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Designed by Tom Tjaarda while he was working at Pininfarina, an experimental safety concept that pre-dated the safety prototypes of the later 60s and 70s. The car incorporated 14 safety features, 8 of which went on to be used in the production of the vehicles in the future. This build has also been referred to as the "Pininfarina Modello PF Sigma Concept." Additionally, here's a piece from Classic Car Catalogue: This year there are a few great bodies, notably the Pininfarina Sigma, a unique study on safety requirements undertaken in conjunction with the leading Italian motoring journal Quattroroute. As usual, some of the new exhibits are also more beautiful than practical-two-plus-two does not always add up to four, it seems. Pininfarina has made a very serious study of the safety aspects of body design in the Sigma; it s presented as a complete car, although not based on e specific model, and the ideas can be applied to either front- or rear-engined layouts. The show car is smaller than the average American car but more significant than those most popular in Europe. It has no fancy gimmicks such as unusual steering controls, like so earlier ideas from America. Still, it is planned around orthodox features that are thoroughly practical and would not be costly to apply. Source & Images: carsthatnevermadeitetc.tumblr

Based on a 1963 F-85 convertible, the Oldsmobile J-TR show car is little known today, but it bears the unmistakable stamp of GM styling boss Bill Mitchell. When General Motors closed down its Motorama traveling auto extravaganza in 1961, the automaker’s focus on show cars had shifted from scratch-built concept vehicles to tastefully customized versions of the company’s production models. One prime example is the 1963 Oldsmobile J-TR, based on a standard F-85 convertible with several distinctive custom features. Let’s zoom in for a closer examination. Unmistakably the work of Bill Mitchell’s GM styling crew, the J-TR boasts several trendy ’60s touches, including a stylized racing stripe and futuristic Cibie rectangular headlamps from France. Note the slim two-piece front bumper, a striking departure from the production F-85, and the minimalist grille treatment. Unveiled at the 55th annual Chicago Auto on February 16-24, the J-TR made the rounds of the national show car circuit in 1963, including the New York Auto Show, where it shared the Oldsmobile stage at the Coliseum with the reigning Miss America, Jackie Mayer, and two companion show cars, the El Torero and the Custom Cutlass. The split-bumper theme is continued at the rear, matched to subtly redesigned F-85 tail lamps. The wheels are elaborate aluminum castings with knockoff hubs, while the finned rocker panels with integral exhaust outlets—simulated, we presume—are yet another Mitchell studio trademark. The color is Fire Frost Silver, a custom high-metallic paint (developed by Englehard Corp.), then available only on Cadillac and Corvette via special order. The name J-TR suggests there’s a Jetfire turbocharged aluminum V8 under the hood, although Olds didn’t offer the production Jetfire as a convertible, only as a coupe. The cockpit (below) is probably the wildest aspect of the J-TR exercise, with four molded bucket seat modules and a custom instrument panel that sports four round dials instead of the rectangular layout of the production F-85. Check out the beautiful door panels in brushed aluminum, which might be our favorite feature. We don’t know the ultimate fate of the J-TR once its car show career is over, but it would be nice to think the car is safely tucked away in an Olds collector’s garage somewhere. Source & Images: macsmotorcitygarage.com

Oldsmobile presented the "el Torero" show car, based on a custom version of the 1963 Olds 98 convertible. The exterior wore multiple coats of Firefrost gold paint, and the interior reflected a Spanish motif. Two-plus-two white naturally contoured bucket seats were accented with red satin striping. The female presenter wore a cape that matched the gold brocade fabric used to upholster the inside door panels. Source: www.chicagoautoshow.com Images: www.shorey.net

Design by Michelotti, this was a proposal for a replacement for Vignale’s 3500 GT Spyder that was never adopted. Maserati showed it at the 1963 Geneva Motor Show as a prototype of the new 3500 GTI Spider. Although the Michelotti-Vignale duo gave it their all, Mistral went into the series on the same units instead, but with more modern styling from Frua. Source & Images: carsthatnevermadeitetc

