10 Cars That Embarrassed Their Makers

Photo by BWJones

9. Aston Martin Cygnet

The Aston Martin Cygnet is so vastly different from what the supercar company usually produces, that when it was announced in 2009, people thought it was a joke. Rather than a big burly V-12 or V-8 engine powered beast, the Cygnet was a rebadged Scion IQ. A tiny 97 horsepower 1.3 liter four-cylinder was housed under the hood, mated to either a six-speed manual or a CVT transmission. The interior was awash with leather and upgraded plastics, giving the Cygnet a better feel than the Scion IQ it was built on. The target audience for the Cygnet was consumers in big cities like Paris, London, or Milan. The Cygnet sold well in those markets and in total 800 cygnets were sold during its 18 month lifespan.