mastodon 4.5.14+chinwagThis is an account dedicated to weird autos! Weird might be good, or weird might be bad, but either way it's not going to be boring!
Submissions welcome!
Note: If you like weird houses, check out my other account on @weirdestate@aus.social.
Someone put a lot of time and money into this extremely detailed replica of the 1981 DeLorean DMC-12 time machine from Back to the Future. It's probably not their daily driver. They probably only drive it.... from time to time.
https://journal.classiccars.com/2025/11/13/pick-of-the-day-1981-delorean-dmc-12-time-machine-replica/
#WeirdCarMastodon #dadjoke
Today's vehicle is the Unimog!
"The first plans for the vehicle that would become the Unimog were put to paper in Germany in 1944, in the closing stages of World War II. It was famously conceived to be a cross between a tractor and a truck, able to do everything a tractor could do on the farm and most things a truck could do on the road. As a result of this, the track width of the first Unimogs was exactly the same as two rows of potatoes in a German field."
Today's car is both rare and weird. The 1954 Satecmo 'Eolia' was built by André George Claude in 1954 and was capable of 104mph, with a 850cc engine from a Renault 4CV in the back.
https://www.iconicauctioneers.com/1954-satecmo-eolia-one-of-one-unique-motorcar-rec00290-1-0712
#WeirdCarMastodon
Today's weird little car is the Goggomobil Dart from Australia. Created in the 1960s and only weighing 345kg, this doorless fibreglass car had a brief period of popularity that ultimately did not last.
https://www.classicrally.com.au/Goggomobil%20Dart%20Classic%20Opinion.htm
#WeirdCarMastodon
Due to petrol shortages in Cuba, this guy modified his 1980 Fiat Polski to run on charcoal.*
https://www.cbc.ca/news/world/cuba-mechanic-charcoal-powered-car-9.7135240
#WeirdCarMastodon
*I am not saying cars should be run this way, but it's weird, and this is a weird car account
Today's car is, in my opinion, the weirdest one yet. The TriVette was a 3 wheeled vehicle that was manufactured from 1974-1978. Only 27 of them were ever made. There is a fan page with historical photos and it's a real throw-back.
Today's car is the Auto Union Type 52 Schnellsportwagen. It's is a recreation of a 1930s design that was never built. It's powered by a 6.0 litre supercharged V16 engine derived from Auto Union's Grand Prix racing cars, producing around 520 hp. The car features a mid-mounted engine and a central driving position, an unusually advanced layout for its time. Much more info here: https://monochrome-watches.com/the-petrolhead-corner-auto-union-type-52-schnellsportwagen-audi-tradition-goodwood-festival-of-speed-2024/
#weirdCarMastodon
Today's weird car is the City El, a 3 wheel electric vehicle that was taken over by a few manufacturers over the years. It only weighs 280kg (620lb) and some models could get up to over 60km/hr (37 mph)! I wouldn't dare.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/CityEl
#weirdcarmastodon
Today's car is the one-off, absolutely wild Aston Martin Cygnet. This little thing packs a 430bhp 4.7 litre V8 engine and can do 0-100km/h in 4.3 seconds. It has a top speed of 275 km/h (170 mp/h).
https://monochrome-watches.com/the-petrolhead-corner-aston-martin-cygnet-v8-toyota-iq-nicholas-mee-and-co/
#weirdCarMastodon
Today's car is the Jeep FJ. It was in production from 1961 to 1975 and was used by the US Postal Service.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jeep_FJ
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Today's vehicle is a rare 1968 HK Holden Belmont panel van, which would make a great hearse if painted black! This one has been done up over the course of 8 years and boasts 505 hp. As the Aussies say "it'd go like the clappers".
https://www.streetmachine.com.au/features/1968-hk-holden-belmont-panel-van
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Here's one for the Land Rover fans: the custom Bell Aurens Long Nose which was adapted to have 350hp and a top speed of 200km/h.
https://monochrome-watches.com/the-petrolhead-corner-1968-bell-aurens-longnose-land-rover-defender-rolls-royce-merlin-classic-driver/
#WeirdCarMastodon
Here's a Honda Acty fire truck!
https://www.theautopian.com/this-six-wheeled-tracked-honda-acty-crawler-mini-fire-engine-is-a-rare-off-road-beast/
Here is the Nissan S-Cargo, which was in production from 1989 to 1991, and the name of which was a pun on "escargot". I like the porthole in the back!
