People still see the AMC Gremlin as one of the most hated cars in history, but its reputation isn’t as straightforward you might think. Learn more here.

Written by Andrew Koole

Reviewed by Kathleen Flear

Updated on Mar 23, 2023

Table of Contents

Three of the most hated cars in automotive history
Previously hated models that might enjoy the same fate as the Gremlin
Should owners of hated cars hold out until they become classic cars?

The auto industry has had its share of duds. Ugly designs, poor quality, and lopsided value-to-price ratios have sunk plenty of models. But some unpopular ideas were (and are) more hated than others.

For years, the AMC Gremlin was the ultimate example of a car that everyone could agree to hate. But a quick look at its history shows that public reception of this

weird-looking car

wasn’t as bad as you might think: it actually enjoyed decent sales during the ‘70s.

People liked to joke about the Gremlin after its heyday, but criticisms always focused on the car’s design rather than its performance or reliability. Unlike the Gremlin, the most hated vehicles in

car history

are the types of vehicles that can’t do anything right.

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found a few better examples.

Three of the most hated cars in automotive history

MORE:

The Most Hated Classic Car Might Not Be so Bad

The odd design of the

AMC Gremlin

’s backend made it an easy target for the type of car enthusiast who prefers the sleek look of Porsches and Ferraris, but it actually succeeded in offering what it was built to offer—cheap wheels and good fuel economy during an oil crisis.

The Chevrolet HHR, on the other hand, came in a shape no one wanted and accumulated a list of problems that would make your eyes water.

Motor Biscuit

says that over its six years in production, over 6 million recalls were sent out for the Heritage High Roof.

The Pontiac Aztec was also lambasted for its design and ended up with a similar reliability rating to the HHR, making it a contender for the most hated car of all time.

One current model is also in contention for the bottom of the barrel—the Mitsubishi Mirage. The Chevy Spark wannabe is

unbearably slow

, more expensive, and somehow looks worse than its rival.

Previously hated models that might enjoy the same fate as the Gremlin

As the AMC Gremlin shows, the reception of a uniquely styled car isn’t always set in stone. Opinions about some models change as the perception of what they represent changes.

For years, many of the cars Japanese automakers built in the ‘80s were considered boring economy models with little to no collectibility value. But the rising interest in affordable classics has made

old Hondas

and Toyotas hot commodities.

With that in mind, it’s easy to imagine that cars we tend to think are ugly now could become more desirable in the future. Maybe you mocked the weird wrap-around window and lego-like shape of the Nissan Cube, for example, or the odd, updated retro style of the Plymouth Prowler. But while the designs of these cars might not be popular now, given time, their eccentricities could easily be the characteristics that give them

classic car

status.

Should owners of hated cars hold out until they become classic cars?

MORE:

Consumer Reports Says These Models Could Be Future Classics

If you own an unpopular, weird-looking car, holding onto it with the expectation that it will become a classic can be risky.

It costs money to keep a car you don’t drive very much, and the more you use a car, the less valuable it becomes as a collectible. Plus, its future value isn’t set in stone, so you might not end up with a classic car other people care about.

That said, if you love your Nissan Cube enough to keep it maintained until it’s 25 years old,

classic car coverage

will make it much cheaper to own once it's eligible—especially if you find the policy with the

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