Pontiac is guilty of such atrocities as the Korean-built LeMans and the Aztek whateverthehellitwas, but they’ve also built some seriously pretty cars like the original GTO and the. . . well, maybe that’s about it. Perhaps the defunct GM brand is a good candidate for the car maker that has done the most to uglify our nation’s highways. Or has it?
Every automaker has had one or more missteps over the years, in fact BMW, most recently, has had quite a few. But is there a brand out there that just doesn’t get it? One whose daughters could universally be only described as having a nice personality? Styling of course, is a subjective matter open to personal interpretation. One man’s meat is another man’s butt-ugly car, or so they say.
Sometimes it’s a subtle miscue, perhaps a garish grille on an otherwise elegant body, or perhaps an oversized wing inappropriately tacked to the back, throwing off the balance and symmetry. Actually, many designers specifically intend to disrupt symmetry and flow, creating discordance and conflict in the design, and thus drama in its presentation. Sometimes it works- Gandini’s Countach is a prime example of a design the very lines of which seem to fight one another for dominance, and yet all pulling together for an ultimate concordance of intent.
But it doesn’t always work, and it becomes most egregious when a styling meme from one car becomes that for the entire brand, spreading like a cold sore until the entire family wears the mark of shame. Typically this happens when someone who lacks the training or sensitivity of an artist issues an edict regarding the direction which must be taken by those who do. You see this most frequently where a small car carries the grille or tail lamps or other brand-differentiating feature that was originally made iconic on a much larger vehicle, and where it didn’t seem to be so disproportionate and clownish.
So, those are some of the reasons for brands breeding their own personal elephant men, but in your estimation which of those brands has been the most prolific at doing so? Who has the most ugly cars?
Image sources: [ NYTimes, Lamborghiniwallpapers]