Editing Concept car

{{Short description|Car designed to showcase prototype features}}
{{use mdy dates|date=April 2018}}
[[File:1939 ... Harley Earl and "The Y Job".jpg|thumb|300x300px|1938 [[Buick Y-Job]], often considered to be the first concept car]]
[[File:Toyota concept car - Odaiba - 2020 1 7.webm|thumb|300x300px|2020 [[Toyota]] concept car showcased in [[Japan]]]]
A '''concept car''' (also known as a '''concept vehicle''' or '''show vehicle''') is a car made to showcase new styling or new technology. Concept cars are often exhibited at [[Auto show|motor shows]] to gauge customer reaction to new and radical designs which may or may not be [[Serial production|produced]]. 

General Motors designer [[Harley Earl]] is generally credited with inventing the concept car, and did much to popularize it through its traveling [[General Motors Motorama|Motorama]] shows of the 1950s.{{citation needed (lead)|date=September 2024}}

Concept cars never go into production directly. In modern times, all would have to undergo many changes before the design is finalized for the sake of practicality, [[car safety|safety]], [[Vehicle regulation|regulatory compliance]], and cost. A "production-intent" [[prototype]], as opposed to a concept vehicle, serves this purpose.<ref>[http://www.calcars.org/calcars-news/1005.html Chrysler "Jolts" PHEV Race; PHEV Ads; V2Green Acquired] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081219063144/http://www.calcars.org/calcars-news/1005.html |date=December 19, 2008 }}, September 24, 2008, CalCars (California Cars Initiative)</ref><!-- (The source does not say this.) In the 21st century many car manufacturers use [[Gran Turismo (series)|Gran Turismo]] as a concept car simulator.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Gran Turismo 6: Concept Car Collaboration with Automakers |url=https://www.motortrend.com/features/1308-vision-gran-turismo/}}</ref> -->

== Design ==
<!-- (Of all of the great concept cars that have been made over the past 100 years, why would we choose to include this one? Also, apart from being named "Grand Tpurismo", which is the name of dozens of cars, there is nothing in the source about your software. Please do not re-insert this claim without WP:RS sources. Thank you.)
[[File:Lamborghini Lambo V12 Vision Gran Turismo GIMS 2024 1X7A2043.jpg|thumb|226x226px|[[Lamborghini]] used Gran Turismo as a concept car simulator to make the Lambo V12<ref>{{Cite web |date=2024-08-02 |title=Lambo V12 Vision Gran Turismo: You Can Drive It, Too |url=https://www.lamborghini.com/en-en/news/lambo-v12-vision-gran-turismo-you-can-drive-it-too |access-date=2024-08-15 |website=Lamborghini.com |language=en}}</ref>]] -->
Concept cars are often radical in engine or [[car design|design]]. Some use non-traditional, exotic, or expensive materials, ranging from paper to [[Graphite-reinforced plastic|carbon fiber]] to refined [[alloy]]s. Others have unique [[Automobile layout|layouts]], such as [[gullwing doors]], three or five (or more) [[wheel]]s, or special abilities not usually found on cars. Because of these often impractical or unprofitable leanings, many concept cars never get past [[scale model]]s or even drawings. Other more traditional concepts can be developed into fully drivable (operational) vehicles with a working [[Powertrain|drivetrain]] and accessories. The state of most concept cars lies somewhere in between and does not represent the final product. A very small proportion of concept cars are functional to any useful extent, and some cannot move safely at speeds above {{convert|10|mph|km/h}}.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.kbb.com/what-is/concept-car/|title=What is a Concept Car? – Kelley Blue Book|website=Kbb.com|date=October 4, 2021 }}</ref>

Inoperative "[[mock-up]]s" are usually made of wax, clay, metal, fiberglass, plastic, or a combination thereof.{{cn|date=September 2024}}

If drivable, the drivetrain is often borrowed from a [[production vehicle]] from the same company or may have defects and imperfections in design. They can also be quite refined,<ref>{{Cite web |last=Vicky |date=2022-11-25 |title=What is a Concept Car? Understanding Its Concept and Purpose – APW |url=https://autoprotoway.com/what-is-a-concept-car/ |access-date=2023-05-15 |website=AutoProtoWay |language=en-US}}</ref> such as [[General Motors Corporation|General Motors]]' [[Cadillac Sixteen]] concept.<ref>[http://www.cardesignnews.com/autoshows/2003/detroit/highlights/h06-cadillac-sixteen.html Cadillac Sixteen] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20051126041042/http://www.cardesignnews.com/autoshows/2003/detroit/highlights/h06-cadillac-sixteen.html |date=November 26, 2005 }}, by Nick Hull, Detroit Auto Show 2003 Highlights, Car Design News, Inc.</ref>