The most outrageous and least well-known Lancia Zagato was the 1.8 liter Flavia. Designed by Ercole Spada, Zagato's leading man of the era, it possessed some earlier Zagato motifs, such as the windows on the roofline, which harkened back to the Panoramic Fiats of the early fifties. It was streamlined, but Zagato did not work with a wind tunnel. They worked by feel, drew the car up on an entire-sized board, and then started hammering. Once on the road, it was tested with the traditional tuft of cloth method. Before building a larger facility in the late 1960s, Zagato worked primarily in aluminum, and the quest for saving weight carried over into the interior and even the paint. The paint was applied sparingly in two or three skinny coats. The interiors were also thin, particularly the vinyl. The dashboards were hammered out of fragile aluminum and often not covered with anything but crackle finish paint. The Lancia Flavia Sport Zagato is not a beautiful car. Not in the conventional sense of the word. It was created to be striking in a period when Zagato abandoned its classically beautiful lines. The styling house which had enjoyed associations with Aston Martin was Alfa Romeo, as well as Lancia, which was commissioned to create the Sport, based on the short wheelbase platform of the convertible. The curvy bodywork was a million miles away from the three-box Berlina, and even the Coupé looked restrained in comparison. However, in lightweight form and with twin carburetors, the Sport lived up to its name, proving quick and agile on the road and sensational in corners. However, sales weren't good due to the high cost (and challenging styling?). Following Fiat's takeover of Lancia in 1969, coachbuilt models by outside design houses were halted overnight. Lancia Flavia Sport (Zagato), 1963-67 Aluminum body, design from Ercole Spada. Source: www.silverstoneauctions.com; classics.honestjohn.co.uk Images: Zagato

Perhaps the best way to describe a vintage Lancia is as the ultimate connoisseur's car. It is a car that one owns not for the image it projects to others, but for the experience it offers its owner. At the core of the company were two critical pillars: technical innovation and build quality. As far back as the years before World War I, Lancia distinguished itself on these axes, bringing the world's first integrated electrical system in an automobile (1913), the first unitary body (in 1922 in a car which also had independent front suspension!), the first 5-speed gearbox (1948), the first V6 (1950), the first V4, and many other innovations. These cars were always elegant, refined and expensive, but the quality of engineering and construction left them essentially without peer for buyers who could appreciate these characteristics. Their three model range of the early 1960s included the groundbreaking 1+ liter Appia, which packed more thought and innovation than the entire Fiat model lineup, with construction proving that a small car could also be a truly fine car. The middle of the range Flavia was the first postwar European car to feature front wheel drive, and als had a horizontally-opposed four cylinder engine, unitary construction, and four-wheel disc brakes, making it one of Europe's most technically advanced cars when it was introduced at the Turin Motor Show in 1960. And their flagship during the period? It was called the Flaminia and it was an absolute sensation for the consumer sophisticated enough to appreciate it. The Flaminia appeared in 1957, and had much in common with its predecessor, the legendary Aurelia, which pioneered the use of a V6 engine in a production car when it was introduced in 1950. While the Aurelia's engine began at 1.8 liters and eventually topped out at 2.5 liters after being expanded as far as it could be, the Flaminia received an all-new 2.5 liter V6 which would grow to 2.8 liters in 1962. Both cars employed a transaxle (a rear-mounted combination transmission and differential) together with inboard rear brakes to reduce unsprung weight. Lancia's Formula 1 car of the mid 50s, the D50 used the same powertrain layout for the same reason: weight distribution and thus handling balance. The Flaminia also received a new unequal length A-arm independent front suspension, together with the clever de Dion rear suspension. The car's technical makeup was world class in every regard and considerably more advanced than Ferraris or nearly anything else of the era, including the Mercedes-Benz 300SL in many respects. The resulting driving experience is quite remarkable as the Flaminia is most extraordinary at covering distance at speed and in comfort. It has a reassuring surefootedness that makes it feel incredibly modern for a car of this period. Each interface point has a durable, high-quality feel that is hard to put into words but makes even the best Ferrari of the era feel a little bit crude by comparison. Aside from its extraordinary technical content, the Flaminia dripped with elegance and good taste. It was unequivocally the most luxurious Italian car produced at the time and perfectly embodied the idea of La Dolce Vita during Italy's remarkable postwar resurgence. Accordingly, a number of distinguished celebrities had Flaminias, including Audrey Hepburn, Ernest Hemingway, Elio Zagato, Aga Khan, Bridgette Bardot , Sofia Loren, and Marcello Mastroianni. Additionally, Pininfarina made a quartet of stretched landaulet Flaminias for Queen Elizabeth II's 1960 visit to Italy, of which two remain in official Italian state service for special occasions. A technical tour de force from the outset, the Flaminia was nonetheless upgraded with meaningful improvements over the years: disc brakes were made standard within a year of the start of production, while a 2.8 liter engine - upgraded from the original 2.5 - occurred in 1962, which could be had in "3B" form to indicate the inclusion of a larger triple-throat Solex carburetor to boost power output. The Flaminia was available with standard sedan (Berlina) coachwork, or one of three coachbuilt two-door bodies, which were made by Pinin Farina (which changed its name to Pininfarina in 1959), Touring of Milan (available in both open and closed forms), or Zagato. The Pininfarina Coupe bodywork that this car wears is the most dignified, luxurious and best built of these bodies and owes much to the Lancia Florida II show car displayed by Pinin Farina in 1957. This particular example is the desirable 2.8 liter 3B Pininfarina Coupe, which was sold new in Italy and remained there until the current owner, a well-known and respected collector of postwar European cars, purchased the car in Italy and brought it to the United States in 2009. Originally delivered in Reggio Calabria, the car is reported to have been repainted in its original shade of Ascot Gray upon moving to Rome in approximately 1973 and considering its age, the paint is in impressive condition. The car received top quality new leather upholstery to the seats in approximately 2004 and they remain virtually as new. The car is otherwise cosmetically unrestored and extraordinarily well-preserved, with some thinning to the chrome and some superficial bubbling in the splash area behind the right rear wheel. Noted restorer (and multiple best in class winner at Pebble Beach and Villa D'Este) GPS Classic in Soragna, Italy did a full mechanical rebuild including the engine in 2009 at the direction of the current owner immediately upon purchase. It has since been looked after by Raffi Najjarian of Pit Stop Automotive in Brisbane, California, and recently and comprehensively sorted. The car is incredibly well-sorted mechanically, a critical characteristic for any vintage Lancia but one which is rarely undertaken to this level due to cost. It is ready to be shown and enthusiastically driven, ideally on long distance tours, by a new owner fortunate enough to appreciate its rare combination of sophistication, originality, and exceptional current mechanical excellence. The car comes with its original Italian Libretto (registration booklet), its correct original Roma plates, original owner's manual and documentation for recent maintenance work from 2009 to present, as well as original tools and jack. Source: Issimi Images: Pininfarina

