I have often loved the wacky one-offs and specialty cars that manufacturers made for auto shows of yesteryear. Has anyone ever gotten a hold of one or knows someone that grabbed one and restored it? I always see the old video clips of these wicked cool cars that never make it to production and wondered if you can ever find any
Some of the prototypes have survived but rarely seen by the public,,much like the 1954 Oldsmobile F 88. or the 1954 Pontiac special. HRP
General Motors had a policy of not releasing their show cars - but the policy could be somewhat porous. After a year or 2, when a car had made the rounds of the car shows and possibly the big dealerships, it would usually be scrapped. At least this was the policy. A few show cars have escaped and are in the hands of collectors. One reason was that most of their show cars were purely for show and could not be street driven. But, there were exceptions. Sometimes they would take a standard production car, and dress it up with unique accessories, upholstery, modified engine or bodywork. These cars often ended up in the hands of top GM executives, or their friends at major suppliers of parts or materials, or big stockholders. This could be a bit of a gimmick. Sometimes they built a car to order for an executive or other big shot, showed it in one car show, then gave it or sold it to the lucky owner. That way they could write it off as a "show car" and build a custom job for an important customer, even though they weren't supposed to. Chrysler had a different policy. They did not build the way out dream cars, all their show cars were street legal and could be used on the road. When they were finished with them they often sold them, usually outside the US, in Europe, South America or the Middle East. Many of them survive in private collections. I don't know what Ford's policy was. I suspect it was more like GM's. At least, I don't know of any Ford show cars in private hands. The exception would be some show cars built by well known customizers in the early sixties with Ford sponsorship. Like the Roth Mysterion for which Ford contributed 3 engines. These cars usually were the property of the builder, and remained in their hands or were sold as they saw fit.
I do some work at a shop that handles prototype and early production vehicles. Most are sent to the crusher, some end up in museums. some went to the executive car pool and some auctioned for charity
very interesting policies. As sad as it is, I can understand the crusher option as the car companies would not want to open themselves up to lawsuits and the can of worms safety and regulations for a prototype might cause. Still, i often find myself really digging the look of some of the more "out there" styles they were throwing at the wall during the 40s, 50s and 60s. Always wished i could find one and drive it.
even now most are crushed. the 1962 mustang only escaped because the builder hid it in different areas for most of its life. the biggest reason why most prototypes are not sold is because all the bugs are not worked out and they may not be safe
One Ford or Shelby prototype survived by being stolen from the Shelby guys & not found for years, by then off the radar for crushing. As was said most of the prototypes are more mock up than an actual car.
Zenbone, Check out this link......................Jeff http://www.superiorglassworks.com/Superior-54-Sport-Wagon-Body-p/superior-54-body.htm
My boss owns a O.T. Pontiac that served as a show car and was used as a test car for different sound systems. Has unique wheels that resemble stock but much larger diameter. It's a special color too not offered that year on any of their models. Kinda pearl orange It also possesses a unique serial number with an EX added to the suffix. It cant be registered, it's on a Salvage Certificate straight from General Motors. When he drives, which isn't very often, he throws a dealer plate on it. He hopes to turn a profit with it someday.
I don't know the details but I have heard that the tax laws spell the end to most of them. Charlie Stephens
OT but i remember reading the first Viper prototype was given to the chairman and the IRS hit it with a huge tax penalty because it was some futuristic exotic wondercar.-rick
Frank Kleptz had at least 2 in his collection that got away. The turbine cars had turbine housings but were short innards. Jay Leno helped him locate innards and he got it running before he passed: [/URL] He also had a Chrysler Airflow which Admiral Nimitz. Last time it was used before he got it, it was riddled with bullet holes from an un published assassination attempt on Admiral Nimitz. In college, the automotive section got new cars all the time; not necessarily prototypes. They came with the windshield damaged and they were under contract not to be driven off property. When done they were videotaped and documented crushed. Long before that the Aviation department had use of old AT-6's. They were crushed and buried engines and all near the airport. Latter they were given P-80 shooting stars by the Air National Guard. After they arrived, the Air National Guard took a cutting torch and cut the wing spar so they could not be flown then said, "they are all yours". They could still run the engines. They were crushed under contract eventually as well.
Can't get the turbine to post: http://assets.blog.hemmings.com/wp-content/uploads//2013/01/ChryslerTurbine_01_1500.jpg
I saw a bunch of gm ones go for sale at one of the big auction houses a year or so ago. All were prototypes and had no title or vin. bill of sale only. so they couldn't be driven on the street, Cool stuff but pretty much trailer queens. -Pat
An OT prototype Corvette ZR1 was sent to the crusher in England. Couple guys recognized it, resurrected it and restored it.
http://bortzautocollection.com this guy has rescued several. Posted using the Full Custom H.A.M.B. App!
Speaking of prototypes..... when the Davis company was trying to get their 3 wheeled car off the ground they sent one to England for evaluation and modification by a British firm that built 3 wheeled cars. They got it into the country on some kind of special certificate, tax free. After a year or 2 the Inland Revenue told them they had to pay the tax, about 2/3 the value of the car, or export it out of the country. By that time the Davis company was out of business so they couldn't send it back. So they loaded it on a boat, took it out past the 3 mile limit and dumped it in the ocean.
Some get saved, restored and sent around for all to appreciate. This is one of the lucky ones. 1959 Pontiac Safari Pickup (El Catalina) concept.
I don't know much about the cars, except for Foiled Again's collection of prototype art work, but the Honda Grand Prix race bikes...the 125cc five cylinder and the 250 six, all of them, got piled up in a storage area under the company bowling alley, many priceless engines, fairings, etc., until the 90s when an English journalist got a janitor to unlock the door, and convinced the company to build a museum.
Many show cars are hand assembled, or the first test vehicles to run down the production line, prototypes. Large corporations have various tax brackets, and R&D is taxed differently than product for sale. The show cars are considered R&D, and don't carry a VIN because of it. Bill Mitchell at GM probably had the most number of driving prototype show cars, or at least the wildest. Harley Earl had many as well. Look up their stuff.
when I was in college in the early 90's our auto program had a bunch of donated GM cars, one of which was an 86 Buick Grand National, part numbers were all XXX's. Donated, never to be driven, or sold. It seemed kinda rough for a 4 year old car.
There is one of the 'new' Tbirds at the ACD museum donated by Ford, but it has no serial numbers, and cannot be registered or driven. it may be a preproduction car, I do not recall the buld date or sequence number.Does not really fit the collection, but damn near impossible to get rid of also!
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