The Most Ridiculous Cars Ever

5 Volkswagen Topsy-Turvy Bug

You probably already figured this out, but this unique creation is not legal to drive on public streets—at least without permission, that is. It’s typically only seen on the street during parades. In fact, this image of the car was taken at the 2006 Houston Art Car Parade. It was in at least one other Houston Art Car Parade. That was the one held in 2004.

FUN FACTS

• The feet sticking out of the top (or should I say bottom) of the upside down car usually have heels on them, but after the driver hit an unexpected bump in the road, they fell off.
• Someone also usually rides in the top car during parades. How they get inside there is a mystery to me.

6 Red Stiletto Motorcycle

Dubbed “the sexiest car ever,” this 1972 Red Stiletto custom trike was created by David Crow of Seattle. Crow used parts of a Honda CB 350 motorcycle to make the bike. It took him four years to complete the entire thing.

About a decade ago, the bike was on display at LeMay Family Museum in Spanaway, WA. I’m not sure exactly where it is now, but it has been spotted a few times at Art Car events (festivals and parades) around the country.

So, what was Crow’s inspiration behind the design? He planned to use the bike as a way to make up with his girlfriend. I don’t know what the fight was about and if they actually made up, but it’s a cool modification nonetheless.

7 Pikachu Van

This picture of this itasha (a car decorated with manga, anime, or video game motifs) seems to have been taken on a street somewhere in Japan. Exactly where that street is located remains a mystery to me.

According to the blog A Geek in Japan, itasha is quite popular in otaku circles (people interested in anime and manga) with individuals of a certain age group. My guess is that it’s popular with kids and teens, although I could be wrong.

Unfortunately, that’s about all I can tell you about this uncommon vehicle. I can’t help but wonder, though. Does this car shoot lightning out of its exhaust pipe? It’s a Pikachu van, after all!

8 Unicorn Mustang

A unicorn is a mythical being resembling a horse, and a mustang is a wild horse, so it makes sense that the owner would put these two creatures together to come up with this unique car. Not only is there a big horn in the middle of the hood, there are wings attached on either side of the back.

But this 1968 Ford Mustang isn’t for driving or for collecting dust in the garage. In fact, the modification wasn’t even permanent. The car was being auctioned off to benefit The Albert Kennedy Trust. I’m not sure who bought it, what they’re doing with it now, and if they decided to make the modification permanent. It certainly would be interesting to know.

9 Upside Down Truck

The genius behind this creation is Rick Sullivan, a mechanic from Illinois. Sullivan combined parts of a Ford F-150 with a 1991 Ford Ranger to make this upside down truck. It cost him $6,000 to build it and took him six months to complete it. And, believe it or not, it’s drivable.

So, where did the idea of making such a vehicle come from? Sullivan was inspired to make this truck when he was called to tow a Ford Ranger that had overturned in an accident one winter. The truck had rolled over on its top in about 10 inches of snow, with all four wheels sticking up in the air. Sullivan then said, “Hey, I’ll bet you I can recreate that.” And he did!

FUN FACTS

• The truck’s novelty license plate reads “FLIPOVR.”
• The top wheels spin around.

10 The Wienermobile

I wouldn’t dare write this article and not include the most famous modified car of all. That’s right, folks. It’s the Wienermobile! According to the Oscar Mayer website, the Wienermobile was launched in 1936 in response to the Great Depression. The country’s spirits needed lifting, and Oscar Mayer thought the Wienermobile was just the thing to do it.

FUN FACTS

• There are six different Wienermobiles driving around the country at all times, and you can use the map on OscarMayer.com to find the one that’s closest to you. Just type in a location (street address, city or state) to track it.
• You can request the Wienermobile for your special events.

11 Smiling Mazda

Okay, so is this one of the rejects from the Cars movie? I don’t know if it is or not, but one thing I do know for sure is that you have to admit that it makes you smile when you look at it. At least it made me smile, anyway. It was sort of like a reflex action. You know, like when someone yawns and it makes you start yawning.

