Ugly But Appealing Vehicles

[homeforsummer]

^I know a guy who still runs a CX estate, but yeah the spheres...

Again, the difficulty of maintaining Citroen suspension has been a bit overplayed. If its looked after, it's neither expensive nor unreliable, particularly these days with plenty of specialists about.

And given that I've had to replace coil springs on two of my cars, as have my parents and several friends, it's not like those are perfect either...

 

[Dennisch]

If its looked after, it's neither expensive nor unreliable, particularly these days with plenty of specialists about.

And given that I've had to replace coil springs on two of my cars, as have my parents and several friends, it's not like those are perfect either...

Key words bold!

If you find one these days, a BX or something, and it's roadworthy, then it is most likely a well kept vehicle. But I have seen soooooo many Citroens that weren't treated the way as they should be treated, and then the costs skyrocketed. Sadly. It is still a very nice suspension setup. And the green oil smells good.

 

[Slash]

Ugly?? Say whaaaaat?

That's one sexy ass car to me.

I agree, I do like it, but some people find it to be part of the ugly American vehicles of the mid to late '70s.

 

[analog]

It's just a pity there are so few BXs left these days. Like many bog-standard cars from most eras, they were used and abused and then scrapped.

I've read an interesting piece of trivia recently, some sixties Ferrari's used the rearlights of the common Fiat 850.
Right now, the Fiat 850 is actually rarer than those Ferrari's apparantly.

 

[Slash]

I've read an interesting piece of trivia recently, some sixties Ferrari's used the rearlights of the common Fiat 850.
Right now, the Fiat 850 is actually rarer than those Ferrari's apparantly.

Que PFFFT meme.

 

[Dennisch]

I've read an interesting piece of trivia recently, some sixties Ferrari's used the rearlights of the common Fiat 850.
Right now, the Fiat 850 is actually rarer than those Ferrari's apparantly.

Link!?

Que PFFFT meme.

.. Hearing you talk about Ford, and Ford only gets a bit stale too.

 

[eiriksmil]

A couple of my own guilty pleasures bought and enjoyed:

I also love these for some reason

These as well.. Really guilty here:

I do also have a strange fascination for beige Corollas and Camrys. Why I can't explain.. I have more.. But that needs to wait.

 

[Beeblebrox237]

The last car you posted looks really cool to me. If it had wheels like they use at Bonneville it would be even better.

 

[niky]

I actually like the Charade... but I have found the Toyota Echo Verso incredibly, immeasurably ugly.

Yet fascinating at the same time.

-

Come on, people, let's get a full ugly on!

As fascinating and desirable as I find the 2002tiit to be, come on... you'd have to be a mother to love that incredibly dull front end with the pig-nose stuck onto it.

What? Too mainstream? How about:

I've been angling for a test-drive story on this one for years.

 

[-Fred-]

The Acclaim was slow, it was so bland even my grandmother found it boring, did have very little in terms of handling or grip, it was heavy, and it came with a garnly contrasting dark/light blue interior when the exterior was light blue, like in this picture.

But a friend of mine had received one exactly like that as a hand me down when we turned 16, and it still is, to this day, the most fun I've ever had in a car. Driving one of those in anger thought me so much more about physics and driving technique than you would imagine.

And it's predecessor, the Shadow, in all its 80's tastic goodness.

Which reminds me I haven't seen an Acclaim/Spirit nor a Shadow/Sundance in ages!

 

[Tornado]

That's because they all rusted into the ground, unfortunately. I really miss the one my mom had. Looked exactly like this one, with the turbo engine and everything.


That has to be the only 5/3-door that anyone in America ever bought in real numbers. A shame, because I liked how easy it was to put stuff in.

 

[Slash]

Link!?



.. Hearing you talk about Ford, and Ford only gets a bit stale too.

I know, I'm a stupidly obsessed fanboy lol. I just love them, having grown up with a father who hates everything else.

That's because they all rusted into the ground, unfortunately. I really miss the one my mom had. Looked exactly like this one, with the turbo engine and everything.


That has to be the only 5/3-door that anyone in America ever bought in real numbers. A shame, because I liked how easy it was to put stuff in.

I like the look of that

 

[Wiegert]

That's because they all rusted into the ground, unfortunately. I really miss the one my mom had. Looked exactly like this one, with the turbo engine and everything.

The European equivalent at the time was pretty neat in my opinion:

Thinking back, my aunt owned a white one in the mid 90s. The the GLX version though, not the GTI. At least the rear end didn't leak as much as the early models which would lead to rust (another thing in common with the Shadow?)

 

[analog]

Link!?

Don't have a link, read it in a classic car magazine a while ago, maybe I've misread it though as it might be an exaggeration or they might have said 'almost rarer' or something but I don't think it's that unlikely since those expensive Ferrari's were kept intact whilst the 850's were largely left to rot.

As fascinating and desirable as I find the 2002tiit to be, come on... you'd have to be a mother to love that incredibly dull front end with the pig-nose stuck onto it.

I've never thought that front end was dull or ugly, but then I also like the Touring version which isn't universally liked it seems.

 

[axletramp]

Another guilty pleasure, the Lancia Delta HF Turbo. I had an '89 that looked exactly like this one before upgrading to an EVO II after a year. Drives well, looks like a paving slab.

