They say you should never judge a book by its cover. While the same philosophy applies to automobiles, there are some cars so weird looking, they didn't stand a chance.

While the look of cars has evolved dramatically throughout history, the public prefers changes in design to happen steadily over time. They don’t want a car that tries something really drastic out of nowhere. If an automaker does decide to go with something dramatic all of a sudden, it has to be universally accepted. Otherwise, if a car looks too weird, the people is going to outright reject it.

There’re some cars that failed even before automakers rolled them off the production line. Even though they tried to make something cool and innovative, the ultimate design didn't sit well with car buyers. The sales underperformed as a result of poor public reception, which often leads to automakers cutting production short.

Then there are automobiles that deserve a second chance. These were great cars that didn’t manage to sell well. Coming out ahead of their time, automakers tried something new and actually succeeded in making a worthy car—the public just didn't catch on for whatever reason. These get filed away in history as misunderstood and underrated cars.

Half of the vehicles detailed on this list are no-good, weird ventures that failed for clear reasons. The other half are misunderstood cars that despite their quirks, are seriously overlooked simply because they deviate from the norm of what the public expects out of their automobiles.

20 Misunderstood: Isuzu VehiCROSS

via BestCarMag.com

The 1999 Isuzu VehiCROSS may suffer like a lot of other cars on this list in the design department, yet it’s worth another look. The U.S. car market didn’t favor the VehiCROSS with its attempt to provide drivers with a performance-driven experience. According to U.S. News, the VehiCROSS emerged out of the Isuzu Trooper before it and was intended to be a compact SUV that could off-road. Part of what put it ahead of its time was its 4WD TOD capabilities, also known as torque-on-demand.

Although it’s more common for 4x4 vehicles to come equipped with TOD today, it wasn’t as common back in the VehiCROSS's era.

19 Flop: Dodge Dakota Convertible

via Hagerty

It’s hard to know what the thinking was behind the Dodge Dakota. While credit is due to Dodge for trying something new, taking the roof off a pickup doesn’t sound like the best approach. That’s exactly what they did though in the form of the 1989-1991 Dodge Dakota, which Hagerty confirms got the label Sport convertible.

According to the same source, sales were flat for the Dakota by the time the Sport convertible debuted, which appears as an attempt to turn a profit. That wasn’t exactly what people were looking for though, and as expected, the truck failed to take off.

18 Misunderstood: Chrysler Turbine

via jkyscsyg.com

Chrysler may have attempted a mere cash grab when it came to the Turbine, though there’s more to consider behind this experiment gone wrong. A turbine-powered car sounded like a worthy technology to begin implementing into vehicles.

According to Hemmings, over 30,000 people volunteered to test drive these vehicles—and although the program ultimately came to an end—drivers liked the car.

The positive feedback noted less of a need for maintenance and a smooth driving experience. While the cars weren’t known for getting stellar gas mileage, they showed promise in other areas. Perhaps if the program had continued, they could’ve perfected some of its shortcomings to make it a viable production car.

17 Flop: Nissan Murano CrossCabriolet

via Road and Track

Cars that appeal to only a narrow niche of customers often ostracize other groups of potential buyers. It doesn’t help when the car isn’t very nice to look at either. As if the Nissan Murano CrossCabriolet’s name wasn’t warning enough, all one has to see is its exterior to know it’s an oddball.

According to U.S. News, the original MSRP of these standard models was $45,000, which is just another strike against it. Even though they stopped production on these, there still exists an audience that’s attracted to this strange car. The convertible edition is even considered a nightmare among car enthusiasts.

16 Misunderstood: Bugatti EB110

via Wikipedia

Sometimes an automaker falls victim to internal struggles, thus preventing a car from shining. The EB110 is one such example, which car enthusiasts tend to appreciate. According to Autowise, Bugatti once struggled to pay their debts and they went bankrupt as a result. In turn, the EB110 suffered for the company’s missteps.

The same source reports that they only made 139 models overall. What makes this an intriguing car is its styling and performance. Underneath the slick exterior was a V12 engine that could do 604 hp, which people expect from this revered automaker. It’s too bad the EB110 didn’t get a chance to flourish.