Anyway, perhaps it will serve to brighten up the day of each driver that passes by. With everything that’s going on in the world today, we could all use a little joy in our lives. This car got a great attitude!

12 Mustang Pool Table

Okay, so this one technically isn’t a car. It’s actually a pool table with the front and rear reproduced to scale to look just like a 1965 Mustang. It even has working headlights, chrome accents, and official Ford licensing. The only thing different is that the middle is much shorter than it would typically be on the car, but that’s only because it’s made to match the standard length of a pool table.

This table would make a good collector’s item or a source of entertainment in the man cave. But be warned: you’re gonna pay a pretty penny for something like this. It was worth about $15,000 in 2010. Who knows how much it’s worth today!

13 The Phone Car

This car is the literal interpretation of the term “mobile phone.” Created by business owner Howard Davis, The Phone Car is built on a 1975 Volkswagen Beetle chassis. It has an aluminum body, a tinted windshield, and a telephone ringer as its horn.

It’s been featured in many books (Ripley’s, Art Cars, Guinness, Motor Trend, Weekly World News, to name a few), on many TV news shows, in the documentary film Automorphosis, and as part of the Wild Wheels: Art for the Road exhibit in the Petersen Automotive Museum in Beverly Hills. And, in case you were wondering, yes, it is drivable!

14 A DeLorean Limo

This DeLorean limousine is big enough for you and 20 of your closest friends to go back (or forward) in time. Okay, well, maybe not that many of your friends. But you can still fit several people in there. That being said, it’s made from three separate cars and has three gull-wing doors.

Based on John Z. DeLorean’s DMC-12, this vehicle is the creation of DeLorean collector Rich Weissensel, who has created a unique collection of custom DeLorean DMC-12s. Included in this collection are a convertible, a monster truck, a DMC-12 Roadster, a hovercraft, and a replica of the time machine from Back to the Future.

15 Half-Car

Obviously, this car is not drivable; half of it is missing, after all! But it is still a pretty funny one. And I’m sure most men—especially the divorced ones—would feel that it’s pretty accurate, too!

And yes, for the most part, vehicles are considered being marital property, so they are definitely subject to division in divorce court. I’m pretty sure this isn’t the kind of division they had in mind, though.

FUN FACTS

• The half-car was created as a joke by the late-Edgerton, Kansas, Mayor Ray Braun. And to answer your question, no, it wasn’t because his wife divorced him.
• This isn’t the only half-car in existence. When a woman in Germany left her husband of 12 years and demanded half of everything, the husband sawed the car (and all their other valuable possessions) in half. He then sent each of the halves to her.

16 BigFoot 5

This is the ultimate monster truck! Dubbed “BigFoot 5,” this creation is the brainchild of motor enthusiast Bob Chandler. In 1974, Chandler created the first-ever BigFoot, which stood at 48 inches tall, had four-wheel steering, and a supercharged eight-cylinder engine. Its tires came from a U.S. Army vehicle that was used in Alaska.

Fast forward to the summer of 1986 and you’ve got BigFoot 5, which stands at a whopping 15 feet, 6 inches tall and weighs in at 38,000 pounds! This truck is so huge that it was given the title “Largest Monster Truck” by the Guinness Book of Records the same year in which Chandler built it.

FUN FACT

BigFoot 5 is one of a fleet of 17 Bigfoot trucks created by Chandler.

17 Fiat Uno 8-Wheeler

This small Fiat Uno was modified by Garage54, a well-known Russia-based car garage. They are known for their one-of-a-kind modification jobs, and this one is certainly no exception.

At first glance, you might think that the extra tire at the top is just a spare, but the truth of the matter is that all eight tires are running wheels. Why? Well, that remains a mystery. But what I can tell you is that the whole thing was a bad idea.

