Whenever an Italian car is mentioned, the first thing that comes to most gearheads' minds is beauty and luxury. Italian automakers like Lamborghini, Ferrari, and Alfa Romeo are known for making some of the most beautiful cars of all time, including the Ferrari 250 GTO, Alfa Romeo 33 Stradale, and the Lamborghini Miura, to name a few.
However, not even Italian automakers are immune to failure. The hard truth is that Italians have also built some truly hideous vehicles that leave us thinking the designers had their eyes closed when coming up with them. So let's explore ten ugly cars that prove even the Italians can mess up their designs every now and then.
10 Lamborghini Veneno
Lamborghini is no stranger to coming up with outrageous designs — just look at the Countach and virtually every other Lamborghini built after it. However, Lamborghini designers have taken their designs a bit too far on some occasions. The Veneno is a perfect example of that.
When the Veneno debuted in 2013, most gearheads were left disappointed with its design. There's too much going on with its bodywork - there are so many creases and vents that make it look like it's been in an accident. Yet, despite its ugly looks, the Veneno is one of the most expensive supercars ever built, costing over $4 million.
9 1995 Lancia Ypsilon
The Ypsilon symbolizes Lancia's decline perfectly. When it debuted in 1995, the Ypsilon was supposed to be a small, affordable, and economical hatchback for young families. Unfortunately, it had a horrid design that earned it many haters.
The Ypsilon's front end looks squashed, while the back looks out of proportion. Despite its ugly appearance, the Ypsilon is still in production to date. In case you're wondering, modern generations still look as terrible.
8 1956 Ferrari Superamerica 410 (Ghia)
Ferrari typically works with Pininfarina when it wants to build a car with an eye-catching design. However, in the '50s, Ferrari tried working with Ghia on a concept car, and it ended up being a huge mistake.
The concept — dubbed the Ferrari 410 Superamerica — was supposed to be Ferrari's take on American designs of the day. However, it ended up failing miserably. The car had an oversized chrome grille that looked nothing like other Ferrari grilles, an unsightly chrome panel running along the waistline, a wrap-around windshield, and ugly tailfins housing the taillights. We're lucky this awful car never made it into production.
7 Covini C6W
The Covini C6W is one of those vehicles that leave you wondering, what were they thinking? Looking at this car, one thing definitely stands out —it has six wheels! Yes, someone thought that a six-wheel supercar was a good idea.
The C6W was the subject of many arguments, as some gearheads claimed that the extra pair of wheels could improve driving dynamics. However, one thing that every gearhead agreed on was that it's not a pretty sight to look at.
6 Ferrari FF
The Ferrari FF left every gearhead with a puzzled face when it debuted in 2011. Despite being Ferrari's first-ever all-wheel-drive car, the FF received a lot of criticism thanks to its horrible design.
For one, it's had a wagon body style - a far cry from the sleek, sporty designs Ferrari is mostly known for. The front end looks scary and menacing thanks to its unusually-shaped grille that looks like a grinning face, while the rear end can make some gearheads mistake it for a cheap hatchback.
5 Lancia Thesis
The Thesis was supposed to be one of the top luxury cars of the 2000s, the kind that business executives and dignitaries use to get to airports. Unfortunately, it ended up being yet another Lancia mistake, largely thanks to its terrible design features.
The worst thing about the Thesis was its front end — it looked weird and minimalistic, featuring headlights that looked out of place and a grille resembling a medieval shield. The rear end was just as bad, especially those weirdly-shaped taillights.
4 1989 Alfa Romeo SZ
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Alfa Romeo knows how to build a gorgeous car. Just look at the Giulia sedan, the 4C, 8C, the iconic Tipo 33 Stradale, and many other stunning cars the Italian marque has built over the years.
While most Alfa Romeos have had great designs, there are some that look plain ugly. The SZ is one such car. Developed in collaboration with Zagato, the SZ was one of the first cars designed using computers. However, looking at its blocky, toy-like appearance, it's clear how primitive computers were in the '80s.
3 Lamborghini LM002
Lamborghini typically produces high-performance supercars that every gearhead wants to drive. However, in the late '80s, the Italian marque tried to build something entirely different — a huge off-road truck. The LM002 — also known as "Rambo Lambo" — had gearheads excited during its development.
Unfortunately, that excitement turned into hate when Lamborghini finally unveiled the vehicle. Although the LM002 had a Countach-sourced V12 under the hood and many luxury amenities, it was just too ugly for most gearheads. It's no surprise that only 328 were made.
2 Alfa Romeo 166
Another Alfa Romeo that doesn't belong in the beautiful cars club is the 166. Introduced in 1996, the 166 was a big executive sedan intended to compete against German sedans from the likes of Mercedes-Benz, Audi, and BMW.
Unfortunately, the 166 failed terribly, since it couldn't match its German competitors in the looks department. The headlights were tiny and installed too wide apart, while the tiny grille looked out of place.
1 Fiat Multipla
Ever since Fiat introduced the Multipla in the late '90s, it has won multiple awards. Sadly, all those awards the Multipla has received to date have been for having the ugliest features in any car. There's nothing particularly interesting about the Multipla's design, and it even looks like it was designed to be ugly intentionally.
The Multipla looks like two ugly cars that were chopped up and glued together, each retaining its own headlights. Definitely not the car anyone would get into willingly.