Concept Cars We're Glad Remained Concepts
- 1
1957 Aurora Safety Car
No, this wasn't the inspiration for Benny the Cab from Who Framed Roger Rabbit. This is the 1957 Aurora Safety car, a concept that was equal parts terrifying and innovative. Many of its features, such as its collapsible steering column, shock-absorbing bumpers, and seat belts, eventually became standard safety features in all cars after its debut. Luckily, its design was never standardized.
Would this be a disaster? - 2
1957 Studebaker-Packard Astral
The 1957 Studebaker-Packard Astral was a car that looked less suited for the roads of America and more for the skyways of The Jetsons. Actually, this spaceship-like "car" featured a revolutionary concept with its nuclear-power source, which means it was only a flux capacitor away from traveling to 1955. Or the future. Your pick.Would this be a disaster? - 3
1999 Honda Fuya-Jo
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Did you ever feel the desire to drive a top hat? If so, Honda had your back with the insanely disproportionate Fuya-jo concept. This concept had a turntable-like steering wheel, semi-standing seats, and enough speakers to make any DJ turn his head. Whoever said that you can't drive a dance club must feel pretty stupid now.Would this be a disaster? - 4
1958 Ford Nucleon
We can only imagine how this conversation got started. "You know what would be a genius idea? Inserting a small nuclear reactor into the back of a car."
Yeah... that sounds safe.
Ford actually had this "unique" idea back in 1958 and it built a scale model to see if it was even feasible. Despite its zero-emissions status (well, except for the potential of a mushroom cloud), buyers for some reason never became comfortable with the idea of a nuclear plant strapped to their car. Wonder why?Would this be a disaster? - 5
2008 Assystem City Car
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- El monty
- Wikimedia Commons
- CC-BY-SA 3.0
What happens when you mix a baseball helmet, a McLaren, and a shoe? You get the ridiculous Assystem City Car. Franco Sbarro designed this concept car to be an intelligent city car, but it looks like Mr. Sbarro forgot his brain somewhere downtown as he came up with this abomination.Would this be a disaster? - Photo:
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1977 Volkswagen Colani
This 1977 VW Colani looks like a bug that swallowed a beach ball. It's hard to make heads or tails of what the designers were shooting for with this concept, but if they were just trying to get attention, they succeeded. Just not in the way they probably intended.
Would this be a disaster? - 7
1950 Martin Stationette
As if the BMW Isetta wasn't dangerous enough to drive, this genius decided to make a lookalike that was mostly made out of wood. Brilliant. Woody cars are long gone (though they attempted a comeback in the 1980s), but many viewed them as land yachts back in the day. However, this concept, created by inventor James V. Martin, is a great example of why there is a clear line between land and sea. This was his attempt to create a cheap commuter car that could handle the growing traffic issues in American cities in the 1950s. Not only is this thing the worst car to be seen in during rush hour, but it also had no shock absorbers, so it's also the worst car to be in period.
Would this be a disaster? - 8
2001 Toyota Pod
Have you ever wished your car was more like your dog? Well, Toyota did when they dragged Sony into the development of this weird concept car they called the Toyota Pod. It was a car that supposedly had a personality. No, seriously, it could actually change color depending on its "mood." It even had a tail-like antenna that wagged when it was happy. Just don't ask it to roll over.
Would this be a disaster? - 9
1956 Citroen C10
If you could slap wheels on George Jetson's car, you would have the Citroen C10 concept car - except in a much uglier form. As much as you might hope that the French automaker destroyed this abomination, leaving no trace of its existence, it actually still exists in a Citroen museum for reasons that no one can comprehend. Let's just be thankful there aren't more of these things around. We hope.
Would this be a disaster? - 10
2007 Toyota Hi-CT
The Toyota Hi-CT. From the looks of it, the designers may have been a little "Hi" themselves when they came up with this concept. This electric car is literally the antithesis of what electric-powered vehicles should be, which is to say sleek and aerodynamic so that it can cut through air like a knife. Instead, this thing looks like it would cut through the air like a barn door.
Would this be a disaster? - 11
2005 Nissan Pivo
Wanna pilot a rolling hamster wheel? Of course you do. The Nissan Pivo was a throw-it-against-a-wall attempt at creating a unique battery-powered car. While its 360-degree rotating cabin is neat (and utterly useless), overall this thing is just dumb. Sorry, no other word for it than that.Would this be a disaster? - 12
2008 Scion Hako
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Hey look, it's a box on wheels! If we could make a list of only bad Scion concept cars, we could go on for hours. The Hako is by far the worst concept car that Scion ever created. Literally marketed as “the sporty version of a box,” the brand was going for a unique look without sacrificing cabin room. Well, it's fair to say that they succeeded in making it “unique."