An article published by Indian Auto noted that while the garage made modifications to the exterior of the car, it left the engine the same. This means that it now has to work overtime to handle the extra load of the added axles and wheels. As a result, the car isn’t comfortable to drive. For one thing, there’s no suspension setup in the rear, which makes driving on rough roads pretty difficult. Then, there’s all the noise from the engine and front wheels as they try to push the car.

18 Highlander Sport

This Highlander Sport 4×4 looks like something that would belong to Inspector Gadget. Perhaps they should call it the High-Up Lander Sport. Ba dum tss! Okay, I know, I know, enough with the corny jokes already.

Anyway, according to a picture RuralInfo.net uploaded to Flickr, this vehicle is supposed to be for rural mail carriers who have trouble reaching those really tall mailboxes. Obviously, that’s just a joke. I’m not sure who this vehicle belongs to and why they modified it in this way. Perhaps someone in Hollywood will see it and decide to use it as the next Gadgetmobile!

19 The Liam Nissan

This one is so clever that it made me chuckle when I saw it! This car belongs to a Liam Neeson fan, as you probably already have guessed. Not only did this fan plaster Neeson’s face all over the vehicle, he even named it after the movie star!

According to an article published by Hotcars.com, the vehicle appears to be “a racing-modded car, with the air filter peeking from half of the left headlight place.” Speaking of headlight, they both were replaced by metal nets tied with wires.

FUN FACT

Liam Neeson does NOT drive a Nissan (although that would be totally cool)! According to Hotcars.com, he drives a Chevy Suburban, a BMW 5 Series, and an Audi Q7.

20 Transformers Van

This van has been fitted with a custom body kit that wraps around the whole vehicle—with the exception of the front. Whoever installed this kit had the foresight to realize that they needed to leave some space in the front of the van so that the hood could still be reached.

While this might seem like the ideal vehicle for a die-hard Transformers fan, this van might be more trouble than anything else. For one thing, the kit makes it three times bigger than it was originally. That, of course, would make driving it difficult or even impossible at times.

21 The Banana Car

I’ve heard of a banana boat before, but a banana car? Anyway, The Big Banana Car, as it’s officially known, was built by Englishman Steve Braithwaite and a group of his close friends over a period of two-and-a-half years.

Work on the car, which used to be a 1993 Ford F-150 pickup truck before modifications, began in 2009. The group worked mostly on Sundays and spent a whopping $25,000 to turn the truck into a motorized banana. And, yes, it is street legal.

FUN FACTS

• Braithwaite, whose favorite color is yellow, got the idea to create The Big Banana Car after he saw a basket of fruit in a gas station.
• The Big Banana Car has its own website, children’s book, and t-shirts.

22 Flying Saucer Volkswagen

Look out, we’re being invaded by bugs! Volkswagen Bugs, to be exact.

Yes, someone, for some unknown reason, decided to turn this Volkswagen Bug into a flying saucer. According to professional artist Werner “Mr. W” Skolimowski, this is an art car/mutant vehicle owned by someone in Black Rock City, Nevada. Skolimowski was able to snap a photo of this silver flying saucer Volkswagen back in 2002.

Reddit user MALESTROMME posted a pic of the car a few years ago and asked fellow Redditors to roast it. The responses were hilarious. One user said it looked like it was wearing a Victorian hoop skirt. Another user called it “Herbie The Love Bugs’s sci-fi cousin.” Someone else commented: “Please be a hover bug, please be a hover bug.”

It kinda does look like it could be a hover car, though!

23 Cadillac TAG Function Car

This strange contraption is the brainchild of car designer Franco Sbarro. Sbarro revealed this concept car in Switzerland in 1978.

Powered by an 8.2 liter V8 engine, this 20-foot-plus-long car was built on the Cadillac Eldorado chassis and was supposed to serve as a mobile office. Inside are four armchairs, two telephones, fold-out desks, a huge CRT television, a refrigerator, and wood paneling. Twenty-five of these cars were made, and all but two were sold to customers.

