@skaycog: Well it's either the soulless eyes that don't point the same direction or the shadowy leer I've not seen since I got all that free candy from the guy in the rusty windowless Aerostar. #nano
I think BW is mistaking "ugly" for "different". I personally think its a ploy to have us all driving boring, like-styled econoboxes that the automakes can churn out cheaply and mark up to a huge degree, with almost zero styling effort put into them. 'Cause, you know, if we all start demanding something different, they'll have to waste all that money designing different cars, and that would cut into the bottom line.
My bottom line: I want a Tucker. Cd: 0.27. Name a modern car that can match _that_. #uglycars
@digginit: And which would you rather drive, a Tucker Torpedo or a Prius? Be careful, your answer may result in expulsion from Jalopnik if incorrect. #uglycars
@AclockWorkApple: You know, I thought our graphics guy did a great job making the ugly duckling car, it's incredibly realistic looking, but you've managed to improve it. Well done. #uglycars
The Wartburg 353 is on this list with the following caption: "Can you find one thing you like about this East German car?"
I think that's a challenge.
Oh Wartburg 353, how do I wuv thee, wet me count da ways...
1.) You are red. Red is the most awesome color ever. It's in sunsets, fire, fire engines, clown noses, and ketchup. It's also a popular sports car color. Shame on BusinessWeek for hating on not one, but six red cars.
2.) The engine. It's a two stroke with just seven moving parts. SEVEN. I can count that on my fingers, even after the heavy casualties Lefty took in the Battle of Cannes-Opener. I can even wiggle my fingers to signify that they are moving parts. Spirit fingers go!
3.) It was made in East Germany. I mean, the country no longer exists. People love orphaned cars, right? Except in this case, not just the company went under, it was the whole communist block. I mean it would be like if Yugoslavia had made a hip-to-be-square car before it went away. Oh wait...
4.) It was made for twenty three years. In East Germany. It's like the Wartburg 353 and the Volkswagen Beetle were sisters. All the boys chased the curvy, older, just-wanna-have-fun Beetle, while the poor young tag-along Wartburg got stuck with the embarrassing name, the thick geek glasses, and 23 years of braces. Poor underdog. Gotta love them underdogs!
5.) The fact that the jalopnik article ([jalopnik.com]), the businessweek article, and the wikipedia page ([en.wikipedia.org]) all have the same picture of the car. It's like only one of them existed to be photographed, meaning it must be SUPER RARE!!!
So BusinessWeek, you suck for saying a rare underdog red car with an awesome engine that comes from East Germany is ugly, and then copying your picture straight from wikipedia, without checking your facts and realizing how wrong you are. I'm subscribing to you just so I can cancel my subscription!
@Plasma X: You forgot that the body was made from Duroplast ( I think... I know the Trabant P70,P50,P60 and P601 are made of it, and IFA made both cars.) It's communism's answer to fiberglass, which makes it very cool. Plus, you can take the three cylinder from a Wartburg and transplant it into a Trabant 601, which makes a hybrid called a "Traburg". Seeing as the Trabant is the epitome of cool in an automobile, that makes it's bigger cousin somewhat cool as well. #uglycars
I haven't seen anything specifically about Wartburgs having Duroplast bodies, only Trabants. They COULD be Duroplast though.
Still, another thing to add to ze list...
6.) Traburgs. A three-cylinder engine is swapped INTO a car rather than OUT OF it. Who does that!? And when does it result in such an awkward name!? #uglycars
@Plasma X: Well, when you are upgrading from a 27hp 600cc 2 cylinder, it's a bit of an improvement. (I bet the Stazi had more than one of these hybrids running around to chase down dissidents.) The odd thing is, IIRC, the Wartburg is water cooled while the Trabi was air cooled. Again, I could be wrong, but I think the Wartburg engine looks a bit like a 2 stroke SAAB engine and probably uses similar technology. I know that the Trabi uses engine technology that was native to Auto Union in the pre war period, I believe from the DKW division. (Auto Union= Audi, DKW, Horch, and I forget the fourth ring.) Sorry I can't be more specific on the Wartburg, but my knowledge is mainly of Trabants as they are one of my all time favorite cars. If I was wealthy, I would import a few so I could keep one running stock and build one hybrid using parts available on a small, US market car. Anyone for a Trabant with the AWD from a CRV, and a CRVTEC hybrid (B20 CRV engine with B series VTEC head swap) and a turbo? THere is already a kit to do it to a Mini, so I figured it would be cooler in a Trabant. After all, Trabants make everything cooler. #uglycars
@Jim-Bob: Another cool thing is that it does seem that both SAAB and Wartburg used a DKW 2 stroke design when they built their engines, so I am right about that. Another cool thing both cars have is that the transmission freewheels if you take your foot off the gas for better economy. Also, is it just me, or does the front end remind you of a Lancia Fulvia Zagato?
@Plasma X: Well, I was only looking at the fascia. They are two completely different cars in purpose, so they only share the one similarity. Plus, the Lancia has a V4 under the hood, another oddball engine configuration shared with SAAB... (SAAB replaced the DKW L3 2 stroke with Ford Taunus V4's in the 70's.)
Thanks Ben! These people are fools, although the Bricklin and the Prowler firmly belong there IMHO. But I know you had to include them just to make it a top-ten, so I shan't argue. #uglycars
Some of the cars on their list actually are pretty damn ugly. That said, can anyone with a straight face say that an El Camino is uglier than this? #uglycars
@buffcoat and beaver: Nope, that's an ugly car, and I said as much, but they said every car wearing the nameplate is ugly, and that kind of transgression will not stand. #uglycars
The Nissan S-Cargo is the only one that belongs on this list IMHO.
