If there’s one thing car enthusiasts love, it’s being fiercely loyal to a particular model. But what happens when that loyalty is directed towards something that makes you scratch your head and ask, ‘Why does this exist?’ The American car market has seen some wild rides over the years—literally. Forget your sleek muscle cars, your sensible sedans, or your ubiquitous SUVs; we’re talking about the automotive equivalent of a well-meaning but ultimately bizarre relative who shows up to Christmas dinner in a full scuba suit. These are the machines that rolled off the production line and somehow, against all odds, found their way into public hands, creating a tapestry of automotive oddities that beggars belief.
Occasionally, something truly bizarre rolls off the production line, a vehicle born of either a failed attempt at innovation, a misguided love letter to a futuristic fantasy, or just straight-up bad design. These cars made you look twice, sometimes with admiration, often with confusion, and occasionally with genuine alarm. What’s truly fascinating, though, is that people actually bought them. Perhaps they were ahead of their time, misunderstood mechanical poets, or simply the ultimate oddballs in a sea of predictable sameness. Either way, they undeniably made their mark on American streets and in the annals of motoring history.
This isn’t a list about ‘bad’ cars, though let’s be honest, a few of them were total disasters; no, this is about the glorious weird ones. The strange, the quirky, the eyebrow-raising oddities that somehow made it to U.S. showrooms and found homes with drivers brave, eccentric, or perhaps just plain unlucky enough to acquire them. So, buckle up—because we’re about to embark on a truly weird ride, exploring the first half of a dozen machines that dared to be different, for better or, usually, for worse.
1. 1973 Reliant Robin
Let’s start our peculiar pilgrimage with a car that proudly—or perhaps precariously—rides on just three wheels: the 1973 Reliant Robin. This wasn’t some cutting-edge experiment in efficiency; it was, in essence, a tricycle that boldly presented itself as a car. Imported from the UK, its unique three-wheel configuration wasn’t just a design quirk; it technically qualified as a motorcycle, which brought with it the enticing, albeit perilous, perks of lower taxes and insurance costs. A financial boon, perhaps, but a dynamic disaster waiting to happen.
And what a disaster it could be. The most infamous characteristic of the Reliant Robin? It tipped over. A lot. Imagine navigating a simple corner with a modicum of enthusiasm, only to find yourself performing an involuntary barrel roll down the street. It was an engineering marvel in how easily it could transition from a somewhat stable conveyance to an upside-down testament to questionable design choices. Despite whatever ‘efficiency’ it purported to offer, its fiberglass body, diminutive engine, and utter lack of safety features hardly inspired confidence in the American market.
Most people, it turns out, don’t particularly enjoy feeling like they’re piloting a mobile teacup teetering on the brink of toppling. In the U.S., the Robin never quite caught on as a serious daily driver; it was more of a novelty, a conversation piece bought for laughs or as a quirky addition to a collection of curiosities. Yet, thanks to its wonderfully meme-worthy status—and, let’s be honest, a truly hilarious segment on Top Gear—the Reliant Robin has secured its infamous place as one of the weirdest and most gloriously unstable cars ever sold in America. It’s an icon, if not for its prowess, then certainly for its absurdity.
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2. 1989 Nissan S-Cargo
Next up on our grand tour of automotive oddities is the 1989 Nissan S-Cargo, a vehicle whose name alone hints at its delightfully bizarre nature. ‘S-Cargo’ – yes, it sounds exactly like ‘escargot’, the French word for snail, and that, my friends, is no accident. This charming, snail-inspired van was, despite its seemingly Gallic spirit, actually a product of Japan, emerging from Nissan’s design studios with a mission to be playful, retro, and utterly unique. They certainly delivered on that front.
Nissan wanted to create something that defied the conventional utilitarian aesthetic of a delivery van, and the S-Cargo was their answer. With its undeniably round headlights, delightfully bubbly lines, and a body that looked as if it had been lifted straight from a Sunday morning comic strip, it was a visual feast of quirkiness. It was, of course, primarily designed for urban maneuvering, which meant it came equipped with a modest 75 horsepower and was, to put it mildly, slower than most shopping carts on a downhill sprint. Speed was clearly not its priority; making a visual impact certainly was.
Despite its leisurely pace and the fact that Nissan never officially sold it in the U.S., the S-Cargo managed to gain a small but fiercely loyal cult following amongst enthusiasts who imported it through the gray market. It isn’t just weird looking; it’s unapologetically, audaciously odd. No one, absolutely no one, ever bought an S-Cargo for its practicality or its blistering performance. You bought an S-Cargo to make a statement, a bold declaration that shouted, ‘I don’t care about normal.’ And for that singular, defiant reason, it absolutely deserves its cherished spot on this list of automotive marvels.
