Saw a car today that really turned my head. It was so incredible looking that, against all my principles, I had to find out what it was. Luckily it was turning into a shopping center parking lot, so it didn't look like I was obviously following it. Cruised slowly past where it was parked and checked it out - it was a Pontiac Aztek (not Aztec with a "c", but Aztek), and it is quite possibly The World's Ugliest Car.
Seriously. It's homelier than a Subaru Justy. It makes a Citroen 2CV look like a beauty queen. It's more unappealing than a Yugo, but maybe not so bland. Compared to an Aztek, the 1958 Edsel was high art. The Aztek is so mind blowingly unbalanced stylistically and just plain wrong looking, that it makes you question the sanity of the management at General Motors. Wait - they had to be financially bailed out by the government. Now we know why.
Don't know how many of these gargoyles were ever made, but there can't be many around - what sane person would have bought one? I've never seen one before, but I tend to block out unpleasant memories, like trips to the dentist, dropping that piano on my foot, and my first marriage.
The Aztek may be rare here in the US, but looking around on the web, it appears that they were more popular in some other places, like Uraguay and Myanmar. Which leads to some questions about the tastes of those who live under military dictatorships. If it wasn't for trade sanctions, it might have been a huge hit in Albania and North Korea, to name two countries not widely known for their appreciation for the finer things in life.
It isn't often that I'm haunted by a vision of something I've seen, but it's going to be hard getting to sleep tonight. Can't stop thinking about The World's Ugliest Car.