1938 Buick Y-Job, the first Concept car

A concept car or show car is a car prototype made to showcase a concept, new styling, technology and more. They are often shown at motor shows to gauge customer reaction to new and radical designs which may or may not have a chance of being produced. Label reads Buick Y-Job, boilerplate reads Buick Y. Picture taken at IAA 2003, copyright Jens Frank. ... Label reads Buick Y-Job, boilerplate reads Buick Y. Picture taken at IAA 2003, copyright Jens Frank. ... 1938 Buick Y-Job 1950 Buick convertible, using styling cues from the Buick Y-Job The 1938 Buick Y-Job is claimed to be the first concept car in history [1]. Designed by Harley J. Earl, the car had power-operated hidden headlamps, gunsight hood ornament, wraparound bumpers, flush door... “Car” and “Cars” redirect here. ... For other uses, see Prototype (disambiguation). ... By the mid 20th century humans had achieved a mastery of technology sufficient to leave the surface of the Earth for the first time and explore space. ... An auto show, or motor show, is a public exhibition of current automobile models, debuts, concept cars, or out-of-production classics. ...

General Motors designer Harley Earl is generally credited with inventing the concept, or show, car, and definitely did much to popularize it through its traveling Motorama shows of the 1950s. General Motors Corporation (NYSE: GM), also known as GM, is an American automobile maker with worldwide operations and brands including Buick, Cadillac, Chevrolet, GMC, Holden, Hummer, Opel, Pontiac, Saturn, Saab and Vauxhall. ... Harley J. Earl (November 22, 1893–April 10, 1969) was an automotive stylist and engineer and industrial designer. ... Motoramas were auto shows staged by General Motors from 1949 to 1961. ... The 1950s decade refers to the years 1950 to 1959 inclusive. ...

Concept cars never go into production directly; in modern times all would have to undergo many changes before the design is finalized for the sake of practicality, safety and cost. Concept cars are often radical in engine or design: Car safety is the avoidance of car accidents or the minimization of harmful effects of accidents, in particular as pertaining to human life and health. ... For other uses, see Engine (disambiguation). ... Automobile design or car design is the design of automobiles. ...

• Some use non-traditional, exotic, or expensive materials, ranging from paper to carbon fiber to refined alloys.

• Others have unique layouts, such as gullwing doors, 3 or 6 (or more) wheels, or special abilities not usually found on cars.

1968 AMX-GT by American Motors

Because of these often impractical or unprofitable leanings, many concept cars never get past scale models, or even drawings in computer design. Other more traditional concepts can be developed into fully drivable (operational) vehicles with a working drivetrain and accessories. The state of most concept cars lies somewhere in between and does not represent the final product. A very small proportion of concept cars are functional to any useful extent, most cannot move safely at anything above 10 mph.^{[citation needed]} For other uses, see Paper (disambiguation). ... Graphite-reinforced plastic or carbon fiber reinforced plastic (CFRP or CRP), is a strong, light and very expensive composite material or fibre reinforced plastic. ... An alloy is a homogeneous hybrid of two or more elements, at least one of which is a metal, and where the resulting material has metallic properties. ... Layout, in publishing, is the process of arranging editorial content, advertising, graphics and other information in a manner that creates an effective presentation. ... A De Lorean DMC-12 with its doors open A Bricklin SV-1 with its doors open The term gull-wing door is used to describe automobile doors which are hinged at the roof. ... For other uses, see Wheel (disambiguation). ... Image File history File links 1968_AMC_AMX-GT_ShowCar_Type2. ... Image File history File links 1968_AMC_AMX-GT_ShowCar_Type2. ... 1968 AMX-GT press release photo, the second version. ... American Motors Corporation (AMC) was an American automobile company formed on January 14, 1954 by the merger of the Nash-Kelvinator Corporation and the Hudson Motor Car Company. ... A scale model of the Tower of London. ... In computer engineering, computer architecture is the conceptual design and fundamental operational structure of a computer system. ... For other uses, see Driving (disambiguation). ... Drivetrain is the twelfth studio album by southern rock band . ...

Inoperative "mock-ups" are usually made of wax, clay, metal, fiberglass, plastic or a combination thereof. This page is a candidate for speedy deletion. ... candle wax This page is about the substance. ... For other uses, see Clay (disambiguation). ... This article is about metallic materials. ... Bundle of fiberglass Fiberglass (also called fibreglass and glass fibre) is material made from extremely fine fibers of glass. ... For other uses, see Plastic (disambiguation). ...

If drivable, the drivetrain is often borrowed from a production vehicle from the same company, or may have defects and imperfections in design. They can also be quite refined^{[citation needed]}, such as General Motors' Cadillac Sixteen Concept [1]. A Production vehicle debuts usually at an event such as an auto show. ... General Motors Corporation (NYSE: GM), also known as GM, is an American automobile maker with worldwide operations and brands including Buick, Cadillac, Chevrolet, GMC, Holden, Hummer, Opel, Pontiac, Saturn, Saab and Vauxhall. ... The Cadillac Sixteen was a prototype of a stylish and high performance automobile first presented by Cadillac in 2003. ...