While this car looks a bit strange on the outside, I must admit that it’s an interesting concept—and one that was certainly ahead of its time. I could definitely see a car like this in 2022, with everything being high tech, nowadays, and everyone always on the go.

24 The Trojan Horse Car

According to an article published by TheRichest, this car is a literal adaptation of drag racer Larry Fullerton’s world champion funny car, Trojan Horse. But it may be more to the story than that. According to Wikipedia, the name Trojan Horse refers to “a wooden horse said to have been used by the Greeks during the Trojan War to enter the city of Troy and win the war.” So, perhaps that’s where they got the idea from.

But wait. There’s yet another angle. In 1899, Seventh-day Adventist preacher Uriah Smith, of Battle Creek, Michigan, came up with an idea to keep horses from being scared of automobiles when meeting them on the road. Smith introduced a new vehicle known as the Horsey Horseless. In simplest terms, it was a car with a big wooden horse’s head on the front of it. The premise behind the idea was that if the car looked like a horse, horses wouldn’t be scared of it. I’m sure I don’t have to tell you that his idea did not work at all.

25 Party On Wheels

This car, which looks like an oversized robot vacuum, is actually a vehicle designed for “party animals who demand the full excitement of night life.” The Honda Fuya-Jo, which means “sleepless city” in English, was designed in the late 90s. Its interior has a dance club theme, complete with a dashboard that resembles a DJ’s mixing desk and a steering wheel shaped like a turntable.

The floor is flat, which makes it easy for occupants to stand up. It’s a “short yet tall 4-seater that induces the same kind of experience as riding skateboards or roller blades, or dancing in clubs,” Honda said.

26 Monster Car

I don’t know why, but when I saw this car, it initially made me think of a pink Barbie Jeep! Truth be told, it actually would make more sense if these guys were driving a Barbie Jeep instead of this thing.

You know, every time I’m with my dad and he sees a car like this, he always says, “They’re having fun now, but wait until a strong wind comes and gets underneath that car.” And he’s right. I haven’t seen one overturn yet, but the experts out there warn against driving them in high winds. I mean, think about it for a minute: if it only takes a high-speed wind of less than 60 miles per hour to overturn a tractor trailer, what do you think a high-speed wind could do to a car like this?

27 A 14-Wheeler LADA

For those of you who may not know, the LADA is a Russian car brand that is now part of the Groupe Renault brand. Now that we’ve got that out of the way, let me tell you about this specific car. An eight-wheel conversion of a Fiat Uno served as the inspiration behind this modification. The difference is that the Fiat uses its front wheels while the LADA moves through its six rear wheel axles. And get this: the axles are stacked on top of each other like a pyramid!

Believe it or not, the car actually works fine—for the most part. There’s some slippage when the tires get wet, plus there wasn’t any room for a damping structure, so the suspension pretty much sucks. Other than that, you’ve got a working vehicle here.

28 The Carplane

If you read the writing on the back of this car, it’s easy to see what the inspiration behind it was. And I get it: the owner is a huge Star Wars fan. But couldn’t they have done something simpler to show their love for the award-winning sci-fi masterpiece?

I just have one question: how are they even gonna park this thing? Can you imagine something like that trying to pull into a space next to YOUR car? You’d likely come out of the store to find your car’s side mirror and half the paint missing. I doubt this thing is even street legal, but who knows?

29 Giant Exhaust Pipes

If you’re thinking this type of modification is pointless, you might want to think again. The fact of the matter is, the bigger the exhaust pipes, the quicker the exhaust gases leave the combustion chamber, therefore, the faster your car will go—at higher RPMs, that is. On the flip side of that, you’ll experience less power at lower RPMs.

