The history of American cars is incredibly rich. From some of the first cars in the world to the introduction of automotive assembly line techniques and mass production, America lays claim to many advancements the car industry has seen. Even without considering strictly technical advancements, American cars have given us plenty of thrills that continue to this day - who can deny that muscle car beasts like the dodge Demon are hilariously awesome?

At the same time, there have been dark periods in the history of American cars, and a wide range of un-inspired, boring boxes on wheels that hampered the USA's reputation as a car-making nation. But that's not what we're interested in here, as despite any miss-steps and technical focuses, as wide a variety of American cars ignored any sense of logic and convention to forge their own path.

The results can be hilariously weird, from sedans powered by what is essentially a jet engine, to cars designed with only a goal of looking like a crashed alien space ship, here are 10 of the weirdest street-legal cars that were made in America.

10 Fascination 2DR

Via ConceptCarz

Looking more like a vehicle you'd have seen in some 1960s sci-fi vision of the future than any real roads, the Fascination 2DR was indeed a real car that could drive, and saw several units built to completion.

Via Pinterest

The origins of this wild machine began in 1930 under designer Paul M Lewis, taking shape as the Airomobile concept car with a similar body shape. Seeing no success with the Airomobile, Lewis tried again in 1969, creating the Fascination prototype with a nearly identical exterior design to what you see pictured here - save for using a propeller on the back of the car (an idea that was quickly scrapped).

Adopted by the Highway Aircraft Corp, based in Sidney Nebraska, several functioning units of the incredible Fascination design were made, using either VW or Renault 4-cylinder engines. Made from fiberglass, a total of 5 Fascination 2DRs were built in the mid-'70s as fully drivable cars, and while they never entered full production, each of them has survived to this day as beloved collector's items.

9 Davis Divan

Via Wikipedia

A car that looks like it came from far later in time than it really did, the Davis Divan was created immediately after WWII as a sort of vision for future economy cars. Yet, the Divan would be killed off after a minuscule production run, and with its creator sent to jail.

Via Reddit

Beginning its life as a creation of motorsports legend Frank Kurtis, the Divan originated as the "Californian" in 1938, built as a 3-wheel race car for California based racecar driver, engineer, and millionaire Joel Thorne. Enticing Thorne into selling the Californian, Gary Davis acquired the 3-wheeler in 1945 with a vision that it could be turned into an advanced yet affordable economy car.

Forming Davis Motor Car Company in 1946, the Californian was reverse-engineered in order to create prototypes for the Divan. The resulting prototypes were indeed attractive and advanced for the time, but the production capabilities Davis was been claiming to investors had been dramatically oversold. Selling the rights to several hundred franchises, and forming a production team on the promise of future payment, a total of just 11 Divans were made before Davis' claims proved false and the company collapsed. Convicted of fraud in 1948, Gary Davis was sentenced to 2 years in prison.

8 Badsey Bullet

Via Alden Jewell - Flickr

Another super strange 3-wheeler, the Badsey Bullet saw a similarly low production run, but was based around thrilling speed and sportiness rather than affordable innovation.

Via carsthatnevermadeitetc.tumblr.com

While most 3-wheelers pale in comparison to typical 4-wheel sports cars, the Badsey Bullet took shape as a sort of supercar among the type. A project led by racecar driver and inventor Bill Badsey, the Badsey Bullet came to life in California during the early '80s and had a strange yet sporty wedge shape.

But, the Badsey Bullet was as fast as it was strange looking, powered by a Suzuki GS1100 sport bike engine, the Bullet combined a 4-speed auto and 5-speed manual transmission together for a total of 20 forward driving gears. Driven by legendary racer Mario Andretti, the Bullet managed to crack 165 mph on the Indianapolis Motor Speedway at the time, proving just how fast the little rocket was. With its body built out of fiberglass, the strange yet speedy looking Badsey Bullet saw just 8 units completed.

7 Chrysler Turbine Car

Via Hemmings Motor News

The looks of the Chrysler Turbine Car are strange, that's for sure, but what makes this car so weird is how it was powered - by a gas turbine, essentially a car-based jet engine.

Via Concept Carz

The jet engine was an invention that took shape during WWII, and Chrysler won a US Navy contract to develop a turboprop engine (a jet engine that turns a propeller) right after the war, in 1945. Losing the contract in '49, Chrysler shifted their focus to creating a turbine engine-powered car.

While one attempt was made in '54, it would be 1963 that saw the incredibly unique Chrysler Turbine Car hit the road. Powered by a gas turbine that could spin to a ridiculous 45,700 rpm, the Chrysler Turbine Car genuinely worked and offered a uniquely smooth driving experience with plenty of torque. Given by Chrysler to selected families as an experiment into whether the technology was viable, the Chrysler Turbine Car was never put on sale but did indeed drive around America's roads.

RELATED: The Story Of Jay Leno's Turbine-Powered Chrysler

6 ETV Space Ship

Via Motor1

A kit car that truly lives up to its name, the Extra Terrestrial Vehicles (ETV) Space Ship is the closest looking vehicle to a crashed UFO that you can legally drive on road.

Via Wordless Tech

Based in Florida, The Car Factory is run by Mike Vetter and produces the alien-looking ETV Space Ship by stripping down an earthly Chevrolet Aveo to its frame, then building the custom-designed body shell to fit. It's not fast, but the ETV Space Ship makes up for its performance deficiencies with more than 40 mpg in fuel economy, and show-stopping looks that will steal attention away from almost any supercar out there.

