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This concept presented by Vignale in 1969 has some traits reminiscent of the Lamborghini Miura. Probably Vignale wanted to ride the wave of success of the Miura by proposing this Fiat 850 based small sports car. Also known as the 850 Dart, this was one of Vignale’s last cars as an independent carrozzeria. They were taken over by De Tomaso in 1969, who discontinued the brand in 1973. It was revived by Ford (who got ownership of Vignale when they bought Ghia from De Tomaso) for the Lagonda Vignale concept (when Ford owned Aston Martin) and then used it for the Ford Focus Vignale concept in 2004. Ford now uses the Vignale brand for flagship models across their range. Eventually unsuccessful, the “Dart” remained a one-off. Source: carsthatnevermadeitetc Images: www.vignale.org

The Fiat 500 Zanzara was a concept car built in 1969 by Zagato. Named after the Italian word for mosquito, the Zanzara was a one-off micro-sportscar based on the Fiat 500 and designed by Ercole Spada. The car was finished in lime green. Source: classiccars.fandom Images: Zagato

The concept for Fiat 128 based beach car. It featured a shortened wheelbase (2120mm), a foldable windscreen, two walkie-talkies in the dashboard, no doors, and an optional fabric roof. How do you keep teenagers off the roads? One way is to give them a new off-the-road car called Teenager. It's a Pininfarina body on a shortened Fiat 128 chassis. Radio, tape deck, and housing for a CB radio are built into the dash. Lifting the rear seat cushion reveals a lockable compartment for valuables. Source: www.carsfromitaly.net; Fiat fun car - Popular Science, Mar 1970 Images: Pininfarina; Paolo Martin - www.paolomartindesigner.com

At the 1969 Turin Motor Show, Bertone presented a design for a four-seater coupé with Fiat 128 mechanics. The prototype was the precursor to a formula that many manufacturers later adopted, namely the spacious people-carrier. The short, very sloping bonnet, the large greenhouse with its ample window surfaces, and the short, compact tail all enhance the car’s spaciousness. The car was created just after the extension of the Bertone factory at Grugliasco in view ogiveneasing number of requests for the production of niche models for domestic and foreign manufacturers. Source: www.carsfromitaly.net; www.bertone.it Images: Concept Car Central; www.carsfromitaly.net; www.classiccarcatalogue.com

Filippo Sapino is perhaps best known for the three decades he served as design director at Ghia. But by far, his most memorable project was the Ferrari 512S Berlinetta Speciale, undertaken during a short stint at Pininfarina in the late 1960s… Launched at the 1969 Turin Motor Show, the Ferrari 512S Berlinetta Speciale concept shocked and confused in equal measure. The shock factor came from its being the first Ferrari to receive the ‘wedge’ treatment that became popular in the late 60s; the confusion stemmed from the ‘512S’ moniker, as there was no 5.0-liter V12 to be found beneath the louvers of that rear clamshell. It wasn’t a 3.0-liter V12 either, despite the Speciale’s underpinnings being rescued from a 312P (chassis #0868) badly damaged in service at the 1000km of Monza. The engine was, in fact, a 6.0-liter V12 from a 612 Can-Am racer – although it was sadly an empty block, explaining why an earth-mover was required to ‘escort’ it to this rendezvous atop a mountain in Como, Italy. Regardless, Sapino had made the most of the floor-hugging physique of the chassis, adding some unorthodox surface treatments to transform static into supersonic visually. Flourishes such as the flip-up canopy completed the Speciale’s theatre. Still, it was to be another 512S concept that would define the wedge-tastic era: Paulo Martin’s Ferrari Modulo of 1970. The Berlinetta Speciale was perhaps more significant for breaking the curvaceous mold of prior road-going Ferraris while setting an angular design precedent for the 365 GTC/4 (also a Sapino design) and the later Berlinetta Boxers. Source: Joe Breeze - www.classicdriver.com Images: pininfarina spa., shorey.net; www.lotusespritturbo.com; www.classicdriver.com

