# Which looks better: the ugliest classic car vs the ugliest modern car? **URL:** \ **Category:** General Discussion\ **Created:** [May 24, 2025, 10:03pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/which-looks-better-the-ugliest-classic-car-vs-the-ugliest-modern-car/200432 "2025-05-24T22:03:27Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Clueless33](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/dbc845/32.png) [@Clueless33](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Clueless33)\ **Post date:** [May 24, 2025, 10:03pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/which-looks-better-the-ugliest-classic-car-vs-the-ugliest-modern-car/200432/1 "2025-05-24T22:03:28Z")
I did a simple google search on the ugliest classic car ever made and the result was the **Stout Scarab** ![1936_Scarab_Tim_Bounds_Front](https://global.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/original/3X/1/3/138a80ceb99b7ba7dd531f4d5e04bac662929f98.jpeg) …. and the ugliest modern car below: Fiat multipla ![image](https://global.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/original/3X/f/7/f71bc811ef36bd1fa8df8dc767930a29320d51df.jpeg) If you know of a more ugly classic and modern car, please share. I think the Stout Scarab is insanely ugly. ---
**Author:** ![texases](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/texases/32/862_2.png) [@texases](https://community.cartalk.com/u/texases)\ **Post date:** [May 24, 2025, 10:14pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/which-looks-better-the-ugliest-classic-car-vs-the-ugliest-modern-car/200432/2 "2025-05-24T22:14:55Z")
That Scarab looked that way because of its revolutionary design. I don’t have a problem with it. The 1934 Chrysler Airflow was a big failure, folks weren’t ready for its looks: ![image](https://global.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/original/3X/f/8/f8a5c95989133b695f19bed57e4cb3b8cb8e186f.jpeg) ---
**Author:** ![dhallis](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b9e5f3/32.png) [@dhallis](https://community.cartalk.com/u/dhallis)\ **Post date:** [May 24, 2025, 10:19pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/which-looks-better-the-ugliest-classic-car-vs-the-ugliest-modern-car/200432/3 "2025-05-24T22:19:00Z")
The Airflow was one of the best built, designed and engineered cars made before WW2. America wasn’t ready. Nobody was. It would have done great… if it hadn’t been released in a depression. ---
**Author:** ![texases](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/texases/32/862_2.png) [@texases](https://community.cartalk.com/u/texases)\ **Post date:** [May 24, 2025, 10:22pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/which-looks-better-the-ugliest-classic-car-vs-the-ugliest-modern-car/200432/4 "2025-05-24T22:22:07Z")
You’re right about its great engineering and technical design, but it was the looks, not the depression, that killed it. Chrysler was selling lots of conventional cars at that time. ---
**Author:** ![Clueless33](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/dbc845/32.png) [@Clueless33](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Clueless33)\ **Post date:** [May 24, 2025, 10:27pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/which-looks-better-the-ugliest-classic-car-vs-the-ugliest-modern-car/200432/5 "2025-05-24T22:27:19Z")
> [@texases](#): > > 1934 Chrysler Airflow Strange. I think it’s a good looking car. Doesn’t look much different from cars in its days. ---
**Author:** ![texases](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/texases/32/862_2.png) [@texases](https://community.cartalk.com/u/texases)\ **Post date:** [May 24, 2025, 10:33pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/which-looks-better-the-ugliest-classic-car-vs-the-ugliest-modern-car/200432/6 "2025-05-24T22:33:13Z")
> [@Clueless33](#): > > Doesn’t look much different from cars in its days. I does to me, 1934 Buick: ![image](https://global.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/original/3X/4/8/48568d52943b26487b38e014a4140dcdba954314.jpeg) ---
