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The Kaiser-Willys Jeep Wide-Trac concept was built to be an affordable, easy to assemble all-terrain truck that was inexpensive for third-world countries. It may have been under consideration by the United States Army, although that’s based on hearsay. It has an all-aluminum body and what appears to be an angle-iron-built front and rear, skid-bumper. Very little is known about this truck, a lot of the material written about it is based on speculation or partial facts. I know one thing, the design is outstanding. It was built in 1960. This is another bizarre component, a full camper that looks like it was tailor-made for the Kaiser-Willys Jeep Wide-Trac to use. It looks a bit tippy, but it’s very sharp looking. I believe it’s a Sport King camper. Sport King Coaches is a (now) defunct camper builder that was based in Torrance, CA, and Nampa, ID. Some say the Kaiser-Willys Jeep Wide-Trac was based on the same platform as the Jeep FC-150, which was based on the CJ-5. One Jeep “expert,” says it was built on the Commando platform like some overseas Jeep FCs. Others say it may have been based on the Willys XM443 platform, a platform that underpinned other experimental vehicles. It may have used the Super Hurricane 6-cylinder gas engine or a Perkins 4-cylinder diesel power-plant. It may have used a T-98 4-speed manual transmission which was used by the Jeep FC-150. Source: tfltruck.com

Jack Telnack, Ford's Vice President - Design, turned four students of Detroit's Center for Creative Studies loose in the summer of 1988 with a simple instruction: design a vehicle they would like to use year-round as well as on a summer weekend. It was good enough that after the student team completed its work and went back to school, Ford commissioned Autodynamics Corporation of America to build Splash on a front-engined platform. The Splash concept resulted from an all-season concept dune buggy with several innovative and imaginative features. Splash joined Ford Division's auto show truck exhibit for the 1989 season. The Splash concept's flair is apparent, as is its adaptability. Splash would have driver-adjustable ride height and attitude to adapt from highway cruising to off-road dashes as envisioned in the concept. The body panels above the beltline - the windows, roof, and rear hatch - are removable for summer fun. Other Splash features announced included retractable high-mount driving lights and unique deployable mud flaps that can be retracted to prevent damage off-road, then deployed to reduce spray and stone damage on the highway. Splash also is compact, built on a 93-inch wheelbase, and only 143 inches long by 70 inches wide. The Splash concept's signature feature is in its interior: coverings for the four occupants' seats are made from neoprene rubber wet suit material. When Splash was introduced, the neoprene seats brought many comments and were a daring departure from the velours then in vogue in production interiors. The brilliant blue accents didn't hurt the interior's impression, either. The rest of the interior design is stark and practical. Instruments and controls are grouped in small enclosures behind the steering wheel and a small projecting binnacle in the center of the dash. The body design features a dramatic upswept step that captures the dune buggy look, accented with a separate spoiler at the bottom of the rear hatch glass. Source: www.christies.com Images: Ford

Not a formal research but a real construction hypothesis for future cars, innovative but inspired by first years cars, before the bodywork introduction. Capsula is thought around an innovative concept: the one of the platform that includes engine, driving shaft, tank, spare wheel, trunk, servobrake, heater, optical groups. The chassis is inspired by buses and small industrial vehicles, is completely equipped and self sufficient. The compartment is a capsule applied to the chassis in a fast and easy way, and can be substituted in every moment transforming the Capsula in a commercial vehicle, or in an ambulance or in a rescue vehicle. In the berline version, the research is focused on internal compartment, bigger than contemporary VW Golf 1 and Mercedes 380SE, in just 3720 mm length. It was presented at the 1982 Turin Motor Show. Engine & performance: Position: front longitudinal Type: Alfa Romeo Alfasud, 4-cylinder, horizontally opposed Capacity: 1490 cc Power: 105 hp @ 6000 rpm Torque: 133 Nm @ 4000 rpm Drive: FWD Dimensions: Length: 3720 mm Width: 1770 mm Height: 1660 mm Wheelbase: 2400 mm Weight: 950 kg Sources: Italdesign.it, CarStyling.ru Images: ItalDesign

Built over an extended Jeep Wrangler chassis, the Dakar four-seater was presented at the 1997 North American International Auto Show in Detroit. With an extended wheelbase, more features and luggage space could be accommodated. The Dakar was given a new windshield, side glass, and a steel roof. The roof offered a variety of features including a full-length tubular roof lack, as well as a manual sliding sunroof, front-mounted rally lamps, spare tire storage, and strategically-placed access handrails running the length of the D-pillar. Other features included a folding shovel integrated into the front fender and an adventure module designed to fit inside of the rear door that incorporated a night vision scope, binoculars, flashlight, and compass. The earth-tone interior was finished in wood trims, woven leather seats, and Berber carpeting. Analog instruments were placed behind a glass band behind the steering wheel. Sources: CarStyling.ru, Reddit, Concept Car Central

