Some of the most awesome cars ever designed were never even produced. As sad as it is to say, the concept cars that never got made are some of the coolest looking cars ever conceived. Why they didn’t make it tends to come down to boring reasons like cost to market and feasibility. Let’s look at the top 30 cars that were never made.
Alfa Romeo Scighera
Here is a car that was just awesome. It could go from zero to sixty in a mere three point seven seconds with its 3- liter V6 engine. It may not have been produced for the streets in real life, but video gamers got a chance to drive this beauty in Need for Speed III.
BMW GINA
This car was going to be the real Transformer of our times. It was supposed to be able to adapt and change shape based on the environment it was in. The body was made up of only four solid panels and then a whole lot of synthetic fabric that was flexible. This fabric was extremely malleable and resistant to extreme temperatures.
BMW M1 Homage
This was to be the car that paid special tribute to the original BMW M1. BMW got the original designer of the M1, Goirgetto Giugario to come in and design the homage, as well. The concept car was to mark the 40th anniversary of the original M1.
Buick Y-Job
The very first concept car ever made was the Buick Y-job. This was the concept car that started it all for every concept car to come. Not that that’s a good thing. After all, none of these beauties was ever made, but thanks to Buick for letting us dream.
Cadillac Cyclone
Cadillac had the idea for radar-assisted driving way back in 1959. Why they did not follow through and design this awesome-looking concept car is a mystery. Speaking of mysteries, why did they put the exhaust pipes ahead of the front wheels? Either way, it is still an awesome idea for a car.
Cadillac Sixteen
Remember American Land Yachts? This Cadillac would have been the granddaddy of them all. The Cadillac Sixteen would have carried a 16-cylinder engine and it was big enough that there would have been room to spare under the hood. Supposedly, 1,000 horsepower was going to be the minimum that this beast was able to put out. They ended up scrapping the 16-cylinder engine idea for the V6 instead.
Chevrolet Testudo
This concept car was responsible for the finished product that became the Porsche 928. Designed by the talented and young Giorgetto Giugario, the Testudo was considered a very influential design at the time. Testudo is the Italian word for turtle, which is why they have that cute little turtle emblem.
Chrysler ME Four-Twelve
With four mid-engine turbos and a twelve-cylinder layout, the ME four-twelve was Chrysler’s creation that was sort of like a Zonda merged with a Veryon. The engine is one of the lightest ever built, and was actually created by Mercedes-Benz. With the ability to go from zero to sixty in 2.9 seconds at 850 horsepower, this car was a mean street machine. Too bad it was never produced for the masses.
Corvette Mako Shark I
Corvette Mako Shark was just a downright cool name for an automobile. The fact that it was a Vette just made it that more awesome. This concept car is responsible for the creation of the Vette that transformed the C1 to the C2 Stingray design. Thank You Mako, thank you very much.
Dodge Deora
Golden is what the American translation from Spanish is for Deora. This car was every bit golden too. It was the very first line of hot wheels ever produced and it was very artsy indeed. It never made it from the designer’s drawings though, which is a shame.
Ferrari Modulo
In 1968, Ferrari had a close encounter of the third kind and decided to make a car based off that experience. This car was as flat as a pancake and very low to the ground. It looked like a flying saucer in a way. With a 5.0-liter 12-cylinder engine and 550 horsepower, it was a monster of an idea.
Ford Shelby GR-1
This was a design inspired by the Daytona Coupe. There were only six of those ever made. This beast would have cruised around with a V10 6.4-liter engine and 600 horses under the hood. Why Ford never followed through is still a mystery.
Ford GT90
The GT90 would have had a monster V12 with four turbos and a carbon fiber body. The exhaust would have been so hot that body panels would have melted.
Ford Nucleon
A few scant years after the discovery of atomic energy, Ford wanted to put the new nuclear technology into a car. Whoa, talk about nuclear meltdowns. This was one HOT idea and probably a good thing that it never got produced. It was an awesome idea though.
