Pontiac Aztek Tent: Everything You Need To Know About This Rare GM Accessory

Pontiac introduced the Aztek at the 2000 Detroit Auto Show and produced the proto-crossover the following year. Since then, it has been universally lauded as the ugliest car ever made in America. Perhaps you know of it if you watched AMC's wildly popular "Breaking Bad" television show, where the main character — Walter White — drove around a dilapidated fern-green model during the first four seasons of the show.

Or maybe you've seen one of the many memes floating around lately comparing it to the Tesla Cybertruck (which has a long and complicated history). Take, for instance, one of our favorite memes that claims the Cybertruck is just an Aztek with original 1995 PlayStation graphics. It's safe to say that the Aztek has reached a very special place in American pop culture.

It isn't just hated by internet trolls and bashed endlessly on Reddit threads. Back in December 2017, Car & Driver published a scathing article that called the Aztek "a blatant minivan-in-drag monstrosity" and "a sad, fat man who'd had his nose cut off." And those were the "nicer" things the article had to say.

The Aztek sat on top of a minivan platform, which explains its tall, boxy appearance. Now, imagine this odd-looking rig with a camping tent attached to its backside. If it wasn't unattractive enough already, this accessory put it straight over the edge (of a cliff). Despite all the hate, we still contend Pontiac's Aztek was just ahead of its time.

Some optional "lifestyle" packages were available, including one for hiking ($300 extra), biking ($516), and camping ($195). Another made the Aztec a bit sportier looking (if you can believe that), and a towing package added a rear load-leveling system and an onboard compressor with a hose.

Perhaps the rarest of the lot was the Camping Lifestyle Package, which came with a tent and two-person air mattress (complete with a built-in pump). By most accounts, the original GM accessory is hard to find and, when it is available, somewhat expensive. In an episode of "WatchJRGo" from 2011, JR states he paid over $300 for the tent. A quick internet search found exactly one original GM tent on eBay for $399.

The tent attaches simply enough, with elastic straps hooking around the back fenders and inside the rear doors. A long, collapsible fiberglass tent rod slides through an upper sleeve and then bends around to keep the back popped out. Elastic straps attach the rod to the sides. Windows on either side can be zipped down to let in some fresh air, and there's even an awning that can be attached to provide shade. It takes less than 15 minutes to pop the thing up, making it easy to assemble and versatile.

Ironically, Pontiac's proto-crossover appears to have been so uncool for so long that many now consider the Aztek to actually be a very cool car. It proves once again that if you wait long enough, nostalgia and the fickle nature of society will eventually make something popular to someone somewhere.