13 ’80s Cars That Were Just Really Ugly

The 1980s was the decade that over-delivered in so many ways. We had boom boxes, shoulder pads, Hulk Hogan, and, of course, motoring icons like the Ferrari Testarossa and Porsche 959.

But it wasn’t all awesomeness. The ’80s also brought us some of the ugliest cars ever made. Everything from sports cars to budget hatchbacks was hit with the ugly stick — in certain cases, more than once.

We collected some of the most hideous examples for you to enjoy. Even if just as a reminder that even the fantastic ’80s had its low moments.

Alfa Romeo Arna

Alfa Romeo produces some of the most stunning designs, even if its models aren’t always the last word in reliability. The 1980’s Alfa Romeo Arna was an anomaly. Developed as a joint venture with Nissan, the Arna was both ugly and unreliable.

Unsurprisingly, nobody wanted that combination, and the Arna stumbled along for five years before Alfa Romeo and Nissan decided to end production. Few cars remain, thanks to horrendous rust-proofing and a tendency to break down at every opportunity.

Aston Martin Lagonda

Aston Martin is synonymous with beautiful design and big-hearted performance, but even this firm has a black sheep or two in its fold. The four-door Lagonda model held this title from the late ’70s to the 1980s.

It featured the popular wedge-shaped styling that had worked so well on the Lotus Esprit and Lamborghini Countach. Still, it just didn’t work on the Lagonda. With weirdly long overhangs and a tapering front and rear, the Lagonda looked awful from any angle.

Cadillac Cimarron

Sticking a luxury badge on a budget car doesn’t magically transform it into a premium vehicle. Cadillac learned this the hard way when it decided to market the Chevrolet Cavalier as an upmarket Cadillac Cimarron.

Not many customers were fooled by an overpriced budget car, and sales were poor. It had no unique features that couldn’t be specified on the Cavalier, and the styling was all but identical to the Cavalier. In retrospect, the Cimarron was an unmitigated disaster at every level.

Cadillac deVille

Cadillac used the DeVille nameplate for decades, and while some of the early models were stunning designs, the sixth-generation models were far less cohesive.

Built between 1985 and 1993, the early sixth-gen models looked like watered-down versions of the past’s large, luxurious, and flashy designs. The nearly vertical rear window and bland body styling did no favors for this once-revered Cadillac model.

Cadillac Seville

The second-generation Cadillac Seville blighted our landscape between 1980 and 1985. It looked like the designer suffered from a stroke halfway through the styling process and slumped to the ground.

The resultant angled rear end looked terrible, and you could rub salt into the wound by optioning a clattery 5.7-liter V8 diesel engine with a heady 105-hp.

Chevrolet Citation

The Citation was Chevrolet’s first attempt at front-wheel drive. It was intended to take on other compact new models that became popular following the ’70s fuel crisis.

It may have been more fuel-efficient than the Nova it replaced, but Chevy hadn’t set any budget aside for styling. These things haven’t aged very well, but this didn’t deter buyers back in the day who made the Citation the best-selling U.S. car in 1980.

Chrysler LeBaron Town & Country

The K car platform was the basis for Chrysler’s resurgence in the 1980s. It was so versatile that it was used on everything from compact sedans to sports cars and minivans.

Unfortunately, it also made the second-gen front-wheel drive Chrysler LeBaron a reality. It was sold in various body styles, including the Town & Country models featuring faux wood paneling. All were horrendous, but the convertible T&C model was the worst.

Chrysler Executive Limousine

Chrysler loved the versatility of its K car platform, so in what must have been a boardroom dare, it decided to make it into a limousine.

The result was the Chrysler Executive Limousine, possibly the ugliest and least impressive way for the high-powered 1980s businessman or woman to travel between meetings.

Continental Mark VII

The 1983 to 1993 Lincoln Continental may have been luxurious and technologically advanced, but it lacked the styling to support its upmarket positioning.

From 1986 on, these models were renamed the Lincoln Mark VII, but unfortunately, the body styling remained unchanged. In isolation, these cars weren’t all that bad, but they just didn’t have the presence and attention to detail that the early generations did.

Ferrari Mondial

An ugly Ferrari is as rare as an affordable one, yet the Mondial manages to tick both boxes. Ok, so these things are relative, and in this case cheap means $50,000, but that’s still a whole lot less than any other sports car with the prancing horse logo.

The Mondial shared it’s running gear with the stunning 308, 328, and later 348 sports cars, but trying to fit four seats into a mid-engine body necessitated the awkward proportions that made this Ferrari the runt of the litter.

Maserati Biturbo

Maserati is renowned for its luxurious grand tourers and fancy sports cars, but it has also delivered some horrendous heaps like the Biturbo. Designed to be a faster and more luxurious alternative to the BMW 3 Series, the Biturbo range was compact and offered in both two- and four-door body styles.

Most were slow and unreliable, lacking the beautiful styling cues that had defined the brand up to that point. Several restyles did little to improve the looks.

Subaru XT

The Subaru XT was a two-door sports coupe sold between 1985 and 1991. It was reputed to be the most aerodynamic car on sale in the U.S., but it sure looked strange with its tapering front end and cheese wedge rear.

The XT was actually a decent car, available with four-wheel drive, a turbocharged engine, and digital gauges, but it was just too expensive and ugly to succeed.

Zastava Yugo

The Yugo was a subcompact hatchback sold to unsuspecting victims from 1980 until 2008. It made a short appearance in the U.S. between 1985 and 1992, showing that styling, performance, safety, and reliability don’t always mean the same thing to everybody.

Today, all we have are some great Yugo jokes and a handful of ex-Yugo owners who have mostly recovered from the ownership experience.