Meme cars on Polish roads – A look on Multipla, Cube, Aztek, and Cybertruck
Transparency note: This press release was originally published in Polish. The text has been machine translated. You can find the original press release here.
To celebrate April 1st, CARFAX analyzed the histories of four cars that are often the butt of jokes due to their distinctive appearance – the Fiat Multipla, Nissan Cube, Tesla Cybertruck, and Pontiac Aztek. The average vehicle in this group changed hands about three times, and 83% were imported from abroad. Only 2% remain in the hands of their original owner.
Some car models gain popularity thanks to their performance, technological innovations, or luxurious features. Others, on the other hand, go down in history thanks to their unforgettable appearance, becoming the subject of countless jokes and memes. For April Fool's Day, CARFAX, a company that provides used car history reports from reliable and certified sources, took a closer look at four representatives of this group: the Fiat Multipla, the Nissan Cube, the Pontiac Aztek, and the Tesla Cybertruck .
The star of the ranking is undoubtedly the Fiat Multipla . This distinctive model accounts for a staggering 86% of the analyzed group of vehicles in the CARFAX database, which numbers over 23 million used cars in Poland. The average Multipla is 22 years old and has 265,000 kilometers on the clock, which is not surprising considering its production ended 16 years ago (1998-2010). Second place in terms of numbers is occupied by the angular Nissan Cube (13%). Production began in 1998 and has been officially available in Europe since 2008. The average age of this model in the CARFAX database is 15 years, with 169,000 kilometers on the clock.
"In the past, these older, meme-like cars were bought on the used market primarily out of cash. Today, they're increasingly being purchased deliberately to stand out, and their prices (already rising) are fueled by nostalgia and internet fame," says Robert Lewandowski, Business Development Manager at CARFAX Polska. "This, of course, doesn't apply to the Tesla Cybertruck, whose presence on Polish roads is a marvel of... legal engineering. The lack of homologation stems from the fact that its razor-sharp stainless steel edges are a nightmare for EU pedestrian protection standards. So how do they get registered in Poland? Most often, by stretching the regulations for special vehicles or trucks, or by resorting to expensive modifications to the edges and lighting."
Cybertruck present in Poland despite lack of homologation
Tesla Cybertruck, produced since 2023, is interesting . Although it hasn't officially gone on sale in Europe yet due to the lack of European homologation, you can find examples of it on Polish roads and in used car ads. In the analyzed model group, it accounts for 1%. The average age of a used Tesla Cybertruck in Poland is two years, and the mileage is only 5,000 kilometers.
The final vehicle on our list is the Pontiac Aztek, sometimes called the American Multipla. Its popularity recently increased thanks to the TV series "Breaking Bad." It was produced briefly, from 2000 to 2005, for the American market, but individual examples can be found in Europe, including Poland. Like the Cybertruck, it accounts for about 1% of the cars analyzed. Statistically, it is the oldest car on our list, even though production of the Multipla began earlier. It has an average age of 23 years[1] and has 219,000 kilometers on the clock.
Many people mock the Fiat Multipla, but few know that in 1999, this car was included in an exhibition at New York's prestigious MoMA museum of contemporary art! Curators hailed it as a masterpiece of innovative design and ergonomics. Meanwhile, the Nissan Cube's unusual shape and asymmetrical rear window are just the tip of the iceberg. The headliner in this model features embossed patterns resembling the waves that spread when a drop is dropped into water, and the designers themselves admitted that the seat profile was inspired by the curve of a jacuzzi. The door handles were designed to accommodate elastic straps for holding small items, a design inspired by Issey Miyake's New York boutique," says Robert Lewandowski, Business Development Manager at CARFAX Polska. "When it comes to the Pontiac, Walter from 'Breaking Bad' didn't fully utilize this car's potential." In the official Aztek catalog, you could order a dedicated tent mounted on the open tailgate and equipped with a built-in compressor and an inflatable mattress. The front armrest could be removed and taken to the beach as... a portable cooler.
Cars that rarely stay with their first owner
These cars have on average 3.3 owners over its lifetime, while the average for all used cars in Poland is 3. However, the percentage of cars in this group that remain in the hands of their first owner is only 2% (the percentage for the overall used car market in Poland is 15%). As many as 83% of these vehicles were imported from abroad (the percentage of all second-hand cars is 65%). Only one in three has a history of damage, although this may be due to a lack of complete documentation.