It’s a weird thing about symmetry. Studies have shown that things that are symmetrical look more appealing to people: faces, bodies, houses, bridges, and most other things. Before you scream at me that people are in fact symmetrical, they aren’t really perfectly so. My left ear sticks out a lot more than my right ear, for instance. Both of women’s boobs may not be exactly the same, just as can men’s testies can be different from each other.
But cars, cars are almost always symmetrical. Yes, the steering wheel isn’t in the middle unless you’re in a McLaren F1 or various race cars. But on the outside, they’re almost always the same. One of those cars that are asymmetrical is the Hyundai Veloster, which happens to be significantly updated for 2019. But more on the Veloster later, just know that it’s bloody brilliant.
Today we are looking for asymmetrical cars. Please don’t just google it to be cool. Rather, think of something different than the Veloster or the Nissan Cube, be original. And don’t say that because a vehicle has an exhaust pipe on one side and not another it’s asymmetrical.
The Caveats (there are always caveats):
- Must a standard production vehicle.
- No one-offs, no concepts, no race cars, other such show specials.
- Military equipment is allowed as long as it’s more than a prototype.
- Utility equipment is also allowed as long as it has been in mainstream use.
- Buses and trains are not allowed as most of them are asymmetrical based on door layout alone.*
- Vans and minivans are not allowed for the same reason as buses.*
- *Exceptions will be made for vans, buses, and trains, but the asymmetry has to be more than just door layout.
- The vehicle must have at least one seat – so no lawn-mowers or things like that.
- Vehicles must have three wheels or more.
- The vehicle must be self propelled – I don’t want to see a stroller or a Big Wheel.
Difficulty: 5 out of 10, the other 5 is easy.
Image: Kamil Kaluski/Hooniverse 2018
AMC Pacer and Pacer Wagon. Their right side doors were 4″ longer than the lefts.
Which I never understood, because it could as easily be thought of as arbitrarily making the driver’s side 4″ shorter than it might have been.
As I recall from a contemporaneous issue of (I think) Popular Mechanics, the idea was to encourage use of the larger curbside door for rear passengers while simultaneously minimizing the amount of door that the driver would have to throw outward into traffic (at least in LHD/RHT jurisdictions, not counting the case of offside parking on one-way streets).
Ah, that is a logical reason. Not sure it’s significant in practice, but at least there is a logical defense.
A similar argument was used to justify the asymmetrial gen.1 MINI (mini?) Clubman:
https://car-images.bauersecure.com/upload/5720/images/1040×585/miniclubmandr_1_560.jpg?mode=pad
It’s useful for when the passengers were in the rear seat of a 2-door car, as was fairly commonplace before mandatory seat belts and booster seats–just toss your kids in the back seat, and they were as secure as a couple of eggs in the carton. No room for them to push each other out on the freeway.
At the carpool line, mom doesn’t need to leave her seat with a big passenger door.
On Cadillacs, both doors were the same size, but the passenger door got an extra handle inside, accessible from the back seat.
https://autoconnectioncars.com/wp-content/gallery/1976-cadillac-eldorado-interior-1/1976-Cadillac-Eldo-Conv-pics-Dreyer-085.jpg
Reminds me of my grandfather’s philosophy in the 1950s. 2 door cars were safer for kids since you didn’t have to worry about them opening the door and falling out.
Imperial Coupes in the 1960s also had handles on the passenger side for rear seat passengers. Shown here behind the ash tray.
https://cdn04.carsforsale.com/3/366743/11446846/906852782.jpg
The early 2 door Range Rover did the same, on both sides
https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/453e785090ea28cbe62a6dcff1adde0351381db566cf112ad57a082e8a1c5349.jpg
The first gen Toyota 4runners also had two door handles on the passenger side.
The E-Body Toronado and Eldorado had that as well.
Damn, that’s the first thing I thought of, but somehow I missed this article yesterday.
Until they started putting dual sliders in, minivans only had a curbside door for the rear passengers. Most full size vans are still this way.
