Outfits of Future Cars

I could have named this article, “The power of jumpsuits,” but that would have sold this selection of outfits short. I’ve always been intrigued with the stark differences between how concept cars are treated around the world, with Italian supercars often partially covered by an attractive model, and early ’50s American concepts showing a glimpse of life that never quite happened.

The first photo here, of the Alfa Romeo Carabo, is the most traditional, in a sense, of what to expect when a model is matched with a striking concept car. She gets to wear a futuristic jumpsuit, big hair, and visor tinted to match the car. Beside the Carabo is another Bertone concept, the Volvo Tundra, which also gets a glamorous model to match its lines.

Further down, however, it’s clear that while different manufacturers, locations, and eras conspire to alter the modesty of the models in question, all strangely match their concept car quite well. Early General Motors promotional shots are some of my favorites, as it looks like they were shot during a long lunch break. What’s that guy in a suit doing leaning over his new sports car—has it broken down? Is he admiring its engine?

The most accurately futuristic of the bunch is probably the Renault Laguna concept, which depicts a young couple wearing virtual reality-esque goggles. “Look honey, that’s where elBulli used to be!” the passenger points…

Not all are successful; aerobatics on the hood of a car? Three vamped-up models flagging down a Vector? Leopard print onesie? Exciting for the countless teenagers reading car magazines in the day, of course, but hardly an effective way to promote a car.

For what it’s worth, I’d prefer if concept car photography was as honest as Volvo’s used to be. When promoting its first electric city car concept in 1977, the company took a photo of a normal-looking man about to lift a large paper sack into the cargo hold. Evocative? Hardly. But looking back on this photo today, it’s one of the few that allows me to imagine what the designers had in mind when creating this small electric runabout.

Does your memory dwell on concept cars with or without models to complete the scene?

Image Sources: carstyling.ru, carstyling.ru, carscoops.com, carstyling.ru, ranwhenparked.net, corvettes.nl, kustomrama.com, pinterest.com, darkroastedblend.com, thethrottle.com, carstyling.ru, oldconceptcars.com, carstyling.ru, supercars.net, carstyling.ru, oldconceptcars.com, ranwhenparked.net, carstyling.ru