Simpsons car design might not be a joke after all

Fans of cartoon mainstay "The Simpsons" might remember an episode from the early 90's in which dim-witted patriarch Homer Simpson got the chance to design his dream car, which he of course named after himself.

The result was memorably horrible, and led to one of the most hilariously impractical designs for an automobile ever, with features like a bubble dome cockpit, huge engine and of course "multiple horns, all of which play 'La Cucaracha.'"

But just because a vehicle is unlikely doesn't mean it can't be mentioned in marketing materials or vehicle wraps. If there's anything your company can do to try and bring an unlikely creation to life, it might help drum up interest in your brand.

A recent article in Wired took a closer look at Homer's improbable creation. According to writer Alexander George, the car may have predicted some common aspects of modern-day cars. Even when the designs haven't been followed to the letter, George notes that the basic spirit of the feature has still been retained. One example is the call for large cup-holders: they haven't changed, but they still hold a position of importance in car design.

"Some manufacturers have made bigger cup holders to hold huge cups (or mini–buckets of fried chicken), but with 12-ounce soda cans and Starbucks cups still (mostly) the same size, cup holders haven't changed tremendously," George writes.

Even though it's unlikely to see a swamp-green, bubble-headed monstrosity like The Homer barreling down a street near you, the design is clearly a fan favorite, so much so that a toy version of it was recently produced by Mattel for Comic Con.

If there's a chance for a car to be referenced in custom vehicle wraps, you can use these design options to help capitalize on that.