The question then becomes, why on earth would anyone want their car to go so fast? Perhaps it’s owned by a racer. Perhaps it’s owned by a daredevil. Regardless of who the owner is, one thing’s for sure: this cannot be good for the environment!

30 The Extremely Low Lowrider

Is this a new type of street sweeper or something? Because these guys are going to be picking up all sorts of stuff with that thing on the front of their car. And, another thing: how the heck are they going to pull in and out of driveways and parking lots, including the one the car is sitting in?

People who drive sports cars, which are naturally low to the ground, know exactly what I’m talking about. That dreaded scraping sound is not something sports car owners look forward to hearing. I can only imagine all the scraping this thing will do.

31 The Bamboo Car

Could renewable bamboo be as strong as carbon fiber for lightweight cars? That’s the question that Green Car Reports posed a few years ago. The answer is yes and no. While bamboo parts do have some advantages over comparable carbon-fiber items, it’s most likely not strong enough for other automotive applications.

That brings us to this Ford Model T right here. It’s obvious the owner disagrees with the experts and feels that bamboo is strong enough for ALL automotive applications. Now, perhaps where the owner lives, they don’t get much rain, snow, or cold weather. There are palm trees in the background, so I guess it’s safe to say that the climate there is probably quite warm. As for the rain, well, I hope the owner never gets caught out in it.

32 Rooster Car

This car actually belongs to retired champion auto racer Tommy Kendall. He wasn’t the one to modify the car, though. In fact, no one knows why the 1973 Oldsmobile Ninety-Eight was even modified in the first place. The only thing known is that it once belonged to a promoter in Ohio.

Kendall ended up with it some time after spotting it one day when he was at work. He heard a chicken sound, glanced out the window, and saw the car. He offered the owner $3,500 for it, but she wasn’t willing to sell it, and drove away in it. Kendall was able, however, to snap a few pictures of the car before the woman drove off. One of his shots ended up in a popular car magazine.

Next thing Kendall knows, he’s receiving a call from someone saying the rooster car was at an impound lot and would appear at a local auction soon. As luck would have it, Kendall was able to purchase the car for a cool $895! That’s far less than the $3,500 he was going to pay for it.

33 The Blind Spot

All cars have blind spots, but I think this car might actually cause you to go blind if you stare at it on a bright, sunny day. There has to be some sort of law against such a thing as this. But since they’re driving it around, chances are there must not be.

Unfortunately, this isn’t the only car like this. There’s a similar one here where I live, and I try not to stare directly at it when I see it coming. I mean, seriously, something like that could make other drivers veer off the road. Perhaps the owner should only drive it at night. Then again, any headlights shining on it might cause a glare as well.

34 Grass Car

This isn’t some weird modification by some person who had nothing better to do than to make their car look like it’s covered in grass. This car actually belonged to a New Zealand-based tea company.

According to an article published back in 2011 by transpress New Zealand, when a Google ad shown on its website posed the question “Have you wondered what those grassy cars are all about?,” they decided to do a bit of research and found out that car was the property of Teza Iced Teas.

These bottled tea drinks are produced using organic leaf tea, fruit juices, and botanicals. I guess that’s why the company decided to use “grass cars” to advertise their beverages.

35 Camera Van

According to Harrod Blank, the guy behind this monstrosity, the “Camera Van,” as it’s officially known, is “the world’s most unique rolling photographic studio” and “the world’s ONLY van carpeted wall-to-wall in camera.” Beware, though, as there is a method to Blank’s madness. According to him, this van is rigged to capture people’s reactions to it.

What’s more is that the Camera Van has its own website and postcards, has appeared in a film, and even has its own song. The film documentary, titled Automorphosis, was produced by Blank. The song, titled “I’ve Got A Vision,” was written by Blank, Dan Lohaus, and David Pugh.

36 The Ultimate Off Roader

Back in 2017, GMC revealed a concept truck with tank tracks instead of tires. The tracks are supposed to help the truck navigate rugged, snow-covered terrain.

