The Weirdest Cars Ever Made

Weird Rides

The history of the automobile is replete with interesting designs and ideas. From Gremlins, to cars that look like dung beetles, these are some of the weirdest cars ever made.

Chevrolet El Camino

Is it a coupe? Is it a pickup? Is it just the cool car from Breaking Bad and the titular vehicle from the film? It's all three.

MercurySable99, Wikimedia Commons

Pea Car

This little green dome of a car was commissioned by the frozen food company Birds Eye, for a television commercial. It now sits on display at the Unilever Ice cream and Frozen Foods Co. in Walton on Thames, England.

Birds Eye Commercial, Pea car - Birds Eye Commercial

1964 Austin Mini Moke

Rejected by the British army because of its low clearance, the original Moke pivoted and rebranded itself for recreational and farm use. But those barely sold. Later versions added more clearance and comfort and today they are electric.

Pedro Ribeiro Simões, CC BY 2.0, Wikimedia Commons

Lotus Evija

The over $2 million price tag is weird enough for us. But there's also the fact that it's the first British all-electric hypercar and it isn't even street legal in the US.

Liam Walker, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons

1970 AMC Gremlin

Think of it as an AMC Hornet with the back cut off. Or better yet, just think of the Gremlins movie. That's generally more fondly remembered than the car.

Roger W, Flickr

1999 Fiat Multipla

With a muffin top, big windows and two rows of three seats each, this one was weird. It was also never sold in the United States.

Rudolf Stricker, Wikimedia Commons

Oscar-Mayer Wienermobile

Weird? Sure. Cool? Definitely. Who wouldn't want to drive a hot dog car?

Roadsidepictures, Flickr

Faraday Future FF 91

If this is what the future of car design is going to be, we're not sure we're looking forward to it. But putting the unappealing oblong shape behind us, we are intrigued by the artificial intelligence that learns your preferences and becomes more and more intuitive to your likes and dislikes.

Steven Sheridan, CC BY 3.0, Wikimedia Commons

Land Rover Discovery Red Cross Emergency Response Vehicle

Designed specifically for the Austrian Red Cross, how many other vehicles do you know that have a quadcopter drone on the roof that can take off and land while the car is in motion?

Land Rover MENA, FLickr

1921 Leyat Helica

It's a car with a propeller on the front. Need we say more? 30 were built and, supposedly, 23 were sold.

MrWalkr, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons

Aston Martin Cygnet

Did you ever think you'd be able to get an Aston Martin that looked like a slightly-larger Smart car and only cost $50,000? Well, for a couple years you could. Now, they're collectors items.

harry_nl, Flickr

1973 Cadillac Fleetwood 75

As the longest regular production car ever made, the 1973 Cadillac Fleetwood 75 looks like a limo and was available as a 9-passenger car in the '70s.

Sicnag, CC BY 2.0, Wikimedia Commons

Popemobile

Despite the cute name, this car with the bulletproof glass bubble and standing hand rail is one of a kind to say the least.

Catholic Church England, Flickr

Tesla Cybertruck

Sure, the body is dent resistant and the glass can withstand a 70 mph impact. But does anyone else feel like this thing was designed by someone trying to make a larger DeLorean in Minecraft?

S5A-0043, CC BY 4.0, Wikimedia Commons

1942 L’Oeuf Électrique

Designed by industrial designer Paul Arzens in response to the gas shortages in France during WWII, the L’Oeuf Électrique translates to "The Electric Egg".

Rob Oo, CC BY 2.0, Wikimedia Commons

2021 Hennessey Mammoth 6x6

Based in Texas, Hennessey Performance takes the "Everything is bigger in Texas" motto pretty seriously. Case in point: the 2021 Hennessey Mammoth 6x6. This souped up Ram 1500 TRX has bigger bumpers, an upgraded suspension and, oh yeah, an extra axle and two more tires in the back. Only three were made.

Automotive Rhythms, Flickr

Nissan Cube

Of all the cars on this list, the Nissan Cube is the one you've most likely seen IRL. Nissan stopped making the cars in 2014, but there are still plenty on the road and they are still turning heads—from both those who dig the look and those who think it's just weird and ugly.

M 93, Wikimedia Commons

1961 Amphicar

Not only did these amphibious cars exist—more than 3,000 of them were imported into the United States back in the early '60s. These convertibles could go right from the road to the water and they came in four different colors,

harry_nl, Flickr

DeLorean DMC-12

Insert your own Back to the Future reference here.

Jeremy, CC BY 2.0, Wikimedia Commons

2014 Mercedes-AMG G63 6x6

Rugged on the outside with S-class luxury on the inside—and six tires.

Jiri Sedlacek, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons

Karlmann King

With its $2 million price tag, the Karlmann King's industrial design looks like it's in the middle of transforming into a different car. It weighs five tons, has a top speed of 87 mph, and comes with a coffee maker built-in.

Nan Palmero, Flickr

Lunar Rover

It's a vehicle they drive on the moon! 

 NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center, Flickr

Plymouth Prowler

This ode to the 1932 Ford hot rod prowled the roads in the late '90s and early aughts.

harry_nl, Flickr

Polaris Slingshot

With two tires in front and one in back, this motorcycle/car hybrid is like a motorized reverse-tricycle for grown-ups.

Kevauto, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons

1935 Stout Scarab

If you were wondering why anyone would name a car after a dung beetle.... Just take a look at it. But it did come with a card table and middle seats that could swivel 180 degrees.

Jim Evans, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons

Subaru Brat

Subaru added a couple seats in the cab to get around some tariffs back in the late '70s and '80s. However, the seats look more like a punishment than anything else. Maybe that's where the "Brat" comes from?

Jacob Frey 4A, CC BY 2.0, Wikimedia Commons

Tucker 48

Preston Tucker went up against the Big Three car companies in the late '40s by focusing on something they weren't: safety. A roll bar, a padded dashboard, a center headlight on a swivel, and shatter-proof glass were all features Tucker put into his Tucker 48.

Watts, Flickr

Tucker 48

Unfortunately, the Big Three weren't happy with Tucker busting in on their business and there is a theory that they worked behind the scenes to cause Tucker legal and financial problems that shut him down. Only 51 Tucker 48s were produced.

Seano1, CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons

Vision Mercedes Simplex

It's only a 2019 concept car, but the old/new design had to get a nod on our list.

Sergeevich-konstantin, Goodfon

1973 Volkswagen Thing

Are we the only ones trying to come up with an Addams Family joke here?

Sicnag, CC BY 2.0, Wikimedia Commons

Zippo Car

This promo for the Zippo lighter company had a huge—non-functioning—lighter on top of the car.

RideswithChuck, I take a look at the Famous Zippo Lighter Car A 1947 Chrysler New Yorker

Lamborghini LM 002

This boxy Lamborghini SUV (AKA the Rambo Lambo) went into production in 1986.

Detectandpreserve, CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons

1963 Chrysler Turbine

As the name suggests, these cars were powered by turbines—turbines that could run on anything from furnace oil and perfume to peanut and soybean oils. The Mexican President at the time even ran one using tequila. These cars were never available for purchase, but Chrysler did hand out 50 of them as part of a testing program.

Greg Gjerdingen, CC BY 2.0, Wikimedia Commons