I'd like to see some pictures of some of these creations! Maybe they are more "rugged individuals" on here than I thought! :-)

Let me add a "disclaimer":

I have bought and sold cars, so I can see the logic in considering the resale value, if profit is the primary goal.

The mention of not having an imagination, seems like an obvious reason to repeat the trends that you see the most.

I like to use some "solid" guidelines in my own work, so even if an idea is quite different, I don't believe that means it necessarily has to end up "weird", "bizarre", or "fugly". There is almost always a way to use an odd idea, but still end up with something you will be proud of.