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Photography courtesy of RM Auctions
Who doesn’t think the Lancia Stratos is cool? No one, that’s who. The Lancia Stratos is among the coolest cars ever, but you know what’s even more amazing? The Lancia Stratos Zero, it’s otherworldly. Built by Bertone, on Lancia Fulvia Coupé running gear, to secure Lancia’s business. The Gandini-designed Zero was driven under Lancia’s gate to the applause of factory workers. It did the job, Bertone secured the contract, and the Stratos went into production as a rally racer.
But let’s be honest, the Stratos Zero is a far cry from the production Stratos no matter how wild the Stratos corsa or stradale are. Still, the fact that the Stratos was put into production, in any form is incredible. Can you imagine anyone but the Italians putting a car like this into production? But how many other concepts didn’t make it into production, in any form?
The list is long: Bertone’s Sibilo, and Ramarro, Giugiaro’s Boomerang and Manta, and Pininfarina’s Modulo; not to mention countless American, British, French, German, Japanese, and Swedish concepts that were ultimately destined for the scrap pile.
So we’d like to know, out of all the nonstarter car concepts ever debuted, which do you still remember and long for, over all the others?
Would have loved to see the Pontiac Banshee
https://images.app.goo.gl/t5V373BcpHLrDq4M7
I don’t know why Audi never put the 1991 Avus Quattro concept into production. It was soooo beautiful and had great specs. Apparently they had a lot of potential orders, but things were too fickle.
http://www.topcarrating.com/1991-audi-avus-quattro-concept.php
The Lamborghini Cala, the “baby” Lambo featured in the game Need for Speed II SE. If I remember correctly there were only a handful ever made which were “rolling concepts” ie ready for production (give or take). Sadly, this is when money at Lambo dried up, this was prior to the takeover by the sensible Germans, so it was never made even though they had literally hundreds of confirmed orders when it was launched at (I think) the Paris motor show.
I like the Maybach Exelero:
http://simplyrides.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/05/bird-bryan-williams-birdman-luxury-car-maybach-exelero-1.jpg
I also dig the Cadillac Elmiraj:
http://gmauthority.com/blog/2013/12/and-now-for-the-cadillac-elmiraj-in-white/
My personal favorite is from a 1967 Road & Track cover image. The BRE Hino Samurai… in orange of course. This was a time when the Japanese auto producers were just starting to stretch their wings. Could of been fun!
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I wish people with big car money would invest it in new ideas – something custom – as opposed to a collection.
There would be more rolling concepts in production then right?
Whoever owns the Stratos Zero (XJ Wang??) please produce another video of the car rolling/going fast this year please!
Also in terms of “look and feel” ensure it pays homage to this ; ) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s_oe4vmXbAE
Anyway if I had the money to spend on something in this vein of concept/bespoke etc… I’d put it all on a Spada Condatronca or an american/italian V8, some welded good looking metals and a CFRP body, but not the bidirectional woven type like a full grown rc car.
Alfa Romeo Canguro. Among the finest of 1960s Italian design.
http://www.ultimatecarpage.com/car/2407/Alfa-Romeo-Canguro.html
My biggest frustration in terms of concept not going on road is the Peugeot 907. Unlike Boomerang, Carabo or all those outstanding concepts, the 907 was built in order to be driven like a production car. It revealed the lack of guts PSA had – and still have – which partially led them to the current situation. With the taylor made sales and after market team, a French V12 GT would surely have been able to make the cut !
Having to choose one, “over all the others” makes this a difficult question to answer. Through the decades, there have been so many. While the Boomerang you mention has forever been alone, in my heart, in evoking the kind of response you suggest, there were plenty of potential usurpers. A handful came from GM, in the guise of various AeroVettes, the Holden Hurricane, as well, of course, as the Chevrolet Corvair Monza.
Ital’s NAZCA not becoming BMW’s flagship was a dirty shame, and the same is true for Pinninfarina’s Alfa Romeo Tipo 33.2, AMC’s AMX II and AMX/3, and Maserati’s Barchetta Stradale could have helped to elevate that (then floundering) company’s product range.
Other “if onlys” include Lamborghini’s Marzal, which was a thousand times prettier than the hideous Espada, Tadao Watanabe’s Duopower Lycaon, Franco Sbarro’s Tiger, and Mazda’s Furai.
Best regards,
Bernard.
Jaguar should have continued to develop the XJ13 and and put it into production. A simply beautiful prototype racer that should have and could have been an amazing street car.
I also agree with JB21, the ’63 Chrysler turbine had tremendous potential and could have changed the evolution of the automobile forever. I guess an argument could be made that it was produced, 55 in total, which was more than Tucker made of theirs.
I thought about this long and hard and id have to say my answer is the 1955 Chevy Biscayne concept car. It wasn’t necessarily the best looking concept car but it shows what Chevy could have done back in the day. It was a four seater stylish car with a fibreglass body and a high compression V8 with a dual exhaust. It really could have a been a BMW for the masses if Chevy would have played its cards right.