<!-- (This is very likely [[WP:REFSPAM]]. Please do not re-insert this claim without WP:RS sources. Thank you.) In the 21st century  [[Mercedes-Benz]], [[BMW]], [[Mitsubishi Motors|Mitsubishi]], [[Volkswagen]], [[Nissan]], [[Chaparral Cars|Chaparral]], [[Subaru]], [[Mazda]], [[Infiniti]], [[Automobiles Alpine|Alpine]], [[Dodge]], [[Bugatti]], [[Lamborghini]], [[Ferrari]], and various other car manufactures to come up with cars for the future with the [[Vision Gran Turismo]] project.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Vision Gran Turismo |url=https://www.gran-turismo.com/us/vgt/ |access-date=2024-08-15 |website=gran-turismo.com |language=en}}</ref> -->

== Notable concept cars ==
{{expand section|what is the standard for notability here|date=November 2024}}
{| class="wikitable"
! Model || Notes
|-
| [[Alfa Romeo BAT]] cars || 1950s aerodynamic studies by [[Gruppo Bertone|Bertone]].
|-
| [[Aston Martin Atom]] || Designed in 1939 by [[Claude Hill]]. Fully functional and still in road-worthy condition, it was adopted by [[Aston Martin]] owner [[David Brown (entrepreneur)|David Brown]] into a [[Aston Martin 2-Litre Sports|racing car]] that won outright at the 1948 [[Spa 24 Hours]] and became the basis for the [[Aston Martin 2-Litre Sports|DB1]].
|-
| [[Auburn Automobile|Auburn]] Cabin Speedster || Considered the first concept car,<ref>{{cite web |last1=Smith |first1=Karl |title=CCotW: Auburn Cabin Speedster (1929) |url=https://cardesignnews.com/articles/concept-car-of-the-week/2017/11/auburn-cabin-speedster-1929 |website=Car Design News |access-date=29 June 2018 |date=24 November 2017|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180630024725/https://cardesignnews.com/articles/concept-car-of-the-week/2017/11/auburn-cabin-speedster-1929|archive-date=30 June 2018}}</ref> it was built in 1929 and used for publicity, touring the car show circuit until it was destroyed in a fire at a Los Angeles exhibit that also consumed about 320 other cars on display.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Lamm |first1=Michael |title=Sensation and Tragedy: The Auburn Cabin Speedster Story |url=http://theoldmotor.com/?p=144637 |website=The Old Motor |access-date=29 June 2018 |date=17 May 2015}}</ref>
|-
| [[Autobianchi A112 Runabout]] || Late 1960s Bertone ([[Marcello Gandini]]) designed sportscar.{{cn|date=November 2024}}
|-
| {{ill|Autonova Fam|de|Autonova}} || Early [[Car_body_configurations#One-box_design|monovolume]] concept (mid 1960s) by {{Ill|Fritz Bob Busch|de|Fritz B. Busch}}, Michael Conrad, and [[Pio Manzù]].
|-
| [[BMW GINA]] || A fabric-skinned shape-shifting sports car. This platform (aside from the body material and changing shape) was adopted in 2012 for the [[BMW i3]] and [[BMW i8]] [[Electric Vehicles]].
|-
| [[Buick Y-Job]] || Designed in the late 1930s by the famous General Motors designer [[Harley Earl]]. Considered by most to be the first concept car.<ref>{{Citation |last=Wilkinson |first=Stephan |title=Man And Machine: The Best of Stephan Wilkinson |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=uFVqaS_QjW4C&pg=PA83 |year=2005 |publisher=Rowman & Littlefield |isbn=978-1-59921-679-9 |page=83 |access-date=August 2, 2016}}</ref> Inspired many other [[Buick]] vehicles, including the [[Buick Blackhawk]] Concept.
|-
| [[Le Sabre concept car|General Motors Le Sabre]] || Built by Harley Earl in 1951, it helped introduce 12-volt electrics and the aluminum 215 ci V8 to GM. This [[nameplate]] was transferred over to be a production vehicle.
|-
| [[Cadillac Cyclone]] || Built in 1959, it is one of Harley Earl's last designs. Its futuristic styling was heavily influenced by 1950s aviation and rocketry.
|-
| [[Cadillac Debutante]] || Reputedly the most luxurious car ever built at the time of its construction, the Cadillac Debutante was fitted with a leopard skin interior and 24 karat gold instrument panel and fittings.
|-
| [[Mako Shark (concept car)|Chevrolet Corvette Mako Shark]] ||Previewed elements of the [[Chevrolet Corvette (C2)|second (1963–1967)]] and [[Chevrolet Corvette (C3)|third (1968–1982)]] generations of the production Corvette.
|-
| [[Cornell Safety Car]] || Project by Cornell University Aeronautical Laboratory and Liberty Mutual insurance company (mid 1950s).{{cn|date=November 2024}}
|-
| [[Chevrolet Corvair Monza GT]] || 1962 mid-engined experimental prototype that featured design elements of the [[Chevrolet Corvette (C3)|third generation (1968–1982)]] of the production Corvette.
|-
| [[Dodge Tomahawk]] || A 2003 V10-powered four-wheel motorcycle-like design that drew attention for its audacity, and the debunked claim that it could hypothetically reach speeds of {{Convert|300|to|420|mph|abbr=on}}.{{cn|date=November 2024}}
|-
| [[Ferrari Modulo]] || Designed by [[Paolo Martin]] of the Italian [[coachbuilder|carrozzeria]] [[Pininfarina]], unveiled at the 1970 [[Geneva Motor Show]].{{cn|date=November 2024}}
|-
| {{Ill|Fiat City Taxi|it}} || Taxi concept by [[Pio Manzù]] (based on the [[Fiat 850]]) shown at the 1968 [[Turin Auto Show]].<ref>{{Cite web |title=Manzù’s prototype for the Fiat City Taxi stars in the "Che macchina!" (“What a car!”) exhibition |url=https://www.media.stellantis.com/uk-en/heritage/press/manz-s-prototype-for-the-fiat-city-taxi-stars-in-the-che-macchina-what-a-car-exhibition |access-date=2025-01-01 |website=[[Stellantis]] |language=en}}</ref>