Tom Tjaarda is very well known in the Ford scene for his design of the De Tomaso Pantera. In 1960 he designed the Ford dragster project IXG; in 1962, working on a Pininfarina Corvair project. In 1969 he created the De Tomaso Mustela at Ghia, followed by the De Tomaso Deauville and De Tomaso Pantera in 1970. In 1971 he worked on the De Tomasa Zonda and a Mustang design. In 1973 another Ford Mustela II was shown around the country, followed by Ford Maverick designs and Ford Mustang II design studies for Ghia. Tom Tjaarda has been creative and active ever since; his latest, better-known project is the Qvale Mangusta, based on the Shelby Series 2 and the EVX Mustang and HST Cobra. Source: www.ponysite.de Images: www.tom-tjaarda.net

Chrysler’s Concept 70X concept car featured parallelogram doors similar to today’s minivans. The Interior contained a small ultrasonic electronic device mounted next to the rear seat speaker. This component swept an area 50 feet to the rear in three zones: left lane, right lane, and immediately behind. A red warning light lit up on the mirror when a vehicle entered one of the swept zones, often giving as much as .04 seconds warning before impact. Source: www.chicagoautoshow.com Images: www.autoweteran.gower.pl, www.chicagoautoshow.com

XP-882 was one of three prototype Corvettes built in a very short period. This car was the first of these three Corvettes, which featured a mid-engine design. Shortly after XP-882, the second mid-engined prototype was finished, the XP-895 Aerovette. The Aerovette made it to the New York Autoshow and was seriously considered for production. Not much information is known on XP-882. It was on the cover of Road & Track in January of 1971. Both XP-882 and XP-895 were ordered to be destroyed by GM headquarters. XP-895 survived the order and existed to this day, but the fate of XP-882 is unknown. Source: www.supercars.net Images: GM; www.shorey.net; www.corvettes.nl

This redesign of the Mako Shark II featured a restyled nose and tail. A gunslit vertical window replaced the louvered fastback rear window. Hard braking caused flaps on the rear deck to rise, reflecting light from upward facing stop-lamps (a feature first shown on the original Shark). The Manta Ray was actually the 1966 Mako Shark with a few upgrades, so it featured many of the Mako II’s exterior features, such as side exhaust and a lower-body (along with the rocker panels) silver paint job. The front end had a pointed chin spoiler, and the headlights used two banks of 3 quartz-halogen lights. The covers for the side pipes eventually showed up as an option on the ’69 Corvette. Most dramatic was the all-new roofline. The Stingray-like pointed roof with its louvers was replaced with a long, sharp, scooped design. The Manta Ray also packed the new, lightweight, all-aluminum ZL-1 427ci engine, producing 430 horsepower. Even though the shark-inspired ’68 production Corvette was in showrooms, the Manta Ray was just too fantastic to retire just yet. A gunslit vertical window replaced the louvered fastback rear window. Hard braking caused flaps on the rear deck to rise, reflecting light from upward facing stop-lamps (a feature first shown on the original Shark). Source: Frank Markus, MotorTrend Magazine Images: www.autoweteran.gower.pl, www.corvettefever.com; www.corvettes.nl

The 1969 Chevrolet Astro III was a sleek, two-passenger experimental car resembling an executive jet aircraft, even its tricycle-type wheel arrangement. It was envisioned as a high-performance vehicle suited for travel on restricted access or possibly systems-controlled interstate highways of the future. The Astro III vehicle, with its red and black fiberglass body, tapered to a slim nose enclosing twin tires on a joint pivot, giving the appearance of a single front wheel. A power-actuated canopy moved forward and upward from the passenger compartment to provide accessible entrance and exit to the specially contoured individual seats. Astro III had an aircraft-type interior finished in black. Power-assisted pistol grip lever controls steered the twin front wheels. The rear vision was provided by closed-circuit television from a viewing screen mounted on a console between the seats. The powerplant for Astro III was the Model 250-C18 gas turbine engine produced by the Allison Division of General Motors. This engine was selected because of its lightweight and high power output. It weighed only 139 pounds and had 317 net horsepower. Though many tricycle-type automobiles have been produced over the past years, none of them have bentirelytely acceptable regarding their handling. The key to the excellent staexcellentty of a tricycle-type vehicle is the center of gravity placement. As the distance between the front tires or tread is reduced, the same resistance to rollover can be maintained by lowering the center of gravity through design and component location. These two technological conditions of aerodynamic efficiency and dynamic stability were necessary to resolve before proceeding with the Astro III design. In total, there were three Chevy Astro Concepts: 1967 Chevrolet Astro I Concept 1968 Chevrolet Astro II (XP-880) 1969 Chevrolet Astro III Concept Source: Bill Bowman - wiki.gmnext.com Images: General Motors Archive; www.shorey.net; Sixty Years of Chevrolet by George H. Dammann, 1972; www.motortrend.com; deansgarage.com