15 Flop: Ford Thunderbird

via Powersport California Custom

Some of the decisions behind the 2002-2006 Ford Thunderbirds were enough to make one question how far their sales could go. In an attempt to reference mid-1950s Thunderbirds, Ford upped the ante on nostalgia. Though despite bearing some design features of classic Thunderbirds, MSN reports that only 59,200 units sold over three years.

It’s not always a guaranteed slam dunk that cars will sell well, even if they reference beloved classics. To make matters worse, as How Stuff Works reports, these Thunderbirds supposedly had body flex and cowl shake issues when driving on uneven pavement. The Thunderbird fell short in capturing people’s interest.

14 Misunderstood: Saturn Sky Red Line

via Diesel Station

While it’s hard to believe that a Saturn made the list of misunderstood cars, it’s worth highlighting. The Saturn Sky Red Line deserved better. These performance-centric cars have turbo engines that can do 260 hp, according to Autowise. Add to that the unique and eye-catching styling, and the Red Line was a force to be reckoned with.

This car had a brief and undeserved production of only three years, ending in 2009. Autowise notes that collectors may look to add these to their garages considering the brief production window. This is a rare example of an amazing car that came from a so-so automaker.

13 Flop: Chevrolet SSR

via Radka Maric

The Chevy SSR tried to make a callback to early hotrods in its exterior design. Instead, it turned off car buyers and failed to capture car buyers’ interest. Although made on a mass scale, U.S. News reports that only 25,000 exist.

While the outside looked bad, what resided under the hood was just as bad.

The same source notes that its chassis weighed down the car so that it couldn’t capitalize on its 300 hp capabilities. In the end, the SSR was its own worst enemy. Although they improved on the SSR over time, it was a case of too little too late by the time 2006 rolled around when Chevy pulled the plug.

12 Flop: GM EV1

via blog.moteur.com

The looks alone are enough to make someone question whether the GM EV1 would be successful with car buyers. While the team behind the EV1 may have envisioned a car for the future, GM’s gamble wouldn’t pay off in the long term.

According to Car and Driver, the EV1 batteries only lasted up to about 90 miles, which even then was poor standards. On top of that, customers needed 15 hours before their battery was fully charged. That means even a full night’s rest won’t cover the entire time needed before the car is ready to go again for another 90 miles.

11 Misunderstood: Cadillac XLR

via Pinterest

The Cadillac XLR—at least on the outside—is sure to raise eyebrows. Part of what attracts the attention is the retractable hardtop, which Motor1 reports added too much weight to the car. In spite of this design choice, the car came with some nice features like a DVD player, keyless access and more. That, combined with the exterior styling, made this a unique luxury ride.

The public didn’t see it that way and they eventually called it quits after six years of production. This is one of those cars that’s going to draw either extreme criticisms or compliments depending on one's opinion.

10 Flop: Scion / Toyota iQ

via AutoEvolution

A vehicle like the iQ is going to be the underdog in a market saturated with SUVs and crossovers. Toyota had huge goals for this car originally, with Car and Driver reporting they hoped to sell 100,000 every year. They not only fell short of this goal, but managed to sell a lot less, with only 16,000 overall.

The fact that this small car can hold four people is astounding; it looks like it can barely fit two. The car struggled to capture the public’s interest in an age where people aren’t interested in downsizing their driving experience, even if it’s more affordable.

9 Misunderstood: Lamborghini LM002

via Curated

From one’s first impression, it’s hard to believe the LM002 is a Lamborghini. For those willing to look past the fact that it’s not a supercar, they’ll discover there’s a competent SUV worth their attention.

U.S. News reports that it comes with a powerful V12 engine, which is more than enough to take on any terrain. That V12 is able to do 444 hp, which is astounding in a 4WD.

Unfortunately, there wasn’t enough of an interest and they only made 300 over the course of its production. With a six figure price tag though, it’s easy to see why.

8 Flop: Suzuki X90

via Auto Express

The Suzuki X90 from 1996 is an odd looking car on the outside, which stood out like a warning to car owners. It’s hard to pin down exactly what class of car this is. While it has the front styling of an SUV, the back half didn’t match, looking short and impractical.

