The nine ugliest F1 cars of all time (list)

Ligier JS5

I find that a little difficult. The Ligier JS11 is one of my all-time favorite looking racing cars. But there is no chance of salvation through relation, the JS5 is relentlessly hideous.

Unlike many on this list, this opinion doesn’t change whether you’re looking at the earlier version or the later redesign. The original Ligier JS5 honestly looked like a teapot. The high airbox period of F1 design brought in some really brilliant looking things – Shadow DN7 anyone? – but unfortunately Guy Ligier’s first F1 car was not one of them. The main body was low and a little too wide to be pretty, except when you looked at it from the front when it suddenly looked too thin. But then there was a huge, great tea that was comfortably popped on top. It looked like it was going to tip over and kill driver Jacques Lafitte.

It was later redesigned. There was a change in regulations and, we believe, some common sense, and the teapot was put back in the cupboard. Unfortunately, this just showed how ugly the car was anyway, and the new airbox, which looked like a sad cartoon face, wasn’t much better to look at.