 

[homeforsummer]

The last car you posted looks really cool to me. If it had wheels like they use at Bonneville it would be even better.

Exactly. That's the Citroen BX we were referring to earlier, probably one of the best family car designs of the era IMO. Also, if I recall correctly, very aerodynamic compared to most similarly-sized cars of the time.

Citroën BX by Vitesse Photography, on Flickr


Citroën BX by Vitesse Photography, on Flickr​

 

[axletramp]

I had a friend with one of those and the hydraulic suspension had a mind of it's own. It could go from dragster to low-rider in one journey. Also has that quirky, cool and uniquely French interior and steering wheel.

 

[TDZdave]

Here's a collection of cars I find either beautiful or hideous, yet it changes every day, sometimes from car to car, and sometimes from colour to colour this entire series was made by FORD Australia, the first 10 years was by a division of ford called Tickford, like Nismo to NISSAN, then FPV took over the V8 division of the project,

FORD FALCON EB XR6, IT LOOKS OK I THINK

FORD FALCON ED XR8, LOOKS VERY COOL

FORD FALCON EF XR6 HIDEOUS, OR SHREK THE 1ST!

FORD FALCON EL XR6, SHREK'S ENCORE!

FORD FALCON AU XR6, SHREK THE 3RD!

FORD FALCON AU XR6 SERIES 2, MY PERSONAL FAVORITE

^^ALSO THIS WAS THE LAST OF THE TICKFORD ENGINEERING^^

NOW FPV COMES ALONG,
FORD FALCON BA XR8, SEXY JUST GOT HOTTER!!!

FORD FALCON BF XR6, THEN THEY TRY TO RUIN IT!

FORD FALCON FG XR8, THEN THEY HALF FIX IT

FORD FALCON FG XR6 SERIES 2, THIS IS THE UGLIEST OF ALL!!!

this music video someone created out of clips shows a lot of the BA and BF XR6 and XR8s, there's one shown in this video I particularly like, and that is a BA XR6 turbo that does a 1/4 mile in 6.684, that's faster then any skylines from down under and most skylines I've seen on you tube, click here


And what makes the last one worse is that its the current edition of the car, it came out earlier this year, which means it going to be on the market looking like this for up to the next 3 years,

bare in mind I have owned all of these plus one of every Australian made Falcon, What do you people think?

 

[JAHHAJ]

Gumpert Apollo:

It's so ugly but it's so fast.

 

[Vegard]

 

[f1reb1rd]

Gumpert Apollo:

It's so ugly but it's so fast.

No. Its beautiful

 

[JAHHAJ]

No. Its beautiful

Maybe in your eyes but not in mine.

 

[homeforsummer]

Nor mine. Probably one of the most hideous supercars ever produced.

 

[Nessy]

Gumpert Apollo:
It's so ugly but it's so fast.

Very subjective thread, but i feel your example is the best so far. 👍

@ Vegard. Cool Ritmo, (though not the version i was referring to earlier).

@ axletramp. I'm guilty too, Delta love, (though have never owned one) great cars, and in the same vein i suppose.. i think the Alfa 75 deserves a mention... hardly a looker with it's sad face, but the last RWD Alfa before they went FWD and AWD.
(No pics, can't be bothered )

PS, Always had a fondness for the AlfaSud (but actually not a bad looker at all imo).

[EDIT] Just remembered another. Fiat Uno Turbo, again like the Delta.. aesthetics of a paving slab, but quite the performer.
Oh, and one more.. Nissan Pulsar GTiR.

 

[axletramp]

[EDIT] Just remembered another. Fiat Uno Turbo, again like the Delta.. aesthetics of a paving slab, but quite the performer.

My ex-wife had a 1.4 Turbo i.e. and a 60 LX before that, both series 1's. Always felt like you were sitting on it rather than in it. Also sounded like a metal barrel when you shut the doors.

 

[Nessy]

My ex-wife had a 1.4 Turbo i.e. and a 60 LX before that, both series 1's. Always felt like you were sitting on it rather than in it. Also sounded like a metal barrel when you shut the doors.

That does not sound pleasant, great engine though.

 

[Carlos]

I'm going to hell for this one

 

[f1reb1rd]

I'm going to hell for this one

I love the Enzo... The VW is meh

 

[Dennisch]

Le BX pics

The estate is even better looking.

👍

 

[eiriksmil]

I actually like the Charade... but I have found the Toyota Echo Verso incredibly, immeasurably ugly.

Yet fascinating at the same time.

The Charade never won a design award for a reason.. I love the front, I think the rear end is sort of cool.. But I'm telling you the G100 Charade is two cars spliced into one at the middle.

The Yaris/Echo Verso/Funcargo (whatever you wanna call it) is indeed butt ugly and weird as ****, but I think with all the other weird, ugly cars that have come out since it's just grown on me.. Now I think it was ahead of its time.. Still weird though. Not as in French weird "turning everything upside down" way.. Just Japanese kind of weird. Somewhat similar to other things just weirded out a little bit. That's why I'm on the hunt for a WALD kit, new wheels and a couple of other things for mine.. Just go all out weird.