Every so often a car comes along that becomes a national punchline. Not because it was evil or dangerous, but because it was odd, cheap, wobbly, or simply arrived at the wrong moment. Britain has a soft spot for the underdog motor, and few earned more affectionate mockery than the four featured here. Grab a cup of tea and enjoy a tour of the vehicles that became jokes on wheels.

The Reliant Robin: three wheels and a legend

No list of comedy cars is complete without the Reliant Robin. With one wheel at the front and two at the back, it became famous for looking like it might tip over if you sneezed while cornering. Television did it no favours, most memorably the sketch where a certain motoring presenter rolled one repeatedly for laughs, though enthusiasts will point out that a normally driven Robin does not actually flip that easily.

The Robin had a serious side. It was light, cheap to run, and thanks to its three wheels could be driven on a motorcycle licence. For many families in the 1970s and 80s it was affordable transport that kept them dry. It was made of fibreglass, so it never rusted, which is more than you can say for a lot of its critics. Loved and laughed at in equal measure, the Robin is now a genuine cult classic.

The Lada: tough as old boots

The Lada arrived in Britain as a rebadged, ruggedised version of an old Fiat design, built for the harsh conditions of the Soviet Union. That toughness was both its strength and the source of a thousand jokes. What is the difference between a Lada and a golf ball? You can drive a golf ball more than 200 yards. You know the sort of thing.

Yet Ladas were famously simple to fix, cheap to buy and almost impossible to kill. They came with a toolkit and, according to legend, a starting handle, because the makers assumed you would need both. Owners were fiercely loyal. In parts of the world Ladas are still rattling along today, long after trendier cars have rusted into oblivion.

The Yugo: cheap and cheerful, mostly cheap

The Yugo, built in the former Yugoslavia, was sold on one simple promise: it was the cheapest car you could buy. In some markets it undercut everything else by a wide margin. The trouble was that it sometimes felt like it. Stories of trim falling off and eccentric electrics followed it around, and it regularly tops those unkind lists of the worst cars ever sold.

Still, there is something admirable about a car that put driving within reach of people who could not otherwise afford it. The Yugo has since become a strange sort of collector's item, precisely because it was so mocked. Rarity plus notoriety equals cult appeal.

The FSO Polonez: Poland's boxy hero

Less famous in Britain but fondly remembered by those who owned one, the FSO Polonez was a large, angular hatchback from Poland. It was roomy, sturdy and remarkably cheap, which made it popular with buyers who needed space without spending much. It was also heavy and thirsty, and its styling was, let us say, resolutely practical rather than pretty.

The Polonez soldiered on for decades with only modest changes, which is part of its charm. It was honest transport that never pretended to be anything glamorous, and it did its job for countless families.

Why we secretly love them

The funny thing about all these cars is that the laughter comes with warmth. Nobody mocks a boring, forgettable car. These motors became jokes because they had character, because they were brave attempts to give ordinary people affordable wheels, and because they refused to take themselves seriously.

Every one of these cars eventually reaches the end of the road, and when they do they deserve a proper send-off through licensed vehicle recycling rather than being abandoned in a field. If you have an old character car of your own that has finally given up, you can get a free scrap car quote online, and you can read our guide to scrapping your car to see exactly how it works.

Reliant Robin, Lada, Yugo, Polonez. Punchlines, yes, but also proof that a car does not need to be perfect to be loved.