The modern car is a pretty standard affair when all the bells and whistles are stripped away – an engine that turns some wheels and, in turn, makes a metal box move forward, carrying whoever and whatever is inside it to their destination.
However, some car designers thought that the standard designs were a bit boring, as these four unique cars will show you.
1. The 1942 Ouef Electrique
Directly translated into English, the Ouef Electrique is the Electric Egg, and for 1942, a car relying on batteries instead of gasoline for power was incredibly unique.
It was constructed out of hand-formed aluminum and used plexiglass instead of glass for its curved, interestingly shaped windows, which was very uncommon at the time.
Paris native Paul Arzens designed it and started his working life designing railway cars and engines before he shifted his attention to cars.
The Ouef Electrique demonstrated an alternative for gasoline long before our modern electric and hybrid cars did.
2. The 1953 General Motors Firebird
Cars obviously don’t need wings or a tail to drive on the ground, but General Motors ignored that fact when they created the Firebird 1 XP-21 in 1953, which was shaped and styled for all intents and purposes just like a jet fighter.
It still had the regular four wheels, but instead of a normal car engine, it features a turbine engine that spun at over 25,000 revolutions per minute and produced about 370 horsepower, which was quite astonishing in the early 1950s.
It probably goes without saying that the General Motors Firebird didn’t really find success, since we aren’t all driving around in turbine engine cars today.
3. The Peel P50
No list of unique cars would be complete without including the Peel P50 in it. It’s got three wheels and is barely big enough to fit an adult human.
It’s often regarded as the world’s smallest car and weighs just under 60kg.
That doesn’t mean it’s ridiculously slow, though, and it tops out at a terrifying 61km/h, which for its size must feel more like 161km/h.
Reversing in the P50 is done by getting out and turning the entire car around, which is no trouble thanks to the included handle on the back.
Only 47 Peel P50s ever made it out of the assembly line. They’ve recently restarted production too!
4. The Amphicar Model 770
If the name didn’t give it away, the Amphicar Model 770 is unique in that it rolled out of the factory complete with the standard four wheels and two propellers, a flag and marine navigation lights.
That’s because the Amphicar Model 770 was quite at home on the water as it was on the road.
Not even 4000 of these crazy cars were made during the seven years it was in production, probably because of the high production costs of a car that is also a boat.
Is a Classic Car Right for You?
While classic and unique cars like these will certainly make you the talk of the town, it’s certainly worthwhile assessing their suitability before you invest.
If you have a family, you probably don’t want to purchase the Peel P50 for a family car!
It would be best if you also considered how much the insurance might be for one of these vehicles.
With classic cars being less sturdy, it usually costs a lot more to insure them.
If however, you’re over 50, you may find that you can get and insure the classic car of your childhood for a reduced rate with AARP car insurance for seniors, which is available.
You should still check out a car insurance calculator first, though as though you might make some savings, ensuring a vehicle like this will even cost a lot more than a modern car.
There have been some astonishingly unique cars built throughout the years!
These are just four of the many different concepts and ideas that car designers have come up with.