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nissan_S-Cargo
#WeirdCarMastodon
Today's car is the Subaru 360. It was in production from 1958-1971. Its roof was fibreglass, making it quite light with a kerb weight of only 410kg (900lb).
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Subaru_360
#WeirdCarMastodon
Today's car is Karel Kalıp's "Karea Fit"! It's Turkey's contribution to the small electric vehicle market.
https://smallcarsclub.com/catalog/karea/karea-fit/
#WeirdCarMastodon
Today's car is the Dacora, the promise of an EV with 800 horsepower and a bonnet/hood made of wood. I kind of dig the aesthetic but the wood leaves me dubious. It could be yours for $500k USD if the startup gets off the ground.
https://www.dacora.com/about
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Today's car is a rare 1949 Fiat-Patriarca 750 Berlinetta Sport. It has such a sad face!
"It was based on a Fiat 500 C chassis, which was bodied by coachbuilder Mario Faina in all aluminum and powered by a tuned Giannini 750-cc engine, producing 81 bhp. Thanks to Patriarca’s engineering and especially to the Berlinetta’s performance at the Mille Miglia, Sesto Leonardi was crowned Italian Champion for the 750-cc class in 1950."
https://rmsothebys.com/auctions/mo18/lots/r0025-1949-fiatpatriarca-750-berlinetta-sport-by-faina/
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A friend sent me these photos of a classic Citroën H Van he saw in Perth. What a design.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Citro%C3%ABn_H_Van
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Today's weird car is the coach built 1938 Phantom Corsair. Apparently it could get up to 185 kph (115 mph), which was impressive for that era. The (relatively) small grille meant that the engine would overheat, so I wouldn't do that regularly!
https://www.supercars.net/blog/1938-phantom-corsair/
#WeirdCarMastodon
Today's weird vehicle is the electric Astraux AL. The Dubai based company first put out pre-orders in 2025 and now has multiple models.
"Among the optional equipment, Astraux mentions a built-in projector that allows passengers to watch movies, sing karaoke, or play video games inside the cabin."
If anyone has a spare $120k there's a WWII GMC "Duck" amphibious vehicle for sale in Australia. (This is not a sponsored post.)
https://www.justcars.com.au/cars-for-sale/1944-gmc-dukw-army-duck-ww2-amphibious-truck/JCW5010113
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/DUKW
#WeirdCarMastodon
Have you ever wanted to walk into your van? Daihatsu has you covered!
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Daihatsu_Mira#L200_series_(1990)
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Today's car is a Fiat 500A Standard Coupé from 1939. Who said that all old cars were big!
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fiat_500_%22Topolino%22
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Today's car is the Bufori Geneva. The interior has a "pneumatic massage device" and "the rear centre console can accommodate an automatic coffee machine, a Chinese tea set with instant boiling water, a fridge, and even a cigar humidor or a mini-bar."
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bufori#Bufori_Geneva_(2010_%E2%80%93_present)
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This is a 1957 Lotus Eleven Series 1. Only 150 were ever made and the specs are something. It is "fitted with a 1,100cc Coventry-Climax sohc engine in Stage II tune producing a claimed 84bhp at 6,900rpm".
More history here: https://www.carsguide.com.au/car/14929785/lotus/eleven/vic/port-melbourne/othercar
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Today's weird car is the Berkeley B95. Berkeley Cars was only in business from 1956-1960 before going bankrupt, probably because their cars were known for breaking down.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Berkeley_Cars
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Here's an interesting read about the Manta Mirage, a 1970s supercar.
"The Mirage features a steel spaceframe chassis, a mid-mounted V8, independent front and rear suspension, and a curb weight as low as 1,900 lbs (860 kgs). You could opt to buy your Mirage turn-key from the factory or in kit form..."
https://silodrome.com/manta-mirage-car/
#WeirdCarMastodon
Today's car is the "Rambo Lambo". The Lamborghini LM002 was produced from 1986-1993 and only 301 were made. Lamborghini actually had a crack at making other military vehicles, too, and you can read more here.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lamborghini_LM002
#WeirdCarMastodon
Apologies for my last post that had the wrong video attached. In the process of finding what I meant to post, I found an even better video showing lowriders and the absolutely absurd things people have done to them.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b8dTwDesF7g
#WeirdCarMastodon