Please see The Caveats
I’ve read or listened somewhere that, because of the hand-built nature, the left and right doors on some (all?) Ferrari 250 GTOs are different length…
I’m quite sure this is exclueded on the caveats… but… Ferrari 250 GTO.
https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/d3f1f81941b438dcfa22dc2a3e838b0d244396908469e248881c0eb5c2e5cf40.jpg
Also, I guess it applies to most hand made cars
There are so many things to like about the Acoma Mini Comtesse, but high on the list is that it’s a single-seater with two doors. Two rather dissimilar doors.
https://barnfinds.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/06/b1-2-630×420.jpg
The people who designed, built, sold, and bought this… what were they smoking?
Smoking, drinking, perhaps snorting, it doesn’t matter. No license required. That’s the beauty of the voiture sans permis.
…seems they didn’t need a license to practise as a car designer either.
Perhaps the fibreglass fumes come into play?
We have a winner.
half a cab! https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/e37677b2435bd1d09d45ccaea0c497797a5b91a144b223e31aa8b777d409965a.jpg
The same solution that was implemented for London’s famous Routemaster buses:
https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/b/b5/First_London_Routemaster_bus_RM1640_%28640_DYE%29_heritage_route_9_Trafalgar_Square_8_July_2006.jpg/220px-First_London_Routemaster_bus_RM1640_%28640_DYE%29_heritage_route_9_Trafalgar_Square_8_July_2006.jpg
The Saturn SC-series had 3 doors long before the Veloster. I think those were introduced for the 2000 model year…
Full size extended cab GM pickups got a optional rear door in 1996.
Due to its peculiar rear suspension design, the Renault 16 had a different wheelbase on each side.
https://www.the-blueprints.com/blueprints-depot-restricted/cars/renault/renault_16-00946.jpg
So did the Renault 4. https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/e01d55dde7409833c82eafe8e85bb344cea41be5fef78cb26d909ad867fac7d9.jpg
I couldn’t remember which Renault, so I googled and the 16 is the one that popped up. I think it was the 4 that I was failing to recall.
Came here to mention its torsion bars that would overlap if the wheelbase wasn’t asymmetric.
I opened this article just to post this. I’m late this time 🙂
The Nissan Cube is a fairly well known one.
https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/2/27/Nissan_Cube_%28Z12%29_%E2%80%93_Frontansicht%2C_25._August_2013%2C_D%C3%BCsseldorf.jpg/1200px-Nissan_Cube_%28Z12%29_%E2%80%93_Frontansicht%2C_25._August_2013%2C_D%C3%BCsseldorf.jpg
Half-cab semi trucks used to be more common than now. https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/25e5c6a1fded4c49bfce76f198ae52c67397ec2a7ad2df5cc938d154ac72a968.jpg
Gah, I got stuck on the phone and you beat me to it
Yard spotter trucks still run this goofy set up
https://cdn1.commercialtrucktrader.com/v1/media/5ad165ddc82ad71f3229dd33.jpg?width=300&height=225
Toyota Spade: Passenger side, sliding door. Driver’s side, two doors. There’s also the Toyota Porte which is the same thing with friendlier styling, but I wasn’t able to find a picture of one filled with dogs.
https://www.toyota.com.hk/Toyota/media/Cars/Spade/spade_pet_generic_1920x800_3.jpg
I’m not sure why sliding doors aren’t used more often, TBH.
The BMW 600 had a single-side door. https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/2819f93e22b420bdea404b2a6b2f1d2d17f968be0263e32193ae351bacabc929.jpg
For that matter, the front door was asymmetrical (handle on opposite side as the hinge).
I know this one-off 1965 custom (“Illusion”) doesn’t count, but it’s too cool not to post. https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/b037f265c69c59ed4c0039f018218be76358641f6889fe202509aa344ac577f9.jpg
As is the 1960 Plymouth XNR.
https://www.ultimatecarpage.com/images/car/5248/Plymouth-XNR-41643.jpg
The 1961 Plymouth Asymmetrica, however, was intended for a production run of 25, but it seems that only 2 may have been produced.
http://www.madle.org/xnrasi3.jpg
For years most RWD MOPARS had the engine offset to one side by a about a couple of inches.
