Muhammad:
After reading this thread I just can't resist posting.
Remember, I live in Michigan, near Detroit, so I see various cars and SUV with body wraps on them cruising the the freeways all the time. The auto manufacturers are testing their prototypes in a real inviroment, so when I first saw a Honda Element, I thought it was a prototype in a body wrap.
Actually, it needs a body "rap", with a large hammer.
On the defense of the Pontiac Aztec, which I also think is ugly, my sister-in-law has one and she loves it. I am 6 foot + tall and I sat in it and had about 4" between the top of my head and the roof. About as much as my 350 Ford. Today's cars for the most part, I can't sit in without my head rubbing the ceiling.
The Avalanche, which I refer to as the "Mudslide", reminds me of the Mopar cars of the late 70's with all the plastic mouldings on them. Here in the North, the salt-calcium mixture put on the roads in the winter, coupled with sunlight caused the mouldings to turn yellow no matter what the original color was. I wonder if the Avalanche will suffer the same fate. Maybe all that plastic will cover the rust holes as the vehicle ages??
My take on the best of the uglies is:
Element (a protype wrapped that isn't)
PT Cruiser (looks like a medicine capsule)
Chrysler Pacifica (just ugly and expensive to boot)
Avalanche "Mudslide" (blow moulded body parts and an ugly grille)
Ford Focus ( an execution in styling stupidity)
Pontiac Aztec ( Boxy and not "cute" just ugly)
I also have to include all the auto manufacturers that put driving lights on the vehicles. Pontiac started it a few years ago and everyone follow suit. Most are ill aimed so that when the oncoming vehicle has ther low beams on, the driving lights still blind you!!
You also have G.M. with their daytime running light fiasco. The bulbs seem to last about a month at best and every one I see coming at me has only one eye. Of course the owners NEVER look to see if they work!!!
You can shuffle the order any way you like, they are all executions in sublime stupidity!!
Of course we then have all the Japanese motorcycles that all copy the "cruiser" look. I am not a Harley fan, but why buy a copy when you can have the original and the original will hold it's value and not depreciate.
I guess the focus on automobiles is the "retro utility look". Give me my old VW Microbus back. I had a lot of fond memories of the 60's when I saw that post. I had a 2 tone blue one just like the picture. I wish I had it today, 40 horsepower and all.