The 1963 Jaguar D-Type by Michelotti was a one-off Jaguar: after a crash at Le Mans, this 1956 Jaguar D-type (XKD513) was sold to Michelotti, who displayed the new bodywork at the 1963 Geneva Motor Show. Images: www.network54.com; www.modelcarsmag.com

After successfully bodying both American and Italian cars, Ghia began producing their vehicles. This G230S is one of the first cars to be completed entirely by Ghia, but they enlisted much help from the local area. Ghia started with the Fiat 2300 S platform but used entirely upgraded components. The chassis was far too bare, so Ghia turned to Gilco, who had designed and built the Ferrari chassis. At Gilco, engineer Gioacchino Colombo designed a tubular space frame that followed his masterful Maserati Birdcage concept. The engine, disc brakes, gearbox, and axles from the Fiat were upgraded by Abarth counterparts which were heavily upgraded. Ghia was careful to choose companies like Fiat and Abarth that could sustain production. The first G230S appeared at the Turin Motor Show in 1963. Ghia made an initial run of prototypes for the international shows as little as two. Unfortunately, the design never reached production, but a single green prototype still exists. Chassis 114BS135700 is the sole surviving G230S and remains in entirely original condition. Ghia used it for several years, then passed it on into the hands of a company director. With just 28,000 km on the odometer, this car was offered by E.Thiessen in Belium in 2008 and was displayed at the 2008 Retromobile show. Source: SuperCars