As did the first gen RX-7 (and probably others). It was supposedly done to offset driver weight, but that only worked in JDM RHD form.
Jensen FF was RHD only because that’s the only way they could get the AWD hardware to fit.
What about MOPARS of the 1950s and 1960s that featured Left hand threaded lug nuts on the left side of the car and right hand threaded lug nuts on the right side of the car?
…which makes perfect sense until you think about it.
As a mineralogist, I’d argue that those lug nuts make such vehicles more symmetric, inasmuch as they conform with the implicit vertically-oriented mirror plane which longitudinally bisects each vehicle, with respect to which automotive symmetry is usually defined.
As a shadetree mechanic and occasional MoPar owner, I’d argue that those lug nuts are a pain in the ass.
The previous owner of my 1967 Imperial convertible had 4 tires installed at Pep Boys. I can personally attest than Manny, Moe, and Jack’s monkeys can apply enough torque with an air impact that it don’t matter which way it is supposed to go on. I think I replaced 6 of the 10 studs on the left side of the car when I got it. At least one lug nut was rattling around inside a hubcap.
I know it’s running perilously close to the van restriction, but I’m going to include the Corvair Rampside, for having the side ramp, but only on one side.
http://www.oldcarsweekly.com/wp-content/uploads/1964-Rampside-3.jpg
The 1967-1972 Suburbans had two passenger side doors and one drivers side door.
https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/8/82/GMC_Suburban_white_single_drivers_side_door_1968-72.jpg/1024px-GMC_Suburban_white_single_drivers_side_door_1968-72.jpg
https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/8/8d/Green_Banks_-_Chevy_Suburban_C10.jpg/1024px-Green_Banks_-_Chevy_Suburban_C10.jpg
Came to post this, figured I’d be beaten to the punch. I guess it was van logic.
Those blue ones look like the diesel powered Suburbans at the Green Bank radio telescope in West Virginia. They were still in use when I was there in 2009, I wonder if they still are?
http://www.salguod.net/weblog/archive/2009/07/where-old-diesels-soldier-on.shtml
GM didn’t offer a diesel in light trucks back then, wonder who did the conversion and what kind of diesel they are using?
Interesting point. They also have diesel Checker Marathons (including at least one wagon), International Travelalls and an 80s vintage tour bus that they use for giving tours of the grounds. I wonder if they were all converted to diesel rather than bought. No spark ignition and no computers, it interferes with the telescope.
https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/f7c5779cab3d5a69ac83a723aa6d06e76a35b5c99c50db80e4daf101e9b98aaf.jpg
The passenger seat was an option on most year K-5 Blazers. I would imagine it was fitted on 99.9999% of all production.
Do we count something like the Ecosport or other old crossovers/SUVs where the rear door opens sideways?
One for sure would be the Saturn SC1 Coupe which had a reverse door on the driver’s side only.
https://i.ytimg.com/vi/rsjBXHjqnFU/maxresdefault.jpg
Same with the S10/Sonoma
https://consumerguide.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/07/97126091990403.jpg
The Fiat Strada, OTOH, was/is available with a suicide door on the passenger side.
https://carindustryanalysis.files.wordpress.com/2013/11/994932_564616600259981_177037973_n.jpg
First gen Toyota MR2. Vent on one side, fuel filler on the other. https://d1hu588lul0tna.cloudfront.net/toyotaone/euen/1-Car_tcm-11-793795.png
Wow… I never realized. It’s this kind of gold why I come here.
I remember the first time I noticed it in a picture I spent the rest of the day looking up MR2 pics to confirm I wasn’t insane.
https://www.carandclassic.co.uk/uploads/cars/toyota/2515327.jpg
C3 and C4 Corvettes, Audi R8, and Lamborghini Aventador all have engines offset from the vehicle centerline.
Hmm… Can one tell by looking tho?
Partial credit.
