1995 Daihatsu X-1

The company describes this as a "short-nosed mini-van." It bears an uncanny resemblance to the Lightburn Zeta, a stupendously hideous Australian production car of the 1960s from the washing machine manufacturer. At least it was original; the X-1 looks like it's made of unwanted body parts people chucked into the cobwebbed corners of their garages.

The automatic transmission shift lever is in the dash, a brilliant innovation every Japanese designer seems to have discovered this year, except that it was used in a zillion Renault R4s and Citroen 2CVs from 1950-something on. Daihatsu's stand motto read: "TH!NK". Somebody should also have written, "STOP!"

Source: Bill Tuckey - The Age via www.darwinmovers.com.au

Images: Daihatsu; history-of-cars.com