The World's Ugliest Car

After sitting in a field behind a body shop for 30 years "The World's Ugliest Car" was "re-discovered" and restored by Brit Andy Saunders.

The unique Aurora, a 19 feet long monster that was built by an eccentric New York priest as the ultimate safety vehicle, is now turning heads again.

Father Alfred Juliano bankrupted himself creating the prototype, which remained the only one ever built because the contraption was so full of faults no one wanted one.

It was supposed to be the safest car ever built and included features that are now common, but at the time were unheard of.

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.

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