The 1988 Concept 1 was hinted toward the production Jeep Grand Cherokee of 1992. The Concept 1 featured a flush front end, including lower protective cladding, which continued around the entire vehicle. The flush-tinted side glass eliminated exterior wind noise and contributed to aerodynamics. 17-inch 5-spoke cast wheels and custom-designed Goodyear all-terrain radial tires completed the appearance. A more notable feature was the low-beam headlights mounted on the front bumper, which served as the vehicle's lower half. Sources: Concept Car Central Images: Concept Car Central; www.caranddriver.com

The famed Chrysler leader John Herlitz wrote that the Jeep Icon concept was “a creative exploration for a next-generation Jeep Wrangler. It’s solid, stable, built like a rock, and its capabilities have been further enhanced.” Re-designing the Jeep Wrangler for the next century was a unique challenge. Trevor Creed pointed out, “We have a responsibility as caretakers of one of the world’s most recognized brands. Sooner or later we will be challenged with freshening Jeep Wrangler’s appearance without sacrificing its distinctive image and instantly-recognizable characteristics.” The designers sought a compact, muscular look by increasing the size of the bumper, tires, and wheel arches. They widened the Wrangler’s track, reduced its length by five inches, cut its overhang by two inches, and increased wheel travel from eight to ten inches. Even “untouchable” elements such as the grille, exposed hinges, and folding windshield were updated. Trevor Creed continued, “We wanted to capture the essence of practical product design which fits the Jeep image. We kept the familiar grille but made it shorter and wider. We also kept the exposed hinges, bold bumpers, exposed door handles, and gas cap ... [for] a mechanical, industrial design feel, and at the same time add a lot of intrinsic value.” The interior is simple and rugged, with exposed aluminum fittings. The backpack-inspired lightweight seats were made of exposed aluminum tubes with waterproofed olive-gray leather. The Icon’s designer, Robert Laster, said that his concept was inspired by mountain bikes. “Its parts are high-quality, light-weight, and purpose-built.” Sources: CarStyling.ru, AllPar.com

The Jeepster was a sleek fully-functional off-roader presented in Detroit in January 1998. Under the hood was a 275-horsepower OHC 4.7-liter 16-valve V8 engine connected to an electronically-controlled 4-speed automatic transmission. The deeply-sculpted five-spoke 19-inch wheels shod with Goodyear Extended Mobility Tires (EMT) gave more character to the low-profile four-seater. The tires could drive for more than fifty miles after going flat at 55 miles per hour. The 8-way adjustable heavily-bolstered seats provided comfort. Analog instruments continued onto the center console housing the controls. Aluminum-colored hexagonal Allen bolts added to the car's interior style. With the suspension in the down position, the Jeepster was the lowest Jeep ever built and was intended for immediate production in the 2001 model year. Sources: www.chicagoautoshow.com, CarStyling.ru

Thanks to its tall, boxy Plymouth heritage, Ghia did its best to make the XX-500 look sleek and Italian, but the result was nevertheless ponderous. About the best that could be said is that it was an improvement over the design of production Plymouths. Ghia was successful in that the high quality it delivered for around $10,000 1950 American dollars opened the door to building several Chrysler Corporation concept cars during the 1950s. Source: CarStyleCritic

Dubbed "Streamliners," the vehicles looked much like moving vans of the period, sporting massive all-steel domed roofs. GM's Fisher Body Fleetwood plant in Detroit got the task of building the eight 23-foot Streamliners on 223-inch-wheelbase truck chassis powered by GMC-built straight-six gasoline engines (none of the sources we consulted identified the engines' displacement, though, in his history of GMC, Donald Meyer supposed it was 239 cubic inches).GM's designers specified that six of the Streamliners—in two groups of three—join via canvas awnings so that Parade of Progress visitors could tour the displays within. A seventh Streamliner incorporated a stage, which the massive 1,200-seat silver canvas tent enclosed for the 45-minute shows; and the eighth Streamliner provided support. Sources: Hemmings, Reddit