Car Model Information: 2018 Nissan Titan SV
Name: Nissan S-Cargo
Caption: A white Nissan S-Cargo, with canvas roof and quarter window
Manufacturer: Nissan Motor Company
Production: 1989–1991,8,000 produced
Factory: Nissan#Manufacturing locations,Yokosuka, Kanagawa
Class: Light commercial vehicle
BodyStyle: van
Layout: FF layout
Engine: Nissan E engine#E15,inline- 4 engine
Transmission: automatic transmission
Wheelbase: 89 in
Abbr: on
Length: 137 in
Width: 62.8 in
Height: 72.4 in
Weight: convert
Categories: 1990s cars, Articles with short description, Cars discontinued in 1991, Cars introduced in 1989, Commons category link is on Wikidata
Summary: The Nissan S-Cargo is a small retro-styled van manufactured by the Japanese automaker Nissan from 1989 to 1991, and originally marketed solely in Japan at their Nissan Cherry Stores.
The exterior styling of the S-Cargo was inspired by the Citroën 2CV Fourgonnette delivery van, and interior styling borrowed a Citroën-style single-spoke steering wheel. The name was a double entendre, standing for “Small Cargo” and sounding like “escargot”, the French word for snail, which in turn is a nickname for the Citroën 2CV.
The S-Cargo was introduced at the Tokyo Motor Show in 1989, was originally marketed without Nissan branding and was available by reservation only. Over its two-year production run, 10,685 were produced (variously reported as 12,000).
Because of its origins at Pike Factory, (Nissan’s special project group), the S-Cargo—along with the Nissan Figaro, Be-1 and Pao—are known as Nissan’s “Pike cars.”
In 2011, noted design critic Phil Patton, writing for The New York Times, called the Pike cars “the height of postmodernism” and “unabashedly retro, promiscuously combining elements of the Citroën 2CV, Renault 4, Mini [and] Fiat 500.”
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Price: $22,685 Mileage: 89,835 mi.
Read more about: 17 Bizarre Vehicles From History That Make Modern Cars Seem Tame
3. 1975 Bricklin SV-1
From a three-wheeled jest to a snail-like van, we now pivot to the 1975 Bricklin SV-1, a Canadian-born sports car with serious safety ambitions that landed on American shores. The ‘SV’ in its name proudly stood for ‘Safety Vehicle,’ a commendable goal, perhaps, but one laced with a rich vein of irony given some of its rather peculiar design choices. Most notably, it boasted those glorious, dramatic gullwing doors, which certainly gave it an exotic, futuristic flair. However, they also, quite frequently, got stuck shut, turning a grand entrance into an embarrassing, and occasionally trapping, ordeal.
On aesthetics alone, the SV-1 certainly looked the part of a cool, avant-garde machine—think of it as the slightly off-brand DeLorean that arrived five years too early for its blockbuster moment. But its striking looks, unfortunately, masked a build quality that was, by many accounts, an absolute nightmare. The fiberglass body, intended to be innovative, didn’t exactly hold up with distinction in crash tests, further undermining its ‘safety vehicle’ moniker. And those hydraulically operated gullwing doors, while undeniably stylish, had a notorious habit of failing, leaving unfortunate drivers quite literally trapped inside their supposedly safe sports car.
Beyond its functional shortcomings, the SV-1 was a heavy beast, distinctly underpowered, and rather clunky to drive, hardly the agile sports car its looks suggested. Only about 3,000 units ever saw the light of day before the company, inevitably, went bankrupt. Yet, it left behind a truly weird legacy. The Bricklin SV-1 tried desperately to be a safer, sexier sports car, but in its earnest attempts, it ended up becoming something far more fascinating: a collector’s curiosity, a testament to ambition and engineering foibles, and a truly unique chapter in the story of oddball automobiles.
Car Model Information: 1975 Bricklin SV-1
Name: Bricklin SV-1
Manufacturer: Bricklin Canada Ltd.,General Vehicles Inc.