No, because I have owned C3 and C4 Corvettes and never realized that.
The Avanti had asymmetrical hood bulge and badging.
https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-NPI_7RL8DZ8/V5rB47pjkFI/AAAAAAAACXI/ar2IeDe2STscnrvVAaHqVfX_J1R-OccRACLcB/s1600/avanti_front.jpg
Asymmetric hoods are a list unto themselves.
Mitsubishi Eclipse, 280ZX Turbo, 924 Turbo, Opel GT, 3rd-gen Firebird…
SAAB Sonett V4:
http://jpowell.tripod.com/saab-97/kevin-rhodes/saab-sonett-v4-kevin-rhodes-2.jpg
Wow, that one just looks like they didn’t measure well.
The powertrain is offset as a carryover from the similarly offset placement of the slant-three two-stroke engine in the Sonett II, which fit without the bulge (although there was a subtle, symmetric raised portion of the hood). SAAB kept the same geometry for positioning the transaxle, so for the most part the only difference in the bodies between the II and the V4 is that bulge. They disguised the offset in the Sonett III by using a symmetric hood hatch which simply wasn’t centered above the engine. Here’s a view with the front bodywork removed:
http://www.vintagesaabclub.org/images/detail_09.jpg
I didn’t realise Saabs had the engine/trans offset like that. Is it to improve driver footwell space, or some obscure engineering reason that is not obvious?
I don’t recall encountering an explanation but I’m happy to speculate: For the two-stroke engines originally in the Models 93/95/96/97, which have their cylinders tilted to the left, it probably made sense to offset the engine to the right for purposes of clearance and, to a lesser extent, weight distribution. (For the 94 the powertrain is “backwards” and is correspondingly offset to the left.)
Upon switching to the V4 engine, the company may have decided it wasn’t worth the trouble and expense to redesign the front ends of the 95/96/97 just to center the engine, particularly with an all-new replacement (the 99) on the horizon. They may not have expected 95/96 production to continue as long as it did.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v644/john-saab/100_5327.jpg
And if you include grilles, Ford Escort GT, Chevy Sprint Turbo… The Toyota Tercel 4WD had asymmetric grille and rear hatch!
http://media.zenfs.com/en-US/cms/autos/Boldride/toyota-tercel-wagon-4wd-2.jpg http://media.zenfs.com/en-US/cms/autos/Boldride/toyota-tercel-wagon-4wd-1.jpg
As did the last East German Trabants! https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/d26e92303f3fe8d1b81ce7b3b015aa4d458de2243a344940a22da0de39723076.jpg
https://st.motortrend.com/uploads/sites/5/2014/06/1991-Isuzu-Impulse-RS-front-three-quarter-in-motion-02.jpg
http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-tnt2_WTLsZA/U7To0epC5jI/AAAAAAAAbVw/fH5PT5z6f58/s1600/1.jpg
Omni Turbo.
http://carphotos.cardomain.com/ride_images/3/932/2821/27328910001_large.jpg
and Renault Twingo
https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/b/b1/Renault_Twingo_front_20071115.jpg/1200px-Renault_Twingo_front_20071115.jpg
and Citroen SM
https://www.carfolio.com/images/dbimages/zgas/models/id/2332/sm_1.jpg
https://www.carfolio.com/images/dbimages/zgas/models/id/2332/sm_1.jpg
https://officialamblog.files.wordpress.com/2017/01/84mustangsvo_hr.jpg
and the Renault Trafic, generations 1 and 2 (and the various badge engineered variants):
https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/7/77/Renault_trafic_jaslo.jpg/1920px-Renault_trafic_jaslo.jpg
https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/a/a9/2004_Renault_Trafic_SL27_DCi_100_SWB_1.9.jpg/1920px-2004_Renault_Trafic_SL27_DCi_100_SWB_1.9.jpg
1969 Ford Falcon GT (XW model)
https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/220eb3d0364fb382edadfe48e09e575d28ae9ccdc66424d09867529bc028f57a.jpg
Maserati khamsin
https://s.yimg.com/ny/api/res/1.2/pOGnEF.GsqNhLzv0AoTJcA–~A/YXBwaWQ9aGlnaGxhbmRlcjtzbT0xO3c9ODAw/http://l.yimg.com/cd/resizer/2.0/original/VzrzIwSisWGPLbPCgmHYvE1jvNw
http://myautoworld.com/maserati/cars/history/history-khamsin/Khamsin.jpg
Every Volvo grille falls squarely within that asymmetric badging thing:
https://behindthewheel.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2017/04/volvo-s90-grille-badge.jpg
Well, most Volvo grilles, anyway.
