Ugliest car of all time
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From: Scotty on 7 Jun 2010 02:37 http://www.stuff.co.nz/life-style/motoring//3776785/Ugliest-cars-of-all-time 'Beauty is in the eye of the beholder," as 19th-century novelist Margaret Hungerford wrote in Molly Bawn. On that basis, there are certain cars that we would never really want to behold. But for every vehicle that is uneasy on the eye, there is almost always someone who can look beneath the skin. Take British car customiser Andy Saunders, for example. Saunders saw a photograph of a wreck from the 1950s and was transfixed by it. It was a tiny photo showing what was left of a car called the Aurora. Never mind that the Aurora had been nominated as the most hideous thing on wheels, Saunders just knew he had to have it. Here's the bizarre story of the Aurora and, A few nominations for other vehicles that are waiting to be preserved by enthusiasts of cars that are, well, a little bit different. Alfred A Juliano was a Catholic priest who dreamed of being a car stylist. Unfortunately he received his chance and built the Aurora. Father Alfred was very concerned with safety, hence a foam-filled pedestrian-friendly shelf on the front, seatbelts for every occupant, an inbuilt roll cage and other devices to stop the passengers meeting their maker (and his employer). Father Alfred was also concerned with producing styling that was, er, idiosyncratic. High-volume production was planned, it seems, but potential buyers totalled none. It isn't clear whether they were scared off by the uber-rococo bodywork or the $12,000 price tag (a whisker less than the dearest Cadillac of the same year, 1957). The Aurora sent its priestly designer bankrupt and its financing (which may have involved the poor box) led to his defrocking. The car itself has at various times been nominated as the ugliest made. Otherwise, it was a terrific success. "I've always wanted to own a car from the Dream Car period," Saunders told us. He bought the car in the 1990s without first seeing it in the metal-and-fibreglass. The photo was enough, particularly when he realised that the vehicle was a one-off prototype and the only Aurora in existence. What turned up at his doorstep, however, was a basket case. The restoration took 16 years and consumed so much money that Saunders won't reveal the full extent to anyone, confiding that "the only thing I've spent more on was my house". So is it the ugliest car in history? "Not really, no," he says. "It's pretty well up there but I don't know that it is the ugliest." Saunders, who designs and customises cars himself, says the Aurora's rear-end is "just gorgeous". "The front-end is, um, unusual and quite funky. And then the side view is just appalling. "You know how in school when you draw the head of a person and fold it over and let someone else draw the body and fold it over again and let someone draw the legs? "Well, it looks like that, like three or four people had a go." Saunders says there is something about "unusual" cars that appeals to him. "I've just put a Panhard PL17 on the road ... what a bloody ugly thing. The front looks like a frog that is waiting for a kiss and the back looks like Darth Vader's helmet."
From: Noddy on 7 Jun 2010 02:36 " Scotty" <scoter1(a)warmmail.com> wrote in message news:4c0c9394$0$12241$afc38c87(a)news.optusnet.com.au... > http://www.stuff.co.nz/life-style/motoring//3776785/Ugliest-cars-of-all-time > > > > 'Beauty is in the eye of the beholder," as 19th-century novelist Margaret > Hungerford wrote in Molly > Bawn. It is indeed. A shitload of ugly cars, but the last model Magna is right up there with them. -- Regards, Noddy.
From: Feral on 7 Jun 2010 02:51 Scotty wrote: > http://www.stuff.co.nz/life-style/motoring//3776785/Ugliest-cars-of-all-time > > > > 'Beauty is in the eye of the beholder," as 19th-century novelist Margaret Hungerford wrote in Molly > Bawn. > > On that basis, there are certain cars that we would never really want to behold. But for every > vehicle that is uneasy on the eye, there is almost always someone who can look beneath the skin. > > Take British car customiser Andy Saunders, for example. Saunders saw a photograph of a wreck from > the 1950s and was transfixed by it. It was a tiny photo showing what was left of a car called the > Aurora. > > > Never mind that the Aurora had been nominated as the most hideous thing on wheels, Saunders just > knew he had to have it. > > Here's the bizarre story of the Aurora and, A few nominations for other vehicles that are waiting to > be preserved by enthusiasts of cars that are, well, a little bit different. > > Alfred A Juliano was a Catholic priest who dreamed of being a car stylist. Unfortunately he received > his chance and built the Aurora. > > Father Alfred was very concerned with safety, hence a foam-filled pedestrian-friendly shelf on the > front, seatbelts for every occupant, an inbuilt roll cage and other devices to stop the passengers > meeting their maker (and his employer). > > Father Alfred was also concerned with producing styling that was, er, idiosyncratic. High-volume > production was planned, it seems, but potential buyers totalled none. > > It isn't clear whether they were scared off by the uber-rococo bodywork or the $12,000 price tag (a > whisker less than the dearest Cadillac of the same year, 1957). > > The Aurora sent its priestly designer bankrupt and its financing (which may have involved the poor > box) led to his defrocking. The car itself has at various times been nominated as the ugliest made. > > Otherwise, it was a terrific success. > > "I've always wanted to own a car from the Dream Car period," Saunders told us. > > He bought the car in the 1990s without first seeing it in the metal-and-fibreglass. > > The photo was enough, particularly when he realised that the vehicle was a one-off prototype and the > only Aurora in existence. What turned up at his doorstep, however, was a basket case. > > The restoration took 16 years and consumed so much money that Saunders won't reveal the full extent > to anyone, confiding that "the only thing I've spent more on was my house". > > So is it the ugliest car in history? > > "Not really, no," he says. "It's pretty well up there but I don't know that it is the ugliest." > Saunders, who designs and customises cars himself, says the Aurora's rear-end is "just gorgeous". > > "The front-end is, um, unusual and quite funky. And then the side view is just appalling. > > "You know how in school when you draw the head of a person and fold it over and let someone else > draw the body and fold it over again and let someone draw the legs? > > "Well, it looks like that, like three or four people had a go." > > Saunders says there is something about "unusual" cars that appeals to him. "I've just put a Panhard > PL17 on the road ... what a bloody ugly thing. The front looks like a frog that is waiting for a > kiss and the back looks like Darth Vader's helmet." > > 380 -- Take Care. ~~ Feral Al ( @..@) (\- :-P -/) ((.>__oo__<.)) ^^^ % ^^^
From: John_H on 7 Jun 2010 03:25 Scotty wrote: >http://www.stuff.co.nz/life-style/motoring//3776785/Ugliest-cars-of-all-time For frontal treatment 1950 Studebakers would have to be a close contender. To which I'd add they probably look a lot better now than they did then.... http://www.flickr.com/photos/hudson666/3197747637/ -- John H
From: George W Frost on 7 Jun 2010 04:54 "John_H" <john4721(a)inbox.com> wrote in message news:1j6p065mo1hntl7ceaell58l9bkn7is73s(a)4ax.com... > Scotty wrote: >>http://www.stuff.co.nz/life-style/motoring//3776785/Ugliest-cars-of-all-time > > For frontal treatment 1950 Studebakers would have to be a close > contender. To which I'd add they probably look a lot better now than > they did then.... http://www.flickr.com/photos/hudson666/3197747637/ > > -- > John H Utter bullshit !! The Studebaker was a wonderful looking car I remember selling papers around 1953 at the Malvern Town Hall tram stop in the mornings and I saw my first Studebaker Champion I thought it was Buck Rodgers spacecraft It was a coupe with windows all around the cabin and the rear windows came right around to the side The link you posted showed only a pink one, but they came in green or grey. That car was and will always be a true classic.
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