Automotive design has always blended art, science, and innovation. However, designers and engineers occasionally abandon convention to create truly weird cars.
These strange and wonderful vehicles include amphibious models and oddball designs that make you do a double take.
Automotive pioneers and unconventional luxury
1935 Stout Scarab
The 1935 Stout Scarab was a groundbreaking vehicle in both design and functionality. With its unibody construction, wood-trimmed interior, card table, and middle-row swivel seats that could spin 180 degrees, it was the ultimate road trip car of its time. Though it never gained widespread popularity, its forward-thinking features continue to influence automotive design.
1973 Cadillac Fleetwood 75
In the 1970s, sedans could almost be as roomy as today’s SUVs and minivans. Or, at least, one was. The Cadillac Fleetwood 75 was a limousine-style sedan that held up to nine passengers and stretched nearly 21 feet long. With its imposing size and luxurious interior, it was marketed to commercial drivers and suburban families alike.
Experimentation on wheels
1953 Firebird I
The Firebird I concept was the first gas turbine-powered car built and tested in the U.S. Inspired by jet fighters, its bold design included a single-driver “cockpit,” a transparent bubble canopy, a sleek needle nose, and dramatic delta wings that made it look like it could take off at any moment. The 370-horsepower engine inside its fiberglass-reinforced plastic body made you believe that was possible, too.
1963 Chrysler Turbine
Powered by a pair of airplane-like turbines rather than a traditional engine, the Chrysler Turbine could run on a wide variety of fuels — from peanut oil to JP-4 jet fuel. This ingenuity belied the hardtop coupe’s rather conventional outward appearance. Chrysler only produced roughly 200 units, distributed to families for testing. Today, just nine remain, five of which are still drivable. Not surprisingly, car enthusiast and former Tonight Show host Jay Leno owns one.
1981 DeLorean DMC-12
Prominently featured in the Back to the Future trilogy, the DeLorean DMC-12 features stainless steel panels and gull-wing doors that give it a futuristic vibe. The DMC-12 was styled by famed designer Giorgetto Giugiaro, who also designed the Lotus Esprit and Volkswagen Golf. The company only produced about 9,000 units of the sports car before DeLorean Motors collapsed in the wake of its founder’s arrest on drug trafficking charges (he was later acquitted).
Cars that pushed the boundaries of usefulness
1933 Dymaxion Car
Designed by architect and futurist Buckminster Fuller, the Dymaxion Car was an aerodynamic three-wheeled vehicle that could seat 11 passengers. Its unusual shape and single rear wheel made it look like a cross between a blimp and a teardrop. While innovative, its design proved too unstable for mass production. Only three prototypes were assembled, one of which was featured at the 1933 Chicago World’s Fair.
1961 Amphicar Model 770
Who needs a flying car when you can have a car that drives on water? The Amphicar, manufactured in Germany in the early-to-mid 60s, was both a road vehicle and a boat. With propellers and front tires acting as rudders, it could cruise on water at up to seven knots. Nearly 4,000 were built, and its amphibious abilities earned it the slogan "fastest car on the water and fastest boat on the road." President Lyndon B. Johnson kept one at his Texas ranch and would frequently prank visitors by pretending to lose control of the car as he headed towards ponds on his property.
Mini marvels
1955 BMW Isetta
Known as the "bubble car," the BMW Isetta features a unique front-opening door that swings out with the dashboard and steering wheel attached. Its quirky design and small size made it the best-selling single-cylinder car of its era. Fun fact: Steve Urkle drove a 1960 Isetta on the sitcom Family Matters.
1962 Peel P50
The Peel P50 is a British three-wheeled microcar (the world’s smallest, in fact). With a 50cc engine and a top speed of around 37 mph, this novelty car offers little practicality but plenty of charm. You’d know it if you saw it, as it's a one-door coupe with a single headlight. Several entrepreneurs now sell “remanufactured” P50s plus kits you can build yourself.
Design oddities that defy convention
1989 Nissan S-Cargo
This quirky van resembles a snail shell, which is why its name is a play on the French word "escargot.” During its three-year production run, almost 11,000 of this Japan-only model were manufactured. Its playful appearance made it an example of Nissan’s willingness to take design risks. In 2011, design critic Phil Patton called the S-Cargo “the height of postmodernism” in his New York Times feature on Nissan’s “cartoon cars” of the 80s and 90s.
1998 Fiat Multipla
The Fiat Multipla is a vehicle you won’t forget. It looks as if a tiny car were stacked upon a larger one. It’s made even more unique by having six seats spread across two rows and a hatch in the back. The Multipla was a favorite of the British TV show Top Gear. The Museum of Modern Art showcased its interior and exterior in the 1990 exhibition "Different Roads — Automobiles for the Next Century.”
Modern weirdness
2011 Nissan Murano CrossCabriolet
The two-door, all-wheel-drive Nissan Murano CrossCabriolet combined an SUV with a convertible, leaving many people scratching their heads. While it aimed to combine practicality with top-down fun, its unconventional design didn’t resonate with buyers and was discontinued in 2014.
Tesla Cybertruck
Tesla’s Cybertruck stands out with its sharp, angular design that’s straight out of a science fiction movie. Its stainless steel body and unorthodox styling are truly love-it-or-hate-it, but it’s undeniably one of the most unusual cars in recent memory. While it seems tailor-made for the apocalypse, more than one owner has learned the hard way that their truck is not bulletproof.
The lasting impact of weird cars
These unusual vehicles remind us that innovation often starts with thinking outside the box. After all, Ford’s much-maligned Edsel line offered “firsts” like a full-size bumper, power steering, safety glass, power brakes, and seatbelts. If you find a quirky car you can’t live without, Credit Acceptance may be able to get you approved for auto financing, regardless of your credit history. See if you pre-qualify today!