A couple of weeks back I wrote about the Bristol Bullet and a friend of mine said it was the ugliest car he has ever seen. But this does come from a man that thinks the Citroen C4 Cactus is a good looking car. I was quick to brand him mental and it got me thinking, what are the ugliest cars in existence? They say beauty is in the eye of the beholder but here are some cars with looks only a mother can love.
Ford Scorpio
Let's start the list with a classic in the world of ugly cars - the Ford Scorpio. Just what the designer was thinking I do not know when they thought this was a good looking car. Maybe they were a fan of General Motors looking to stitch up Ford - who knows? The Scorpio landed in the 90s which wasn't a fantastic time for car design if you ask me but this really takes the biscuit.
It officially landed in the UK in 1994 and lingered like a bad fart until 1998. Through the years many have slated it's bug-eyed looks and it's little wonder. Sure, you could get it with a 2.9 litre Cosworth engine but you'd then have the shame of admitting to own one.
Aston Martin Lagonda
I'm a big fan of Aston Martin but even I cannot defend the looks of this - the Aston Martin Lagonda. It's a car that looks like it was designed using nothing but a pencil and a ruler with less curves than a plank of wood. Despite its questionable looks the Lagonda had a 14-year lifespan went through four series. The Series 1 was a fine looking car but the same cannot be said for the 2, 3 and 4 that followed.
Under the right-angled bonnet was a 5.3 litre V8 engine which produced 280bhp and offered a modest 0-60 time of 8.8 seconds. The top speed was a bit more respectable - the Lagonda was able to get to 143mph. It also featured a futuristic LED dashboard but that's nowhere near enough to compensate for the simply woeful styling.
Pontiac Aztek
The Pontiac Aztek was a car that never made it to the UK but it did make its way in to our screens in the hit show Breaking Bad. The Aztek was produced between 2000 and 2005 having been designed by the same guy that designed the latest Chevrolet Corvette, Tom Peters.
He was clearly having an off day as the Aztek is a bit of an eye-sore to say the least. At the time Peters commented: "we wanted to do a bold, in-your-face vehicle that wasn't for everybody." Well you're right there Tom that's for sure, but it was good enough for Walter White...
Ferrari F50
The F50 is one of the most iconic supercars to come from the 90s but if you ask me it's also one of the ugliest. It was designed by Pininfarina with power supplied by a 4.7 litre V12 engine producing 513bhp. So on paper it looked rather good but in the metal it looks pretty grotesque.
Just 349 of these prancing horses were made and that's 349 too many if you ask me. Harsh? Most likely but I'm sure Ferrari will admit it's not one of its finest efforts.
SsangYong Rodius
Some of SsangYong's earlier styling efforts have missed the mark and the Rodius is a perfect example of this. It's a heffalump that has awkward rear styling which looks like a back of another car has been merged on. Poorly. It was designed by Ken Greenley who was the former head of the automotive design course at the Royal College of Art in London. I'm sorry Ken but you failed this assignment.
As you can imagine it wasn't a big seller and as a result it was dropped like a hot potato in 2011. The second generation model came in 2013 and although it looked better, it still wasn't a hit seller. In fact Top Gear stated as one of "the worst cars money can buy right now". That's quite a damning statement.
Toyota Prius
Yes thats right, I'm picking on the car that is trying to save the world and has been for almost 20 years. It's never been a looker but the latest model has tried to be bold and a bit different but it just looks like a discordant mess.
The lights are all sharp angles and the styling is all over the place in my opinion. Its best angle is the side but even that is not much to look at it. Right, I'm bored of the Prius now, on to something else...
Rolls Royce Next 100
This was revealed earlier this year and as much as it's striking, it's also rather hideous as well. This is the brand's vision of what luxury travel could look in the future and I really hope it's a look that doesn't stick as the Next 100 is simply vulgar.
The inside certainly looks better though - you'll find a luxurious sofa with a deep-pile ivory carpet beneath it. If the Next 100 wasn't show-offy enough, on arrival the side hatch will open up and a light resembles a red carpet shines on to give a 'Grand Arrival'. Erm yeah...
FIAT Multipla
Now ugly car list is complete with the FIAT Multipla - car that is quite simply the definitive ugly car. I remember seeing a few of these in my childhood and I'm still paying for therapy needed to get over the trauma. It was a car that look like a roof from another car had simply been dumped on top and the result was simply horrid.
It had an usual seating arrangement as well - not only did you get three seats in the rear but you also got three seats in the front as well. Despite it's awful looks the Multipla collected a few awards including Top Gear's Car of the Year award in 1999 as well as Top Gear Magazine's Family Car of the Year four years in a row.