This 1963 pre-production Mustang is the same car that would be introduced as the 1965 Mustang. It is a convertible with a removable fiberglass top, 289-cubic inch, high performance, Cobra-modified engine, and four-speed manual transmission. This particular car was altered and exhibited at several auto shows. The second X-Car, the Mustang II, was also based upon the Falcon/Comet/Fairlane platform and enjoyed a lithe body designed by Joe Oros. Despite its name, it carried a few styling and design cues from the Mustang I. The pearl white experimental car, first displayed at Watkins Glen in September 1963, played an essential role in the public reception of the X-Cars and was presented to the auto enthusiast press as a direct precursor to the production Mustang that debuted in April of 1964. Also built on a Falcon platform, it displayed all of the production Mustang styling cues that would appear on the production car. A toned-down front end, a modest bumper, a raised roofline, a slightly revised dashboard, and modestly reshaped rear quarter panels were the only design elements to distinguish the production vehicle from the concept car. Source: www.dutchmustang.nl; www.thelynxproject.org Images: History of Mustang Performance; www.mustangmonthly.com; www.dutchmustang.nl

The 1963 Cougar was introduced as a show model "from the company which pioneered the personal car." The Cougar II is a candy-apple red fastback design with a fiberglass body, a 260 High-Performance engine, and 4-speed transmission. To get in, open the electrically-operated top-hinged doors. In 1963 Ford showed the third Cougar dream car; it was called Cougar II. This very handsome two-passenger GT sports car would have made a timely contender to the famous Corvette String Ray. (Ford explained that GT, or gran Turismo, is usually applied to two-seat coupes designed for superhighways.) Cougar II featured a fastback roof, concealed "pop-up" headlamps, and a serious, fully instrumented interior. It was claimed that Cougar II was engineered to reach speeds in the 170 miles-an-hour range. The powertrain was a high-performance 260 cu. In. V-8 engine that connected a four-speed transmission with a console-mounted gearshift lever. When interior air pressure exceeded 15 pounds per square inch, a relief panel across the rear of the passenger compartment opened automatically. This panel was required since there was the possibility that at high speeds, the extreme pressure against the rear window might blow it out. Cougar also had a unique spring-loaded window-lift mechanism that allowed adjustment to the curved side windows. Source: www.conceptcars.it Images: Ford; www.shorey.net

The Allegro — the first of the second-generation X-Cars, fashioned in late 1962 — was based upon the earlier DeLaRossa Avventura design and built on a Falcon unibody. Painted a delicate metallic gold initially, it established design elements that would heavily influence Ford styling throughout the Sixties: An isolated, centrally-mounted grille with satellite headlights, a long frontal aspect, and a short-coupled fastback roof line. The Allegro's rear fender treatment mimicked the 1961-1963 Thunderbird design and anticipated the styling of the production British Ford Cortina later in the decade. Moreover, the Allegro "s fastback styling established the basic configuration for the later production Mustang fastback. It traced its rear quarter panel treatment to a 1957 Ford Styling Studio exercise during the original Falcon's development effort. Prominently featured in Styling, a beautiful book on an automotive design published by Ford in 1963, the Allegro was described as a "...practical dream car, developed jointly by stylists and engineers." In Styling, Ford went on to further describe the Allegro as: "Symbolizing sleekness, motion and, as its name indicates, brisk and lively performance, the Allegro is distinguished by a long hood, compact passenger compartment and a "fastback" roofline with grille waste gates in the fender area." The Allegro presented a Cobra-esque front-end design and presaged the later production Mustang fastback roof. The small, vestigial fin also picked up elements of the '61-'63 Thunderbirds. Though the proportions on the front clip were exaggerated, the fastback roof influenced the first-generation 1965 Mustang fastback. Two Allegros were built: a red-painted Fiberglas mule that appeared in a 1964 Mustang promotional film and this fully-functional car. Source: www.thelynxproject.org Images: Ford; www.shorey.net

The first Fiat 600-based car by Moretti was launched in 1958. It was a 2+2 coupe with the stying of the later Moretti 750 cars, including the contrasting color stripe and grille. Also available were regular cars with just aesthetic modifications such as two-tone paintwork, trim, and various fittings. The following year saw a four-door, three-box saloon released, still with the styling of the Moretti 750 cars, although this was the last of that line of styling. Later coupes (2+2 and four-seat) and spiders based on the 600 adopted various body styles. Moretti also used the 600 Multipla as the basis for multiple vans, trucks, and minibusses. Source: www.carsfromitaly.net Images: www.clubfiatclasicos.com; ruoteclassiche.quattroruote.it