The Tata Nano is strange yet appealing, the Ferrari Enzo is very bold yet nicely proportioned, and one of this young century's most desirable cars, and the Plymouth Prowler is nice to look at, but would have benefited from a V8 or even a turbo'd four or V6.
The Lamborghini LM002 is an acquired taste for sure, but a fast and comfy one at that, the DeLorean DMC12 is easily one of the Malaise era's best designs, the best car to come out of Northern Ireland save the Crossle Formula Ford race cars, and was engineered in part by Colin Chapman, and the Subaru Brat is what washed the rancid tastes of 360 and FF1 out of Americans' mouths in the 70s and went on to make Subaru a household name.
The Aston Martin Lagonda is not for everyone in many ways, but is a stellar alternative to a Rolls or Bentley, the Volvo 240 is reliable, safe, comfortable, makes a great first car (or LeMons racer) and lasts nearly forever, the Bricklin was dramatic and had proven mechanicals, but was the answer to a question no one asked, and the El Camino was and is a great design and ideal for someone who needs or wants a truck but doesn't want a full-size rig or even a compact.
Oh, and a financial magazine should NEVER write anything about cars. It's just not their field of expertise. #uglycars
@Alfisted: Thank you. And a Brefas Scotch goes to you for your great comment. (goes to liquor cabinet, finds Brefas Scotch, opens bottle, grabs glass, pours scotch, and hands drink to Alfisted) #uglycars
11/10/09
Nano-nano. #nano
11/10/09
11/10/09
11/10/09
11/10/09
03:14 AM
11/10/09
11/10/09
11/04/09
11/04/09
My bottom line: I want a Tucker. Cd: 0.27. Name a modern car that can match _that_. #uglycars
11/04/09
11/04/09
11/04/09
11/04/09
11/04/09
11/04/09
;-D #uglycars
11/05/09
11/04/09
And also a Seven. #uglycars
11/04/09
[www.ipdusa.com] #uglycars
11/04/09
Here as simple solution for that cover car to look better, make it EVIL. Evil cars always look waaay better than ugly cars. #uglycars
11/04/09
11/03/09
I think that's a challenge.
Oh Wartburg 353, how do I wuv thee, wet me count da ways...
1.) You are red. Red is the most awesome color ever. It's in sunsets, fire, fire engines, clown noses, and ketchup. It's also a popular sports car color. Shame on BusinessWeek for hating on not one, but six red cars.
2.) The engine. It's a two stroke with just seven moving parts. SEVEN. I can count that on my fingers, even after the heavy casualties Lefty took in the Battle of Cannes-Opener. I can even wiggle my fingers to signify that they are moving parts. Spirit fingers go!
3.) It was made in East Germany. I mean, the country no longer exists. People love orphaned cars, right? Except in this case, not just the company went under, it was the whole communist block. I mean it would be like if Yugoslavia had made a hip-to-be-square car before it went away. Oh wait...
4.) It was made for twenty three years. In East Germany. It's like the Wartburg 353 and the Volkswagen Beetle were sisters. All the boys chased the curvy, older, just-wanna-have-fun Beetle, while the poor young tag-along Wartburg got stuck with the embarrassing name, the thick geek glasses, and 23 years of braces. Poor underdog. Gotta love them underdogs!
5.) The fact that the jalopnik article ([jalopnik.com]), the businessweek article, and the wikipedia page ([en.wikipedia.org]) all have the same picture of the car. It's like only one of them existed to be photographed, meaning it must be SUPER RARE!!!
So BusinessWeek, you suck for saying a rare underdog red car with an awesome engine that comes from East Germany is ugly, and then copying your picture straight from wikipedia, without checking your facts and realizing how wrong you are. I'm subscribing to you just so I can cancel my subscription!
11/03/09
11/04/09
First of all: <3
Second of all: ?
I haven't seen anything specifically about Wartburgs having Duroplast bodies, only Trabants. They COULD be Duroplast though.
Still, another thing to add to ze list...
6.) Traburgs. A three-cylinder engine is swapped INTO a car rather than OUT OF it. Who does that!? And when does it result in such an awkward name!? #uglycars
11/04/09
11/04/09
11/04/09
@Jim-Bob: The resemblance... #uglycars
11/04/09
@Plasma X: ...is eerie. I see what you're saying, but it's only in the front fascia.
11/04/09
11/04/09
11/03/09
11/03/09
How can he include the Lightburn Zeta? Everyone knows the Lightburn Zeta Sports was the ugly one! #uglycars
11/03/09
Some of the cars on their list actually are pretty damn ugly. That said, can anyone with a straight face say that an El Camino is uglier than this? #uglycars
11/03/09
11/03/09
The Tata Nano is strange yet appealing, the Ferrari Enzo is very bold yet nicely proportioned, and one of this young century's most desirable cars, and the Plymouth Prowler is nice to look at, but would have benefited from a V8 or even a turbo'd four or V6.
The Lamborghini LM002 is an acquired taste for sure, but a fast and comfy one at that, the DeLorean DMC12 is easily one of the Malaise era's best designs, the best car to come out of Northern Ireland save the Crossle Formula Ford race cars, and was engineered in part by Colin Chapman, and the Subaru Brat is what washed the rancid tastes of 360 and FF1 out of Americans' mouths in the 70s and went on to make Subaru a household name.
The Aston Martin Lagonda is not for everyone in many ways, but is a stellar alternative to a Rolls or Bentley, the Volvo 240 is reliable, safe, comfortable, makes a great first car (or LeMons racer) and lasts nearly forever, the Bricklin was dramatic and had proven mechanicals, but was the answer to a question no one asked, and the El Camino was and is a great design and ideal for someone who needs or wants a truck but doesn't want a full-size rig or even a compact.
Oh, and a financial magazine should NEVER write anything about cars. It's just not their field of expertise. #uglycars
11/03/09
11/03/09