1958 Ford Nucleon concept car model, designed by Jim Powers The Nucleon, a 3/8-scale model, provided a glimpse into the atomic-powered future. Designed on the assumption that the present bulkiness and weight of nuclear reactors and attendant shielding would someday be reduced, the Nucleon was intended to probe possible design influence of atomic power in automobiles. The model featured a power capsule suspended between twin booms at the rear. The capsule, which would contain a radioactive core for motive power, would be easily interchangeable at the driver's option, according to performance needs and the distance to be traveled. The drive train would be part of the power package, and electronic torque converters might take the place of the drive-train used at the time. Cars like the Nucleon might be able to travel 5,000 miles or more, depending on the size of the core, without recharging. At that time, they would be taken to a charging station, which research designers envisioned as largely replacing gas stations. The passenger compartment of the Nucleon featured a one-piece, pillar-less windshield and compound rear window, and was topped by a cantilever roof. There were air intakes at the leading edge of the roof and the base of its supports. Cars such as the Nucleon illustrate the extent to which research into the future was conducted at Ford, and demonstrate the designer's unwillingness to admit that a thing cannot be done simply because it has not been done. Source: CarStyling.ru

The Astral made its debut in 1957 at the South Bend Art Center, then was shown again at the Geneva Motor Show. This car went all out with its sci-fi styling. The entire car was balanced on one wheel using gyroscope technology and it was said to hover over water. To protect the driver and their passengers from radiation, the Astral would have been equipped with some kind of protective energy curtain, like a forcefield, that would make collisions impossible and certainly make the Astral's ionic nuclear engine seem a bit more reasonable. Studebaker-Packard didn't last long enough to see the wild future in which this car could be produced, as Packard itself disappeared a few years after the Astral was released, followed close behind by Studebaker. The concept car was shuttled from auto shows to dealership events before finally finding a home along with its more practical brothers at the Petersen Auto Museum in Los Angeles, CA. Source: Autoblog

Ford's second atomic car entry was unveiled on April 20, 1962, at the Seattle World's Fair. The show car contained a lot of pipe-dream technology that has become commonplace today, including interactive computer navigation, mapping, and auto information systems. It featured an interchangeable fuel cell and bodywork. One technology that didn't make it from concept to reality was its power source: a compact nuclear propulsion device. The car also featured six wheels for enhanced traction and fingertip steering, but neither seems to be catching on today. One of the most exciting things about this concept (besides its atomic power) was that it was a modular car. The front of the car was meant to break away from the passenger compartment, transforming a large car into an economic capsule for running around town. Automakers and individual design houses have been fiddling with the idea of a modular car for decades – it remains a fascination to this day. Sources: Autoblog, OldConceptCars

Screw propulsion is a novel form of vehicular locomotion that is essentially as old as the automobile itself but never quite caught on. Noteworthy examples in America include utility vehicles developed by Jacob Morath (1899) and the Peavey brothers (1907). Perhaps the most well-known application of screw drive was the Armstead Snow Motor system marketed for Fordson tractors in the 1920s, converting the farm vehicles for use in deep snow. In the early 1960s, Chrysler Defense Engineering worked on amphibious land/water vehicles using twin helical screws, arriving at the vehicle featured in this video, the Chrysler Marsh Screw Amphibian, in 1963-64. Powered by a 225 CID Chrysler Slant Six, this machine could travel on land, swamp, or water with fair speed and impressive maneuverability. As many as 10 units were built, and at least one is still in existence mothballed at the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Waterways Experiment Station in Vicksburg, Mississippi. Source: @advantagediecast

Mimicking aeronautical design practices, the Buick Streamliner body closely resembles that of past German Grand Prix automobiles whilst ditching the bulky chrome bumpers and large tail fins. Designed to belong and low, complete with an underbelly panel – the Streamliner features an aerofoil shape with no doors cut out from its body, plus a large one-piece rear panel which opens hydraulically to reveal the entire rear end of the chassis. Based on the 1947 Buick “Super 8” engine which powers the 2200 lb car to speeds up to 120mph, the Buick Streamliner was built from five-inch steel tubes, kicking up over the rear axle with a modified 1947 Ford suspension, to ensure fluid handling and a smooth ride. Appearing across the cover and pages of Motor Trend, Mechanix Illustrated, Popular Mechanics, and Motor Life – the chic roadster was a product of a tireless 2.5-year process, costing over $10,000, an estimated $10,5495.59 today. Discovered in the desert in 2002, the car was restored by Dave Crouse at Custom Auto, Inc. in Loveland, Colorado. The legendary Buick Streamliner was placed on auction where it was eventually sold for $17,600 to new owners, Gary & Diane Cerveny of Malibu, California. The classic car debuted at the 2010 Amelia Island Concours d’Elegance is an exclusive class reserved for Motor Trend Cover Cars, a remarkable specimen of the bygone era of glamorous and sophisticated car design. Gary and Diane have no plans to sell this beauty. Sources: Luxuo, SuperCars.net