Battista and Sergio Pininfarina have often formally marked their attachment to Switzerland and the Geneva Motor Show. In 1964, on the occasion of the National Exhibition in Lausanne, a special car on a Fiat 2300 chassis was produced and named "Lausanne". This unique copy, powered by a Fiat 6-cylinder in-line engine, was exhibited at the 1964 Show as the Italian coachbuilder’s homage to the Swiss Confederation. There were five concepts made: 1962 Fiat 2300 Coupe Speciale by Pininfarina 1963 Fiat 2300 Cabriolet Speciale by Pininfarina 1963 Fiat 2300 S Lausanne by Pininfarina 1964 Fiat 2300 S Coupe Speciale by Pininfarina 1965 Fiat 2300 S Coupe Speciale by Pininfarina Source: www.salon-auto.ch Images: Pininfarina; tom-tjaarda.net

A 2-seat targa roof version of Coupé Speciale was presented at the Geneva Motor Show. Designed by Tom Tjaarda while he was working at Pininfarina based on Fiat’s flagship 6-cylinder model, it remained a one-off. Source: carsthatnevermadeitetc Images: Pininfarina; www.xs4all.nl; www.tom-tjaarda.net

Allemano is the one who gave shape to this slender coupé that could be used as a daily driver even by a family man (who had no more than two children, of course): the interior is sufficiently spacious as well as the trunk, while the engine, although not very powerful, is rock solid. Those with a keen eye will surely recognize the stylistic features also used on the Maserati 5000GT: while not quite as aristocratic in origin, this coupe certainly has character. Source & Images: ClassicVirus

Moretti produced various cars based on these Fiat models. The 1100 was used as the starting point for a four-seat coupe and a two-seat spider, an 1100 Coupe using the 1100H engine tuned to give 68bhp and with a tubular chassis, a four-seat hatchback coupe ('Weekend') based on the 1100D and a 2+2 coupe based on the 1100R. Source: www.carsfromitaly.net Images: www.clubfiatclasicos.com; ruoteclassiche.quattroruote.it

USAF Lt. Col. Edward Richer with the Wing-Tank Special he built in England, using a Ford Anglia chassis, plus some Chevy and Austin parts. The tanks were from a Lockheed.

The Daihatsu Sport Vignale was one of the concepts shown at the 1963 Turin Motor Show to demonstrate the capabilities of the Japanese automobile industry. Turin coachbuilder Alfredo Viale was one of the first to work with Japanese manufacturers. The Japanese turned to the Italian company Vignale, where they built two prototypes for them: a coupe and a convertible based on the Daihatsu Sport. It was a car with an 800 cc inline 4-cylinder water-cooled engine, 50 hp. The final product was a reasonably advanced car, combining Italian charm with Japanese simplicity, with design references to the Ferrari 250 GT Lusso if desired. At the Daihatsu booth, curious Europeans crowded around the prototype; for many of them, it was the first Japanese car they had ever seen. Daihatsu later became the first Japanese company to start selling vehicles in Europe (UK). The rapid growth in sales has been a great success for the company, which started producing four-wheeled cars over a decade ago. Daihatsu Sport Vignale remained a prototype, but developments on it have found application in other Daihatsu cars for Europe. The original concept was purchased in 2004 from a collector in Monaco who kept the car in excellent condition. The item is currently on display at the Daihatsu Museum in Osaka, Japan. Images: www.2000gt.net; www.klassiker.nu

Chrysler's stunning Turbine Ghia, produced in 55 copies and tested by more than 200 households across America in 1964-66, is easily the company's most famous concept car. However, at the same time, there was a lesser-known sibling called the Typhoon, which featured strikingly similar styling but remarkably different packaging. While the Turbine Ghia was a two-door hardtop with seating for a family of four, the Typhoon was a sporty two-place roadster with a hideaway folding steel top. Sources report that the Typhoon came along first; meanwhile, the styling of the two cars is of a piece, and they co-existed in the same program in the same timeframe, their identities somewhat intertwined. Charles Mashigan styled both the Typhoon and the Turbine Ghia under the direction of Elwood Engel, Chrysler's newly recruited chief of styling. When the first 55 Turbine Ghia hardtop bodies were delivered from Italy to Detroit and uncrated in January of 1963, it was wearing Typhoon emblems on both rear quarter panels. One more noteworthy difference between the Turbine Ghia hardtop and the Typhoon sports car: The Typhoon was designed to install the Chrysler A831 fourth-gen gas turbine engine in the front or the rear of the chassis. However, the only example built was a studio model with no engine or drivetrain, so it never ran under its power. The Typhoon was last seen in public in a presentation at the 1964/65 World's Fair in New York City, where it was repainted a brilliant metallic silver. Source: automobileart.homestead.com - "Chrysler Corp., Exner Concept Cars 1940 to 1961"; macsmotorcitygarage Images: automobileart.homestead.com; Custom_Cab's photostream

