Panhard CD

Another Panhard, this one a coupe from called the CD. I couldn't find too much info on this - I'll add some if I find any more.

This one has a nice amphibious face as well, although this one has a larger "mouth" and appears to be crosseyed.

Panhard - Citroen Fug Remixed

The French are nothing if not creative with their cars. Some of the designs were brilliant like the Citroen DS, some were not like the Ami.

Panhard is another french company with ties to Citroen, and also experimented in aerodynamic designs. But unlike the wedge-like DS, their cars were melted, soap-bar like blobs.

The most graphic case of fug occured in the 1960 PL7. I suppose that it is basically the same car as the Dyna Z that debuted in 1954, and both of which were much more streamlined than cars of the time. But while the Dyna Z was on the edge of fug, the PL7 was truely fugly.

The core of the car remained the same, but the front and rear ends were revised with strangly placed chrome accents and odd organic cutlines. Instead of looking like a bar of soap, it now looked like some kind of amphibian - possibly a salamander. Chrome "eyelids" extended down the side of the body over the wheel wells. The same occured in back with the taillights, but a strange trunk cutline made it look uniquely fugly. Also up front, a small air inlet above the bumper looked almost like a fish's mouth.

Citroen Ami 6/8

The Citroen Ami 6 was introduced in 1961 as the more upmarket version of the 2CV. On the strengthened 2 CV underpinnings a larger and heavier body was placed that offered more interior space and more luxury. The design of the bodywork somehow made the 2CV look an art masterpiece. Not only did the large, close together lights make the car look crosseyed, the rear window placed in a sharp inward angle that is the total opposite of the norm. Well, unless the norm is a Mazda Carol. The thought behind that was that it would keep the rear window clean when driving in rain or snow. It's a "timeless" design because it looks weird at every angle.

Because of the extra weight and the very soft and supple suspension inherited from the original 2 CV chassis driving was sometimes more like sailing. The steering was heavy and direct and cornering at speed caused extreme body roll. On the upside the suspension lay-out made the Ami suitable for driving on rough country roads and even terrain.

The Ami 8 debuted in 1969 with a host of mechanical upgrades, and a slightly different look. The caracteristic reverse-rake rear screen was replaced by a fast back and the frontend got a smoother look. Mechanically the car was much as before although in September 1969, the Ami 8 became the first A series to be fitted with front inboard disc brakes.