35 Weirdest Production Cars in History

Ever since the industrial revolution, the automotive market has grown so much. In the early days, cars were big, loud and not very reliable. Today they are quiet, small and fast. But between all this, there have been some cars with really weird and wacky designs.

We have put together a list of all the weird cars that have ever existed.

Weirdest Cars in History

1. Peel P50

 

Peel P50 is the world’s smallest production car. P50 was developed by the Peel Engineering Company on the Isle of Man. Original car has a 50CC 4.9 HP engine. It powered the rear wheel and had a top speed of up to 60 Kmph.

You can get also an electric P50 with a 3.08 hp engine. P50 is still available today & in the UK it will cost you around £14,879. The company also exports cars to Europe, the US and other countries around the world. Peel P50 also has been featured on many car shows & was also featured on BBC’s Top Gear.

 

2. Nissan S-Cargo 1989

 

Nissan is known for its mighty GTR and the raw performance it churns out. It is also famous for making some of the quirkiest cars we have ever seen. S-Cargo is one such example.

It is a retro-styled van that is…… not very retro or impressive looking. S-cargo is powered by a 1.5L engine with automatic transmission and also has the unwanted distinction of being known as one of the weirdest production cars.

 

3. Toyota Sera 1990

 

 

Toyota is known for its reliable engines and cars & is one of the largest car manufacturers on the planet. Toyota has produced some iconic cars like the Land Cruiser, Camry, Supra, Corolla, Prius, etc. But they are also famous for creating some weird looking cars. Toyota Sera is one such strange-looking car designed by Toyota in the early 90s.

Toyota Sera had all-glass roof and butterfly doors. Sera was powered by a 1.5-liter petrol engine and was available with both automatic and manual transmission.

Because of all the features and unusual designs, this car went down in history as one of the strangest cars produced by Toyota.

4. Mini Moke 1964

 

This car looks like a very ugly golf car. Manufactured by BMC, it was a small utility vehicle. Although this car was famous for its simplicity, straight forward design and easy repairs, its now remembered mostly for its wacky design.

Throughout its production run, the Moke was offered with a 4 engine options with manual transmission.

 

5. Dodge Dakota Convertible 1989 

 

Dodge Dakota Convertible is one pick-up truck that was never well-received. Dodge decided to launch the Dakota with a convertible roof. Sales in the first year were low and only 2,482 units were sold.

In 1991, Dodge decided to upgrade the engine and fitted a V8 that churned out 170 hp.

 

6. Subaru SVX 1992 

Subaru SVX is also known as Alcyone in other regions of the world. SVX is one of the strangest cars ever offered by Subaru. If you compare the Toyota Sera and SVX you won’t find much difference between the two.

It is a performance vehicle that was somewhat famous amongst enthusiasts.

 

7. Fiat Multipla 1999

Fiat Multipla is not only a weird car but is also known as one of the ugliest cars to be made. Prior to 2004 facelift, Fiat Multipla looked very odd and many people didn’t like it.

This car was shorter in length and wider so the interior also looked weird with a 3X3 layout.

 

8. 1994 Toyota Previa S/C

Another Toyota car makes it to the list of the weird production cars. Toyota has produced some of the best MPVs but this one didn’t look particularly good. Some people compared the car’s design to the shape of an egg.

Another unusual thing about the car was that there were only three doors. Two in front and one sliding door in the back.

 

9. 1986 Lamborghini LM002

Lamborghini LM002 was the first SUV to be designed by the Italian manufacturer. Lamborghini has always been known for its sports cars and the LM002 was an unusual offering to say the least. Looks were polarizing and not everybody liked the car when it was first released.

 

10. 2014 Mercedes-AMG G63 6×6

Mercedes Benz is known for many things but making weird cars is hardly one of them. In 2014 they surprised the world by releasing a 6X6 version of the famous G-Class. There wasn’t anything like this in the market, and maybe nothing like it was needed.  Though the G-Class 6X6 is not considered ugly by any means, it was surely unusual.

 

11. 2018 Morgan 4/4

Morgan is a famous British manufacturer that produces tricycles. Morgan has launched a 4 wheel, two-seat sports car names 4/4. It is one of the most famous and highest selling Morgan cars.

This is a car with all modern equipment's but with the body of a vintage car. A truly rare car to come out of the Morgan production line.

 

12. 2010 Acura ZDX

Acura is an upmarket brand owned by Honda. Acura ZDX is a mid-size crossover SUV. The problem with this car is that it was a mix of everything. It was a crossover mini SUV and a coupe no one asked for.

13. 2009 Nissan Cube

Nissan is no stranger to making weird cars. Nissan Cube is a perfect example. This car is boxy and not everyone loves the design. Though the car is practical the but the polarizing design made it one of the weirdest production cars.

 

14. 1973 Reliant Robin

Reliant Robin was a three-wheeler, three-door car that was manufactured by the Reliant Motor Company. This car came during the oil crisis and was able to provide good fuel economy along with good speed. It was very popular during the 1970s in the UK. This car has been featured on many movies and tv shows.

 

15. 1974 Vanguard-Sebring CitiCar

People referred to this as CitiCar. It was produced between 1974-1977. Being an electric the car was not very powerful or reliable. Additionally, it looked very weird with a design that was not found anywhere else so far.

 

16. 2014 Volkswagen XL1

Also known as the 1-liter car. This was an engineering marvel by the German auto giant Volkswagen. XL1 was a limited production two-seater car developed by Volkswagen to compete with Toyota Prius.

It was the most fuel-efficient car in the world with NDEC claimed mileage of 131 KM/L. This car was designed to keep one thing in mind, efficiency.
XL1 didn’t have rearview mirrors, the body was made of carbon fiber to keep the weight and DC low. Only 250 units were ever produced.

