In the world of car enthusiasts, certain groups exist with a focus on a specific car or brand. With so many cars in existence, people like to choose one or two as the focus of their passion and enthusiasm towards the automotive world.
While it doesn't mean they won't look at any other car with admiration, having a favorite model is only natural. Whether it was the car you dreamed about as a child or one that simply suits your needs and wants perfectly, we all tend to have that one car we're perhaps too enamored with.
Usually, it's the cars that stand out as shining examples of their type that receive this treatment, after all, why would you want to care about a bad car? But, this assumption doesn't always hold true in reality, and plenty of seemingly awful cars develop passionate fan bases. A strange phenomenon indeed, these 10 classic cars stand out as rather terrible but are passionately adored in spite of that.
10 DeLorean DMC-12
One of the most iconic and instantly recognizable sports cars in existence, the DeLorean DMC-12 has managed to overcome its reputation as a terrible car in the public eye with sheer pop culture appeal.
Its only natural to assume such a unique and exotic looking car was a fantastic machine, especially with the DMC-12's silhouette gaining worldwide fame thanks to Back To The Future.
But, the DeLorean DMC-12 was a truly lackluster sports car. With a wimpy V6 that could hardly give the heavy steel bodied car any tangible performance, the DMC-12 was brought down by a long list of faults. But, thanks to its pop-culture fame, and unique looks, DMC-12s are treasured collector's items.
9 Bricklin SV-1
A failure along similar lines to the DMC-12, the Bricklin SV-1 was an attempt at a Canadian sports car that would lead the way with safety features.
Standing for "Safety Vehicle 1," the SV-1 was the brainchild of Malcolm Bricklin, the same man responsible for bringing Subaru to North America.
While the looks are definitely sporty, the SV-1 was brought down by a long list of flaws, including complete failures of the safety features, a hefty price, and a Ford V8 that was choked down to 175hp - and further neutered by a 3-speed automatic transmission. Despite not being all that safe, or all that sporty, SV-1s have a passionate following as an automotive curiosity, and one of the only Canadian made sports cars out there.
8 Ford Thunderbird Supercoupe
Starting off life in the '50s as Ford's personal luxury car with some proper muscle capabilities, the Ford Thunderbird was a spectacular car for the first few generations.
But, by the '70s, the Thunderbird name was watered down, being placed on rather average mid-size cars. Starting in 1989, the tenth generation Thunderbird was released, and was even farther along the badge-engineering spiral of mediocrity.
While not a truly horrible car, the tenth generation Thunderbird was nowhere near as special as the Thunderbird name made it seem. But, a supercharged muscle-tuned version came out as well, known as the Supercoupe. While not that impressive of a performance beast today, the Thunderbird Supercoupe has a dedicated fanbase, as it was one of the last true powerful RWD American luxury coupes you could buy.
7 Subaru BRAT/Baja
Not a vehicle category Subaru is known for, the BRAT and Baja were Subaru's strange attempts at pickup trucks, spanning from 1978 until 2006.
Based on Subaru's compact cars of their respective time - the GL for the BRAT, and Outback for the Baja - neither version of the Subaru truck did a particularly good job of being an actual truck, and stood out more for their weirdness than anything else.
But, that has worked in the BRAT and Baja's favor, as now they are starting to be seen as incredibly strange automotive curiosities, rather than lackluster trucks to avoid buying. Both BRAT and Baja prices have been on the rise, with forums and fan clubs existing for both models of Subaru's small and strange trucks.
6 Pontiac Aztek
Widely remembered as one of the ugliest cars in modern history, the Pontiac Aztek was an utter failure that contributed to the death of Pontiac as a brand.
While not the worst car out there, the Aztek was a failure due to a combination of horrible looks, misplaced priorities, and an over-emphasis on novelty features rather than true advancements.
But, being widely mocked when new made the Aztek more famous than if it had simply been yet another boring GM SUV. Now, with the Aztek being a thing of the past, the strange SUV is looked at as more of a curiosity, with pop culture exposure in shows like Breaking Bad accelerating the fascination towards them, and fan clubs existing around the SUV.
5 AMC Pacer
One of the strangest economy cars to be made in America, the AMC Pacer is an odd bubble shaped hatchback from the late '70s that wasn't particularly any good.
Gaining iconic status due to its rounded shape, that was futuristic for the time, the Pacer wasn't that revolutionary of a car, but offered an affordable and unique vehicle for the average driver. That being said, this was 1970s AMC, and quality wasn't their strong suit.
Making many lists of the "ugliest cars of all time," the Pacer's strange looks set it apart, and contributed to its downfall. But, thanks to the Pacer now being old enough to be considered a classic, the unique looks have turned the car into a true cult classic. Adding to this as well, the cult classic movie Wayne's World featured a Pacer as the iconic Mirthmobile, further enhancing the Pacer's cult status.
4 Reliant Robin
If you recognize the Reliant Robin, and didn't grow up in the UK during the 1970's, you most likely know it from Top Gear's legendary episode on the car, and its roll-prone characteristics.
Admittedly, the Robins they used were modified to roll over with ease, but that doesn't detract from how bad the Robin was.
If you've seen that legendary Top Gear episode, you probably know where this is going - the Robin was a cheap and bare-bones car, with only its low price and ability to drive one without a full driver's license being its true virtue. But, as you probably saw in that same episode, the Robin has a dedicated fan club of people who love the cheap little 3-wheeler. Strange, but worse cars have gained more passionate followings.
3 Lada Niva
Another cheap and bare-bones car with a surprisingly passionate following, the Lada Niva may not be that nice of a car to drive, but its indestructible engineering and off-road capabilities more than make up for it in the eyes of fans.
While its easy to group the Niva in with the other truly lackluster Ladas, the Niva was surprisingly advanced when introduced in 1977. Rather than use the typical body-on-frame construction and leaf springs that most pure utility vehicles of the time had, the Niva was a unibody design with independent suspension.
Designed for non-stop use in the depths of rural Russia, the Niva is downright indestructible. Yes, its an uncomfortable and spartan car, but, one that is well appreciated across the former USSR. But even then, there are Niva fan clubs worldwide, thanks to the car's unbeatable off-road capabilities and durability for the cheap prices they command.
2 Trabant
Its arguable that the Lada Niva's AK-47 like qualities can overcome its negative points, but the Trabant is another communist car that has no such redeeming features, and is widely known as the worst car ever made.
Built with a plastic body, the Trabant's only advanced feature was independent suspension - when released in the '50s. Otherwise a horribly unrefined and bare-bones car, development didn't keep up with the times, and the Trabant remained unchanged as the East German people's car up until the Berlin Wall fell.
But, being the symbol of East German motoring, the Trabant has a surprisingly passionate following, comprised of people who remember the Trabant as a symbol of the East German people, and car enthusiasts looking for something completely different.
1 VW Thing
Spawned from the German military Kubelwagen used during WWII, the Volkswagen Type 181, also known as the Thing, is an incredibly strange, bare-bones utility vehicle.
Despite there being a charming quirkiness to it, the VW Thing is horribly unrefined, with an interior that's comprised of not much more than the bare metal used for the body, and the same faithful yet weak motor used in the VW Beetle.
But the focus on pure function hasn't stopped the Thing from gaining a loyal fanbase. With vintage SUVs and interesting looking, rugged machines like this exploding in popularity, the Thing has amassed a surprising following, and prices have skyrocketed, with mint condition examples selling for over $40,000.