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This page includes information and photos of prototype modern cars which were designed but never produced, or produced only in limited numbers.
1954 Ford FX-Atmos
This futuristic Ford, the FX-Atmos, caused a stir at the 1954 Chicago Auto Show.
According to the vice-president of Ford, its purpose was to "represent one of the
many avenues which styling could take into the future". (source: Car Culture, by Basham Ughetti Rambali)
1955 Mercury D528 Prototype Sedan
Built by Ford Mercury in 1953-55 and used as a rolling laboratory. Prototype Y block motor XY-3, fully cast fiberglass body, first opening rear electric window. The colors on it are original colors as is the interior design. Restored such that the original build quality was not compromised. Used in a number of movies, including as a trick car by Jerry Lewis. (source: http://www.barrettjackson.com/auctionresults/common/cardetail.asp?id=15588)
1963 Chevrolet Pininfarina Prototype
In 1960, Pininfarina put forward a project of their own providing the attractive, if controversial, rear engine corvair chassis with a body. This version was the first of two chasses to be bodied by Pininfarina in the course of the following three years. The first version being shown at the Paris and Turin salons in 1960. Two years later, at the Paris salon, the chassis was shown again, this time a little less radical, but a more convincing project that involved a lot of work.
Finally, the example the example shown here was probably the most successful of the group. By 1963, it managed to be a four seater or at least a 2 + 2 and remains forever, as so much of Pininfarina's work, "variations on a theme". This car was at the Pininfarina museum for many years and eventually made its way to the US. The car was restored a number of years ago by noted restorer. This is an extremely unusual car and a one-off designed corvair. (source: http://www.barrettjackson.com/auctionresults/common/cardetail.asp?id=165634)
Studebaker-Packard built this terrific car called the Predictor, to
show at the 1956 Chicago Auto Show to display ideas for possible future
features on upcoming cars. It was a huge hit at the show, far
more popular than other cars shown, and yet it was never intended for
production and this is the only one ever produced. It was designed in
built in only 90 days. The body is by Ghia. This one-of-a-kind car
is on display at the Studebaker National Museum in South Bend, Indiana.
Ford's "Aurora" concept car, shown at the New York World's Fair. (Special thanks to Paul Beedenbender, Lets_Dish@email.msn.com, for this photo!) For more info on this car, see "Automobile Quarterly" Vol 3, No. 1 (Spring, 1964).
This is the 1971 Chevrolet Astro III concept car, a three wheeled jet-powered vehicle that couldn't even drive on a freeway! First shown at the Chicago Auto Show. (photo from Sixty Years of Chevrolet by George H. Dammann, 1972)
This is the 1964 GM Runabout car from the New York World's Fair, a three-wheeled car complete with shopping cart! (photo and info at http://www.discovery.com/area/technology/future/1964/trans.html)
This photo shows a "1958 Mercury Olympian", which was never produced. The photo is one from a whole set of prototype Edsel and Mercury promotional stills recently found. (source: Chris, rapilje@earthlink.net)
This is the "Flying Car", shown in the book "Yesterdays Tomorrows".
1948 Davis, a sleek 3-wheel car! I took this photo in a car museum in Auburn, Indiana. I believe that only 5 of these cars were ever produced. The removable hardtop is shown sitting on the floor to the right.
1956 Palm Beach Body by Pinin Farina
This was a forecast/dream car for American Motors/Nash. This "one off" Palm Beach concept exemplifies the ideas that could have possibly directed American Motors to greater success in 1956. This one-of-a-kind Italian dreamcar was unfortunately never given consideration for production.
1955 Die Valkyrie, designed by Brooks Stevens
This prototype/concept/dream car was designed not only to be a showcar in the US but also to be a prize winner at various shows. It not only won at the Paris Auto Show, but also took a major trophy at the US auto show at Madison Square Garden.
The October 1989 issue of Collectible Automobile reported that in 1952 a Cleveland real estate baron named Metzenbaum wanted a modern car with the spirit of the great early Forties Lincoln Continental and the power of Cadillac's brilliant overhead-valve V-8, first offered for 1949. Famed Milwaukee-based industrial designer Brooks Stevens did the rest.
The result was called Die Valkyrie, after Brunhilde and the other mythical "sisters of the wind" immortalized in Wagnerian opera. Per Metzenbaum's wishes, Stevens began with the 125-inch-wheelbase chassis and 331-cubic-inch V-8 of the contemporary Cadillac Series Sixty-Two. Leaving both pretty much alone, he replaced the stock body with a striking four-seat steel convertible shell bearing rakish long-hood/short-deck proportions and both a solid removable roof panel and a skimpy "rag top." The last, Stevens recalled, was only for "getting you home if it started to rain."
Die Valkyrie's most radical aspect by far was its huge, sharply vee'd combination bumper/grille, deliberately chosen to emphasize what was under the hood. One wag snidely termed it a "snowplow" (Stevens chuckled at that description), but at least it was different. Small parking lamps were set into the V's wide outriggers, which bisected the headlamps before wrapping around to continue as side moldings.
Several elements make Die Valkyrie look a lot newer now than it actually is. Recessed cowled headlamps and a flat hood nearly level with the front fenders forecast Big Three styling by at least three years. In the Sixties, Cadillac itself would adopt taillights much like Die Valkyrie's compact, vertically vee'd units. This was also Steven's first use of the "Washington Coach" door line with it's distinctive upward sweep that not only concealed long door openings (for easier back-seat access) but made a natural two-tone color break-highlighted in the starkest possible way with white forward and black rearward. Fan-motif inner door panels were equally distinctive. The dash was stock 1953 Cadillac.
To build Die Valkyrie, Stevens enlisted the Sophn works of Ravensburg, West Germany, mainly for its meticulous craftsmanship. Metzenbaum made noises about backing up 100 copies and the car did cause a minor stir at the 1953 Paris Auto Show, but just six Die Valkyries would ever be built. Stevens believed only three came to the U.S. The number 2 Die Valkyrie was once driven by Mrs. Stevens. It is at the Brooks Stevens Museum in suburban Mequon, Wisconsin, just north of Milwaukee."
(source: Marc, Samskag@aol.com).
The four images below show concept car drawings from the 1950s, as shown in the book "Atomic Age, Art & Design of the Fifties, by Marc Arceneaux (1975, ISBN 0-912300-64-7)
The fabulous design above is the 1959 Cadillac Cyclone concept car, never produced.
The following three photos are from a book called Projections, published by US Steel in May, 1962, about the future uses of steel! The illustrations are by Syd Mead (he was the designer of Blade runner, among other things and is considered one of the greatest living futurists).
If you have pics to share here please send them to me!
And here's the great 1963 T-bird, which of course was produced
Great pic, eh?
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