From the moment cars were invented, designers have worked hard to make sure cars look good, have all the features they should and go faster. In the beginning aerodynamics were very important so car design was very similar for many brands. As technology has moved forward, it has become possible to experiment with style and get better looking cars. Unfortunately, not all design is instantly cool. Check this list of strange looking cars.
Mercedes-Benz Popemobile
Mercedes-Benz was the official supplier of Pope cars for many years. However, modern reality requires something that can protect such figure as the Pope. The most recent Popemobile is a heavily modified M-Class with a bulletproof glass-surrounded platform. This is the primary vehicle used when the Pope is greeting people. Mercedes-Benz provides other non-public cars for the Pope and his missions.
1956 BMW Isetta
This tiny car is based on Italian-designed bubble car which used to have just 3 wheels and had as little as 9.5 horsepower. As you can see the design is lacking doors so getting in and out of the car was a nightmare. While unusual designs have inspired many car manufacturers to create smaller cars, the last car of this design was produced in 60’s. This car should have made a comeback as parking has become very tight in most of the cities.
1962 Peel P50
This is another tiny car which was the world’s smallest production car. There were only 50 built, with 27 of those still in existence. Recently, the Peel P50 was featured by Jeremy Clarkson on Top Gear (later The Grand Tour). The car itself can only fit one person and possibly a bag, it has one wiper, one headlight and one door. It’s something!
2018 Smart ForTwo Brabus Ultimate 125
While Smart (owned by Mercedes) is well known for its small city cars, Brabus is the company which can turn your average Mercedes into a high-performance monster. This modification boosts its power from 89 to 123 horsepower, however it still retains its Smart look. If you are thinking of a convertible car, a Smart car is the last thing to come to mind. With such an interesting color and crazy design it will cost you $50,000 to own one of them.
2014 Volkswagen XL1
The XL1 was presented in 2013 as an ultra-efficient turbo-diesel hybrid. It was expected to be more efficient than the Toyota Prius, however, it is impossible to find how many made it to the customer as the company was hit with a diesel emissions scandal. The car looks more like a spaceship with unrealistically sleek design and hidden back wheels.
1999 Fiat Multipla & 2009 Nissan Cube
These two cars can be combined in one as they have similar design. While Multipla went too far and added a second set of lights by the raised windscreen, Cube just made a statement regarding its style. Both cars were considered ugly and were eventually discontinued. The main feature was extra space available due to cubic shape of the cars themselves.
1959 Cadillac Cyclone
This car design was considered revolutionary at the time however some of its elements raised a lot of questions. Black cones were actually radars for the crash-avoidance system which still makes it a mystery where headlights are. The car, designed by famous car designer Harley Earl, features futuristic styling and technology. Unfortunately, the car was never mass produced so we will never find out if it would change the future.
