Making up about 1/5 of household vehicles in the US, pickup trucks are arguably the most straightforward cars ever conceptualized. This is due in large part to pickup trucks appealing mainly to a very specific market; people with jobs or lives that require transporting heavy things for long distances. Where manufacturers seem to go a bit awry with pickup trucks is when they try to make them appeal to other buyers too. The underlying issue, which manufacturers often overlook, is that if buyers need a pickup truck in addition to a family, sports, or luxury vehicle, many of them will purchase both. But then again, hindsight is 20-20.
Over the years, and especially in the early 2000s, car manufacturers have attempted to create pickup trucks that could appeal to wider audiences. These attempts at branching out have often led to the development, and sometimes production, of some of the strangest automobiles under the sun. Fortunately, brands caught wind of the absurdity of most of these models and quickly discontinued them; however, many can still be found on several used car websites. With some being absurd shapes and others making zero mechanical sense, these are the weirdest utes and pickups to ever make it to production.
8 2022 HSV Maloo
Looking like the love child between a family sedan and a hearse is the super rear Australian truck, the HSV Maloo. Seeing this car, one may understandably assume that it either handles like a pickup truck or a sedan, which it closely resembles.
NOPE! Thanks to its ungodly Supercharged LSA V8 Engine, the Maloo drives much more like a sports car. This is the perfect car for fans who haven't completely made up their mind on what car to get and only have the budget for one.
7 2002 Subaru Baja
It's hard to pinpoint which feature of this car makes it look so strange. Perhaps it's the combined color scheme of a solid color and light sliver, or perhaps it is the fact that it looks like an SUV with a truck bed attached to its tale.
With its All-wheel-drive capabilities and sufficient room for passengers and cargo, the Subaru Baja makes most practical sense out of any entry on this list. However, there is still something about its exterior design that doesn't seem to sit quite right.
6 2004 Dodge Ram SRT-10
Yet another example of pickup trucks that try their hardest to look like anything other than a pickup is the Dodge Ram SRT. Thanks to its monstrous 8.3L V10 engine, the SRT produces 500 hp at around 5,000 rpm, meaning that as far as trucks go, it is incredibly powerful.
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In fact, it is so powerful that it set the world record for the fastest truck in 2004. So if there is any truck that deserves a spoiler it is the SRT, doesn't mean that a spoiler on a pickup will ever look normal.
5 1961 Mini Pickup
Launched around the same time as the original Mini, this car is the most adorable entry on the list. Some may ask, "why make a pickup with the carrying capacity of the backseat of any regular sedan?" The answer to that question is unfortunately yet to be revealed.
The pickup seems perfect for transporting something very small and very heavy, but not too heavy because the car only has 34 horsepower.
4 2016 Ford Falcon Ute
Available in the equally weird Cab Chassis and Styleside box this pickup truck puts the "why" in "why would they make this?"
Similar to the Maloo, the Ute has a sedan-looking front and a pickup bed in the rear, driving home the "business in the front/manual labor in the back" vibe that many manufacturers seemed to go for in the 2000s.1960 Chevrolet Corvair Pickup
The first of two Chevy pickup trucks on this list, the Corvair pickup is a definite miss from the iconic brand. Though it had interesting features like a side ramp that enabled smaller vehicles to drive onto the bed, the 85 hp of the car and its overall aesthetic seem to slightly miss the mark.
In all fairness, Chevy has given the world so many incredible trucks that a couple of duds are completely excusable.
3 2004 International CXT
Though most of the trucks on this list look downright silly, the international CXT kind of hits the spot. The closest thing to monster trucks that production cars get, the CXT can tow an astounding 20 tons.
In addition to being capable of carrying three adult elephants, the CXT runs on a DT 466 Diesel engine and has a curb weight of 14,000 pounds.
2 1994 Skoda Felicia Fun
Available in the eye-catching, nay, eye-straining bright yellow exterior and interior, the Skoda Fun perfectly exemplifies what the 90s were all about. From ads, one can only assume that the car was mostly marketed towards young adults who love to surf and go on trips.
The saving grace of the car were the pull-out backseats that could turn the 2-seater into a quirky yet comfortable 4-seater.
1 Chevrolet SSR (2003-2006)
When one pulls up next to a Chevy SSR at a stoplight, one automatically assumes it is a custom job gone horribly wrong. Nope!
This ridiculous design is exactly what Chevrolet envisioned with this car that they launched in 2003 and quickly took out of production 3 years later. With its strangely covered bed, the car is much less of a pickup and more of a two-seater with an unnecessarily large trunk.