Would this be a disaster? - 13
1963 Ford Seattle-ite XXI
Sure, 1960s concepts were a little wild, but this one is certainly one of the strangest. Few cars were as terrifying looking as the 1963 Ford Seattle-ite XXI concept. Yes, its outward appearance is enough to make you wish you could permanently burn memories from your brain. Its all-glass greenhouse, four front wheels, and odd jet-thruster-like exhaust pipes hanging off the back end were all big fails. However, this concept did preview the modern fuel-cell technology and navigation systems of today, so it wasn't a total loss. Sometimes it's the little wins.
Would this be a disaster? - 14
2007 Honda PUYO
What is it with Japanese automakers and rolling boxes? And why in the world are the wheels all turned inward? The Puyo was an oddball thanks to its gel-like body that made it look very futuristic. Unfortunately for them, it was not a future anyone wanted any part of.Would this be a disaster? - 15
1954 Ford FX Atmos
What is it with the 1950s and full-glass enclosures and nuclear power? We're not too sure either, but here is yet another concept car with all of those "features." The 1954 Ford FX Atmos featured a 1+3 seating arrangement, atomic power, a glass enclosure, massive wings, and freaking swords sticking out of the front. It was like driving a bomb with a bayonet attached to the hood.
Would this be a disaster? - 16
2010 Sbarro Autobau
This thing looks like it was inspired by the villain from some cheesy horror movie. What you're trying to avert your eyes from is the Sbarro (yes, like the pizza franchise) Autobau, which was intended to be a "tribute" to Freddy Lienhard, a Swiss racer. Nothing like having one of the most horrid concepts ever made in your name.
Would this be a disaster? - 17
2001 Dodge Super 8 Hemi
You know the warning about mixing beer and liquor? That also should apply to mixing the Crossfire, Charger, and Magnum. The Dodge Super 8 Hemi was nothing short of a design gone awry. Its 1905 front windshield and weird fastback-like rear window put it on the fast track to hangover city for auto consumers.
Would this be a disaster? - 18
1961 Chrysler Turboflite
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If someone were to build a car using only spare parts from a junkyard, the Chrysler Turboflite concept is probably what it would look like. This concept was yet another “peek into the future” during the '60s. By today’s standards, this concept is ridiculous, but it was super-high-tech back then, thanks to its auto-opening roof for "easy access," turbine engine, massive rear stabilizers, and air brakes. Though many features on the Turboflite made their way into mass production in other cars, this horrific car never made it into the production line itself. So it wasn't a total loss.
Would this be a disaster? - 19
Chrysler Expresso
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Is that an escape pod from an alien spaceship or just a mid-1990s Chrysler concept car? Sadly, it's the latter. Chrysler actually marketed this bubble on wheels as a replacement for taxis in large cities to help free up an extra 50 miles of roadway due to its small size. It also had a computer in the back seat, so the passengers can be distracted while the cabbies weave in and out of traffic in this deathtrap.
Would this be a disaster? - 20
2005 Ford SYNus
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If the zombie apocalypse happens, we may be singing a different tune, but, for now, the SYNus belongs on this list. Built as an armored car for everyone, the SYNus had protective shutters for the front and side windows, presumably to keep the daily bullets and the undead from infiltrating the cabin. At least its massive LCD flat screen and pivoting seats allowed you to defend yourself in comfort and class.
Would this be a disaster? - 21
2005 Fiat Oltre
This Fiat Oltre is like that skinny kid who was sick of getting picked on in school, so he started chugging tons of Creatine and pumping iron until he got kicked out of the gym. This obvious Hummer clone was actually a Fiat concept vehicle back in 2005 when the automaker wanted to expand their image.
Would this be a disaster? - 22
1989 Ford Mustang Concept
Your eyes are not playing tricks on you. This was actually a Ford Mustang concept back in the late 1980s. Believe it or not, there was actually a time when Ford considered switching the Mustang to front-wheel drive to compete with Japanese imports. This was only one of a few concepts that the Blue Oval tossed around. If you're thinking that it looks familiar, it should. This design is nearly identical to the second-generation Ford Probe. Though Ford never intended this as a preview of the Probe, it’s obvious that it inspired their designers.
Would this be a disaster? - 23
1985 Cadillac Cimarron PPG
If you thought the Cadillac Cimarron was really hideous, then you haven't seen the Cimarron PPG concept. It was supposed to be a tribute to the dual-cowl Cadillacs, but this was nothing more than a poorly rebadged Cavalier that almost singlehandedly wiped out the luxury brand in the 1980s.
Would this be a disaster?