Production: 1974–1976
ModelYears: 1974–1976
Assembly: Saint John, New Brunswick
Designer: Marshall Hobart,Herb Grasse
Class: Sports car
BodyStyle: hatchback
Layout: Front-engine, rear-wheel-drive layout
Engine: ubl ,AMC V8 engine#360
Transmission: ubl
Wheelbase: cvt
Length: cvt
Width: cvt
Height: cvt
Weight: cvt
Sp: us
Doors: Gull-wing doors
Categories: Articles with short description, Automobiles with gull-wing doors, CS1: long volume value, Cars introduced in 1974, Cars of Canada
Summary: The Bricklin SV-1 is a two-seat sports car produced by American businessman Malcolm Bricklin and his manufacturing company from 1974 until early 1976. The car was noteworthy for its gull-wing doors and composite bodywork of color-impregnated acrylic resin bonded to fiberglass. Assembly took place in Saint John, New Brunswick, Canada. The name SV-1 is an abbreviation of “safety vehicle one”. Bricklin company literature uses both the SV-1 and SV1 formats. To promote the car’s safety bona fides, the company touted such features as its integrated roll-over structure and energy-absorbing bumpers.
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Brand: Bricklin Model: SV-1
Price: $36,485 Mileage: 34,002 mi.
Read more about: Buyer’s Guide: 14 Classic Cars That Are More Pitfall Than Pride, According to Seasoned Automotive Experts
4. 2001 Pontiac Aztek
Ah, the 2001 Pontiac Aztek. You knew it was coming, didn’t you? This, ladies and gentlemen, is not just a car; it’s a monumental, undisputed poster child for everything that can go gloriously wrong in automotive design. It looked, quite simply, like a minivan had a rather unfortunate collision with a Transformer mid-shift and then forgot how to properly complete its transformation. Every angle seemed an affront to conventional aesthetics, a clunky symphony of awkward lines, baffling proportions, and an abundance of weird, grey plastic cladding that seemed to cling to its body like an unwelcome fungal growth. It truly had it all, and none of it was good.
General Motors, in a marketing move that has since become the stuff of legend and late-night talk show fodder, tried desperately to pitch the Aztek as the ultimate adventure vehicle. They even offered a tent add-on, a genuine tent that attached to the rear of the car, and, if that wasn’t enough to sway you, a cooler integrated directly into the center console. Because nothing screams ‘adventure’ like trying to ignore the rolling architectural misfire you arrived in. But alas, no amount of practical features, no matter how brilliantly conceived, could ever distract from its multitude of design crimes. It became an instant punchline, mocked relentlessly across the nation, an automotive pariah.
Then, in a twist of fate so bizarre it could only happen in Hollywood, the television series *Breaking Bad* gave the Aztek a kind of grim, unexpected redemption arc as the unassuming ride of Walter White. Still, even the glow of pop culture nostalgia cannot fully erase the sheer weirdness that is the Aztek’s defining characteristic. It might have possessed some commendable practicality under its controversial shell, but ultimately, the Pontiac Aztek is, and forever will be, primarily remembered as one of the most spectacular design disasters in automotive history. A truly oddball legend.
Car Model Information: 2003 Pontiac Aztek Base Fwd 4dr SUV
Name: Pontiac Aztek
Manufacturer: General Motors
Production: July 2000 – December 2004
Assembly: Ramos Arizpe
Designer: Tom Peters (chief designer: 1997)
Class: Mid-size crossover SUV
BodyStyle: SUV
Platform: GM U platform
Related: Buick Rendezvous
Layout: Front-engine, front-wheel-drive layout
Engine: General Motors 60° V6 engine#LA1,V6
Transmission: GM 4T65-E transmission,Automatic transmission
Wheelbase: 108.3 in (2,751 mm)
Length: 182.1 in (4,625 mm)
Width: 73.7 in (1,872 mm)
Height: 66.7 in (1,694 mm)
Weight: 3,779–4,043 lb (1,714–1,834 kg)
Predecessor: Pontiac Sunrunner
Successor: Pontiac Torrent
ModelYears: 2001–2005
Categories: All-wheel-drive vehicles, All articles needing additional references, All articles with unsourced statements, Articles needing additional references from October 2013, Articles with short description
Summary: The Pontiac Aztek is a mid-size crossover SUV marketed by General Motors introduced in 2000 for the model years 2001 through 2005. As a four-door crossover with front-wheel drive and optional all-wheel drive, the Aztek featured a four-speed automatic transmission with a V6 engine. Marketed by Pontiac as a “sport recreational vehicle,” the Aztek used a shortened platform shared with GM’s minivans (e.g., the Pontiac Montana) featuring 94 cubic feet of cargo room with its rear seats removed. The design employed conventional rear outswing doors rather than sliding doors, and a split rear tailgate, the lower section formed with seat indentations and cupholders. Other features included a front center console that doubled as a removable cooler, optional rear stereo controls in the cargo area, optional sliding cargo floor with grocery compartments, and optional camping package with an attachable tent and air mattress.
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Brand: Pontiac Model: Aztek
Price: $1,499 Mileage: 157,677 mi.