Designed for cross-country cruising on future automatic highways, the Century Cruiser was built off the chassis of the 1964 Firebird IV concept car. Providing the comforts of a living room on wheels to the four passengers, the Century Cruiser featured semi-reclining, swiveling contoured seats, a pull-out refrigerator, a television, and a pull-out table. The entrance canopy, consisting of all the glass areas and most of the roof, slid forward and upward and unlatched the doors, which then glided along for easier access to the seats. All door and canopy controls were activated at the touch of a button. Stability flaps aided braking on both sides of the car past the front wheel. As the vehicle turned, the wheel covers moved outward to make the rotation easier. The wheel covers could also be operated manually, using hand grips in the armrests. The front luggage compartment raised for easy access height. Once on an automatic highway, seen in the future from 1969, the driver would insert a programmable card into a slot and allow the car to drive to the destination automatically. Source: Concept Car Central Images: GM; iansales.com; blog.hemmings.com

The 'concept' or 'show' car emerged after WW2 to generate publicity and gauge the public's reaction to often-radical ideas for new models. They were built as design proposals, rolling laboratories, marketing experiments, automotive provocations, etc. Without them and their (usually) female decoration, international motor shows would have remained little more than uninspiring mega-showrooms. Most of these show cars enjoyed only limited exposure, mainly for the benefit of the international motoring press. What happened to these extraordinary vehicles after their short-lived career in the public eye depended primarily on the period they were made in. During the 1950s, development budgets were tight, and one-off experimental cars were usually sold after the show period, just like a car from the production line. Such disposal was made possible because these early show cars were (more or less) ordinarily functional, being primarily based on the chassis and mechanical components of some existing model. Until the 1970s, specialized coachbuilders specialized cars, which would deliver tailor-made cars to both carmakers and an affluent international clientele. This haute voiture niche, the heritage from the inter-war period, would quietly fade away, affected by changes in mass-production technology and increasingly stringent homologation requirements. After this period, modern show cars would mostly disappear into carmakers' storage facilities, some eventually appearing in museums or exhibitions as static icons. The Italian school of automotive design and coachbuilding has recently generated the widest variety of innovative ideas. The art and science of conceptual automotive culture flourished in the Turin-Milan-Modena axis, in the fertile soil of old and new car makers, design studios, and international motorsports. On the verge of modern times, the BMW Spicup was born. During the 1960s, BMW enjoyed a close relationship with Carrozzeria Bertone, whose star designer Giorgetto Giugiaro had been responsible for the 3200CS coupé. Hence, the Italian coachbuilder wanted to showcase engineer Enzo Cingolani's idea for a retractable roof; it was to the German firm that they turned. The 'Spicup' (Spider/Coupé) was the result. BMW's E3 saloon platform was chosen, the example supplied to Bertone having the 2.8-liter version of the SOHC straight-six engine installed. The chassis was numbered 'V.0010' – the V standing for Versuchswagen (experimental car). Its futuristic appearance notwithstanding, the Spicup's main talking point was its novel roof, which consisted of stainless steel panels that retracted into the hefty roll bar. Although the idea never made it to production, it did influence the lines of Bertone's Targa-top FIAT X1/9. With Giugiaro off to Carrozzeria Ghia, it was left to Marcello Gandini to finish the Spicup, incorporating what for a time was his signature front end with its part-concealed headlamps, also seen in the Alfa Romeo Montreal and Lamborghini Jarama. After premiering on Carrozzeria Bertone's stand at the 1969 Geneva Salon, the Spicup was exhibited at the Concorso d'Eleganza in Allassio in June and at Frankfurt Motor Show. Its subsequent whereabouts are unclear, though it appears that the car was sold to a private owner shortly afterward. Several sources have reported the Spicup in the mid-1970s at the German mega-dealer Auto Becker in Düsseldorf, which had an impressive showroom devoted to exotic cars. A few years later, the Spicup was purchased by a Dutch motor dealer who decided to keep the car and obtained regular