1974 Fascination

In the 1930s through the 1950s, there were a series of cars made who styling and streamling were inspired by the airplane. The Fascination was also one, but built 20 years after the fascination had dwindled. And if the fantastic claims of one inventor had been true, it could have been a truly fascinating car that ran on what was called an "an electromagnetic motor" that ran off a few batteries.

The Fascination if the spawn of Paul Lewis and was made in 1974 with a then-exotic plastic body, red velour interior and a four-cylinder engine in the tail end between those jet engine rear wheel housings.

In 1937, Lewis came up with the Airomobile, its front-end design is reminiscent of a Ford sedan of the time, but the tapering rear ends with two dorsal-like fins, a pointed tail and a single wheel. A year after developing the basic design, Lewis incorporated as Lewis-American Airways and offered stock in the company. He also hired former Franklin Automobile Company engineers Carl Doman and Ed Marks to join him in the Doman-Marks Engine Company and design and build his car. It was initially priced at $300,but only one prototype Airomobile was made, with an air-cooled 129 cubic-inch four-cylinder, sending 57 horsepower through the front wheels.

In the late 60s (after becoming a successful investor), made the first Fascination and started a car company called the "Highway Aircraft Corp." The motivation for the Fascination wasn't supposed to be the gas engine that eventually powered them. A California investor named Edwin Gray was designing an electromagnetic powerplant called the Nobel Gas Plasma Engine, and claimed that it was good for 60,000 miles before refueling. But the motor (the cars claim to fame) never came to be.

The first Fascination cost more than $200,000 back in 1974, while the electromagnetic motor would have been much more. Lewis felt that with mass production, the Fascination could cost about $5,000.

Basically - the design is very airplace like. Which means not very comfortable when driving on the ground. The engine is hidden from view under the rear windows and has a hatch to access it - the rear "wing" assembly (which sort of look like the end of a Buick) only hides a shallow trunk.

Ferrari Fuglietti

Some newer Ferraris - like the F430 and Enzo - I needed some time to grow to appreciate. But I try as I might but I still find the Scaglietti ugly. Which hurts me cause I liked the 456 a lot.

To me it just looks really fat and bloated, with tiny overcomplicated headlights and a grille that's way too big. Reminds me of a hippo. And although the "retro" scallops are a tie to the past, the fuglify the sides (although without them it would look even fatter).

The Ugly BMWs - Pt. 2

Overall, I like the BMW "flame surfacing" on the Z4. But why the strange slanted vertical crease on the side? And why does it's nose resemble Joe Camel?

Standard Gazel

Introduced by Standard (British Triumph's Indian subsidiary) in the mid-Sixties, the Gazel replaced the Standard Herald in the local market. Both these models differed from Heralds built in the UK in that they were based on a 4-door prototype dating from 1960.

It looks like pure evil - like Herbie the love bug's arch nemisis. Especially with whatever those dots are on the headlights.

C5 Corvette '53 Commemorative Edition

Recycled Fug.

In November 2001, as the Corvette world began preparing for Golden Anniversary celebrations, Magna Steyr Engineering of Ontario, Canada, unveiled its Commemorative Edition Corvette at the SEMA show in Las Vegas. It was ugly.

Advanced Automotive Technologies in Rochester Hills, Michigan, believed in the concept enough to buy the rights to produce the "Commemorative Edition Corvette" conversion. It's still ugly.

For only around $30,000 USD on top of the price of the donor Corvette (hardtop only), you can have a C5 Corvette that looks like a '53 edition stretched like taffy.

http://www.aatcars.com/aat_commem/commem.htm

1996 Colani Horch

Colani's design of a Horch luxury automobile for the revival of the great tradition of the East German automobiles. Apparently they would look much like the L'Aiglon.

Fugmobile Aurora

http://www.rexfeatures.com/features/516925/

Awww - what an inspiring but fugly story:

The unique Aurora, a 19 feet long monster that was built by an eccentric New York priest as the ultimate safety vehicle, is now turning heads again.

Father Alfred Juliano bankrupted himself creating the prototype, which remained the only one ever built. It was supposed to be the safest car ever built and included features that are now common, but at the time were unheard of. Features such as seatbelts, a roll cage, side-impact bars, a collapsible steering column, foam-filled bumpers and a padded instrument panel.

Other features that aren't currently commonplace are its windscreen, which was curved away from the driver so the possibility of impact with it was reduced. This design also meant that windscreen wipers were not required, but it also distorted the view through it. The large "front-end air-scoop" replaced conventional grill. It was thought to reduce frictional drag and to lessen injuries to pedestrians it hit. The seats swivelled 180 degrees - so before a crash those inside could turn round and take the impact backwards (as if that would lessen injury).

The silver sedan, shaped like a whale with its mouth gaping, had been sitting in a field in the US for nearly 30 years before madcap Brit Andy Saunders snapped it up. He has spent the last 12 years of his life doing up the motor that was a disaster from its launch in 1957. On that day Father Alfred Juliano had planned a huge media party to greet his 30,000 dollar invention. But TV reporters had to wait all day because it broke down 15 times on the journey to the launch and was towed to seven garages.

The Aurora was funded partially by Father Juliano's congregation which donated cash to his whacky project. After the ambitious scheme failed and Father Juliano went bankrupt the car was taken on by several other owners before it was abandoned ten years after its launch. It was rediscovered in a field behind a bodyworks shop in Branford, Connecticut.

Thanks to Formula-S for emailling me this creation!

Colani L'Aiglon

Apparently, this is Luigi Colani's vision of what the automobile would look like in 1970 if WWII hadn't interupted car design. Although that doesn't really explain much of anything. If Pamela Anderson designed a neoclassic car, this would be the result.

Bricklin

I should be proud of this car, being technically Canada's only car make (and was made rather close to me). But the Bricklin is on the border of fugliness.

The Bricklin is a gull-wing sports car that was manufactured primarily from Detroit parts in 1974 through early 1976 in Saint John, New Brunswick, Canada for exclusive sale in the United States. There were 2854 cars built before Bricklin went bankrupt.

The single model built was given the designation SV-1, for Safety Vehicle 1. It had a built in roll cage, side guard rails and shock absorbing, 5-mph bumpers that receded into the car. Unfortunetly this bumper sort of resembled a tape being ejected from a tape player (or in the style of the times, and 8-track player).

The second distinguishing design feature of the Bricklin (besides the gull-wing doors) is the acrylic body. A vacuum forming process bonded color-impregnated acrylic to each fiberglass body panel. The Bricklin was delivered to the customer without paint and with 5 choices of colour. Minor scratches would be buffed out. In keeping with the safety theme, there was no ashtray or cigarette lighter.

Overall - the fibreglass body has a very tall look, accentuated by fake louvers. Sadly, the louvers had no holes to make them functional and had very soft edges, so in pictures the car looks like a molded plastic toy car.