Europe has produced some of the world's most beautiful and memorable cars. The first-ever car came out of Stuttgart, Germany. So the region has a long automotive history. Home to so many different countries in such a small amount of space, with their own unique set of beliefs and ideologies. The automobile has become an expression of different countries and their values.
Over the many that were produced, not all of them were hits. With the challenges of developing a car, made more apparent as time passes with more strict limitations and requirements. Even some of the biggest automakers haven't been able to make great cars all the time. It takes a few duds to get to the gems. Here are some of the ugliest European cars.
10 Morris Marina
The Morris Marina is one of the most awful cars to come out of the British Leyland. This small family car was first built in 1948 and despite its many shortcomings, it was very popular in Britain. With the Marina's awkwardly low placed taillights and a strange front grille that was going through an identity crisis, changing multiple times with the seasons.
It became the butt of many jokes for Jermey, Richard, and James of Top Gear. The performance didn't do the Marina any favors either, equipped with an underpowered inline-4 engine and horrible reliability issues. This is a car you wouldn't want to wish upon your worst enemy.
9 Citroën C3 Pluriel
The Citroën C3 Pluriel is a French car that should not have gotten past the drawing board. The French are known to build cars with a quirky charm, the Pluriel was built with a lot of quirks and a little charm. Shaped like a swelled toe from a cartoon, pulsating after it had been stubbed.
The Pluriel came with a complicated, multi-piece removable top that took longer to solve than a Rubik's cube. Perfect for those moments a sudden rainstorm appears when the top is down. The stubbed toe from kicking it at that moment would be preferable to owning it.
8 Rover 100
The Rover 100 was launched in the United Kingdom, leaving many asking why. The 100 hit all the wrong buttons. Starting off with a pitiful 1.1 or 1.4-liter inline-4 engine or an even slower 1.4 or 1.5 diesel engine. The 100 went from 0-60 mph in the same time it took to watch Frodo go from the Shire to the gates of Mordor in the extended versions of Lord Of The Rings.
The 100 scored poorly in crash tests and has the looks of a Volkswagen Golf that's been through every one of those tests. The ideal car for those that want to leave dignity behind as they start their journey into the afterlife.
7 Peugeot 207
The Peugeot 207 was launched in 2006 in hatchback, coupe, or station wagon configurations and all of these variations were quite the eyesore. The front bumper looks out of place like it was an afterthought. As if the designers forgot the bumper as they finished the car and remembered that they needed one and decided to slap one on.
From the front, the 207 looks like a teenager who's self-conscious of their new braces and was forced to smile for the school picture. Worst of all was the convertible. Not only did it have a trunk that stuck out like Waldo at a goth bar but with the top down, it becomes more difficult to hide in shame.
6 Austin Allegro
The Austin Allegro was thoroughly bred in the British Leylands to disappoint. Austin wanted a saloon but it seemed they were too lazy to design one opting to take a pre-existing model, the Maxi, instead and weld the hatchback shut and cut out a trunk.
The front didn't do the Allegro any favors either. The headlights were strangely too close together, forcing one to wonder if it was them that was crosseyed or the car. The Allegro was underpowered, which gave laughing onlookers days to look at that terrible rear end as it made its getaway.
5 Renault Avantime
The Renault Avantime was a cross between an estate car and a minivan, and they successfully took the worst aspects of both. The lameness associated with many estate cars and the bulk and sluggishness of a minivan. The Avantime looks like a typical minivan from the front, that screams out that the occupants have given up on life and do not care what they look like.
But leave it to the French to put in a twist, the rear has a gratuitous amount of angles. An obvious attempt to look modern but coming off like an uncool dad trying to fit in with their kids.
4 Smart Fortwo
The Smart Fortwo was a car developed to be a compact city car and it appears as if they cared about nothing else. The Smart Fortwo has the proportions of a normal car that was placed into a vice and crushed until both the front and rear bumper met rubber.
The front and rear look too short while the cabin looks normal because of the need to be able to fit the average person inside. It may be called a Smart but it doesn't change the fact that the passengers do not feel this way, being seen in one.
3 Ferrari 330 GT 2+2 Shooting Brake
It is hard to believe a Ferrari could make this list but one glance at the 330 GT 2+2 Shooting Brake... Yikes... Perhaps it's the high expectations of the Ferrari brand that made the disappointment hit harder. Still, the GT 2+2 Shooting Brake is one ugly duckling that doesn't turn into a swan.
There aren't many choices for a family-friendly Ferrari and there are those desperate enough to have one. Desperation is a powerful and irrational thing. Luckily for everyone else, there is only one in existence. Lowering the chances of ever seeing one.
2 Reliant Robin
The surprisingly popular Reliant Robin showed up in British showroom floors in 1973. It was a three-wheeled car. While every other three-wheeled car has the two wheels in front for steering stability, Reliant clung to the rebellious vibes of the sixties and announced to the world that they will not conform to social norms and placed the single wheel in front.
Not only did it make the Robin look out of place with the narrowing hood, but it also rolled over every time it took a moderately sharp turn. Leaving it helpless in the middle of the road like a turtle on its back.
1 Iso Isetta
The Italian designed Iso Isetta was licensed to other companies to be built around the world, the biggest of which was BMW. The fifties were a confusing time for the Germans, still recovering from the war. BMW could not afford to do their due diligence and actually send someone over to Italy to look at the car before licensing it.
No other explanation makes sense as to why such a great company would put their badge on the most disgusting vehicle that had ever been conceived. Not only was the shape odd but it was difficult to get in and out of because it had one door and it was at the front with the steering wheel attached to it.