|-
| [[Ford 021C]] || Styling exercise (not intended for production) by [[Marc Newson]] and [[J Mays]] first shown at the 1999 [[Tokyo Motor Show]].
|-
| [[Ford Gyron]] || Futuristic two-wheeled gyrocar designed by [[Syd Mead]] and [[McKinley Thompson Jr.|McKinley Thompson]] first shown in 1961 at the [[Detroit Motor Show]].
|-
| [[Ford Nucleon]] || A nuclear-powered car (scale model only).
|-
| [[Ford Probe]] || A series of four designs between 1979 and 1983 of which the Probe III was eventually developed into the [[Ford Sierra]].
|-
| [[Ford SYNus]] || First shown in 2005. This design was developed to explore the creation of an ultra-safe roadgoing environment.
|-
| [[General Motors Firebird]] || A series of [[gas turbine]]–powered cars. [[Pontiac (automobile)|Pontiac]] adopted this [[nameplate]] based on the [[Chevrolet Camaro]]. The [[nameplate]] was retired in 2002, along with the [[Chevrolet Camaro]], which was revived in 2010.
|-
| [[Holden Efijy]] || Based around the [[Holden FJ]], named the United States concept car of the year for 2007.<ref>{{Cite web |date=June 22, 2007 |url=http://www.news.com.au/story/0,23599,21950226-2,00.html |title=Bold Holden wins top US award |publisher=[[News Limited]] |access-date=July 15, 2007 |archive-date=June 26, 2007 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070626052818/http://www.news.com.au/story/0,23599,21950226-2,00.html |url-status=dead }}</ref>
|-
| [[Hummer HX]] || A [[Hummer]] branded [[off-road vehicle|off-road]] [[compact SUV]] vehicle that is smaller-sized and lower-priced than the [[Hummer H2|H2]] and [[Hummer H3|H3]].
|-
| [[Jaguar Type 00]] || Controversial concept that accompanied the 2024 relaunch of [[Jaguar Cars|Jaguar]] as an all electric brand.<ref>{{Cite web |date=3 December 2024 |title=Jaguar's concept car divides opinion |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/czen5y97yjzo |access-date=2025-03-02 |website=[[BBC News]] |language=en-GB}}</ref>
|-
| [[Lancia Megagamma]] || The prototype for the modern MPV ([[minivan]]).<ref name="Tumminelli-2004">{{cite book |last1=Tumminelli |first1=Paolo |title=Car Design |date=2004 |publisher=teNeues |isbn=978-3-8238-4561-4 |page=66 }}</ref><ref name="jackyan">{{cite web|url=http://www.jyanet.com/cap/1998/0213fe3.htm|title=30 Years of ItalDesign |publisher=Jack Yan & Associates|year=1998 |access-date=January 3, 2008}}</ref>
|-
| [[Lancia Stratos Zero]] || Marcello Gandini designed sportscar presented at the 1970 [[Turin Auto Show]].
|-
| [[Maserati Boomerang]] ||  [[Giorgetto Giugiaro]] (Italdesign) concept first revealed at the 1971 Turin Motor Show.
|-
| [[Mercedes-Benz C111]] || A series of experimental automobiles produced in the 1960s and 1970s. The company was experimenting with new engine technologies, including [[Wankel engine|Wankel engines]].
|-
| [[Mercedes-Benz F700]] || Its PRE-SCAN road-scanning suspension enables a perfectly smooth ride, even on rough or bumpy terrains (developed later into [[Magic Body Control]]). This design will lead to the development of the next-generation [[Mercedes-Benz A-Class]], [[Mercedes-Benz B-Class]], and [[Mercedes-Benz C-Class]].
|-
| [[MIT Car]] || The [[Massachusetts Institute of Technology]] concept car with Frank Gehry.<ref>[http://www.archinode.com/mitcar1.html Concept Car] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200304064326/http://www.archinode.com/mitcar1.html |date=March 4, 2020 }} w/ GM & Frank O. Gehry</ref>
|-
| [[Phantom Corsair]] || A 1930s concept car, developed by Rust Heinz.
|-
| [[Plymouth XNR]] ||  Open roadster with asymmetric features by [[Virgil Exner]].
|-
| [[Pontiac Bonneville Special]] || [[Pontiac (automobile)|Pontiac]]'s first 2-seater [[sports car]] that debuted at the 1954 [[General Motors Motorama|Motorama]]. This [[nameplate]] carried over to a [[Pontiac (automobile)|Pontiac]] sports car of the 1950s.
|-
| [[Pontiac Club de Mer]] || [[Pontiac (automobile)|Pontiac]]'s all stainless steel [[sports car]] that debuted at the 1956 [[General Motors Motorama|Motorama]].
|-
| [[Porsche 989]] || [[Porsche]]'s first 4-door car, a predecessor of the [[Porsche Panamera]].
|-
| [[Volvo VESC]] || Used as testbed in the development of safety features incorporated into the Volvo 240 series cars, used by the NHTSA as a basis for later safety standards, including self-retracting three-point seatbelts, crumple zones, head restraints, rollover protection, and shock-absorbing zero-damage bumpers.<ref name="DN-VESC">{{cite news |author=Lasse Swärd |title=Ett säkert kort från Hisingen |trans-title=A safe bet from Hisingen |url=http://www.dn.se/motor/ett-sakert-kort-fran-hisingen/ |newspaper=Dagens Nyheter |language=SV |date=April 24, 2012 |access-date=August 10, 2015 |archive-date=September 24, 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150924144130/http://www.dn.se/motor/ett-sakert-kort-fran-hisingen/ |url-status=dead }}</ref><ref>{{cite magazine |title=Volvo questions need for safety vehicles... |magazine=New Scientist |date=April 19, 1973 |volume=58 |issue=842 |page=160 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=6nJxpHw8-18C&pg=PA160 }}</ref>
|-
| [[Volkswagen New Beetle|Volkswagen Concept One]] || The retro-futurist design by [[J Mays]] and [[Freeman Thomas]] first shown in 1994 is a rare example of a concept car that was later produced.
|-
|}

