Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

Skip to comments.

Butt-Ugliest Cars Ever Made
Netscape.com ^ | 8-16-04

Posted on 08/16/2004 10:51:49 PM PDT by sully777

Take A Peak At Ugliest Cars Ever Made (PHOTO GALLERY)

[Included in the list are the Edsel Citation and AMC Gremlin]

http://channels.netscape.com/ns/autos/gallery.jsp?floc=g-uglycar1&gname=uglycar&gproj=u&grurl=http%3A%2F%2Fapple.netscape.com%2Fapple.adp&photo=1

(Excerpt) Read more at channels.netscape.com ...


TOPICS: Political Humor/Cartoons
KEYWORDS: autos; cars
Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first previous 1-20 ... 441-460461-480481-500 ... 561-575 next last
To: sully777

Pontiac Aztek, Volvos, Dodge Neon...........


461 posted on 08/17/2004 4:39:58 PM PDT by Dan from Michigan (A gun owner voting for John Kerry is like a chicken voting for Col. Saunders. (bye bye .30-30))
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: My2Cents

Saabs haven't gotten any better!!!!


462 posted on 08/17/2004 4:42:00 PM PDT by Dan from Michigan (A gun owner voting for John Kerry is like a chicken voting for Col. Saunders. (bye bye .30-30))
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 34 | View Replies]

To: My2Cents

This is a good example of what to buy if you're hoping to be horribly disfigured by shattered glass. It's also REALLY UGLY.


463 posted on 08/17/2004 4:43:26 PM PDT by I'm ALL Right! ("I'm John Kerry, and I approved this lie.")
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 33 | View Replies]

To: XBob
Actually, it's not a really BMW. It was an 'Isetta',

I actually remember seeing Issetas for real and I thought they were italian, but when I found that photo they called it a BMW Isetta.

464 posted on 08/17/2004 4:44:46 PM PDT by lewislynn (Why do the same people who think "free trade" is the answer also want less foreign oil dependence?)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 453 | View Replies]

To: LibWhacker

Wow. That's really....uh....man that's just bizarre. HOW did this design ever make it past the model stage??? Did they pass up market testing?


465 posted on 08/17/2004 4:45:51 PM PDT by I'm ALL Right! ("I'm John Kerry, and I approved this lie.")
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 78 | View Replies]

Anyone remember the Renaults?


466 posted on 08/17/2004 4:47:26 PM PDT by Dan from Michigan (A gun owner voting for John Kerry is like a chicken voting for Col. Saunders. (bye bye .30-30))
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 100 | View Replies]

To: The Scourge of Yazid
(Gizmo hides inside of an old cardboard box. Shuts eyes.)

Now there's a blast from the past.

467 posted on 08/17/2004 4:49:37 PM PDT by Dan from Michigan (A gun owner voting for John Kerry is like a chicken voting for Col. Saunders. (bye bye .30-30))
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 153 | View Replies]

To: I'm ALL Right!
Also, those twin needle-noses are a personal injury lawsuit waiting to happen.


468 posted on 08/17/2004 4:52:38 PM PDT by My2Cents (http://www.conservativesforbush.com)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 463 | View Replies]

To: My2Cents

Wow, I bet it's exciting to see these cars driving down the road at the blistering speed of 10 miles an hour! Screw a Ferrari, I want a car where my knees hover around my temples when I drive it!


469 posted on 08/17/2004 4:55:05 PM PDT by GOP_Raider (Conservative, Republican, Raider Fan)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 29 | View Replies]

To: sully777

470 posted on 08/17/2004 4:55:24 PM PDT by TheRedSoxWinThePennant
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

The Homer

471 posted on 08/17/2004 4:58:05 PM PDT by KneelBeforeZod (Deus Lo Volt!)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 65 | View Replies]

To: ValerieUSA

LOL. I forgot about the Element. I didn't know Honda hired Roger Smith(The guy behind the "Boxcar" looks at GM).


472 posted on 08/17/2004 4:58:38 PM PDT by Dan from Michigan (A gun owner voting for John Kerry is like a chicken voting for Col. Saunders. (bye bye .30-30))
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 266 | View Replies]

To: lewislynn

http://www.whirlingpool.com/isetta/history/history.htm

isetta history

The Isetta was incubated in the post-war economy of Europe. After the war, many people did not have the money to afford large automobiles and instead moved about on scooters and motorcycles. Renzo Rivolta, who made Iso S.p.A. refrigeradors in Milan, Italy, entered the market at this time with a line of scooters, motorcycles, and three wheeled trucks. After some success with these vehicles, he decided to move into the automobile business.



Designed and developed during 1952-1953, Iso presented the first Isetta (literally, little Iso) at the 1953 Turin Motor Show. Looking like the result of a high speed collision between a refrigerator, a scooter, and an airplane at a Lawrence Welk show (champagne bubbles, get it?), the Iso Isetta was only 4.5 ft wide and 7.5 ft long. The car had a single door at the front, rear wheels that were only 19 in. apart, and gas mileage of over 50 miles per gallon. The two-cylinder, two-stroke engine allowed a top speed of 45 mph and could propell the Isetta to 30 mph in 36 seconds. Iso began production in Italy and in Belgium for domestic sales and limited export.

