market and try to sell it in another market without a thorough redesign. That is exactly what Chevrolet did with the Aveo. They took the car from Daewoo in South Korea and turned it into a U.S.-spec model named the Aveo.

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Although the Aveo was inexpensive and compact, it was terrible to drive, underpowered, and extremely ugly. Its replacement, the Sonic, is a bit better, but everyone is glad to see the Aveo disappear.

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23. Chevrolet Cruze

With the help of Daewoo and Opel, Chevrolet introduced the Cruze. It was a modern and decently equipped model with a good selection of engines and equipment. Although the car itself was not bad, it wasn’t good, either.

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In fact, the styling was a bit strange and there were no specific or unique features, giving the Cruze a cheap rental car allure. Needless to say, most buyers weren’t impressed, so the Cruze sold poorly and didn’t leave a mark on the industry. That is why nobody will miss it, not even Chevy dealers.

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22. Merkur XR4Ti

During the ’80s, Ford took several approaches to revive its performance image. One of them was the introduction of the Merkur XR4Ti. This was basically a British Ford Sierra they packed with a special aero package, a 2.3-liter turbocharged four-banger, and various other improvements.

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Ford envisioned it as a hot hatch with rear-wheel drive, racing credentials, and better driving dynamics than its front-wheel-drive competitors. Unfortunately, the Merkur XR4Ti proved to be unsuccessful because it was expensive. Also, the American market just didn’t understand Ford’s attempt to offer a rear-wheel-drive hot hatch.

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21. Hummer H2

When they first introduced the Hummer H2 in the early 2000s, it was considered over-the-top for customers who were looking for attention. Also, it was for drivers who didn’t care about fuel efficiency or the environment. However, since then, the Hummer H2 has lost much of its appeal.

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In fact, the general car-buying market realized it was just a big wagon without any off-road abilities. Also, it doesn’t have much usable space, a terrible fuel economy, and questionable styling.

Photo Credit: Top Speed

20. Chrysler PT Cruiser

Even though most drivers regarded the PT Cruiser as a substandard model in terms of power and technology, it was an immensely successful model even if it was ugly. Chrysler managed to sell 1.35 million PT Cruisers in just 10 years. That was probably the last big sales hit for Chrysler. The PT Cruiser’s appeal was its faux-retro design, affordable price, and wannabe-cool image of a custom car from the past.

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Under the hood, there was nothing special because the PT Cruiser shared a lot of its mechanicals and engines with the Chrysler/Plymouth Neon. This meant the PT Cruiser wasn’t particularly engaging to drive. Nevertheless, it was a quirky little car.

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19. AMC Pacer

The Pacer is a car that drivers equally love and hate, but it’s legendary and recognizable. The Pacer was AMC’s effort to produce a compact car. However, it turned out to be less compact than its competitors and came with numerous flaws. The most interesting feature of this model is its design aspect.

Photo Credit: Mecum

After the success of the Gremlin, AMC envisioned the Pacer to be bigger and more advanced, but its design was repelling. The large glass areas were practical but also looked like a bubble. The front end was far from beautiful, and the silhouette was egg-shaped, which was strange and unheard of at the time.

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18. Pontiac Aztec

When Pontiac introduced the Aztec in 2000, it was a good idea, at least on paper. The mid-size crossover model with its sharp new styling, decent engine lineup, and interior space was a modern concept at the time. Pontiac was eager to present it to the public since overall sales of the brand were poor. They thought the new model would boost the popularity of the brand and bring new customers to the dealerships.

Photo Credit: Auto Week

The plan was sound, except for one thing, the design. Somehow, those Pontiac designers managed to draw and push to production one of the ugliest cars ever made. Even from this distance and 17 years after the first Aztek saw the light of day, it’s still a design that makes no sense whatsoever.

Photo Credit: Mecum

17. AMC Gremlin

Introduced on April 1, 1970, the AMC Gremlin looked like an April Fool’s Day joke. The competitors laughed at its compact dimensions, funny rear end, and diminutive engines, but soon, AMC was the one laughing all the way to the bank. The Gremlin proved to be a sales success as the first American subcompact car.

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Even though the Gremlin was successful on the market, it remained a laughingstock because of its design. It was clear the AMC designers created this model in a hurry. They probably intended the Gremlin to be a regular compact car with the rear end chopped off.

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16. Chevrolet HHR

When the Chrysler PT Cruiser hit the market and became an extremely sought-after model, Chevrolet decided to join the retro-design game, introducing the HHR. The name stood for “Heritage High Roof” because the HHR resembled the classic panel vans and Suburbans of the ’50s.

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Unfortunately, there wasn’t much the HHR could offer besides faux-retro looks. The drivetrain and driving dynamics were modest, and the interior materials were of inferior quality.

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15. Dodge Rampage

Dodge was always a top SUV and pickup truck brand in the Mopar world. Despite having a successful line of trucks, they were always exploring the possibilities for introducing new models. One of those experiments, although not especially successful, was the Dodge Rampage offered from 1982 to 1984.