== See also ==
* [[Concept art]]
* [[List of Alfa Romeo concept cars]]
* [[List of Audi concept cars]]
* [[List of BMW concept vehicles]]
* [[List of Citroën concept cars]]
* [[List of Dodge concept vehicles]]
* [[List of Lamborghini concept vehicles]]
* [[List of Lancia concept cars]]
* [[Pre-production car]]
* [[Production vehicle]]
* [[Product lifecycle management]]
* [[Proof-of-concept]]
* [[Show car]]

== References ==
{{Reflist|30em}}

== Works cited ==
* {{cite news |last1=Kosner |first1=Anthony Wing |title=The Sports Car, The Laptop And The Science Behind The Golden Proportion |url=https://www.forbes.com/sites/anthonykosner/2013/02/22/the-sports-car-the-laptop-and-the-science-behind-the-golden-proportion/ |work=Forbes |date=22 February 2013 }}
* {{cite web |last1=Manoukian |first1=Julia |title=The Psychology Of Luxury Car Buyers: 7 Considerations |url=https://www.limelightplatform.com/blog/psychology-luxury-car-buyers-considerations |work=Limelight |date=November 27, 2019 }}
* {{cite web |title=The greatest ever Porsche art cars |url=https://www.porsche.com/stories/design/the-greatest-ever-porsche-art-cars |work=Porsche |date=November 16, 2022 }}

== External links ==
{{Commons category|Concept automobiles}}
* {{HowStuffWorks|concept-cars|Concept cars}}

{{Authority control}}

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