http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-ges2q9oWpd8/Tp-dRolI1qI/AAAAAAAAIq0/au48dwnIKRc/s1600/1969%2BVolvo%2B142S%2Bcoupe.%2B-%2B01.jpg
http://carsot.com/images/volvo-p1900-1956-1957-cabriolet-exterior-2.jpg
The Fiat Ritmo too, plus asymmetrical grille.
https://img2.stcrm.it/images/1194764/x600/5-fiat-ritmo-1980.jpg
Y’all in a different time zone!
Y’all fired!
International Travelalls had single driver’s side doors from 1957 until 1961. https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/2556a6e1e959746daa83fd74a0d891e49f39121f6f28646734aa28273907100a.jpg
Farmall’s A, Super A and 100 series (maybe some others) could be had with Cultivision
https://www.jensales.com/image/cache/catalog/tshirt/culti-vision%20Farmall%20A-500×500.png
The local market used one to haul corn on the cob from the field to out front of the store. Sort of freaked me out as a kid. Did this have an accident and get rebuilt wrong?
Didn’t Jim Jones’ big sunglasses give him cultivision?
So tempted to add the Lotus 38 that won the 1965 Indy 500…
Also the IH 274 and the smaller Farmall Cub. And there was a Farmall B, basically an A with a narrow front and a longer left axle housing so the engine was on the centerline and the operator was offset to the right, till the B was replaced by the conventionally symmetrical C.
274
http://www.tractordata.com/photos/F000/315/315-td4-b02-ext045.jpg
Cub (late series color scheme & hood/grille)
http://photos.cubfest.com/albums/userpics/10054/normal_Rside.JPG
B
https://cdn1.mecum.com/auctions/ga0416/ga0416-238807/images/ga0416-238807_2@2x.jpg?1454437241000
Most minivans had only one sliding door until the mid-’90s, like the Dodge Caravan for example
https://static.cargurus.com/images/site/2015/01/10/10/46/1994_dodge_grand_caravan_3_dr_se_awd_passenger_van_extended-pic-5469348218548695283-640×480.jpeg
https://static.cargurus.com/images/site/2015/01/10/10/45/1994_dodge_grand_caravan_3_dr_se_awd_passenger_van_extended-pic-5688502033998837645-640×480.jpeg
Thank you for being someone else who failed to read the caveats.
I probably shouldn’t comment before I’ve had my coffee
Minivan caveat exception: The 1998 Ford Windstar (and only the 1998 model) also had differently sized front doors, because they saw that having two sliding doors was popular but the next model wasn’t ready yet, so they made the drivers door bigger so you could theoretically use it to get in the back. So it’s asymmetrical in a second way.
https://media.ed.edmunds-media.com/ford/windstar/1998/oem/1998_ford_windstar_passenger-minivan_lx_fq_oem_1_400.jpg
I’m also pretty sure that the Windstar continued to use the same door windows as the old Aerostar.
Abarth 207A Corso Boano Spyder. Not only is the monoposto cockpit off-center, but look closely and you can see that the entire body curves down more on the right-hand side.
http://www.bernimotori.com/images/cars/207A/207A_5.jpg
Was that intentional or just the result of too much vino at lunch?
Reducing frontal area as much as possible.