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Despite being a good idea, the Rampage was an overall failure. It was ugly, so the sales were sluggish. The reason was that the front-wheel-drive passenger car platform was not tough enough for any serious tasks. Also, the diminutive 2.2-liter four-cylinder engine only produced 96 HP, so it was not powerful or strong enough to tow anything.

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14. Cadillac Cimarron

Today, almost all luxury brands have downsized their lineup of models. Nowadays, they offer more affordable and compact versions of their big sedans. But back in the early ’80s, this move was something no one had heard of so it was hard to understand. In those days, Cadillac was having an identity crisis and sought to reinvent the brand to compete with its foreign competitors.

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After a long meeting with product development managers, company managers decided to introduce a small Cadillac with a lower price to attract more customers. The problem was that Cadillac didn’t have a small platform, so they turned to Chevrolet to borrow the modest Cavalier chassis along with the small and slow four-cylinder engine. Although Cadillac dressed the Cavalier with new colors, unique trim, and a new name, the Cimarron was not enough. Unfortunately, the sales were poor, because Cadillac was under fire from its brand loyalists for ruining the brand’s image. All over the industry, the Cimarron was a laughingstock. To this day, it’s one of the worst and ugliest examples of downsizing ever.

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13. Chevrolet Avalanche

To Chevrolet, it seemed like a good idea at the time to introduce a truck derived from an SUV, and the Avalanche is exactly that. If you look close enough, you’ll see that it’s a Chevy Suburban truck. It has all the comforts of a Suburban SUV with a small truck bed in the back.

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Chevrolet produced the Avalanche from 2001 to 2012. Sadly, it never seemed to quite capture the car buyer’s eye. The main reason for the poor sales was its strange and ugly looks. The Avalance wasn’t an SUV and it wasn’t a proper truck.

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12. Mercury Bobcat

Since downsizing was the name of the game in the mid-’70s, Mercury decided to go a step further. Soon, the company introduced its own model based on the ill-fated Ford Pinto. Mercury named it the Bobcat, presenting it in 1974 and offering it until 1980. The idea was to present a luxurious compact to provide economy buyers with more upscale features in this cost-oriented segment.

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The Bobcat was not a luxury car per se, but it was a luxury version of an economy model. It was a compact three-door station wagon with upscale features, upgraded equipment, and even a woodgrain panel option. To be honest, it looked ridiculous.

Photo Credit: Car and Driver

11. Dodge Nitro

There was a time, not too long ago, when consumers considered Dodge products to be poor. People criticized the quality, interiors, materials, and lack of space. One of the best examples is the 2007 to 2012 Dodge Nitro. When it debuted, Dodge thought it was the right car for the moment.

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But unfortunately, it wasn’t. The interior was cramped, small, and uncomfortable. The interior materials of plastic and cloth were way below the standards of the class. The design was disgusting with a boxy shape and a confused front end, as well. The power and performance were also bad compared to other models in its class. Simply, Dodge wanted the Nitro to look fast and tough, but it was none of those things.

Photo Credit: Automobile Mag

10. Ford Mustang II

The second-generation Ford Mustang arrived in 1974 and was on the market for four years until 1978. Despite the fact that it was the subject of so many jokes and even bad press, the Mustang II was an important model. The downsizing of the whole Mustang range, introducing economical four-cylinder engines and parts sharing with other Ford models helped it survive the recession of the ’70s and the death of the muscle car movement.

Photo Credit: Motor 1

But besides all of those facts, there’s no denying that the Mustang II was downright ugly in comparison to the late ’60s and early ’70s Mustang models. Thankfully, Ford kept the Mustang II in production for just four model years, eventually moving on to better-looking, more powerful Mustangs.

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9. Plymouth Valiant

Plymouth presented the Valiant in 1960. However, its development started in early 1957 after Chrysler realized it needed a small model to compete with the VW Beetle and American Motors Rambler. The company decided to invest a lot of time and money into a new project. Although the result was interesting, the Plymouth Valiant was aesthetically controversial. Designers at Plymouth styled the Valiant after the Chrysler concept cars from the late ’50s. As a result, it looked much more expensive and upscale compared to the rest of the compact car market. However, this gamble wasn’t successful since the Valiant had a strange appearance.

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It looked like a mix of several designs that didn’t exactly work well together. To most people, the original early ’60s Valiant had a front end that looked it was drawn by one person and rear-end designed by another. Apparently, those two designers didn’t speak to each other The car was of unibody construction with a standard suspension that included front A-arms and a leaf spring set up in the back.

Photo Credit: Flickr

8. AMC Matador

AMC was an independent American car manufacturer that closed its doors in the early ’80s. Their lineup consisted of mostly economy models, so design was never their strong point. The early ’70s Matador has to be the worst of the ugliest AMC models. It was a strange-looking coupe with round headlights and an ugly, almost hatchback silhouette. No wonder AMC filed for bankruptcy a few years later.