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5. 1970 AMC Gremlin
Who, in their right mind, names a car after a mythical creature specifically known for ruining machinery? Well, AMC, that’s who. The 1970 AMC Gremlin made its grand entrance, and what an entrance it was. While it certainly hit the mark for being compact, its styling was, shall we say, divisive. It looked rather emphatically like someone had taken a perfectly respectable station wagon, marched confidently to the rear, and simply chopped off the back half, then declared the job done. It was an exercise in abruptness, a car that ended almost as soon as it began.
Adding to its peculiar narrative, the Gremlin debuted on April Fool’s Day, which in hindsight feels less like a coincidence and more like a cosmic joke intended solely for future generations of bewildered car enthusiasts. It was undeniably cheap, possessed an aesthetic that could charitably be described as ‘challenging,’ but surprisingly, it was also a little bit fun to drive. And here’s the kicker: despite its unconventional looks and the rather ominous choice of name, it actually sold pretty well. It seems a significant portion of the American public either genuinely liked its weirdness or, perhaps more accurately, simply tolerated it for the attractive price point.
In the grand tapestry of automotive history, the Gremlin stands as AMC’s bold, unyielding attempt to be different, and on that front, it absolutely nailed it. It’s often remembered as one of the first American compact cars, carving out a niche in a market increasingly hungry for smaller, more economical options. But mostly, let’s be honest, it’s just remembered as the car that looked like it was built backward, a testament to quirky design that somehow found its footing. It’s a wonderfully weird piece of Americana, proving that sometimes, even a gremlin can find love.
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6. 1986 Subaru Brat
Our final entry for this section of splendid strangeness brings us to the 1986 Subaru Brat, a vehicle so unique it felt like the love child of a car and a pickup truck, born into a world that wasn’t quite ready for its distinctive charm. This car-truck hybrid, whose name is delightfully an acronym for ‘Bi-drive Recreational All-terrain Transporter,’ came with a feature that sounds like something straight out of a particularly eccentric theme park ride: twin rear-facing seats bolted directly into the truck bed. Yes, you read that correctly. Just casually tossing your friends into what were essentially outdoor lawn chairs, completely exposed to the elements, as you cruised down the highway. The sheer audacity of it!
The genius, or perhaps the madness, behind these exposed rear seats was a rather clever workaround to dodge import tariffs; by classifying it as a passenger vehicle rather than a truck, Subaru saved a considerable sum. The Brat was, in essence, the automotive equivalent of a mullet: business up front, a wild party in the back. It boasted genuine off-road capabilities, complete with 4WD, and quickly garnered a devoted cult following among those who appreciated its utterly oddball nature. It wasn’t about blending in; it was about standing out, even if that meant a bit of windburn for your rear passengers.
While the Brat never quite achieved mainstream ubiquity, it found an enduring affection among surfers, campers, and the dedicated legion of Subaru diehards who appreciate quirkiness above all else. It was weird, undeniably impractical for anything beyond a spirited joyride, but above all, it was immense fun. The Subaru Brat stands as a brilliant example of a car that refused to conform, embracing its eccentricities and proving that sometimes, the most outlandish designs create the most cherished memories and the most passionate communities. A truly iconic oddity, if ever there was one.
Read more about: Buyer Beware: 12 SUV Models Plagued by Expensive, Post-Warranty Repairs
7. 1990 Vector W8
Right, prepare yourselves for something truly extraordinary, a machine that looked less like a car and more like a prop stolen straight from a high-budget sci-fi epic. The 1990 Vector W8 wasn’t merely an American supercar; it was a brazen, defiant statement, a metallic beast that looked as if it had beamed directly from a forgotten sci-fi movie set, landing with a resounding thump on American tarmac. Every single line, every sharp angle, screamed ambition, and its interior? Oh, it was no mere cockpit; it was a fully-fledged jet-fighter command center, brimming with aerospace materials and enough buttons to launch a small satellite. And beneath that impossibly angular shell? A monstrous 625-horsepower twin-turbo V8, promising speeds that would distort time itself. All this extravagant, futuristic fantasy came with an equally stratospheric price tag: over $400,000 at the time, making it an exclusive, glittering unicorn for the truly eccentric.
However, as with many magnificent creatures of myth and legend, the W8’s reality often clashed dramatically with its glorious ambition. While undeniably fast, a blur of raw, unadulterated power, it was also, to put it politely, spectacularly unreliable. We’re talking about a car that generated more stories of mechanical woe than a medieval tavern: tales of engines spontaneously overheating, complex electrical systems throwing the automotive equivalent of a tantrum, and a fit and finish that sometimes suggested a hurried Tuesday afternoon rather than meticulous craftsmanship. With only 17 ever making it out of the factory, each one was a testament to automotive audacity, a glorious, mechanical dream that was just a whisker away from becoming a very expensive nightmare.