**Author:** ![Mustangman](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/mustangman/32/44130_2.png) [@Mustangman](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Mustangman)\ **Post date:** [May 24, 2025, 10:42pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/which-looks-better-the-ugliest-classic-car-vs-the-ugliest-modern-car/200432/7 "2025-05-24T22:42:45Z")
The Airflow was voted the Best Looking car at the 1934 New York Auto Show… It was also voted the Worst Looking car at the show… The looks were just too polarizing for the public to accept it. Chrysler also had difficulty assembling the cars because they had all steel bodies. The learning curves slowed deliveries so rumors started about the quality. Too much controversy to survive. ---
**Author:** ![cigroller](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/c68b51/32.png) [@cigroller](https://community.cartalk.com/u/cigroller)\ **Post date:** [May 24, 2025, 11:09pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/which-looks-better-the-ugliest-classic-car-vs-the-ugliest-modern-car/200432/8 "2025-05-24T23:09:51Z")
Ugliest ever. ![Untitled](https://global.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/original/3X/b/3/b394a95128d3e15c4b2bc55006a8034f5a8377b4.jpeg) ---
**Author:** ![old\_mopar\_guy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/6bbea6/32.png) [@old\_mopar\_guy](https://community.cartalk.com/u/old_mopar_guy)\ **Post date:** [May 24, 2025, 11:22pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/which-looks-better-the-ugliest-classic-car-vs-the-ugliest-modern-car/200432/9 "2025-05-24T23:22:58Z")
The ugliest “classic” to me is the 1959 Chevy. In 2nd place is probably the 1961 Plymouth. ---
**Author:** ![RandomTroll](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/randomtroll/32/12184_2.png) [@RandomTroll](https://community.cartalk.com/u/RandomTroll)\ **Post date:** [May 25, 2025, 12:41am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/which-looks-better-the-ugliest-classic-car-vs-the-ugliest-modern-car/200432/10 "2025-05-25T00:41:55Z")
The Edsel had a reputation as an ugly car. My mother said it looked like an Oldsmobile sucking a lemon, a phrase I assume she cribbed. It doesn’t look all that ugly to me - though I don’t remember seeing one on the road. ---
**Author:** ![Mustangman](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/mustangman/32/44130_2.png) [@Mustangman](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Mustangman)\ **Post date:** [May 25, 2025, 2:07am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/which-looks-better-the-ugliest-classic-car-vs-the-ugliest-modern-car/200432/11 "2025-05-25T02:07:40Z")
That generation of fhe Multipla is the ugliest car I have ever seen. And I have see one live and up close. The Scarab doesn’t come close. ---
**Author:** ![glasspilot](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/glasspilot/32/27886_2.png) [@glasspilot](https://community.cartalk.com/u/glasspilot)\ **Post date:** [May 25, 2025, 12:21pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/which-looks-better-the-ugliest-classic-car-vs-the-ugliest-modern-car/200432/12 "2025-05-25T12:21:17Z")
> [@Mustangman](#): > > That generation of fhe Multipla is the ugliest car I have ever seen. Doesn’t count unless you show a PIC! ---
**Author:** ![It\_s-Me](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/it_s-me/32/12660_2.png) [@It\_s-Me](https://community.cartalk.com/u/It_s-Me)\ **Post date:** [May 25, 2025, 12:28pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/which-looks-better-the-ugliest-classic-car-vs-the-ugliest-modern-car/200432/13 "2025-05-25T12:28:54Z")
> [@glasspilot](#): > > Doesn’t count unless you show a PIC! It’s in the OP’s first post ---
**Author:** ![glasspilot](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/glasspilot/32/27886_2.png) [@glasspilot](https://community.cartalk.com/u/glasspilot)\ **Post date:** [May 25, 2025, 12:32pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/which-looks-better-the-ugliest-classic-car-vs-the-ugliest-modern-car/200432/14 "2025-05-25T12:32:44Z")
Oh, I thought he was mentioning another car. ---
