Italians have a reputation for making gorgeous but temperamental cars, often with copious amounts of power and brilliant handling. The USA is most famous for its muscle cars, brutishly fast machines with huge horsepower numbers but relatively affordable prices. Neither countries are known much for their odd design choices, a title that's much more likely to go to the UK or Japan.
But, as with any carmaking nation, there's plenty of instances where designers seem to have had their eyes closed when sketching their latest model. Even worse, they all got put into production, despite being objectively hideous. Both Italy and America have put out their fair share of automotive eyesores, ranging from tiny hatchbacks to million-dollar supercars. Let's take a look at five of the worst offenders from each country.
10 Italy - Fiat Multipla
It's a car so ugly that it's now actually got a cult fanbase, but certainly when it first came out the Multipla was ridiculed. Reviewers and owners alike called it all sort of things, from looking overweight to resembling some sort of sea creature.
The main issue is the ridge that holds the second set of headlights, combined with the huge fishbowl windshield. Fiat are a company known for being hit and miss on designs, as they've also produced atrocities like the 500L. But, the Multipla has to go down as one of the brand's greatest design flops. Even a mid-life refresh couldn't make the car look any better.
9 Italy - Lancia Ypsilon Mk1
The Ypsilon is a wretched car that symbolizes the decline of Lancia perfectly. Its engine is one of its few redeeming features, with around 80 hp offered, which isn't much but was pretty good at the time for such a small car. Unfortunately, everything else about the Ypsilon is rubbish.
The front of the car looks squashed, like someone had tried fitting a full-size face that had been sat on last minute. The back was no better, looking equally out of proportion. Despite its hideous appearance, the third generation of the supermini is still on sale today, as Lancia's only model. For those wondering, yes, it still looks terrible.
8 Italy - Ferrari 308 GT4
Ferraris are stereotypically thought of as some of the most beautiful cars in the world, but even they've made some duds. The 308 GT4 was originally designed by Enzo Ferrari as a more usable, affordable car, being able to take passengers and carry cargo while still keeping that Ferrari charm.
Instead, the car looks more like a bad copy of a Ferrari, with its angular proportions and tacky plastic trim. Overall it's also pretty boring, which is a cardinal sin for any Italian exotic. Is it the worst looking car to ever come out of Italy? No, but by Ferrari standards it's hideous.
7 Italy - Pagani Huayra
The main selling point of a Pagani is its power and capability round a track, so no-one's really buying one for its looks. Even so, it's odd that none of the brand's design team took a long look at the Huayra and thought, "surely it doesn't have to look this bad?"
As aerodynamic as it might be, it just looks terrible, with insect-like headlights and mirrors that seem to sprout out of the car sideways like plant shoots. The Huayra BC facelift did go some way to remedying the car's looks, but even then it's hardly going to win any beauty competitions.
6 Italy - Cizeta V16T
Formed by a group of ex-Lamborghini engineers, it's clear that the Cizeta got its design inspiration from the Lambo Diablo. But, perhaps in an effort to differentiate it from the original design, the Cizeta is a whole lot uglier. The main offence is its face, with dual pop-up headlamps on each side and even more lights underneath those.
The side profile of the car looks like a Diablo that's been stretched, but with hints of an '80s Ferrari. The rear of the car is probably the least offensive part, but it's still not exactly good. The car never sold well, mostly thanks to these questionable looks, although it's still apparently possible to commission one from Cizeta today.
5 USA - AMC Pacer
AMC made some very good-looking models during their time as an automaker, but they produced plenty of ugly cars too. One such car was the Pacer, a strange combination of traditional American design on a hatchback that nobody asked for.
The Pacer was a good idea in theory, aiming to offer more space than rival cars but still keep the design relatively compact. The result just didn't look right though, with over 35% of the car being glass, giving it the nickname The Flying Fishbowl. In France, the rear of the car was advertised as looking like a woman's rear end, which was both incorrect and not a very effective sales tactic either. After all, who wants a car that looks like some buttocks?
4 USA - Pontiac Trans Sport
No-ones saying that minivans are going to be the best sector for gorgeous designs, but even so the Pontiac Trans Sport is a terrible looking vehicle. It seemed to be a hangover of the wedge-shaped design trope of the '70s and '80s, except that shape was usually used to imply something sporty. Despite its name, the Trans Sport was a very long way from sporty.
In fact, the car was distinctly average in performance, with the range-topping V6 engine only putting out 175 hp. In a car this heavy, that meant a 0-60 time of 10.6 seconds, not terribly slow but not anywhere near the "Sport" experience that the car's name and design implied. All in all, it just signified the worst aspects of minivan design: dated, dull and trying desperately to be something it wasn't.
3 USA - Chrysler PT Cruiser Convertible
The PT Cruiser has plenty of fans, or at least owners who don't think the design is too bad. In fact, the hardtop version does have a certain retro charm, in an oddly endearing way. But, the convertible just looks plain silly.
The retro-modern proportions of the PT Cruiser were never really suited to a drop-top anyway, but the thick B-pillar that rises above the front seats gives the car an almost comical appearance. Not to mention, the car's handling is apparently inexcusably sloppy and its build quality isn't great either.
2 USA - Panoz Abruzzi
One of the lesser-known American car brands, Panoz deserve some attention simply because of how terrible their car looks. The Abruzzi was supposed to be the company's attempt at designing a Euro-style performance car, but which European cars they'd been looking at remains a mystery.
The Abruzzi is simply hideous, whichever way it's looked at. It's not cheap either, with the car costing around $450,000. That's Ferrari money for a car that might give passing children nightmares. Predictably, interest in the car was non-existent and Panoz had to shelve the model in 2014.
1 USA - Pontiac Aztek
Possibly the most famous ugly American car, the Pontiac Aztek is remembered for all the wrong reasons. Originally conceived as a more versatile SUV to appeal to a younger demographic, the Atzek was in production for around five years. In that time, close to 120,000 units were sold, so the car clearly won over some owners despite its looks.
Underneath, it was a fairly practical and competent crossover, and Pontiac should at least be given some credit for putting the car into production despite its unconventional looks. Still, it's undeniably hideous, which is why it's so infamous both in America and around the world.