Ultimately, the W8 wasn’t just a weird car; it was a glorious exercise in automotive hubris, a vehicle powered more by ego and audacious vision than by meticulous engineering. It served as a stark, angular reminder of what happens when ambition knows no bounds and the pursuit of the extraordinary takes precedence over mundane practicality. Today, these incredibly rare machines are not just collector’s items; they are enigmatic artifacts, revered precisely for their unique blend of stunning performance, baffling unreliability, and uncompromising strangeness. The Vector W8 is a truly special, slightly unhinged chapter in the annals of oddball American motoring, proving that sometimes, the wildest dreams make the best stories, even if they often involve a tow truck.
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8. 2002 Fiat Multipla
From a dream-like supercar to something that looks like it dreamed of being a frog, we present the 2002 Fiat Multipla. Yes, believe it or not, this magnificent oddity did, in very small numbers, grace American shores, bringing with it one of the most utterly confusing front-end designs ever conceived. We’re talking bulging, wide-set eyes, a split-level windshield that seemed to defy the laws of optical coherence, and a short, wide body that gave it the stance of a particularly bewildered amphibian. It was a face only a mother could love, and even then, perhaps only under very dim lighting.
Yet, beneath that undeniably challenging exterior lay a heart of pure, unadulterated practicality – a twist that almost makes its aesthetic sins forgivable. The Multipla boasted seating for six, ingeniously arranged in two rows, providing acres of space for passengers and cargo alike. Its panoramic windows offered unparalleled visibility, making it surprisingly adept at urban maneuvering, despite its unconventional dimensions. It was an exercise in function over form taken to an extreme, a defiant middle finger to traditional automotive beauty standards, yet somehow, it made sense for those prioritizing utility above all else.
Still, in a market where visual appeal often reigns supreme over sensible engineering, the Multipla faced an uphill battle. It was never designed to win beauty contests, and in America, where cars are as much about image as they are about transport, its alien-like appearance proved to be an insurmountable hurdle. It ultimately flopped, a testament to the fact that even the most brilliant packaging can’t always overcome a face that makes people recoil. The Multipla remains a fascinating, if visually traumatizing, footnote in the saga of strange cars.
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9. 1987 Yugo GV
And now for something completely different, a car so famously, spectacularly terrible that it transcended mere failure and became a legend: the 1987 Yugo GV. When it arrived on American soil, its primary selling point was its price – an astonishingly cheap sub-$4,000 brand new. However, as the old adage goes, you absolutely, unequivocally got what you paid for, and in the Yugo’s case, that often meant a vehicle that began to dramatically dismantle itself before you even managed to drive it off the dealership lot. It wasn’t just budget-friendly; it was an exercise in automotive self-sabotage.
Imported from the distant, mysterious lands of Yugoslavia, the Yugo GV swiftly cemented its infamous reputation for shockingly poor quality, a styling that could charitably be described as ‘confused,’ and reliability so laughable it became a punchline in late-night comedy routines. The interior felt less like a functional cabin and more like a collection of hastily assembled plastic toys. Acceleration was a cruel joke, and as for safety? Well, let’s just say that the Yugo redefined ‘minimalist’ in a way that would make a cardboard box seem like a fort. It truly earned its notoriety as a poster child for everything that could go wrong in a car.
Yet, despite (or perhaps because of) its spectacular ineptitude, the Yugo found a peculiar niche. It became a cultural touchstone, a symbol of the underdog, even if that underdog was consistently face-planting. Many were bought as ironic statements, as project cars for the truly masochistic, or simply as an affordable means to an often-broken end. People, it seems, have a strange affection for things that fail so utterly and dramatically. The Yugo GV, therefore, didn’t just suck; it sucked with such glorious, unwavering commitment that it carved out an unforgettable, if ignominious, spot in the hallowed halls of weird car history. It’s a testament to the idea that even pure inadequacy can inspire a cult following.
Read more about: Buyer’s Guide: 14 Classic Cars That Are More Pitfall Than Pride, According to Seasoned Automotive Experts
10. 2005 Chrysler PT Cruiser Convertible
Ah, the PT Cruiser. Its regular, fixed-roof sibling already possessed a certain ‘love-it-or-loathe-it’ charm with its unapologetically retro, slightly cartoonish styling. But then, in a move that baffled many, Chrysler decided to unleash the 2005 PT Cruiser Convertible upon an unsuspecting public, somehow taking an already quirky design and cranking the weirdness dial up to eleven. The result? A vehicle that looked less like a cohesive design and more like a hot rod had an unfortunate, aesthetically challenged rendezvous with a shopping cart, then lost its roof in the ensuing chaos. It was… memorable, if nothing else.
