Strange, odd and generally unique car design details

Give car designers a free rein and they can come up with dramatic shapes, and they can also dream up some very unusual details.

Here, we celebrate the weird, wonderful and downright odd design elements that have these cars stand out for the right or wrong reasons:

Hyundai Veloster rear door

Unusual door designs are not unheard of, yet Hyundai pushed the boundaries with its 2012 Veloster 1+2 that it described as a ‘sports coupe’. Performance from the 183bhp turbocharged 1.6-litre petrol engine backed up the 'sports' side of things, but there was no doubting the headlines the Veloster grabbed thanks to its one door for the driver and two on the passenger side styling.

Hyundai has never given any reason for going down this route other than it makes the Veloster more practical. This is due to the Veloster having a longer door for the driver and then a shorter front one on the passenger side aided by a small rear door. Unlike a MINI Clubman, Hyundai switched the 1+2 arrangement depending on whether the car was left- or right-hand driver, with the double doors always on the passenger side to make it safer for kids to get in and out of the back seats.

Citroën C3 Pluriel roof

Citroën was hoping to invoke the spirit of fun and affordable open-air motoring of the 2CV with its C3 Pluriel when it arrived in 2003. At first glance, it was all good courtesy of an electric roll-back roof, which could be tucked away along with the rear window to create a more open cabin. The rear seats could also be folded down along with the tailgate to turn the car into a pick-up.

So far, so Citroën. Then it all went pear-shaped when you removed the side roof rails to make the Pluriel a fully open car. With nowhere to store the rails inside the car, you were at the mercy of the weather and any passing light-fingered criminals. Add in some impressive scuttle shake when the rails were unhooked, the fact they were tricky to put back in place and woeful build quality, and the Pluriel was doomed. Perhaps the most amazing thing about the Pluriel is that it soldiered on in production for seven years.

Rover P4 75 headlight

Steady, staid old Rover grabbed a bit of post-war American glamour with the styling of its P4 saloon. Borrowing some of its looks from US firm Studebaker, the P4 75 was soon nicknamed ‘Cyclops’ for its unusual single, supplementary headlight. Positioned slap-bang in the middle of the radiator grille, it was hard to miss this feature and it stayed there until the looks were toned down in 1952.

Later P4 models reverted back to a more sober appearance in keeping with Rover’s ‘Auntie’ nametag. Even so, the Cyclops did its job and 33,267 P4 75 models were built in total to keep Rover afloat in those tough post-war years.

Mini Clubdoor

Inevitably, MINI’s BMW masters couldn’t resist reviving an estate version of the MINI and can used the historic Clubman name. As with the original, it used two side-hinged rear doors to access a compact boot, while interior space was improved for those in the back with an 80mm longer wheelbase and 240mm extra length overall compared to the hatch.

What was contentious, and remains so, is the single rear Clubdoor on the right-hand side of the Clubman. In the UK, many felt it was pointless as it meant opening it into traffic when letting the kids in and out. Even in countries that drive on the right-hand side of the road, a lot of people thought the Clubdoor was just too small to be of much use. When MINI introduced a second-generation Clubman model in 2015, the Clubdoor was gone, replaced by a pair of traditional rear doors.

Volvo 480 ES tailgate

Long before Volvo became noted for its sleek Swedish design that we know today, it still managed to break out of its usual boxy fare now and again. The 480 ES was just such a car and its frameless glass tailgate was one of the stand-out features of this compact, sporting hatch.

It had taken Volvo 13 years to try this sort of design again after its impressive 1800 ES sports estate went out of production. The 480 ES was also notable as Volvo’s first front-wheel drive car, the pop-up headlights and having the door locks hidden in the window pillar. Surprisingly rare now, Volvo sold 80,463 480 ES and Turbo models and the car went on to inspired the C30 in 2006.

Citroën DS headlights

Where do you start with the oddball design features of the Citroën DS? Its hydropneumatic suspension and braking system, glassfibre roof panel, or unstressed body panels? All are worthy contenders, but the one that always delights onlookers is the swivelling headlights that were fitted to all but the base ID19 models from 1967 onwards.

