Concept cars have always been more than just showpieces in car exhibitions. They are an environment where ideas can flourish without limits, and designers and engineers can play with new concepts without regard to practicality or cost. Often, they also incorporate new technology and design elements that push the envelope for new possibilities and spark our imagination for new vehicle designs.

Concept cars are not only art installations, they are experiments, prototypes, realisations. While some are used as inspiration for future cars, others are just studies to provoke thought and excitement. Even if they don’t make it into production, these vehicles are crucial for the industry, showing us a glimpse of the future.

1. Stout Scarab

The Stout Scarab is one of the earliest “concept vehicles” (as they have come to be called in recent years). Created in 1932 by William Bushnell Stout, it introduced a plethora of avant-garde ideas. With a small production run, it was a curiosity, and an experimental vehicle at a time when the car industry was still in its infancy.

Key Design Highlights:

• Flying wing design
• Rocket-powered propulsion system
• Magnesium-based construction
• Light weight design
• Novel design concepts

The Scarab’s interior design was the most innovative. The car was the first of its kind, being described as the first minivan, with a monospace design that emphasised comfort and utility. The seating in the car, with adjustable seats and a table, gave it the appearance of a room and set the precedent for multi-functional vehicles in the future that prioritise utility and comfort.

2. Buick Y-Job

The 1938 Buick Y-Job is known as the first concept car. It was a joint venture between General Motors design chief Harley Earl and his stylists, and represented a new phase in car design. The Y-Job was fully functional, and indeed, Earl used it as his own car, showing that concept cars can not only be innovative but also practical.

Notable Features:

• Canard-style wing configuration
• Rear-mounted main wing
• Pusher propeller system
• Pilot’s view
• Experimental wartime design

It was a very futuristic car, and had a huge influence on the automobile. The car was low and sleek, a reflection of the new science of aerodynamics, and had concealed headlights and automatic windows. Both of these innovations became commonplace in mass market cars, showing that the Y-job wasn’t just ahead of its time but highly influential in the design of modern cars.

3. General Motors Le Sabre

The General Motors Le Sabre of 1951 was the “Jet Age” car. Once again, the car was designed by Harley Earl, reflecting the public’s fascination with aviation. Its futuristic design, with its resemblance to fighter planes, gave it a dramatic look that symbolised the dawn of a new era of car design.

Key Characteristics:

• Massive multi-engine bomber
• Very large aircraft
• Wooden fuselage construction
• Long-range bombing purpose
• Contemporary engineering techniques

Besides its futuristic design, the Le Sabre also had a couple of technologies where General Motors’ ingenuity shone. It used tail fins as fuel tanks and was the first car to have a 12-volt system, later taken up by the rest of the industry. It also had an electric jack for wheel change that demonstrated its concern for convenience and combined futuristic design and technology.

4. Lincoln Futura

The Lincoln Futura was a 1955 concept car that became a design icon. While concept cars are usually the inspiration for mass production models, the Futura was best known for its transformation. It had a futuristic shark-shaped design and movement.

Development Highlights:

• Designed for Schneider Trophy race
• Flying boat design
• Delays in manufacturing
• Technical reliability concerns
• Performance-focused engineering

The Futura was an object of art, designed by Italian coachbuilder Ghia. It was purchased by a customiser, George Barris, several years later and fitted out as the Batmobile for the TV series of the 1960s. This second life meant that it became a part of popular culture, and shows that concept cars can have an impact on car design and culture.

5. Ford Nucleon

The Ford Nucleon of 1957 reflected the interest in nuclear power and the future. It was a car with a miniature power plant that would use nuclear power instead of fossil fuels. This vision of the future showed that Ford could think creatively about possibilities that were on the fringe and perhaps even unrealisable.

Innovation Highlights:

• Pressurised cabin design
• Long-haul travel capability
• Comfort for passengers
• Cutting-edge technology
• Commercial aviation ambitions

The Nucleon was never built, but offered a glimpse of tomorrow. It housed passengers in its forward compartment to keep them away from the reactor, and its odd shape considered the need for shielding. The design was not practical but it demonstrated the potential for car design to be pushed to its limits to encourage innovation.

6. Toyota RAV-FOUR

The Toyota RAV-FOUR concept car of 1989 was a harbinger of a hugely successful vehicle type. SUVs in 1989 were often large and rough, but this small concept was a new spin on car and off-road to create something new that became a global sensation.

Innovation Highlights:

• Pressurised cabin design
• Long-haul travel capability
• Emphasis on comfort
• Cutting-edge at the time
• Commercial aviation ambitions

The concept vehicle went on to inspire the development of the commercial Toyota RAV4, launched a few years later and is now a global success. This was the first small crossover vehicle and it changed the world of car driving. The RAV-FOUR demonstrated that concept cars could not only influence future car designs, but also create new car segments.

7. BMW Z13

The BMW Z13, revealed in 1993, was a concept car that played with small cars and urban mobility. Designed by BMW Technik, it was functional and efficient, as well as innovative. Its compact size and design made it a cutting-edge urban concept.

Performance Features:

• Built for record breaking
• Powerful engine
• Lightweight design focus
• High-performance engineering
• Little regard for practicality

The design featured a unique three-person seating layout with the driver in the centre, offering improved visibility and handling. The Z13 also boasted a range of new technology, including some of the earliest navigation systems and user controls. Unfortunately, the car never made it to production, but its ideas were used in subsequent small cars, and it also helped to revive the Mini brand.

8. Audi Rosemeyer

The Audi Rosemeyer concept car, unveiled in 2000, was a combination of old and new, a throwback to the past and a vision of the future of motor performance. It was a tribute to a racing champion and its design was reminiscent of historic Auto Union racing cars. The mix of old and new produced a fascinating Audi concept.

Early Aviation Efforts:

• Pre-Wright brothers design
• Design based on previous prototypes
• Catapult launch system
• Funded scientific project
• Motorised flight

The Rosemeyer didn’t become a production car, but it was important. The experience and technologies that were developed on the project were used to develop the Bugatti Veyron, another innovative hypercar. This shows how concept cars can have an influence on a major innovation, even when they don’t go into full production.

9. Mazda Nagare

Mazda’s 2006 Nagare concept car signalled the beginning of a new generation. Inspired by the fluidity of air and water, its shapes and contours were lively and flowing, creating the impression of motion even when standing still. This was in contrast to more traditional, functional car design.

Unique Design Elements:

• Vertical launch system
• Rocket-powered engine
• Interceptor role
• Pilot ejection concept
• Reusable fuselage design

Following the Nagare’s release, Mazda presented several related concepts that continued on the design theme. While the design itself was not put into production, the concepts influence Mazda’s current designs. The emphasis on fluid shapes and dynamic shapes is still at the core of the company’s design philosophy, proving that this design approach has been a success.

10. Toyota FT-1

The Toyota FT-1 was released in 2014, and was a teaser for car enthusiasts and a glimpse of a legendary sports car’s return. It was a reimagining of the iconic Supra, and sporty and muscular. Its brawny build and stance left an impression and set the stage for this newcomer.

Questionable Claims:

• Claimed groundbreaking wings
• Claimed lightweight structure
• Promoted as revolutionary
• No engineering testing
• Based on deceptive information

The FT-1 was designed at Toyota’s Calty design studio, featuring traditional styling elements mixed with modern design. This was evident when the production GR Supra was launched and was very similar to the FT-1. The FT-1 demonstrated how a concept car can be used to turn concepts into reality, and make designs a reality.