From almost every angle, the proportions were undeniably, jarringly off. The styling felt less like a genuine throwback and more like an enthusiastic, slightly misguided attempt at automotive cosplay. And the driving experience? It was as uninspiring as its looks were perplexing, offering little in the way of performance or dynamic joy. Yet, for a brief, bewildering period, these bizarre, open-top retro-mobiles were absolutely everywhere. Chrysler managed to sell a surprising number of them, proving that sometimes, novelty, even when bordering on the absurd, can be a powerful motivator for buyers who just want to stand out, regardless of how they stand out.
Today, the PT Cruiser Convertible largely exists as a relic, a fascinating, slightly painful “what were they thinking?” moment in the grand, eclectic tapestry of automotive history. It stands as a vivid, slightly garish reminder that dipping into the well of nostalgia can be a perilous journey for car designers. Sometimes, chasing that retro vibe, especially when mixed with a convertible roof and an already divisive aesthetic, can go spectacularly, unforgettably wrong. It’s a wonderful example of an oddball car that briefly captured the zeitgeist, only to become a byword for questionable taste.
Car Model Information: 2019 Subaru Outback 3.6R Limited
Name: Chrysler PT Cruiser
Manufacturer: Chrysler
ModelCode: PT,PG
Production: 2000–2010
ModelYears: 2001–2010
Assembly: Toluca, Mexico State
Designer: Bryan Nesbitt
Class: Compact car
BodyStyle: convertible
Platform: Chrysler PT platform
Related: Dodge SRT4,Dodge Neon
Predecessor: Dodge Neon
Successor: Lancia Delta#Third generation
Layout: Front-engine, front-wheel-drive layout
Engine: ubl
Transmission: Ultradrive#40TE
Wheelbase: 103 in
Abbr: on
Length: 168.8 in
Width: 67.1 in
Height: 63 in
Weight: 3123 lb
Categories: 2010s cars, All articles with unsourced statements, Articles with short description, Articles with unsourced statements from March 2018, Cars discontinued in 2010
Summary: The Chrysler PT Cruiser is a compact car that was built by the American company Chrysler from 2001 until 2010. Introduced as a five-door hatchback wagon, a two-door convertible variant was also made from 2005 until 2008.
Originally planned as a Plymouth model, the PT Cruiser was ultimately marketed as a Chrysler when Plymouth was discontinued. Intended to invoke 1930s aesthetics, the exterior of the PT Cruiser was designed by Bryan Nesbitt. The model received an intermediate facelift for the 2006 model year. Interior packaging was noted for its high roof, high h-point seating, and flexible cargo and passenger configurations enabled by a multi-level rear cargo shelf and rear seats a user could fold, tumble, or remove.
The PT Cruiser was produced in Mexico and Austria at the Toluca Car Assembly and Eurostar Automobilwerk factories respectively. By the end of production in July 2010, worldwide production had reached 1.35 million.
In its nameplate, PT stands for “Personal Transport” or “Personal Transportation”. PT was the PT Cruiser’s product code for the Mexican-made units.
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Brand: Chrysler Model: PT Cruiser
Price: $21,995 Mileage: 77,376 mi.
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11. 2000 Honda Insight (First Generation)
Moving from cars that looked like they’d lost a fight with a hacksaw, we arrive at the 2000 Honda Insight, a vehicle that was weird not for its lack of function, but for its sheer, uncompromising dedication to it. This was no ordinary car; it was a groundbreaking pioneer, the very first hybrid vehicle ever sold in the U.S., a genuine technological marvel. Yet, its design? Well, that was a whole different story. It was a two-seater, with rear fender skirts that screamed ‘aerodynamic obsession,’ and a teardrop shape so pronounced it looked like a friendly spaceship that had simply forgotten its launch codes. It was, in essence, polite and quirky efficiency on wheels.
Its sole, magnificent purpose was hyper-efficiency, and on that front, it delivered in spades. This little aerodynamic marvel could achieve a truly mind-boggling 70 miles per gallon if driven with the gentle touch of a Zen master. However, the sheer dedication to fuel economy resulted in a car that just didn’t look ‘normal’ by the standards of the day. It felt more like a science experiment on public roads than a mass-produced consumer product. Most American buyers, accustomed to the more conventional shapes of sedans and SUVs, simply didn’t bite, preferring familiarity over futuristic frugality.