According to GMC, the GMC Sierra 2500HD All Mountain concept is a “one-of-a-kind snow-climbing machine” that “combines the power of the 6.6L turbo-diesel V-8 engine and first-class interior appointments of the Sierra 2500HD Denali and adds enhanced capability and features through concept Mattracks® technology and GMC Accessories.”

This vehicle obviously isn’t for your average driver. Most of us likely never encounter rugged terrain and extreme weather conditions on our daily excursions, so I’m not sure how many of these they sell a year. All I know is that when I first saw it, it made me think of those Tonka trucks from the commercials they used to show in between the Saturday morning cartoons.

37 The Blinged Out Car

“Every time I come around your city
“Bling bling
“Pinky ring worth about fifty
“Bling bling
“Every time I buy a new ride
“Bling bling
“Lorenzos on Yokohama tires
“Bling bling”

Those lyrics from the song “Bling Bling” by rapper B.G. are what popped into my head when I saw this picture.

According to an article published by Bloomberg, this Mercedes-Benz SL600 made an appearance at the Tokyo Auto Salon, an annual custom-car show held each January in Makuhari Messe. The car is covered from top to bottom with Swarovski crystals, except for the license plate frame, which is laced with rhinestones. Inside the car you’ll find lush faux-fur seats and a gold steering wheel. The entire thing is worth about $900,000!

38 Jeep With A Third Row

“It’s like a Jeep with a 3rd row.” That’s what the Facebook Marketplace seller said about this modified Chevy Suburban, according to a Redditor who goes by the name Consistent-Ebb-5777.

And what’s with all those dents on the side of it? Did that happen as they were attempting to remove the top of the vehicle? What’s more is that the seller is asking $2,500 for it—or a trade. He also said that it’s in good driving condition. I’m not sure if we should trust that, though. That being said, I agree with another Redditor who said that if you’re gonna buy this vehicle, it’d be best to buy it and sell the parts separately.

39 The Collector’s Truck

This truck was spotted at a local Subway in Jesup, GA, in 2012, and boy, did people have a lot to say about it. When Autoweek wrote about it on its website, they titled the article “Davy Crockett builds himself a truck.” A Redditor called it a “weird pelt taxidermy truck.” Carsoid.com referred to it as a “hunting trophy truck.”

Whatever it is, I think we can all agree that it’s a mess. It looks like the wall in a hunter’s den exploded and landed all over this truck. I don’t really know what this guy was thinking, but this just isn’t cool. That thing shouldn’t even be allowed on the road!

40 Redneck Party Van

Why pay someone to build an expensive tailgate van when you can make your own for next to nothing by simply nailing a few boards together, mounting them on top of your van, and putting a grill and picnic table on top of them? And you know what? That grill on top is a definite no-no! I can just see it tipping over and setting the whole town on fire.

And what’s with the cops in the background? Why are they just standing there? This guy has gotta be breaking some kind of traffic/vehicle modification law. I guess as long as he offers them a hamburger, it’ll be all good.

On another note, I wonder if he drives around with that stuff on top of the van (bolted down, of course) or if he disassembles his “picnic area” before driving off.

41 A Shoe On The Road

Have you ever seen a shoe on the road? And we’re not talking about a simple shoe that someone lost along the way, oh no. We’re talking about a big, rolling shoe on the road! Well, if you have, you may have seen one of the L.L.Bean Bootmobiles!

The L.L.Bean Bootmobile was first unveiled in 2012 to celebrate the 100th anniversary of the L.L.Bean company. The Bootmobile stands 13 feet tall and 20 feet long, and is a perfect replica of the iconic L.L.Bean Boot. A second Bootmobile was added to the roads in 2013, and then a Bootmobile 3.0 was also released in 2019.

Together they have traveled no less than 350,000 miles, visiting hundreds of events across 25 states, 2 cities and dozens of college campuses!