How about RVs, as log as the asymmetry is more than just door related?
https://bangshift.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/07/vixen8.jpg
I am going to brazenly ignore one of the caveats to point out that Yamaha had a love affair with offset radiators on a lot of their skis in the ’80s.
http://www.amsnow.com/~/media/images/news/vintage/1982-yamaha-srx-500/f20215001.jpg
The 1985 Kawasaki Tecate 250 had the headlight offset to the left, to provide clearance to access the radiator cap.
http://www.vintagemotorsports.net/images/gallery/tecate_lg.jpg
Asymmetrical rear doors could be another one unto itself. Isuzu Trooper:
https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-I4HMMaLX4Lk/VvOd9Vsu9WI/AAAAAAABXCQ/1mY8jXhZ6W4eKIdY4C3Du0hpchf_S23wA/s1600/1986-isuzu-trooper-rear-door.jpg
Ford’s magic tailgate: https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/9b622601e2ac0dfe9d80dce54f989001ff3c61cdfc80851840d14c4b1df87fae.jpg
Have we had this utterly excruciating piece of “design”?
Yeah, blah, blah, tribute to previous Discoverys blah blah. Balls, I say.
https://leasing.com/cms-images/rear_10.jpg
You are first to inflict this on us.
Such a squandering of design heritage when you look back at the effortless style of the predecessors:
https://images.autotrader.com/scaler/620/420/cms/images/oversteer/2017/03-mar/discoveryrear/262505.jpg
http://www.pangaea-expeditions.com/images/projectvehicles/camel/reardoor.jpg
Toyota Tercel wagon/ATM.
https://i2.wp.com/www.curbsideclassic.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/03/CC-30-001-800.jpg
The 1st gen MINI Clubman (08 – 15?) has an additional half-door on the passenger side. I might be mistaken but I thought that’s where the inspiration for the Veloster came from. It also only has a reverse light on the passenger side for some reason. I’m not sure if the same layout is available for the current gen though, as I’ve only seen them in the 4-door style
https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/80ddcc69063d160a5fc21c8fd2963c516c8a076161559d0afc135d6d5f603d4c.jpg
The new version (2016? on) is only available in the boringly conventional 4 door style (strictly ‘5 door’?) which you have seen. The world has lost the one remaining thing that was interesting about MINI.
The interesting thing about a lot of MINIs is that they are born in Born.Yes, there are German British cars being built in the same former DAF factory where MD Harrell’s Volvo was made: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/VDL_Nedcar
The reverse light on one side, and fog light on the other is pretty standard for European cars
Subtle, but I’d throw in a nomination for the 90’s Mercedes with the cool air intake slots on the fender/wing:
http://thumbsnap.com/s/V8rchD1K.jpg
W124 5 and 6 cylinder turbo diesel engine air intake. From the early models right through to the last.
http://www.benzworld.org/gallery/data/12629/123403549716242004101948PM.JPG
https://www.klaasdepoel.com/typo3temp/_processed_/csm_W124_-_E300_DT_102dkm_-_03_1_3b91df4efc.jpg
W124s also have differently shaped mirrors on each side, The driver’s side is larger and is manually adjusted, the passenger’s is smaller, squarer and electrically adjusted. Why would you want the extra weight and complexity of electric adjustment for the driver’s side when it is right there within reach, (though they are still heated) ? Obviously the passenger’s has to have electric adjustment, it’s too far to reach. The W124 is an ENGINEER’s, a DESIGNER’S car.
http://www.benzworld.org/forums/attachments/w124-e-ce-d-td-class/429137d1330454759-side-mirrors-rubber-boots-needed-img_2385.jpg
Points surely for the Leyland Roadrunner?
https://i2.wp.com/www.aronline.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2011/10/road-runner.jpg?resize=600%2C400
Japan also got in the habit of having more glass on the driver’s door for trucks, like this Isuzu Forward:
https://image-cdn.beforward.jp/large/201505/508247/BF403033_d1f143.jpg
https://image-cdn.beforward.jp/large/201505/508247/BF403033_4581ed.jpg
Ah! But would they do this?
https://i.ytimg.com/vi/U8C7ufynDoM/hqdefault.jpg
https://media.giphy.com/media/VMgcrwq9imGHu/giphy.gif
Didn’t have early 911s have their rear view mirrors at different locations on the respective door, to accommodate viewing angles?