Yet, for all its visual peculiarities, Honda was undeniably ahead of its time with the first-generation Insight. It deserves immense credit not just for being weird, but for being profoundly important, laying the groundwork for the hybrid revolution that would follow. It’s a rare and fascinating combination: a car that was both an awkward-looking oddball and a genuine game-changer. The Insight stands as a testament to pioneering spirit, proving that sometimes, the most significant leaps forward arrive in the most unconventional, teardrop-shaped packages.
Car Model Information: 2020 Honda Insight Touring
Name: Honda Insight
Caption: Honda Insight (ZE4; 2019)
Manufacturer: Honda
Production: 1999–2006,2009–2014,2018–2022
ModelYears: 2000–2006 , 2010–2014 , 2019–2022
Class: Subcompact car
BodyStyle: liftback
Layout: Front-engine, front-wheel-drive
Sp: us
Categories: 2010s cars, All Wikipedia articles written in American English, All articles containing potentially dated statements, All articles that may contain original research, All articles with dead external links
Summary: The Honda Insight (ホンダ・インサイト, Honda Insaito) is a hybrid electric vehicle that is manufactured and marketed by Honda. Its first generation was a two-door, two passenger liftback (1999–2006) and in its second generation was a four-door, five passenger liftback (2009–2014). In its third generation, it became a four-door sedan (2018–2022). It was Honda’s first model with Integrated Motor Assist system and the most fuel efficient gasoline-powered car available in the U.S. without plug-in capability for the length of its production run.
Honda introduced the second-generation Insight in Japan in February 2009 and in the United States on March 24, 2009. The Insight was the least expensive hybrid available in the US.
In December 2010, Honda introduced a less expensive base model for the 2011 model year. The Insight was launched in April 2009 in the UK as the lowest priced hybrid on the market and became the best selling hybrid for the month.
The Insight ranked as the top-selling vehicle in Japan for the month of April 2009, a first for a hybrid model. During its first twelve months after first available in the Japanese market, the second-generation Insight sold 143,015 units around the world. In July 2014, Honda announced the end of production of the Insight for the 2015 model, together with the Honda FCX Clarity hydrogen fuel-cell car and the Honda Fit EV electric car.
At the 2018 North American International Auto Show, Honda announced the third-generation Honda Insight prototype, based on the tenth-generation Honda Civic sedan. Unlike the previous Insight, it was a traditional sedan, not a five-door liftback. The third-generation Insight went on sale later that year.
In April 2022, Honda announced that the Insight would be discontinued after the 2022 model year, with production ending in June. It has been replaced by a new Civic Hybrid.
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Brand: Honda Model: Insight
Price: $20,991 Mileage: 69,416 mi.
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12. 2014 BMW i3
Finally, we arrive at a car that proves even the most staid and traditionally elegant manufacturers can dip their toes, or perhaps their entire chassis, into the glorious pool of automotive eccentricity: the 2014 BMW i3. This wasn’t just BMW’s electric city car; it was a bold, almost audacious leap into the unknown, a vehicle that screamed ‘future!’ but with a distinctly quirky accent. From its distinctive rear suicide doors to its often-bizarre two-tone paint jobs and revolutionary carbon-fiber body, the i3 was designed to challenge every preconception of what a BMW should be.
Step inside, and the weirdness continued, albeit in a wonderfully minimalist way. The interior felt less like a conventional cabin and more like an avant-garde IKEA display, all open spaces, airy aesthetics, and a fascinating array of strange, sustainable materials, including an actual eucalyptus wood dashboard. Performance was decent for a city car, zipping around with electric torque, but the looming specter of range anxiety was a very real companion for its early adopters. And as for the looks? Oh, they were nothing short of divisive, sparking passionate debates; some hailed it as brilliantly futuristic, others simply dismissed it as utterly, unforgivably fugly.
Ultimately, with the i3, BMW took a significant risk, attempting to redefine urban mobility with a truly unconventional package. While it didn’t quite achieve mainstream ubiquity in the U.S., it certainly made an impression, standing out as one of the strangest luxury cars ever sold on these shores. The i3 remains a fascinating, slightly awkward blend of groundbreaking innovation and undeniably polarizing styling, a testament to what happens when a premium brand dares to be truly, gloriously different. It’s a bold, electric oddity that refused to conform, even if it did so with a slightly confused expression.
So, what did all these gloriously weird machines have in common? Not much, if we’re honest, beyond their shared commitment to standing out from the automotive crowd. Some were undoubtedly ahead of their time, pioneering new technologies or daring new forms. Others, perhaps, were hopelessly behind it, clinging to outdated ideas or simply getting it spectacularly wrong. And a few? Well, they were just straight-up, unadulterated mistakes, born of questionable judgment or a late-night design sketch that somehow made it to production. But every single one of them, without exception, dared to be different in a world too often overflowing with cookie-cutter sedans and predictably practical SUVs.