Headlights that turn with the steering to see further into corners are common now, but when the DS pioneered them it was very odd. Using a mechanical connection to the steering, the two inner front lights could rotate through 80-degrees. Less well known is the outer main lights were linked to the suspension so they remained level regardless of how bumpy the road was.

Mazda RX-8 doors

The Mazda RX-8 has become equally famous and synonymous for its rotary engine, yet the design quirk that made this coupe stand out when it was launched in 2003 were the rear doors. Yep, this sleek sports car had four doors and the rear pair were not some mere fop to practicality. Instead, the rear-hinged doors made it a doddle to get in and out the spacious rear seats.

With the back doors closed, it was hard to spot them, so styling was not affected. Just as clever was the front seat belt design that was incorporated into the back doors so they automatically moved out of the way when the rear door was opened and occupant wouldn’t trip over them.

Subaru SVX windows

Subaru had been building coupes since 1979, but the 1991 SVX was a big step up in power, performance and prestige. To make sure its sleek Giugiaro-penned looked remained so, the door glass used a smaller opening window within the larger pane.

Describing it as ‘aircraft-inspired’, Subaru used the design to good effect to give the SVX flush-fitting windows when this was still an unusual design feature. It resulted in a drag coefficient of 0.29Cd, with European cars lowering that further by a fraction thanks to an aerodynamic undertray. In all, Subaru sold 24,379 SVX during a five-year lifespan.

Smart City Coupe Tridion cage

The Smart City Coupe was always going to be an unusual car given its origins stretch back to the Smart Watch company. A key part of its design was the Tridion safety cell that became a very obvious part of the car’s styling rather than being hidden away as most car’s structural frames are.

The hemispherical steel cell was very visible and highlighted with the use of clip-on plastic body panels to contrast with the cage’s metal. Its strength was also important to the compact Smart’s safety, though the car only scored average marks in Euro NCAP tests in 2000 as its rigidity meant its occupants could be injured by the seatbelts.

Saab ignition key

Saab was never one to follow convention and that showed with the positioning of the ignition key in many of its models. Placed down just behind the gear lever, the simple thinking behind this was the key could only be released when the manual gearbox lever was put into reverse. Locking the car in gear like this served two functions: it eliminated any danger of the car rolling away should the handbrake fail and it made the car tricky to steal.

Even in Saabs fitted with an automatic gearbox, the ignition was still placed between the front seats and it’s a quirk that owners quickly become used to.

Tesla Model X Falcon doors

Tesla has always taken a different approach to selling its cars, but the Model X added its Falcon Wing rear doors to make sure this SUV stood out. Each door has a double hinge mechanism, so it can open up in even the tightest of parking spaces without the risk of scraping another car or wall.

The doors are all part of Tesla’s deliberate plan to eschew market norms, but the Falcon Wing doors proved expensive to develop and caused delays in the Model X going on sale. For some, it’s worth it just for the dance a Model X performs where the rear doors open and close in time to music.

Morgan ash frame

By refusing to alter the way it builds cars, Morgan has become something of an anachronism in the automotive world. After the Second World War, as every other car maker was moving to unitary construction, Morgan stuck with its ash frames with hand-formed metal bodywork over the top.

By the time the 1970s arrived, Morgan was the only company building new car bodies in this way, yet the technique suited the low volume production numbers of the Malvern firm. It also became a major selling point for customers who wanted the tradition of a wooden body frame, so it remains even with the latest CX-Generation of Plus Four and Plus Six models. Plus ça change.

Mercedes-Benz seat belt presenter

The seat belt presenter was a typically pragmatic engineering solution to a problem created by Mercedes’ W126C range of SEC coupes. With no door pillar for the upper front belt mount, the seat belts had to be fixed lower down. This made the belt difficult to reach for those in the front, so the presenter was invented to offer the belt every time someone sat in the car.

Given the SEC’s reputation as the finest four-seat coupe in the world at its launch in 1981, this sort of tech was justified. The presenters would hold the belt out for front occupants until it was buckled or it would automatically withdraw after 30 seconds. This design proved so good that Mercedes still uses it to this day in its coupes and convertibles.