According to U.S. News, a meager engine capable of 95 hp was underneath the hood of his strange little vehicle. While this doesn’t really surprise critics considering how small the car was in the first place, it reinforces the idea that there’s nothing more the X90 has to offer on the inside.

7 Misunderstood: Subaru Brat

via Pinterest

Giving a car the name “Brat” may not sit well with the mainstream, but that shouldn’t prevent them from giving this truck another chance. The 1978 Subaru Brat, according to U.S. News, had a cool feature where drivers could turn four-wheel drive on or off at will with a switch. For those who like a celebrity endorsement to convince them the Brat was legit, the same source reports that Ronald Reagan owned one.

While the truck bed may not have been as useful, it’s a pickup that offered off-roading capabilities for more rugged landscapes. While Subaru survived the 20th century to continue making cars today, the Brat didn’t.

6 Flop: Vector

via Pinterest

The Vector looks like the kind of stylized car that could appear in a comic book movie. While the exterior looks eye-catching, Vector Motors struggled to get this car off the ground. According to Car and Driver, Vector attempted to make a 650 hp that wouldn’t cost an arm and a leg. It ended up being expensive anyways.

With the company struggling to make a prototype until 10 years after it formed, the writing was on the wall.

While the company did manage to create their supercar, they weren’t able to create one that consumers could or even would want to buy.

5 Misunderstood: Volkswagen Vanagon Syncro

via Bring a Trailer

The 1985 Volkswagen Vanagon Syncro 4x4 is nothing fancy. Still, the idea of a 4x4 van is intriguing enough to make it on the list. Even though U.S. News reports only 5,000 units came into the States, these 4WD vans deserved better. The design and engineering behind the Vanagon Syncro was better than it led on, with the same source touting its suspension and ground clearance—both areas a 4x4 should shine.

While a van isn’t exactly the 4x4 many envision, it manages to combine the two worlds successfully. It’s clear the U.S. market wanted nothing to do with them and it’s a shame.

4 Flop: Subaru SVX

via boitierrouge.com

Whenever an automaker introduces a new design feature that’s different from the norm, it ought to enhance the driving experience, not impede it. Despite having a competent motor, the Subaru SVX didn’t set itself up for success with a split window design. That only allowed for half the window to roll down, as U.S. News reports.

It makes you take for granted the way conventional car windows work. The same source notes that the same designer behind the SVX also worked on the DeLorean. Sales weren’t very hot for the SVX, which led to the car’s end in just four years. The split window alone may have been responsible.

3 Misunderstood: Subaru Baja

via WheelsAge.org

Another Subaru to make the list is the Baja. These models from 2003 showed again that Subaru was not afraid to try something new. Taking a new approach with the pickup, the Baja was a compact pickup that gave drivers the feeling of a sedan on the inside. While this kind of mixed experience might rub drivers the wrong way, the Baja served as a welcome entry-level for new pickup owners.

U.S. News reports that Subaru only sold 30,000 units over the course of its production, confirming that car buyers didn’t like it.

Despite the public shrug, it’s a car that proves styles can mix.

2 Flop: Amphicar

via Hemmings

A car that can go underwater either sounds like the greatest idea or the worst one. Attempted on a production scale, automakers in Germany intended the 1961 Amphicar to travel on both land and sea.

According to U.S. News, the front tires served as rudders when it was in water and was pushed along by twin propellers.

As cool as this idea sounded, the public could see what was coming. Despite making 4,000 units, the Amphicar wasn’t known for performing well on either roads or water. While one could argue the Amphicar was a brave attempt, it’s also a weird one that wasn’t able to stay afloat.

1 Misunderstood: Pontiac Aztek

via AutoEvolution

Thanks to the popular show Breaking Bad, people are willing to give the Pontiac Aztek another chance. While the styling is one of the biggest marks against it, the interior has a lot more to offer.

According to U.S. News, the Aztek offers some creative storage compartments on the inside. It’s not the most fashionable crossover, especially by today’s standards, but it’s going to offer a lot for drivers who don't mind how their ride looks. Although Pontiac cut the cord on Aztek production in 2005, they’re still available on the used car market for an average price of $3,489, as per CarGurus.

Sources: U.S. News, Car and Driver, Hagerty & Hemmings