I was looking through some magazines at a book store and stumbled across a motor trend classic. The cover caught my eye because the car on it was something out of a space race induced day dream. If you have any pics of cool old concept cars that never made it into production please post pics. The car on the cover- 59 Cadillac Cyclone Concept Inside magazine- 55 Biscayne Concept Suicide doors and all 56 Chrysler Norseman 54 Pontiac Bonneville special 54 Olds concept One of my all time favorites
How about a 1963 Mustang Concept that was driven by Lee Iacocco. Dents and all. Its in a local museum. America on Wheels in Allentown, Pa.
Very cool! Some of these cars are amazing, I cant believe they were never released. some I know some were over the top (but still amazingly cool), but some like that corvette corvair, 51 buick, 54 olds, and the chrysler norseman could of been amazing selling cars. They are just plain awesome.
This keeps coming up but we had a large thread on it. http://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=379801
How about the Budd 1962 Rambler XR-400 concept? Too bad Romney didn't drink, maybe it or the Tarpon would have made production. -Dave
I think the Norseman is at the bottom of the sea in the Andrea Doria. I swear I saw that Olds "roadster" at a WOW show in Columbus GA in about 1970.
That Olds sold for over 3 million on Barret-Jackson!!! The only car that beats it is the original supersnake that sold for 5 mill.
That has the characteristic facial expression of a harmonica player after the sudden realization that he has been turned into a frog
Here's an interesting concept car that I bet you never heard of...Chrysler's experimental Star Car from the 1930's, featuring a radial engine. http://blog.hemmings.com/index.php/2007/07/29/sia-flashback-mopars-star-cars/
Unless I missed it, how about the nuclear powered Ford Nucleon..... and some other shots of the corvair concept....
whats the story on the corvair vet ( i wish they would of made the body.. could of been a economical kick ass body to drop in your fab mill too.. but if this did happen, probably would not be a cheap car to play with today..) ? pig in lipstick? all joking aside.. if i had to guess corvair drive train, fiberglass body influced by the vett ( i do have a corvair engine i was gonna use in a bug, never got around too..main reason i did not understand the engine.. so ill just be the care taker of the engine for the future.. to rock a corvair in XXX.). also the 54 Pontiac Bonneville special reminds me of a dodge viper for some crazy reason. chris. has anyone made a kit of the corvair/vet prototype? i google and did not find one.. if they can sell a crap load of cobras, i bet this would sell well too.
Over the last several decades Joe Bortz has saved more American concept cars than anyone else . Here is the link to his web page. http://bortzautocollection.com/
BeatnickPirate, THANKS for the Dan Strohl HEMMINGS item on Chrysler's "star" prototypes. Never even knew of these, so it was a pleasant surprise to learn of this! -- Jimi
It was part of the original Corvette concepts. There was the "Waldorf Nomad" Corvette Wagon. The "Corvair" Corvette Fastback. And the Roadster Corvette, which is the one that went into production. Oh and the name Corvair, was originally used on that concept car. It was later used on the car we all know by that name. It was a Mix of Corvette (CORV) and Bel Air (AIR) which were chevy's newest car and best selling car.
I've tried to sort of cover a running history of old factory concept cars. I really like 'em! General Motors Concepts General Motors greatness in 1953 All about the Y-Job Early Ford Concepts Early Chrysler Concepts That's some of the stuff I've worked on and gathered pictures for.