Peugeot 1007 sliding doors

The Peugeot 1007’s sliding doors seemed like such a simple answer to a problem. As space for cars on the streets and in parking bays became more restricted, why not replace side-hinged doors with ones that slid back? After all, it had worked on several MPVs with their back doors, so why not a compact three-door city car was the thinking.

There’s nothing wrong with the action of the 1007’s doors, which move out and then back to leave plenty of room for the front and rear occupants to get in and out. The problem was buyers just stayed away in their droves from a car with gawky looks, preferring more mainstream city cars and superminis.

Marcos wooden chassis

When road testers say a car has a wooden chassis, they are usually referring to its lack of dynamic prowess. However, in the case of the early Marcos models, the description was factually spot on. Marcos used a main tub constructed from laminated plywood that was screwed and glued together.

It may sound odd, but the technique was common among boat builders and company founder Jem Marsh with help from Frank Costin used it to good effect. Marcos quickly gained a reputation for making cars that handled superbly and made the most of their modest power. Sir Jackie Stewart even used a Marcos GT Xylon with this design of chassis to launch his motorsport career.

Citroën 2CV gear lever

Many first-time 2CV drivers have been foxed by the Citroën’s gear lever. Yet the thinking behind this bit of design is nothing but completely rational. By mounting the lever so it passed directly through the bulkhead to the four-speed gearbox, Citroën saved money on this low-cost car by not having a more complicate linkage.

Another bit of clear thinking with this layout is it put the most commonly used gears in line with each other. First gear is on a dog-leg with reverse opposite, which is ideal when parking, while second and third gears are in line with each other to keep the tiny flat-twin engine revving away. With familiarity, it makes sense and offers a quick, accurate shift.

Land Rover windscreen vents

It may not have been the first or only car to use windscreen vents, but the Land Rover Defender was the last to have them. Up until 2007, these wind-out flaps beneath the windscreen provided fresh air to the cabin, welcome in hotter countries in Defenders before air conditioning became an option.

When Land Rover updated the Defender in 2007, a new dash style meant the vents were deleted, but the company still used the same body pressing, so the shape of the vents is still clearly visible.

Lancia Stratos window pulls

Rally-bred cars are notorious for placing function above form and this is the case with the Lancia Stratos’ window mechanism. Rather than try to engineer a winder, Lancia simply used a knob attached to the glass that pokes through the door panel and slides up and down. When it’s raised, you turn the handle to lock the window in place.

This solution was forced on the Stratos’ designers because there’s no room inside the door panel for the glass to wind down due the large scoop in the door for the occupants’ crash helmets to sit. The design also dictated the unusual forward slope of the windows when they are opened.

Audi Quattro digital dash

The digital dash of the Audi Quattro is very closely associated with the mythology of this ground-breaking model, yet it didn’t appear until 1984, when the car had been in production for four years. It captured the spirit of the 1980s perfectly with its sweeping rev counter display and numeric speedo.

Early versions of the Quattro came with a green display, but later models shifted to a red-coloured digital dash.

Bristol side lockers

Few car makers were as idiosyncratic as Bristol, with some of the cars’ quirks rooted in the company’s aircraft heritage. This might explain the side lockers in most of its cars that opened like an aeroplane’s fuselage access panels. These lockers were used to give easy access to the car’s electrics, battery and windscreen wiper motor on the right side and, on the left, the spare wheel.

This unusual arrangement meant the Bristol’s boot was unhindered by the need to access a spare wheel and it also brought the heft of the wheel/tyre combination into the centre of the car for better weight distribution.

BMW Z1 doors

The BMW Z1 was a test-bed for the firm’s new Z-axle suspension which was on its way for the still-to be-unveiled E36 3 Series. Yet, when the public caught sight of the car, they demanded it be put into production complete with its signature drop-down doors. In the end, BMW sold 8000 Z1s between 1988 and 1991.

The plastic-clad doors disappeared into the deep sills at the touch of a button, with the windows retracting automatically to give decent access to the cabin. The windows could also be operated separately when the doors were raised, or you could drive around the with both lowered.