You can order the full kit yourself and build the Space Ship in your garage, or pay extra to have ETV do it themselves. Mechanically it may not be the weirdest car out there, but the point of the ETV Space Ship is to look thoroughly alien, and it accomplishes that goal perfectly.

5 Crosley Pickup

Via Mecum Auctions

A hilariously tiny pickup truck from the post-WWII era, Crosley was a radio manufacturer who had come to be known for its diminutively small and properly affordable cars.

Via Mecum Auctions

With a direct aim at being the lowest price cars on the US market, Crosley's first car was shown at the 1939 New York World's Fair, and several more variants were added in 1940 - including a pickup truck. Production began as WWII ended, and the 10 hp, 40 mph capable mini-truck found respectable success off the bat, selling 28,000 units in 1948 alone.

Very simple in its construction, what makes the Crosley Pickup so weird isn't just its tiny body size and engine, but the overall looks as well. A completely unique style, the Crosley pickup blends hard-working body lines that look like the tougher full-size trucks of the time with tiny proportions, and a grille-headlight combo that looks like a mustached face.

RELATED: These Are The Weirdest Micro Cars Ever Made

4 Sebring Vanguard CitiCar

Via Wikimedia Commons

An electric cheese-wedge on wheels, the Sebring-Vanguard CitiCar was an American EV from the '70s that helped push the electric car industry forward, but was about as barebones as a car could possibly be.

Yellow Sebring-Vanguard-Citicar - Side Angle
International Driving Authority

Founded in 1973 by former Chrysler dealer Bob Beaumont, Sebring-Vanguard was focused on one thing and one thing only - producing the minuscule electric CitiCar. While it did indeed help pioneer the modern EV market, the CitiCar really wasn't much of a car and had incredibly simple construction to it.

Going on sale in 1974 for a price of $2,700 (the equivalent of around $14,000 today), the CitiCar had an array of six 6 V batteries powering a 3.5 hp electric motor that let it hit a top speed of 28 mph, with a 35-mile range. Despite its puzzling looks and overall lack of refinement, the CitiCar was a relative success, selling 2,400 units before Sebring-Vanguard went bankrupt in 1978.

3 Rambler Rebel

Via Wikipedia

A mostly forgotten pioneer of the muscle car world, the Rambler Rebel was one of the weirdest looking cars made by AMC, but also was one of the fastest cars on sale during its time.

Via Old Cars Weekly

A name rooted in AMC's origins, "Rambler" was a nameplate started by Nash, then adopted by AMC after Nash and Hudson merged to form the new brand. By the mid '50s, Rambler models were selling well, but were not exactly known for their performance. Based on the 1957 Rambler sedan, the Rambler Rebel took shape that year as an early version of what we now call a muscle car.

Yes, the Oldsmobile Rocket 88 came before it, but the Rambler Rebel was still among the first true muscle cars to come into existence. Using an in-house developed 327 cu-in V8 with 255 hp, equipped adjustable shocks and stabilizer bars, as well as a choice of better performing transmissions, the Rambler Rebel was the second-fastest car tested by Motor Trend in 1957. Yet, then you look at it, and the strange blend of design cues like the wide-mouth grille and notched rear window make the Rambler Rebel not only one of the fastest American cars of its day, but also one of the strangest looking.

RELATED: 10 Coolest AMC Classics You Can Buy Used For Peanuts

2 Willys Jeep FC-150

Via Mecum Auctions

One of the most unique looking classic pickup trucks in the world, the Jeep FC-150 was made for a similar purpose as the modern Jeep Gladiator - to help Jeep enter a booming pickup truck market.

Via Mecum Auctions

First going on sale in 1956, the Jeep FC-150 wasn't an entirely new vehicle, but rather the iconic Jeep CJ-5 overhauled with a unique pickup truck body. While a simple glance is enough to understand how visually unique it is, the FC-150 mechanically was quite interesting as well, using a layout that placed the driver's seat in front of the engine, and on top of the front axles.

Called the "Forward Control" (FC) for this configuration, the FC-150 was the first of the FC series and was otherwise incredibly simple mechanically. In terms of exterior design though, the FC-150 was penned by famous American industrial designer Brooks Stevens and has all the style that makes mid-century design so cool - think along the lines of how a 1950s diner looked. While not a real success in America, the FC-150 today stands out as a show stopper and is one of the most awesomely strange classic pickups to ever exist.

1 Chevrolet SSR

Via Hooniverse

While the Jeep FC-150 stands out as a unique pickup, it at least made sense when it came to purposeful design. The Chevy SSR on the other hand, is also very unique, but makes a whole lot less sense when trying to understand its purpose.

Via Mecum Auctions

First produced in 2004, the Chevy SSR hopped on the retro inspired design trend set by other American cars like the Ford Thunderbird, Chrysler 300 and PT Cruiser, and Plymouth Prowler. Rather than stick to one retro style though, the Chevy SSR was a jumbled mix of inspirations, paying tribute to everything from 1950s pickups, to Hot Rods, to muscle cars, and even classic roadsters. This was the real problem, as the SSR couldn't focus on just one, and ended up not really fulfilling any true purpose.

Still, the SSR is a rather cool vehicle, looking like no other truck on the road. Despite the plastic GM parts bin interior, the SSR came with a proper V8 under the hood, most notably the LS2 for the '05 and '06 model years - giving it around 390 hp. With some great power, a mashup of purposes, and weird looks, the SSR is one of the strangest modern cars to be produced by an American brand.

NEXT: 10 Craziest Pickup Trucks Introduced in 2020