Probably, many, observing this or that design miracle, think: why? Why was the car made like this? There is always an answer, and it will not always come from the marketing industry – that is, sometimes the designers simply couldn’t do it any other way. In our selection we will try to deal with this issue too.
Messerschmitt KR175/KR200
The strange machine was called a “cabin roller” – something like a motor scooter with a cabin. The transport borrowed from Nazi fighters not only the name, but also the interior layout and landing through a plexiglass roof-lantern that folds to the side. The motorized stroller was actually produced at the factories of the former aircraft manufacturer, and it was actually designed by an aviation engineer, albeit with a different last name. Thus, he solved the key problem of the designers of all minicars – linking passenger seats with doors and front wheels, subject to the minimum dimensions of the car. It cannot be said that this solution is ideal (for example, another German aviation company solved this issue more beautifully), but there is no doubt that it turned out to be original and inexpensive. The motorized stroller is considered successful; it was produced for 9 years with a circulation of 26 thousand units.
Nissan Cube
A completely different case: the Japanese made the rear of the car “one-sided” purely for design reasons. The compact rear has one conventional and one hidden roof pillar with matching glazing. Moreover, the left- and right-hand drive versions had their own pillar hidden behind the glass – right and left, respectively.
It’s interesting that in the first generation the Cube was quite normal, that is, symmetrical, and only the last two were, excuse me, skewed. It seems that the unusual design decision worked, because this conceptually purely Japanese compact van sold well not only in its homeland, but also in Europe and America.
LuAZ-967 TPK
A unique car, produced at one time in Lutsk. On the one hand, it is a TPK, a front-line transporter, that is, it is intended for the battlefield. On the other hand, it is a car because it has everything necessary to drive on public roads and thus receives license plates of the established type. But these “two in one” are by no means the main advantage of the LuAZ-967. Firstly, thanks to the features of the 4×4 transmission, the car has high off-road qualities, that is, on off-road it is a real all-terrain vehicle with a ground clearance of 285 mm. Secondly, he can swim, because he is an amphibian. Thirdly, the TPK has a very low silhouette – less than 1.15 m with the glass and steering wheel folded. Finally, the car is designed so that you can ride it lying down – and there are three lying seats! This is also necessary for better camouflage on the battlefield. And the last incredible feature, which has previously been seen in this segment, it seems, only on the Land Rover prototype: the driver sits in the middle of the car – so that his passengers can sit (or lie) on both sides. LuAZ-967 was produced for many years for the needs of several armies, survived them all along with their countries, and another restyling, a period of oblivion and has now entered a period of universal love and admiration.
Fiat Multipla II (1998 – 2004)
People who are far from understanding the automotive world constantly include this car in some ratings of the most terrible models of all times. Meanwhile, this is actually an extraordinary car, but not because of the non-trivial styling of the front end, but because of the successful body shape and layout. The car is shorter than its competitors, but more spacious because it has six full seats and a large trunk (430 liters with a 6-seater interior configuration). All this is thanks to three seats in each of the two rows and straight sides in the passenger and luggage compartments; which, if necessary, can be increased to 1300 – 1900 liters by folding or removing excess seats. Options for transforming a cozy and comfortable interior (with a flat floor!) provide a lot of combinations of positions for five seats (except for the driver’s). As for the design, it was highly praised by the Museum of Modern Art in New York, and in Europe the Multipla received the title of “Family Car of the Year” for four years in a row.
Plymouth Prowler
One of the models, released as if on a powerful retro wave of the 1990s, actually had more shocking than nostalgia. In terms of driving performance, it was actually a sports car with acceleration to 100 km/h in 5.9 – 7.2 seconds. The overall charisma of this factory hot rod was enhanced by its thoroughbred layout: front engine and rear wheel drive with the gearbox located at the drive wheels. The total release was 11.7 thousand copies, which is generally not much for America. The manufacturer was counting on more, but it seems that for a purely niche, strange-looking and completely impractical car with a price of 38–44 thousand dollars, this was not bad. The successor that replaced the Prowler on the assembly line was the Chrysler Crossfire – a completely ordinary car from the outside.
In short
You can find a car with a non-standard design not only in the catalogs of the Geneva Motor Show (if anyone still remembers those). In Ukrainian car markets, there are also models that are interesting in a stylistic sense, and what is typical is that they often ask for more than for analogues with a banal appearance. Although, if you really want to, you can order something specific from distillers from abroad. Moreover, in Europe and America, production cars lose price over the years and mileage, regardless of stylistic features.
2024-01-04 05:40:48
#Capable #surprising #TOP #cars #unusual #design
