10 of the worst cars ever made

We’re pretty spoiled with cars these days, because there aren’t many models on sale which are truly awful. Some are forgettable and some are compromised, but on the whole most go about their business in an inoffensive manner.

This hasn’t always been the case though, there have been some right stinkers in years gone by. So what are the worst cars ever made? We’ve got 10 terrible models you’ll want to avoid.

But first, what do we mean by a bad car? Well there are a few factors that come into play. A car could be naff to drive, badly built, unreliable, ugly as sin or just downright dangerous.

10 of the worst cars

1. Rover Cityrover
2. Triumph TR7
3. Reva G-Wiz
4. Chrysler PT Cruiser
5. Austin Allegro
6. Ssangyong Rodius
7. Nissan Micra C+C
8. Citroen C3 Pluriel
9. Ford Mustang gen 3
10. Hummer H3

1. Rover Cityrover – The final nail in Rover’s coffin

The Cityrover was a missed opportunity for Rover in the early 2000s. With the company quickly going under, this small hatchback was a joint venture with Indian car maker Tata and was meant to boost slumping sales.

It was essentially a Tata Indica with a Rover grille slapped on the front. It was slow, badly made, had sloppy handling and was plagued with reliability issues. It ended up spelling the death of Rover, and the company went bankrupt in 2005.

2. Triumph TR7 – The forgotten sibling

The Triumph TR7 had some big shoes to fill when it came along in 1974. Its predecessor, the TR6, was an impossibly handsome sports car. You can imagine people’s shock when its replacement took inspiration from a piece of cheese…

It wasn’t a pretty car. In fact, it’s rumoured that famous designer Giorgetto Giugiaro mocked the styling when the car was revealed. The questionable looks combined with British Leyland’s famously terrible build quality made the TR7 about as desirable as a mouldy block of Red Leicester.

3. Reva G-Wiz – A famously bad electric ‘car’

Electric cars have come a long way since the G-Wiz first hit the streets and it’s a good job, too. It was so small and flimsy it’s actually classed as a quadricycle rather than a car, and therefore didn’t have to meet the same stringent safety requirements.

It had a claimed range of just 50 miles courtesy of six lead-acid batteries under the seat, although in reality you wouldn’t see anywhere near this number. Not that you’d want to do 50 miles in it anyway, nor would you want to get anywhere near its 50mph top speed.

4. Chrysler PT Cruiser – Retro styling gone hideously wrong

Retro styling can be great when done right, just look at the Fiat 500, but the Chrysler PT Cruiser is a prime example of what happens when it goes horribly wrong. The PT Cruiser was a very awkward-looking thing, especially if you bought the drop-top model.

Cutting the roof off also meant it was very much lacking in structural rigidity, making the already lacklustre driving experience even worse. The interior wasn’t up to much either, with acres of cheap, brittle plastic making it feel like you were sitting in the toy from a Happy Meal.

5. Austin Allegro – A failed attempt at innovation

Few cars in history missed the mark quite like the Austin Allegro. It was developed in a hurry to replace the ancient Austin 1100 and, in a world where hatchbacks were becoming all the rage, it went down like a lead balloon.

It looked dumpy, with bulbous lines and weird proportions. Austin tried their best to be innovative with varying degrees of success. The odd square steering wheel was the most notable example, although a few modern cars are starting to adopt this now – maybe Austin was on to something after all…

6. Ssangyong Rodius – A family car which scared children

Ssangyong was desperate to make an impact in the European market in the early naughties, and the Rodius people carrier was supposed to be their way of making a splash. It worked, but not in the way that Ssangyong wanted.

It claimed that the Rodius was styled to look like a yacht from the South of France, but from most angles it more closely resembled a shipwreck. The rear end looked like a dodgy conservatory plonked on the back, and this didn’t sit well with buyers – which is a shame because it was actually a hugely practical and well-equipped MPV.

7. Nissan Micra C+C – About as cool as your dad’s sandals

Back in 2005, Nissan revealed a car that nobody asked for. The Micra C+C was a convertible version of the sensible supermini, and it was available in a fetching shade of neon pink if you really wanted to stand out.

It took the practical Micra, removed most of the rear seat space and boot capacity and somehow had even less street cred. Still, the folding metal roof was a neat touch.

8. Citroen C3 Pluriel – The worst convertible ever made

The Citroen C3 Pluriel didn’t even have a folding metal hard-top going for it. Another convertible supermini, it had one of the most awkward roof arrangements in history.

It took 20 minutes and an engineering degree to get the thing off, and once you’d taken the top down you had to leave most of it behind because there was nowhere to store it in the car. Combine this with the car’s questionable styling and you aren’t left with a particularly appealing package.

9. Gen 3 Ford Mustang – one of the worst muscle cars ever

The Ford Mustang has a lineage going back to the early 60s, and it’s one of the most iconic muscle cars of all time. That’s not to say every iteration has been great, and the third generation was a stinker.

Not only was it arguably the ugliest of all the Mustangs, it was born during the US fuel crisis which meant emissions regulations seriously hampered performance. The 4.2-litre V8 produced a pathetic 118hp, just 2hp more than a modern 1.0-litre Skoda Fabia.

10. Hummer H3 – A pretend military off-roader

The original Hummer H1 was a properly tough off-roader thanks to its military origins, however as the years went on the civilian versions lost their utilitarian roots in favour of a chintzy tonka toy image.

The H3 was the worst example of this. All the plastic chrome outside looked naff, and the interior was appallingly built. Everything about it appeared cheap, but the H3 was anything but. It started from around £27,000 back in 2007, the equivalent of £45,000 today.

Worst cars FAQs

What is the worst car ever made?

This is a tricky question to answer, because it’s really a matter of opinion. That said, it’s hard to ignore how disastrous the Rover Cityrover was. At the time it was up against stiff competition in the form of the Ford Fiesta, Volkswagen Polo and Toyota Yaris, but it just wasn’t good enough to compete.

It may have been a lot cheaper, but it was terrible to drive, horrible to sit in and it was riddled with reliability issues. It was so bad that it signalled the death of the Rover brand in 2005.

What are the worst electric cars?

Electric cars have come a long way since the early 2000s, something which is evidenced by the Reva G-Wiz. This is arguably the worst electric car of all time thanks to poor build quality, short driving range and questionable crash safety. You can check out a full list of the worst electric cars ever made here.

What is the worst-looking car in the world?

Beauty is in the eye of the beholder, but most people who behold the Ssangyong Rodius agree that it’s hideous. It was meant to look like a French yacht, however it looked more like a mangled conservatory on wheels.

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