1958 Ford La Galaxie Concept Car

Ford worked its way through many contorted schools of styling, such as the Z-back roof (in the 1957 La Galaxie). It became increasingly unhinged as it proposed a nuclear-powered dream car called the Nucleon in 1958, a gyroscopically controlled two-wheeled vehicle called the Gyron in 1961, a three-wheeled flying car called the Volante the same - ear and a vast six-wheeler called the Seattle-ite in 1962.

It should not be surprising that, after that lot. Ford's design team and the public had a dream-car hangover, and Dearborn's output of show specials petered out in the 1960s.

A portion of the 1958 Ford exhibit was set up as a Ford Motor Company design studio. The full-size, non-drivable La Galaxie styling study was a centerpiece, surrounded by several 3/8 scale Ford dream cars. These smaller models included names like "La Tosca," which was a radio-controlled toy; the atomic-powered, jet-style "Nucleon" and a sports car titled "DePaolo."

Source: AUTO LEMON; www.chicagoautoshow.com

Images: Ford