And that, dear readers, is the undeniable, slightly chaotic beauty of weird cars—they utterly shatter the mold. They refuse to blend in, instead demanding your attention, forcing people to look twice, even if that second glance is often accompanied by a confused head tilt or an involuntary shudder of horror. While many of these delightfully peculiar vehicles may have stumbled spectacularly on the commercial front, failing to set sales charts alight, they have nonetheless earned a lasting, cherished, and often hilarious place in the ever-expanding annals of car culture. They are the rebels, the misfits, the glorious footnotes that make the story of motoring so much richer.
Whether their existence stemmed from a design choice gone rogue, an engineering experiment that veered wildly off course, or simply some truly bizarre marketing strategy concocted in a windowless room, these cars made us question the very essence of the automotive status quo. They challenged our perceptions of what a car ‘should’ be, pushing boundaries, even if those boundaries occasionally pushed back, hard.
In a way, these wonderfully weird cars tell us far more about the automotive industry than any list of bestsellers ever could. They are the vivid, often painful, chronicles of what happens when automakers take monumental risks, when they throw caution to the wind and unleash their wildest, most unhinged ideas upon the world. Sometimes, those risks pay off spectacularly, leading to innovation and adoration. Other times, they crash and burn, quite literally and figuratively, leaving behind a legacy of bemused laughter and head-scratching.
Car Model Information: 2015 BMW i3 Base
Name: BMW i3
Manufacturer: BMW
ModelCode: I01
Production: September 2013 – August 2022 (250,000 units)
Assembly: Leipzig
Successor: BMW iX,BMW iX1,BMW i4
Class: Supermini
BodyStyle: hatchback
Doors: Suicide doors
Layout: Rear-motor, rear-wheel-drive
Chassis: Body-on-frame
Motor: BMW eDrive synchronous permanent magnet motor 125 kW
137 kW
Battery: kWh
ElectricRange: ampere hour,Convert,United States Environmental Protection Agency,Range extender (vehicle)
Engine: Straight-twin engine,range extender,9 L
Abbr: on
Transmission: Single speed with fixed ratio
Drivetrain: Series hybrid,plug-in hybrid,Range extender
Charging: Combo Coupler
Wheelbase: 2570 mm
Length: 3999 mm
Width: 1775 mm
Height: 1578 mm
Weight: 1195 kg
Sp: uk
Designer: Richard Kim (car designer)
ModelYears: 2014–2021 (North America)
Categories: All articles containing potentially dated statements, All articles with dead external links, Articles containing potentially dated statements from December 2019, Articles containing potentially dated statements from December 2021, Articles containing potentially dated statements from February 2014
Summary: The BMW i3 is an electric car that was manufactured by German marque BMW from 2013 to 2022. The i3 was BMW’s first mass-produced zero emissions vehicle and was launched as part of BMW’s electric vehicle BMW i sub-brand. It is a B-segment, high-roof hatchback with an electric powertrain. It uses rear-wheel drive via a single-speed transmission and an underfloor lithium-ion battery pack with an optional range-extending petrol engine.
Styled by Richard Kim, the i3 is a five-door with a passenger module of high strength, ultra-lightweight carbon fibre reinforced polymer adhered to an aluminium chassis, battery, drive system and powertrain. The body features two clamshell rear-hinged rear doors.
The i3 debuted as a concept at the 2011 International Motor Show Germany, and production began in September 2013 in Leipzig.
It ranked third amongst electric cars sold worldwide from 2014 to 2016. Its global sales totaled 250,000 units by the end of 2022. Germany was its biggest market with over 47,500 units delivered through December 2021, followed by the U.S. with over 45,000.
The i3 won two World Car of the Year Awards, selected as 2014 World Green Car of the Year and as 2014 World Car Design of the Year. The i3 received an iF Product Design Gold Award, and won UK Car of the Year 2014 and Best Supermini of 2014 in the first UK Car of the Year Awards.
Get more information about: BMW i3
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But regardless of their fate, their commercial success, or their propensity for spontaneous combustion, they all, every single one of them, leave an indelible impression. And let’s be absolutely honest, in a vast, sprawling automotive landscape filled with sensible, beige Toyota Camrys, there’s an undeniable, mischievous joy to be found in the rare, glorious spectacle of a Reliant Robin valiantly attempting, and usually failing, to navigate a corner without toppling over. Long live the weird and the wonderful!