 

17. 2017 Citroen C4 Cactus

French automaker produced this vehicle from 2014 to 2017. C4 Cactus was a compact SUV but there was something distinctive about the vehicle. The car has air bump panels which help protect it in the parking lot and traffic.

Though the car was okay, this innovative feature made the car look very odd and not many people bought it. Later the car was redesigned and these things were removed completely. It is among the weirdest production cars by a popular manufacturer.

 

18. 2018 Toyota Mirai

Toyota Mirai is a Hydrogen Fuel Cell car that runs on compressed hydrogen and emits zero pollution. There are Hydrogen fuel cell cars by other companies but Toyota is the first manufacturer to make a production car and sell it commercially. On a full fuel tank this car can do over 502 km.

The design of the car is a bit polarizing and not was so well received.

 

19. 1948 Tucker 48

Tucker 48 was the brainchild of Preston Tucker. A car that was ahead of its time and had a lot of safety features which we still use to this day. Car had three headlights with middle one following the steering wheel for better visibility on the road. This car never took off as SEC investigation on Preston Tucker put the car in a negative light. 

20. 1973 Volkswagen Thing

 

Otherwise known as Volkswagen 181, the Thing was a four-door convertible vehicle developed for the West German Army. It was sold in the USA from 1973-1974. The design of the car was boxy and it was also featured on Jerry Seinfeld’s Netflix show. If we talk about safety this car didn’t have any.

21. 1999 Isuzu VehiCROSS

Isuzu is famous for making SUVs and trucks. In 1999 they launched the VehiCROSS in the USA. From the look of it, VehiCROSS was a very peculiar SUV.

It has huge wheel arches, fenders, Spear tire was kept behind the rear door. This car was awarded the “Top 10 Sport Utilities” for Most Unique Styling and was among the weirdest production cars.

22. 2011 Nissan Murano CrossCabriolet

 

As we have mentioned earlier that Nissan is no stranger to weird designs. Murano CrossCabriolet is the perfect example. What would you get if you make an SUV into a convertible? That answer is Nissan Murano CrossCabriolet.

It was announced in 2010 and in 2014 it was discontinued due to poor sales.

 

23. 1978 Subaru Brat

The 70s was a weird time for everyone. Carmakers were experimenting with the designs and trying to break into the market. Subaru BRAT was a such example. BRAT stands for Bi-drive Recreational All-terrain Transporter.

Brat was a lightweight four-wheel-drive coupe utility vehicle. This vehicle was also featured in many tv shows and movies. Subaru made it to this list because of its quirkiness and cool factor.

 

24. 2003 Subaru Baja

Another quirky car by Subaru is Baja. it was a five-seater crossover SUV. Baja was marketed in the USA until 2007 and was famous among enthusiasts.

 

25. 2003 Chevrolet SSR

 

 

In the 2000s car manufacturers were trying to bring nostalgia into the cars. Chevrolet came up with the SSR which was sold from 2003 to 2006.

The car looked very odd and didn’t serve any practical purpose with only two seats. This Pickup truck didn’t convince anyone to buy.

 

26. 1942 L’Oeuf Electrique

It was an electric car designed by Paul Arzens. The shape of the car was certainly head-turning as it looked like a spaceship. Car has a range of about  100 KM and can travel at speed of 70kmph. Because of the very different design this car was among the weirdest production cars.

 

27. Messerschmitt KR200

KR200 was a three-wheeled bubble car designed by Fritz Fend in Germany from 1955 to 1964.

28. BMW Isetta

BMW builds a microcar in 1955 name Isetta. This became the highest selling single-cylinder car in the world. Some people think that Isetta has 3 wheels but there were 4 wheels in the car. Two people can sit comfortably with some light luggage.

 

29. Stout Scarab

Scarab is dubbed as the first minivan but it was ahead of its time and it was never mass-produced. This car also brought fiber body construction, and air suspension to the market. Scarab, though innovative, but was among the weirdest production cars for the time.

 

30. Jawa Motorex 1956

Iconic bike maker Jawa also built a 350CC car in 1956. It looked somewhat like a big BMW Isetta.

 

31. 1962 Invader GT

Invader GT was a kit car that was sold by Bradley Automotive. Invader GT Was a kit was that was sold from 1970 to 1981.

 

32. 1961 Amphicar Model 770

Amphicar 770 was an amphibious car that was launched in the USA in 1961. It was designed to penetrate the US market by offering people the luxury of having a car that can go anywhere. The car was powered by an 1100cc 4-cylinder engine. Despite the awesome features, not many people were interested.

 

33. Chrysler Turbine

As the name suggests it was a car that was powered by a turbine engine. It was a government incentivized project and the company was working on it since the 1930s.

 

34. 1935 Bugatti Type 57S

Bugatti Type 57 was a limited run sports car by Bugatti. 57S was a special trim that was produced by the company. S stands for “Surbaissé” (“Lowered”).

This car had a very long hood and a sporty design.

 

35. Pontiac Aztek

Pontiac Aztek was a crossover that was marketed by General Motors. When the concept car was showcased it gathered a lot of attention and people were excited but the production version of the car was totally different.

Huge body cladding, split headlights, weird proportions, and a very polarizing design made Aztek one of the ugliest cars in the world. Pontiac wanted Aztek to be more sporty but ended up making it weird. Despite Aztek being very practical, decently powerful and economical, it never took off.

Later in the years, the car become a collector’s choice as it was driven by Walter White ( Breaking Bad main character). Pontiac Aztek was among the weirdest production cars.