**Author:** ![VDCdriver](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/vdcdriver/32/30_2.png) [@VDCdriver](https://community.cartalk.com/u/VDCdriver)\ **Post date:** [May 25, 2025, 1:41pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/which-looks-better-the-ugliest-classic-car-vs-the-ugliest-modern-car/200432/15 "2025-05-25T13:41:31Z")
> [@Mustangman](#): > > That generation of fhe Multipla is the ugliest car I have ever seen. Yes, but let’s not disrespect American know-how! Surely the Pontiac Aztek is in the running for ugliest car, ever. ![image](https://global.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/original/3X/d/2/d2b37305e511f6bc7f768f10865ddd59136d32a7.jpeg) ![image](https://global.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/original/3X/6/2/62aaa1058e374d90544b36b6f49f82cfa1a7089b.jpeg) ![image](https://global.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/original/3X/7/8/78893a206e6cccb0256f8f12fe39a76ca77b0474.jpeg) ![image](https://global.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/original/3X/3/d/3d2920dca359892304de0c894c94501f5ec795f6.jpeg) It assaulted the eye from every angle, and when it quickly turned-out to be a resounding failure, nobody at GM would admit to having greenlighted that abomination. Ironically, the same chassis and mechanical elements were used to create the Buick Rendezvous, which was much more conventional in appearance. ![image](https://global.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/original/3X/1/e/1e79dd21f90dafcadf25df6d0683158e5420a324.jpeg) ---
**Author:** ![TwinTurbo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/8baadc/32.png) [@TwinTurbo](https://community.cartalk.com/u/TwinTurbo)\ **Post date:** [May 25, 2025, 1:48pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/which-looks-better-the-ugliest-classic-car-vs-the-ugliest-modern-car/200432/16 "2025-05-25T13:48:05Z")
This isn’t much better IMHO- ![istockphoto-1480614243-612x612](https://global.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/original/3X/4/d/4d16ae20c12d8cef69209ed0df8387a2f1944efa.jpeg) ![Screenshot 2025-05-25 094706](https://global.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/original/3X/f/6/f660625089735a0eb0e0008441c7911847abd30c.png) ---
**Author:** ![VDCdriver](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/vdcdriver/32/30_2.png) [@VDCdriver](https://community.cartalk.com/u/VDCdriver)\ **Post date:** [May 25, 2025, 1:49pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/which-looks-better-the-ugliest-classic-car-vs-the-ugliest-modern-car/200432/17 "2025-05-25T13:49:47Z")
Yes, the Nissan Juke, which was widely-known as the Nissan Joke. ---
**Author:** ![Mustangman](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/mustangman/32/44130_2.png) [@Mustangman](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Mustangman)\ **Post date:** [May 25, 2025, 2:02pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/which-looks-better-the-ugliest-classic-car-vs-the-ugliest-modern-car/200432/18 "2025-05-25T14:02:43Z")
Special props for the A$$crack… the nickname GM’ers gave it… but I think the Multipla still wins. The first one a coworker and I saw produced a “what the #$%& is THAT?” I saw that Scarab in the Vero Beach FL art museum in an Art Deco display. It may look strange but it isn’t ugly IMHO.. ---
**Author:** ![VDCdriver](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/vdcdriver/32/30_2.png) [@VDCdriver](https://community.cartalk.com/u/VDCdriver)\ **Post date:** [May 25, 2025, 3:12pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/which-looks-better-the-ugliest-classic-car-vs-the-ugliest-modern-car/200432/19 "2025-05-25T15:12:03Z")
While it’s not quite as ugly as the Multipla or the Aztek, you have to wonder about the people who paid really big bucks for an Aston-Martin Lagonda sedan. In addition to the strange styling, its typical gas mileage was 8 mpg, and its electrical/electronic components were very unreliable, in the English tradition at that time. ![image](https://global.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/original/3X/d/7/d7f12002b211dfc425a3397faac393cf76ac5a48.jpeg) ---
**Author:** ![jtsanders](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/c2a13f/32.png) [@jtsanders](https://community.cartalk.com/u/jtsanders)\ **Post date:** [May 25, 2025, 3:36pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/which-looks-better-the-ugliest-classic-car-vs-the-ugliest-modern-car/200432/20 "2025-05-25T15:36:43Z")
I’ve always thought the Citroen 2CV was quite ugly. Here’s a 1948 edition. ![IMG_0165](https://global.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/original/3X/7/4/747d63cffa884552c8e36a73ab9cfbe1bc0ea940.jpeg) [Next page](https://community.cartalk.com/t/which-looks-better-the-ugliest-classic-car-vs-the-ugliest-modern-car/200432.md?page=2)