GM Firebird XP-21
The Firebird itself was enough of an iconic car that it’s hard to believe that Pontiac actually had a concept car based off it, but they did indeed. The XP-91 was a fighter jet with wheels. This car had it all; the look, the power and the toughness to be a mean machine. It was never intended to be produced though. It was just meant to test the feasibility of a turbine engine in an automobile.
Holden Hurricane
Holden’s very first concept car was the Hurricane. It had assisted reverse, GPS, automatic air control and digital gauges. The best part? It had all this in 1959; well the idea for it at least.
Infiniti Essence
The 20th anniversary of Infiniti was celebrated with the release of a new concept car. Dubbed Essence, this was Infiniti’s modern day styling of the old “Coke bottle” cars that featured wide fenders with a lot of curves and a thinner mid-section. Add in the electric engine that could pump out 590 horsepower and you have a beauty of an automobile.
Lamborghini Marzal
Gullwing doors are obviously a big part of this Lamborghini concept car. It had four seats and way too much glass. This car was just begging someone to throw a rock at it.
Lamborghini Estoque
This Lamborghini featured four doors. Yes, that’s right four doors, but before you get all bent out of shape, it is named after the sword they use in bullfighting. Yeah, it’s cool.
Plymouth XNR
This lightweight roadster concept car was intended to be for race enthusiasts and regular motorists alike. Only one of them was ever produced and it was quickly purchased by an Iranian member of the royal family where it disappeared for more than 50 years. It was uncovered in the 1980s after a civil war in the area.
Cadillac NART Zagato
In 1970, Luigi Chinetti designed his own car. It never made it anywhere else than a Cadillac factory, where one was produced and is still out there today. It sold recently for just under 60 thousand American dollars. It is basically an Eldorado with the taillights of a GTO.
Mazda Suitcase Car
Although it didn’t have the range, speed, power or anything else you might want out of a vehicle, the Mazda Suitcase Car did fold up into a suitcase! That counts for something. A foldable car was almost a reality in the early nineties. Will we see it again?
Citroën Tubik
A very comfortable car with some unique attributes. The passenger door was the only way in or out of the car and it was ready for high-speed rail and featured all kinds of plush amenities.
Ford Seattle-ite XXI
This car has interchangeable fuel cell engines, changeable body panels, extra wheels and in-car entertainment in the form of televisions. This may not sound impressive, but it was built in 1963, so yeah, pretty advanced.
Chevrolet Electrovan
This automobile was over 40 years ahead of its time and featured things that we may take for granted today. Features like an all-electric motor with a 120-mile range and a top speed of just over 60 miles per hour were just a couple of the things that GM intended to include.
Chrysler Atlantic
Remember the Dodge Neon? Take two of those engines and line them up to form a straight-8 and there you have the Atlantic’s engine. This humble yet gorgeous piece of machinery was never brought to life.
Cadillac Ciel
This concept car featured a 3.6l V6 engine with two turbo chargers. This was a beautiful concept car and one that maybe Cadillac will still make. It is possible, but unlikely.
Pontiac Banshee XP-833
There is only one of these still in existence today and it is valued at well over $700,000. The Banshee was designed with so much care and precision that the executives at GM feared that the Corvette would suffer if they built it. So, it was shelved and remains one of the great “what ifs” in automobile history.
Boano Lincoln Indianapolis Coupe
This concept car is still around today. It is based off of the 1955 Lincoln and is pure perfection. They displayed it at the Italian motor show at Turin in the same year and ever since then it has been a popular concept car.
Aston Martin Bulldog
An angular Aston Martin design that shows just how sleek the car can be. With rear-mounted V8 engines and a top speed well over 150 mph, it is no wonder that it has a current price tag of over $1 million.
Hopefully, in the future, auto companies will stop wishing and start building more of the cars that break the mold.