“A motor car that runs on air-filled spheres, instead of wheels and tyres of conventional form, is the invention of a German designer. All parts of the new vehicle, he maintains, merge into a highly streamlined shape, thus minimising air resistance. The globe-shaped tyres require no mudguards, and dispense with the need of springs to absorb road shocks, also reducing skidding and serving as bumpers in the event of collision. Multiple air chambers prevent sudden deflation, with its attendant dangers, if a puncture should occur. In the proposed design, the car runs on a pair of pneumatic spheres at front and rear, and the driver balances it like a motor cycle by manipulating a steering wheel. Small auxiliary spheres may be extended to hold the car upright while it is standing still or getting under way.” Source: “The 1935 car of the future Popular Science/Novak Archive via Gizmodo”

This car is the famous industrial designer Raymond Loewy's attempt in improving the 1941 Lincoln Continental. The car featured a Plexiglass top, silent windshield wipers, and a backing spotlight. Source: www.kustomrama.com

The overall futuristic design of Buick’s XP-300 is emphasized in this view of the new experimental car. The hood and front fenders are a single welded unit, while the hood opens in reverse alligator fashion by hydraulic control. The headlights and parking lights are mounted in open grille work which permits cooling. The louvres along the side serve both the engine and the passenger compartment and can be opened and closed by the instrument panel controls. When the doors close, hydraulically operated steel bars slide into place to make the doors a solid, structural part of the body and chassis. Source: OldConceptCars.com

In 1964, Willys presented a sports car known as the Capeta, a Portuguese word for "Devil". With a body made of fiberglass, the Capeta was built by the Willys Style Department. The coupe is highlighted by the elongated front, which ends up dividing the front grill. The headlights are round and the small arrow lanterns are rectangular. Also noteworthy in the sports car is an air intake located in the center of the hood, as well as two air vents on the sides. Unlike its younger brother, the Interlagos (whose most powerful version had a 1.0-liter 70hp engine), the Capeta's performance is much closer to a sports car; it was equipped with a 2.6-liter, six-cylinder, 148-hp engine that allowed the car to reach a maximum speed of 180km/h. The vehicle's transmission was created by the brand's racing department. The interior featured leather benches and rosewood appliqués on the doors and panel. The sports car featured developments that would later be used in other models of the brand, such as the four-gear box, the six-cylinder engine itself, with a head with detachable intake manifolds and two horizontal double-body carburetors. Unfortunately, the beautiful model never hit the streets, and the doubt whether the Capeta was a prototype or just a show vehicle persists. Sources: gtplanet.net, Pinterest

The first great era of Chrysler concept car creation and design came when Virgil Exner was hired away from his post at Studebaker in 1949 to develop a series of "idea cars" for Chrysler. The president of Chrysler, K.T. Keller, hired Exner to bring the company to the next level. Not long after his hiring, Exner introduced the 1950 Chrysler K-310 "idea car." Exner used "idea cars" to help influence new production vehicles. In that vein, the K-310 was designed to showcase Chrysler's upcoming revolutionary 1951 Hemi V8. In creating the K-310, Exner developed his "pure automobile" design philosophy in which functional elements of the car were featured instead of being disguised - elements like the wheels, the radiator grille, spare tire storage, taillights, etc. Before the K-310, those features had been hidden. Exner went in a different direction because, as he said, "The wheel is one of mankind's greatest inventions. Why attempt to hide it?" After the success of the K-310, Exner continued to climb the ladder at Chrysler. In 1953 he was named Director of Styling. Then in 1957, he became Chrysler's first Vice President of Styling. At that time, Exner insisted on having complete control of the clay modeling room and final approval of die models. Keller granted him the control and Exner made history. Source: CarStyling.ru, worthpoint.com

This astonishing recreation (original is depicted in the first picture) is the Ford X2000, a styling fantasy from 1958, what the Ford designers thought we’d be driving in the year 2000. The 1958 Ford X2000 in the photos is a recreation built by Andy Saunders who used a 1962 Mercury Monterey which donated its frame, suspension and running gear! Like Tremulis’s X-1000 that preceded the X-2000, little on the car was meant to predict the shapes or features of Fords of the immediate future; they were intended to be advanced concepts of the far-flung automotive future. However, the Farrells note that the X-2000′s grille shape certainly predicted the Edsel’s horse-collar grille. Not many automotive historians connect Tremulis to the Edsel’s most distinctive shape today, possibly because the X-2000 was only completed as a 3/8-scale model (a full-size clay was in the works, but was canceled before completion) and only shown in person at the Ford Rotunda. Source: OldConceptCars.com