Iso entered four or five Isettas into the storied Mille Miglia (1,000 mile) race of 1954. The Isetta finished 1, 2 and 3 on the index of performance. BMW scouts witnessed the impressive showing of the little car. At the time, BMW was producing the 502 and the 507: cars that few Germans could afford to buy in the post-war economy. Therefore, the company was on the lookout for an inexpensive economy car, and the Isetta fit the bill. Iso licensed the car to BMW in 1955.

Iso also licensed the car to Isetta Automobiles of Brazil and the cars manufactured there for five years beginning in 1956 were christened Romi-Isetta. These Brazilian Isettas kept the Iso design and used Iso engines until 1958, when they switched to the BMW 300 cc engines. In addition, Iso licensed the car to VELAM in France. The car was also built by Iso in Spain and Belgium.

BMW made the Isetta its own. They redesigned the powerplant around a more reliable BMW one-cylinder, four-stroke, 247 cc motorcycle engine with 13 hp. Although the major elements of the Italian design remained intact, BMW re-engineered much of the car, so much so that none of the parts between a BMW Isetta Moto Coupe and an Iso Isetta interchange. The first BMW Isetta appeared in April, 1955. BMW introduced the restyled Isetta Moto Coupe DeLuxe (sliding-window Isetta) in October 1956 with the larger 298 cc motor for export. Legend has it that BMW would not be here today if not for the success of the little Isetta.

Under license from BMW, Isetta of Great Britain also began producing cars (the sliding-window variety) at Brighton in 1957 with selected domestic parts. The Isetta was initially not popular in Great Britain until a three-wheeled version was introduced. The three-wheeled version was taxed at a much lower rate than the four-wheeled version. Isetta of Great Britain continued to produce four-wheeled Isettas, but only for export to Canada, New Zealand, and Australia. BMW began exporting Isettas to the U.S. (to a lukewarm response) in 1957. Overall, the Isetta was successful enough to encourage BMW to produce the 600, which shared the Isetta’s front door and a motorcycle engine (600 cc) and the more car-like 700 (also powered by a motorcycle engine).

Due to competition from faster and more car-like mini-cars (specifically the BMC Mini), BMW stopped production of the Isetta in 1962. Isetta of Great Britain also stopped production of the little cars but continued to produce Isetta engines until 1964. Romi-Isetta in Brazil continued to manufacture the original Italian Isetta until 1959 and produced spare parts until 1961..

Thanks to BMW, the Isetta was the most successful of the bubble cars. BMW built 136,367 Isettas. Isetta of Britain produced about 30,000 cars. Romi-Isetta manufactured about 3,000 of which an estimated 200 remain. Velam produced about 5,000 cars. Iso itself only made about 1,000 Isettas. Of the cars made by BMW, about 8,500 were exported to the U.S. of which it is estimated 1,000 still survive.

In 1980, there was a brief attempt to bring the Isetta back into production as the 'Diaseta.' The Diaseta was the Isetta with several minor modifications

Note: Research on this car has been problematic. Different articles offer different dates and oftentimes contradicting information. For example, one states that Isettas were not produced in Belgium. Another says they were. One says Romi-Isettas were produced until 1961, another states Romi produced them for a few years after BMW stopped production. If you have any information or any problems with the above writeup, please contact me via email.


473 posted on 08/17/2004 4:59:41 PM PDT by XBob (Free-traitors steal our jobs for their profit.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 464 | View Replies]

To: I'm ALL Right!

There's no accounting for Euroweenie tastes. But you do have to wonder how well it's doing "over there." Couldn't sell here, that's for sure!


474 posted on 08/17/2004 4:59:47 PM PDT by LibWhacker
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 465 | View Replies]

To: Kieri
You think a cop is behind you when its actually a little old lady who can't see over the steering wheel.

Which is why I can't stand Crown Victorias.

It's the car the sheriff's dept uses here in Livingston County. There's a gold one and a darker one which is unmarked.

475 posted on 08/17/2004 5:00:52 PM PDT by Dan from Michigan (A gun owner voting for John Kerry is like a chicken voting for Col. Saunders. (bye bye .30-30))
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 275 | View Replies]

To: truth_seeker
Pontiac Aztec must be in top tier.

There was an inside joke in the auto industry that goes as follows:

Did you hear that they made the Aztec 100% better looking this year? They put a tent on the front end as well.
476 posted on 08/17/2004 5:06:08 PM PDT by JayNorth
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 7 | View Replies]

To: Revolting cat!

I'm waiting for the gangster drive by tommygun shooting there.


477 posted on 08/17/2004 5:11:39 PM PDT by Dan from Michigan (A gun owner voting for John Kerry is like a chicken voting for Col. Saunders. (bye bye .30-30))
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 435 | View Replies]

Don't know if anyone's posted this yet . . . The Rinspeed Presto:


Ugg-LEEEE!

478 posted on 08/17/2004 5:12:57 PM PDT by LibWhacker
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 474 | View Replies]

To: XBob

Thanks, that's interesting. But I do remember seeing a few, very few, but more than one around Southern California in the sixties.


479 posted on 08/17/2004 5:17:13 PM PDT by lewislynn (Why do the same people who think "free trade" is the answer also want less foreign oil dependence?)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 473 | View Replies]

To: sully777
B-210 "Honeybee" with with white vinyl top.
480 posted on 08/17/2004 5:20:37 PM PDT by D Rider
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]


Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first previous 1-20 ... 441-460461-480481-500 ... 561-575 next last

Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.

Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

FreeRepublic, LLC, PO BOX 9771, FRESNO, CA 93794
FreeRepublic.com is powered by software copyright 2000-2008 John Robinson