I can’t confirm that, but you did remind me about the early ‘monospecchio’ Testarossas:
https://rmsothebys-cache.azureedge.net/b/6/c/6/7/f/b6c67f1f8d72ba3f22efa3404dfa760dad715c85.jpg
Passenger side mirrors were optional for many years. My 1977 Corvette came from the factory with only a driver’s side mirror.
Indeed: But the Testarossa is an unusual example in that;
– the mirror was such an outlandish design feature that it looked really odd with only one,
– the single high-mount mirror has become a keyword for originality amongst early spec Testarossae (probably due to the curse of ‘Ferrari Classiche’) …they are now proudly advertised as being ‘single mirror models’. Of course, it sounds sexier when you use the Italian ‘monospecchio’.
The M-B W124 sedans in particular had entirely different side mirrors to cater for the different requirements.
https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/c16a19cf6158a85f2afbbe3d3354e0ad0cf8137478512bca986d4a1c218382af.jpg
You might think that the Citroen Picasso is perfectly symmetrical; but actually the front end has some subtle differences from the back end…
https://d32ptomnhiuevv.cloudfront.net/en-gb/sites/default/files/styles/model_landing_thumbnail/public/models/manual-image-783_460.jpg?itok=jc6jE2-8
https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/9/9f/Ford_021C_in_green.jpg
Depends on the Citroen.
https://res.cloudinary.com/carsguide/image/upload/f_auto,fl_lossy,q_auto,t_blog_large/v1/editorial/citroen-2cv-sedan-red-andy-saunders-1200×800-%285%29.jpg
http://www.citroenet.org.uk/prototypes/2cv/images/2cvproto93.jpg
Always loved the Picasso for looking like a 3 year olds car drawing. Pretty natural and organic design as that.
Jaguar D Type.
https://rmsothebys-cache.azureedge.net/e/7/2/e/3/7/e72e37def6bef507d8371eabd5f305c24f16650d.jpg
Fiat Panda gen.1, not only asymmetrical but available with both left- and right-handed forms occurring (a ‘chiral pair’?):
https://images.autouncle.com/it/car_images/6d5edc8f-7f81-4557-86e2-d636de452fc1_fiat-panda-30.jpg
https://img2.annuncicdn.it/c2/72/c272532b274dcf18f5c6826fe115d03e_orig.jpg
The ‘Pedia that is Wiki explains: “…the Panda 30, powered by a longitudinally-mounted air cooled 652 cc straight-two-cylinder engine …or the Panda 45, with a transversely-mounted water cooled 903 cc (FIAT 100 series) four-cylinder. As a consequence of the different drivetrain layout the 45 had the radiator grille to the right side, the 30 to the left.
I’m glad you explained that!
The ’90s Mercedes 300D had a small vent on one fender that I, a small child at the time, thought was the coolest thing.
http://images.dsscars.com/dealerpics/1962_V201412041746504.jpg
https://i.ytimg.com/vi/D0SkxkyD2DY/maxresdefault.jpg
Do the Lancia Fulvia with it’s 45-degree canted engine count?
http://www.wir-leben-lancia.de/wp-content/uploads/2016/09/13d3537bc0d-1.jpg
Spoiler alert: a parallel discussion, from 2015.
https://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?h=0&f=23&t=1557293&i=0
(It is gratifying to see that only the Hooniverse thread included the Acoma Mini Comtesse.)
Perlini DP905
The Gordon has its door on the left-hand side and its engine on the right-hand side.
https://cartelmotor.com/uploads/15/AUT/1954_GORDON_MICROCAR.jpg
Or, without the engine cover:
https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/8/88/Gordon_1956_schr%C3%A4g_9.JPG/640px-Gordon_1956_schr%C3%A4g_9.JPG
I just noticed that in the background of that second image is the asymmetric Moby, based on a Yamaha QT50. As a prototype it falls afoul of the “no one-offs” rule, but here’s a better look at it anyway:
http://sidecarland.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2018/01/20170830007.jpg
If you’re selling a “car” and one of the selling points is “car type wheels,” you’ve done something wrong.