Chrysler Corp.’s experimental Turbine Car appeared at the 1964 Chicago Auto Show. It was billed as the first car created explicitly for the turbine engine, with a body designed by Elwood Engel and his staff at Chrysler, Ghia of Italy, hand-built 50 of the four-passenger prototypes. A total of 200 motorists from 48 states had three months each to test drive and report their experiences. Power was supplied by a twin-regenerator gas turbine that created 130 horses. Needing one-fifth of the moving parts, the turbine weighed 200 pounds less than a piston engine. It ran on just one spark plug, had no pistons, and operated equally well on diesel fuel, kerosene, unleaded gasoline, or jet aircraft fuel. Source: Chicago Auto Show From the Chrysler Corporation Press Information Service: NEW STYLING FOR NEW POWER is embodied in the limited production Chrysler Corporation Turbine Car. Fifty of these cars are scheduled to be produced in the current phase of the Chrysler turbine program. They will distributed, beginning this fall, to selected users under a no-charge use agreement as part of Chrysler Corporation's consumer research program. Smooth, scupltured lines of the new turbine car give it a contemporary personality all its own. Roof of the car is black vinyl covered. Over-all length of the Chrysler Corporation Turbine Car is 201.6 inches. It has a 110-inch wheelbase. The latest Chrysler Corporation turbine engine delivers 130 horsepower, equivalent in over-all car performance to a V-8 piston engine of more than 200 horsepower, according to Chrysler turbine engineers. The car was styled and engineered by Chrysler Corporation and hand-crafted by Ghia of Italy. FIRST TURBINE-POWERED PASSENGER CAR to be made available for use by typical motorists under normal everyday driving conditions is the Chrysler Corporation Turbine Car. Fifty limited production turbine cars powered by the company's new twin-regenerator turbine engine will be placed with selected users beginning this fall under a no-charge use agreement. Approximately 200 motorists will participate in the unprecedented consumer evaluation program with each motorist using the car for periods up to three months. The Chrysler Corporation Turbine Car is 201.6 inches long on a 110 inch wheelbase. The latest Chrysler turbine engine delivers 130 horsepower, equivalent in over-all car performance to a V-8 piston engine of more than 200 horsepower. APPROXIMATELY 200 SELECTED MOTORISTS throughout the nation will drive the Chrysler Corporation Turbine Car as part of an unprecedented consumer evaluation program to determine market potential for turbine power. Under a no-charge use agreement with the company, each motorist will use the turbine car for up to three months beginning this fall. The Chrysler Corporation Turbine Car was designed for the company's twin-regenerator turbine engine. This new engine weighs only 410 pounds and delivers 130 horsepower, equivalent in over-all car performance to a V-8 piston engine of more than 200 horsepower. "Swept back" rear styling accents the smooth, sculptured lines of the turbine car. The Turbine Bronze exterior color - exclusive to the turbine car - complements the copper-colored interior, which features four individual contoured bucket seats and a unique full length console. A UNIQUE FULL LENGTH FUNCTIONAL CONSOLE accents the elegantly styled copper-toned interior of the new Chrysler Corporation Turbine Car, which, powered by the company's latest gas turbine engine, will be distributed to selected motorists beginning this fall. The four individual bucket seats are of deep foam, covered-spring construction, covered in copper-colored genuine leather. Seats and backs are contoured for maximum comfort and safety featuring a "swept back" design. Heavy copper-colored leather padding covers the upper portion of the air foil shaped instrument panel. The lower portion is satin-finish stainless steel. Thick, copper-colored deep pile carpeting is featured throughout. Images: Chrysler Corporation; Collections of The Henry Ford - www.thehenryford.org; www.motortrend.com; www.chicagoautoshow.com