German isn’t known as a beautiful language, but the German design language is different. There’s Bauhaus architecture, Adidas shoes, and German cars. From budget cars to luxury cars and sports cars to family cars, the Big Three German automobile manufacturers (BMW, Mercedes, and the VW Group) account for over one-third of the total innovation of all 38 car companies worldwide. There have been plenty of these ideas that other manufacturers have seen and couldn’t wait to copy because the Germans often set the benchmarks other companies strive to meet.
However, everyone has good days and bad days, German manufacturers included. When they have good days, their days are legendary, but when they have bad days, at best, they're forgotten, or at worst, they become legends for the wrong reasons. There are plenty of examples of this, and some people will disagree over what works and what doesn’t. After all, beauty is in the eye of the beholder. Sometimes though, manufacturers need to get their vision checked.
These are five of the best-looking German cars and five you can only hope you’ll forget about.
10 Beautiful: 1950 Porsche 356 Speedster
Between 1948 and 1965, Porsche built four versions of the 356, beginning with the Pre-A. They were the first cars mass-produced by them. In 1954, they began building the available coupe, cabriolet, and the speedster, a stripped-down, low-cost, sports-oriented version. Car importer Max Hoffman suggested it might be popular in the United States, a move that proved to be a stroke of genius.
The 200 speedsters built featured a cut-down windshield, lightweight removable top, and side curtains instead of roll-up windows. It was instantly a hit, especially in California, where it was perfect for the weather, and its all-aluminum body was less likely to rust. The shape should be instantly recognizable as its shape would be used for the 911 over the next 70 years.
9 Beautiful: 1955 Mercedes-Benz 300 SL Gullwing
In 1955 Max Hoffman worked his magic again and imported another beautiful automobile. This time he partnered with Mercedes to bring over another dynamic sports car, the 300 SL Gullwing. The gamble paid off again, and the SL 300 would end up being awarded the Sports Car of The Century in 1999
This gorgeous car was designed to maximize aerodynamics and minimize weight, as SL (Sport Light) would imply. The curvaceous body was steel, but the hood, trunk, dashboard, and door skins were aluminum. The midline of the car was too high for standard doors, so the only option was the gullwing door. Its design and 3L V6 engine would make it the fastest production car of the time.
8 Beautiful: 2001 BMW Z8
After the success of the Z3 roadster in the late 90s, BMW decided to take things up a level and, in 2001, built the Z8. It was larger, twice as powerful, and 10x better looking. Its design was started by Chris Bangle’s group, who were responsible for many other BMW models, including the Z4, versions of the 1, 3, 5, 6, 7 series, and the X3, X5, and X6 SUVs. During his time at BMW, it overtook Mercedes as the leader in luxury car sales.
The Z8 took its design cues from the BMW 507 built from 1956 to 1959. The Z8 has its classic car feeling balanced with a dose of modernity that made it fresh and exciting. The 507 was a drop-top, but the Z8 came with a color-matched removable hardtop that kept its style and shapes consistent.
7 Beautiful: 2022 Audi R8 convertible
Audi is known for its conservative, minimalist designs. Ever its higher performance cars aren’t any flashier than the standard models. The last showy model they built was the TT, which was more conspicuous for looking different than showy styling. Then in 2008, they introduced their first mid-engine supercar, the R8. It’s been popular as a less expensive option to other supercars while looking radical but still classy.
The R8 is built on the same platform and shares an engine with the Lamborghini Huracan but is less ostentatious. The newest design has more aggressive styling than in the past, with squared bumpers, a wider grille, and exposed carbon fiber on the flanks and rear. Also worth noting is that below the headlights, the air intake is split into three sections like it was in the Audi Quattro.
6 Beautiful: 2015 Porsche 918
There haven’t been many cars more important than the 918 in the last 15 years, and it had to be because it came out at the same time as the Ferrari LaFerrai and the Mclaren P1. Looking at it from the front, you can tell there is something different about this Porsche, but when you walk around the side to look at the profile, you can tell this isn’t any old car.
The back of this mid-engine car is particularly exciting. It mimics the back of Porsche’s previous halo car, the Carrera GT, with its top exhaust to vent its engine and maintain speed. You can also remove its top and store it in the frunk if you’d like to feel the air whoosh by or decide you want to put it back on in the middle of a journey. Top on or off, the car has perfect flowing lines that accentuate its racing heritage.
5 Hideous: Messerschmitt KR200
After WWII, the Germans had to disarm. Messerschmitt built airplanes and had to find a new business. After seeing the success of Porsche and VW, they decided to give it a try as well. Things were tough in Germany, and metal and gas were at a premium. This resulted in the growth of micro cars, otherwise known as bubble cars. Its main competition was the BMW Isetta, but while neither is particularly good-looking, the KR200 is more awkward.
It's clear from its shape that Messerschmitt was still getting over making airplanes with its sharp nose and cabin arrangement with the passenger seated behind the driver and the way the canopy opened to serve as its door. Luckily, they only built two different models, and in 1968 they could return to making airplanes.
4 Hideous: The Smart ForTwo
In 1998 Daimler, under the name Smart (Swatch Mercedes Art), put a new car into production. Designed with the help of Swiss watchmakers Swatch, built the ultra-mini ForTwo. It was made to be used in cities with fuel efficiency and ease of parking. While this may have been true, they had to sacrifice the ability to carry even a small bag of groceries and any aesthetic appeal to make it work.
When people started to buy them, they certainly created a buzz, but once it became a joke, the chance of selling them went out its tiny windows. It was the same height, but with a width of eight feet two inches, it looked like it had been double-ended, which was possible because it would break down frequently. There was also the issue of a harsh ride, which wasn’t conducive for cities full of potholes. Anyone who didn’t think it was toy-like only needs to look at the Little Tikes car produced by Fisher-Price starting in 1979. The same car, but for a much lower price.
3 Hideous: 2001 Meredes-Benz A Class (168)
If one of the issues people had with the ForTwo was that it only carried two people, Mercedes found a workaround in 2001 with their A-Class (model 168). It was essentially the same car but stretched out to accommodate four passengers. This didn’t improve its looks very much, but four people could be embarrassed instead of two.
Realizing this, Mercedes gave it a minor facelift in 2004, making it less box-like by rounding it slightly in the back. It took them 13 years, but eventually, A-Class total rehaul and made it into a car people would want.
2 Hideous: Volkswagen 181
The VW 181 was initially designed for the West German Army but became a civilian vehicle in 1973. By 1974 it made its way to America, where it was nicknamed the Thing. The thing is, it looked terrible. By 1974 they admitted it wouldn’t work in the US and stopped sales.
The body was made from sheet metal painted in your choice of white, sunshine yellow, pumpkin orange, and in 1974, avocado green. That choice didn’t make it any easier to sell it. You could buy a soft top to cover the passengers, but you had to bring a towel because it would likely leak.
1 Hideous: 2018 Sin S1
The Germans still haven’t learned their lesson and have continued to make unattractive cars. In 2018, with the help of the Bulgarians. The Sin S1 was designed for track performance which is good because you’ll want to leave it there.
There’s not much to redeem the S1. The strange folds around the headlights make it look like it just woke up after a rough night. The bad news is that you can’t look at it from the back either. The rear looks like it might have looked good at some point, but they forgot it on the track in the summer, and when they got back, it had melted.