The 1970s represented a time when car makers began to step out of their conventional molds and really began experimenting with bolder design ideas. Some achieved significant success with the results and a few of those design fundamentals were carried over to modern-day automobiles.
Other manufacturers, however, did not fare so well and never fully recovered from the fall-out of their embarrassing creations. Drab colors, inexplicable vinyl roofs, and weird bodies were commonplace. These cars were not just the products of small-time manufacturers either. Some of the ugliest cars at the time were produced by companies that already had decades of automotive experience.
In this article, we have selected a few of the really ugly cars that were brought to life in the 1970s. We did not want to leave you with a sour taste at the end so we rounded off the list with a car that was actually very good-looking and one of the best in its time.
16 1975 AMC Pacer
This is one car that was odd in a lot of ways. Among other things, it was really low and wide; an overfed toad comes to mind. Then there was the passenger side door that was larger than the one on the driver’s side. The rear end looked like the designers ran out of ideas and just slapped on a glass tub to finish out the car.
15 1970 Dodge Dart Swinger
Yes, the Dodge Dart Swinger really had a vinyl covered outer-roof. Thankfully, the car was discontinued in 1976. An attempt was made to revive the car in 2012 but the ‘ugly duckling’ traits in the predecessor was carried over and the Dodge Dart was retired for the second time in 2016 after an unsuccessful run. We hope it’s permanent this time.
14 1977 Chevrolet El Camino
This was Chevrolet’s response to the Ford Ranchero. However, judging by the looks of the car (or is it a truck?), the response was rushed and ill-conceived. The car looked like two disproportionate bits affixed to a driver’s cabin in the middle.
Interestingly, Chevrolet actually built about one million units of this car but its popularity was largely due to engine power rather than any elements of aesthetic design
13 1973 Oldsmobile Omega
I would be very skeptical of any car with a name like this. The Oldsmobile had an inexplicable split ‘waterfall’ grille that did the car no favors. The car was not just unattractive, it was also plagued by quality issues that persisted well into the later generations.
12 1977 Ford Pinto
It is hard to believe that this car was actually conceived and produced by Ford. The aggressive jut of the front bumper only added to the comical appearance of the car. There was nothing to love about this car. As if the appearance was not bad enough, they also had a worrisome tendency to explode with a rear-collision impact.
11 1973 Volkswagen Type 181
The Type 181 was initially commissioned as a military vehicle for the West German government in the 1960s. At some point, someone apparently decided it would be fit for non-military purposes. Describing this contraption-on-wheels as an oddity is being extremely kind. It is no wonder that the Type 181 was commonly referred to as the ‘Thing.’ Yes, that’s true.
10 1976 Chevrolet Chevette
This is a car launched in 1976 with a design that was already outdated. The car did go on to be a commercial success, selling 450,000 units in 1980 alone. However, this was down to the fact that the car was cheaply priced. With such a design though, it should have been offered for free on the market.
9 1975 Chrysler Cordoba
The Cordoba was designed to be a ‘personal luxury’ car and boy, they did take the term a little too seriously! First, the car was ridiculously long at almost 18 feet! Despite that, the car could only accommodate 4 people. The headlights seemed to have been slapped on haphazardly; either side of a boxy radiator grille.
8 1978 Subaru Brat
The Brat is actually an acronym for Bi-drive Recreational All-terrain Transporter. Subaru offered the car as a small truck to meet the needs of its American customers. It was a weird creation, to say the least, with awkward lines and a design that mostly seemed very random. Interestingly, it was an export-only model and was never officially sold in Japan, its home country. Smart lads.
7 1970 AMC Gremlin
This one looked everything like its name. It resembled a child’s lazy doodle with its disproportionately long hood and sliced off rear-end. The Gremlin was also plagued with a host of design flaws and was eventually discontinued after eight years. The parent company soon followed the car into oblivion.
6 1970 Bond Bug
This English car shares none of the class and style of the famous British secret agent 007. In fact, the three-wheeler was once described as a cheap hot-tub fitted with a windshield and head-lights. Despite its upbeat launch where it was marketed as a new form of transport, the car had a short production run of 4 years before it slipped away into the sunset.
5 1975 Bricklin SV-1
The design idea behind the Bricklin SV-1 wasn’t actually bad but it was let down by flawed execution. It resulted in a final product that looked like an over-weight duck about to take flight. The interior was roundly criticized as well for its build quality, low visibility, and uncomfortable seats. The car’s production run crawled to an inevitable end, barely 2 years after it began.
4 1978 Volvo 262C
Better believe it, this boxy tank-like creation actually made it past the concept stage and not even as a prototype. In fact, over 6,000 units of what is widely regarded as one of Volvo’s ugliest cars, were built. The car was fitted with a rather crass-looking vinyl top and had an abundance of square angles and rigid lines.
3 1978 Ford Country Squire
This monstrosity was a full-sized station wagon that Ford started building in the 1950s, but it was in the 70s that the design completely fell apart. It had horrible ‘wood-look’ material along the sides to accentuate so-called ‘lines of beauty’. Unfortunately, there was nothing beautiful about it; it only succeeded in making the car look very tacky sans class.
2 1971 Mercury Cougar
The Cougar was a follow-up from the second-generation Mustang. The cougar’s design was curiously at odds with its purpose. For a two-door sports car, it was insanely long at 17 feet and weighed in at a hefty 4,000 lbs. Also, it was hard to look beyond the weird, elongated headlights and a grille that resembled the snout of a fox.
1 The Exception - 1970 Chevrolet Camaro
After a heavy dose of ‘Ugly’, we decided to round off this list with one car that’s actually decent and fun to own. The second-generation is often considered one of the best Camaros ever made.
Apart from a very capable engine set-up, the car had sleek lines that highlighted its sporty intent. Then there was that black grille and polished lugs in the wheels; all subtle touches that added to the car’s appeal.