After a concept car's useful life is over, the cars are usually destroyed. Some survive, however, either in a company's museum or hidden away in storage. One unused but operational concept car that languished for years in the North Hollywood, California shop of car customizer George Barris, Ford Motor Company's "Lincoln Futura" from 1954, received a new lease on life as the Batmobile in the Batman series that debuted in 1966 on the ABC Television Network. The Palais du Louvre in Paris, which houses the Musée du Louvre, one of the worlds most famous museums, and most certainly the largest. ... Operational denotes a working method or a philosophy that focuses principally on cause and effect of specific interest to a particular domain at a particular point in time. ... North Hollywood is a district in the San Fernando Valley section of Los Angeles, California. ... George Barris is one of the best-known designers of custom cars in the world. ... “Ford” redirects here. ... 1955 Lincoln Futura Concept The Lincoln Futura was never a production model, but was instead a concept car designed by the Lincoln division of Ford Motor Company. ... Year 1954 (MCMLIV) was a common year starting on Friday (link will display full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... The Batmobile is the fictional personal automobile of comic book superhero Batman. ... Batman (originally referred to as the Bat-Man and still referred to at times as the Batman) is a DC Comics fictional superhero who first appeared in Detective Comics #27 in May 1939. ... Year 1966 (MCMLXVI) was a common year starting on Saturday (link will display full calendar) of the 1966 Gregorian calendar. ... This article is about the American broadcast network. ...

Notable Concept cars

1938 Buick Y-Job 1950 Buick convertible, using styling cues from the Buick Y-Job The 1938 Buick Y-Job is claimed to be the first concept car in history [1]. Designed by Harley J. Earl, the car had power-operated hidden headlamps, gunsight hood ornament, wraparound bumpers, flush door... The 1930s (years from 1930–1939) were described as an abrupt shift to more radical and conservative lifestyles, as countries were struggling to find a solution to the Great Depression, also known as the World Depression. ... Harley J. Earl (November 22, 1893–April 10, 1969) was an automotive stylist and engineer and industrial designer. ... The Chevrolet Corvair Monza GT was a mid-engined experimental prototype based on the early model Chevrolet Corvair series. ... Year 1962 (MCMLXII) was a common year starting on Monday (the link is to a full 1962 calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... XP-755 Mako Shark show car The XP-755 Mako Shark show car was designed by Larry Shinoda under the direction of GM Design head Bill Mitchell in 1961, as a concept for future Chevrolet Corvettes. ... The Ford Nucleon concept car The Ford Nucleon was a nuclear-powered concept car developed by Ford Motor Company in 1958. ... The Ford SYNUS The SYNUS is a concept car Ford Motor Company produced under the Ford brand. ... The General Motors Firebird is a series of three concept cars designed by Harley Earl, and built by General Motors for the 1953, 1956 and 1959 Motorama auto shows. ... This machine has a single-stage centrifugal compressor and turbine, a recuperator, and foil bearings. ... // Holden Efijy at the 2007 North American International Auto Show The Holden Efijy is a concept car created in Australia by Holden. ... At MIT the idea of mobility in the urban context was re-examined through an on-going concept car project. ... “MIT” redirects here. ... One of the most amazing automobile prototypes of the 1930s was the 1938 Phantom Corsair. ... The Pontiac Bonneville Special was a purpose-built, concept car that was unveiled at the General Motors Motorama in 1954 and was the first two-seater sports car that Pontiac had ever produced. ... This article is about Pontiac automobiles; for the Native American leader, see Chief Pontiac, for other uses see the Pontiac (disambiguation). ... A Honda NSX sports car A TVR Tuscan sports car A sports car is a car designed for sporting performance above utility. ... Motoramas were auto shows staged by General Motors from 1949 to 1961. ... The Pontiac Club de Mer was a purpose-built, concept car that was unveiled at the General Motors Motorama in 1956 to celebrate GMs commitment to futuristic design. ... This article is about Pontiac automobiles; for the Native American leader, see Chief Pontiac, for other uses see the Pontiac (disambiguation). ... A Honda NSX sports car A TVR Tuscan sports car A sports car is a car designed for sporting performance above utility. ... Motoramas were auto shows staged by General Motors from 1949 to 1961. ... The Porsche 989 was a 4-door performance-oriented touring sedan concept created by Porsche in 1988. ... This article is about the auto company. ... The Porsche Panamera is a four-door, four-seat coupe, currently still in concept stages, set to be launched in 2009. ... Back view Eos Highway 1 The Volkswagen Eos is a coupe convertible from Volkswagen produced from 2006. ... The Volkswagen GX3 was a concept car created by Volkswagen. ... The Volkswagen New Beetle is a compact car introduced by Volkswagen in 1998, drawing heavily on the design cues of the original Beetle. ... The Volvo YCC (Your Concept Car) was a concept car presented in 2004 with the stated goal of meeting the particular needs of women drivers. ... Tata Xover Tata Xover (pronounced crossover) was a 7-seat crossover SUV concept car created by the Indian carmaker Tata Motors. ...

See also

Wikimedia Commons has media related to:

Concept vehicles

• Auto show
• Car design
• Production model
• Prototype
• Serial production
• Show car
• Toyota Concept Cars
• Volkswagen example Example from concept to production

Image File history File links Commons-logo. ... An auto show, or motor show, is a public exhibition of current automobile models, debuts, concept cars, or out-of-production classics. ... Automobile design or car design is the design of automobiles. ... A production vehicle is one that is put into mass production, as a model produced in large numbers and offered for sale to the public, which was begun in the 1800s by Karl Benz when he built twenty-five Benz Patent Motorwagens during the period between 1886 and 1893. ... For other uses, see Prototype (disambiguation). ... Mass production (also called flow production, repetitive flow production or series production) is the production of large amounts of standardized products on production lines. ... A show car, sometimes called a dream car, is a custom-made automobile created specifically for public display, rather than sale. ... The Toyota Motor Corporation has been making concept cars for many years. ...

External links

• Encyclopedia of Concept-Cars (information on 1000+ concept cars) at Conceptcar.ee
• Information on 250+ concept cars at Diseno-art.com
• Concept Cars & Car Design Information at ConceptCar.co.uk
• Article about Concept Cars Read