Photo Credit: Hemmings

The company even tried to spice things up with a muscle car wannabe version they called the Matador X. Buyers could order the 360 V8 or optional 401 V8 that produced 235 HP. But even with the dress-up kit, big V8, and go-fast goodies, the Matador X was still ugly.

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7. Lincoln MKT

Lincoln finally realized the market had changed and big heavy sedans were no longer in demand. So, for 2010, it presented its first crossover model they named the MKT. The MKT was a Ford Edge under the sheet metal with Lincoln’s unique touches and signature details.

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Those highly-compensated Ford strategists may have thought it was a good idea, but it wasn’t. The MKT was an ugly car that did a great job of hiding its qualities. If you could live with the design, you would find that the MKT was a spacious and comfortable car. But sadly, nobody would ever call it good-looking.

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6. Edsel

The Edsel story is one of the biggest commercial failures in the car business, even by today’s standards. Back in the late ’50s, they launched Edsel, an upscale brand Ford based on its Ford and Mercury models to compete with Oldsmobile and Buick.

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However, when they officially presented the car in 1959, people were puzzled. After promising sales in the first few months, the interest of the buyers simply disappeared. Soon, Ford struggled to sell its cars. So in 1960, after just two years on the market, they killed the Edsel. The problem was the strange design and the hype surrounding the cars. People expected something out of this world, but instead, they got an upscale Ford with a urinal-shaped front grille.

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5. 1980-82 Ford Thunderbird

Back in the late ’70s and early ’80s, the American car industry faced downsizing and strict safety regulations. This meant that the car designers needed to make smaller, more fuel-efficient cars. However, this proved to be a problem because the designers were used to drawing 20-foot land yachts full of chrome. Unfortunately, they were going out of fashion. So, almost all of the U.S. cars from the period are visually-challenged, to say the least.

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One of the worst examples is the 1980 to 1982 Ford Thunderbird. As you may know, Thunderbirds were always elegant personal luxury cars with distinctive styling, low silhouettes, good proportions, and nice details. But, not the 1980-1982 models, because they were boxy, ugly, small, and slow. Soon, Ford replaced it with the much more attractive 1983 Thunderbird model.

Photo Credit: Motor Biscuit

4. Jeep FC

All Jeeps are capable off-road SUV models with a characteristic design and signature appearance. However, in 1956, Jeep introduced a strange model they called the FC, which stood for “Forward Control.” It was a cab-forward, bulldog-style truck with the engine underneath the passengers and all-wheel drive.

Photo Credit: Motor Biscuit

Even though the FC was a Jeep, which meant it was a capable, tough and durable machine, the market didn’t respond too well. So, in the nine years of production, Jeep made approximately 30,000 of them, mostly for the export markets. Jeep thought the FC would be a bestseller on the domestic market, but most of the buyers preferred models with more normal looks. Most buyers thought the FC was one of the ugliest trucks the industry produced.

Photo Credit: Digital Collections Detroit Public Library

3. Ford EXP

You probably have heard of the Ford Mustang and the Thunderbird, but do you know about the Ford EXP? Ford presented it in 1983 as a compact sports coupe they built on the Ford Escort chassis and with front-wheel-drive. Although the design was ugly, it was compact with only two seats. That made it the first Ford two-seater since the original Thunderbird in 1955 to ’57.

Photo Credit: Digital Collections Detroit Public Library

The production lasted until 1988 and the EXP received mixed reviews. Its 1.6-liter four-cylinder engine produced only 88 HP, which wasn’t enough for any serious performance figures.

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2. Chevrolet SSR

In the midst of the mid-2000s retro craze, the Chevrolet development team wanted to produce a nostalgic two-seater convertible pickup with muscle car performance. The result was the SSR, a vehicle that looked unlike any other car on the market and not necessarily in a good way. The 1950s-inspired design didn’t work well, so the SSR looked just plain ugly.

Photo Credit: Mecum

Despite many efforts to make the SSR appealing to its intended audience, Chevrolet only sold approximately 24,000 of these oddballs. That was a painful realization Chevrolet needed much more than a wild imagination to make that crazy concept work.

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1. Chevrolet Silverado HD

The current truck game is a competitive part of the American car industry. Ford, Ram, and Chevrolet/GMC all fight for the top position and important title of best American pickup. This means that designers have the important job of finding the right shape to show customers a particular truck is tough, dependable, and worth the price.

Photo Credit: Auto Blog

Chevrolet had enormous success with its double grille in the past, which influenced its full line of future vehicles. So GM designers decided to make new, full-size trucks with massive chrome grilles. They would also come with four headlights divided into lower and upper segments. Although the idea worked before and was a viable concept, the execution was poor. Unfortunately, those new Chevy trucks are unattractive. The front end is massive and oversized, not aesthetically pleasing and just downright repelling to most truck buyers. These were 30 hideously-ugly American cars nobody likes. Even though they were unattractive, they brought about many innovations, making their mark, albeit ugly, on the U.S. car industry.

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