I agree with that conclusion starting from what may be an entirely different objection.
The Sunbeam-Mabley comes close to possessing twofold rotational symmetry but not mirror symmetry.
https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/f5645da21d3aa7d380cfaabd985fb56eff46ed824f945a297a1348756c7f5759.jpg
Or for true rotational AND axial symmetry:
http://static.messynessychic.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/03/pussycr.jpg
Good god, where do you find this stuff?
I can only imagine what you have in your basement.
I’m pretty sure I’m not allowed to have a basement.
“…where do you find this stuff?”
He finds most of it on his driveway.
The rest he finds on Craigslist, and then very soon after on his driveway.
Volvo and JCB make offset skid-steer loaders.
http://assets.cougar.nineentertainment.com.au/imagegen/p/800/600/assets/traderspecs/2013/08/08/misc/volvo_mct135c_3.jpg
https://cdn.oemoffhighway.com/files/cygnus/image/OOH/2012/MAY/1280×720/jcb175_10708883.jpg
Telescopic material handlers generally have the engine on one side and the operator cab on the other with the boom down the middle.
http://d3u1quraki94yp.cloudfront.net/nhag/nar/assets/Material-Handling/large-frame-telehandlers-tier-4b/lm-large-frame-telehandlers-overview.png
Ah – I loved the Escort GT!! so 80’s!
https://cs.copart.com/v1/AUTH_svc.pdoc00001/PIX103/3a6ca218-f6c4-44a8-9284-bf2ac38b0811.JPG
https://i.kinja-img.com/gawker-media/image/upload/s–YJXVghQl–/c_scale,f_auto,fl_progressive,q_80,w_800/b5ni1gnmpjtpz0k12fps.jpg
It used to be common for combine harvesters to have the engine compartment located beside the operator station above the drive axle, which meant the operator was well to one side of the machine.
http://www.worthingtonagparts.com/content/images/thumbs/0691567_john-deere-combine-8820.jpeg
Even on machines that had the engine moved to the rear, the designs sometimes persisted with an offset cab for awhile.
http://public.bigiron.com/public/items/b4c16c0b4391e61180c100155d708fc0/1994caseinternational1688combine-7.jpg
BMW R75 sideCAR – 2 wheel drive with all the accessories. The sidecar was permanently attached. 16,510 produced. My father piloted one as a courier during the bombing of Tallinn in March 1944.
https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/25b4532b87e81e97a396bfe8331020135f05ff5c60a0880097342641c1ca091a.jpg
Mitsubishi RVR – rear door only on one side.
https://imganuncios.mitula.net/1995_mitsubishi_rvr_4wd_1995_1340072505497648338.jpg
Nice. And I wouldn’t call it a minivan, either
Sold in the US as the Eagle Summit Wagon and the Dodge Colt Wagon.
https://www.engineswapdepot.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/04/Eagle-Summit-Wagon-with-a-Turbo-4G63-01.jpg
I swear I’m not OCD, but I’m not sure I could drive a blatantly asymmetrical car.
I beg indulgence to allow posting the OSI Daf city car which had a sliding door on the driver’s side and sucide doors with no pillar on the passenger side. While the 1:1 was a concept it spawned thousands of 1:43 Corgis.
https://www.classiccarcatalogue.com/O/osi%201966%20quattroroute%20daf%20turyn.jpg
https://encrypted-tbn0.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcQM7IpM3WCaKZqlo3pDf4mHJ7OTHXCmHDn8Iry4PAPCa8bP4l3Y
Has anyone mentioned the Renault R16, yet. The wheelbase on one side is 2.5″ longer than the other. Rats. Someone beat me to it! https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/cdc33d1329e460f51d0c4db413f028b3a49c05592fd81e53c1ff0b9781dccb48.png