British mechanic Andy Saunders has restored the Aurora, purportedly the “world’s ugliest car.” Designed in 1957 by Father Alfred Juliano, the car incorporated many innovative (at the time) safety designs, the combination of which resulted in an extremely bizarre-looking automobile:
It had seatbelts, a roll cage, side-impact bars, a collapsible steering column, foam-filled bumpers and a padded instrument panel. Its windscreen was curved away from the driver so the possibility of impact with it was reduced. This design meant that windscreen wipers were not required, but it also distorted the view through it. The silver and black Aurora included a large “front-end air-scoop” instead of a conventional grill. This was to reduce frictional drag and to lessen injuries to pedestrians it hit. But its most peculiar safety feature was the seats that swivelled 180 degrees so before a crash those inside could turn round and take the impact backwards.
The site has some more information and a lot more pictures…