road registration. The exterior color was changed from green to orange, and the elaborate multi-hued green and silver interior was sprayed over – in black. In this configuration, the car was used as a daily driver for the next ten years, covering some 100,000 kilometers, making it probably the most-used one-off show car in the world! Without a doubt, the Spicup has turned many heads during its outings. The previous owner particularly admired the car's versatile roof, although reported by him as 'not completely watertight' (which probably is an understatement considering the Dutch climate). The BMW drivetrain performed flawlessly during the entire period. Emigration plans could not influence the owner to sell the car, so it was put away in storage in the 1980s, remaining there for more than 20 years. It resurfaced in 2008, offered as 'some weird model with BMW badges,' and was purchased by the current vendor, a noted collector of coachbuilt exotica. Tired, incomplete, scratched, and dented, and with some severe signs of corrosion, the car was transported to Carrozzeria Granturismo in Milan for a complete restoration. Although they had restored various historic concept cars and other complex coachbuilt automobiles, the Carrozzeria Granturismo team, headed by technical director Aldo Goi, was fascinated by the project. Show cars are necessarily rare, but Italo-German examples are even rarer. The first phase of the work consisted of making a thorough inventory, diligently searching for the original colors and materials, and researching original documentation and pictures from the period. Removing the paint from the body revealed a patchwork of earlier repairs that had resulted in a mishmash of multiple layers of sheet metal, filler, and rust. The steel body had never received any protection against corrosion (not essential for car shows), so humidity and salt had enjoyed free access. The complete floorpan of the car, including the sills, was replaced, and the doors were mainly reconstructed. Molds were made for new window glass, as all of it was broken. The upholstery was meticulously washed down, revealing the original interior's spectacular shades of dark green, lime green, and silver metallic fabric. Other parts remade to the exact original specifications are the steering wheel, Spicup emblems, interior trim, and rear bumper. The original bumpers were made of wood (!), neatly covered with black skai; however, the rear example had been ravaged by termites and was beyond recovery. Once totally restored, the bodywork was repainted in its original green metallic livery with silver-grey accents and embellishments. The engine cover, originally fixed to the air filter, had been attached to the bonnet at some point in the car's life, probably for reasons of practicality. It was returned to its original location, remaining in position when the bonnet is opened, a modern engine 'disguise' avant la lettre. The final phase of reassembling the Spicup involved restoring the unique design features incorporated by Carrozzeria Bertone, focusing on details including the special roof mechanism, taking utmost care of the aesthetics, and keeping a critical eye on the overall result. Carrozzeria Granturismo's interior specialists had to go to extraordinary lengths to get the seats right. Finally, the finished body was reunited with the BMW drivetrain and other mechanical parts, which had undergone a total overhaul and restoration at the specialists Red Willow Racing in the Netherlands. Putting the finishing touch to any total restoration project is always immensely satisfying. But in the case of the Spicup, the return to its original splendor offers an extra dimension. It brings back the feeling of Geneva '69, the late 1960s, an era of unlimited possibilities, growth, and promise. It reconfirms the essential value of a true show car: to inspire, provoke, evoke emotions and offer a glimpse of the future. Forty years after its first appearance, the BMW Spicup has not lost any of its charisma. It was first shown again to the public at the Villa d'Este concours d'élégance in 2009 and subsequently at the BMW Museum during the summer of 2010. Source: Bonhams Images: Bertone; J. Mahiels/Eventattitude/Bonhams

The British Leyland Zanda was a motor show prototype produced by Harris Mann and showed to the world in 1969. This car still exists and is on display at the Motor Heritage Museum in Gaydon, Warwickshire. Mann caught the attention of BL’s upper management with this car and, as a result, went on to style the Allegro, Princess, and TR7…… and, in my opinion, should be regarded as one of the great stylists of that era. The Allegro may not be considered a looker, but his other designs were bold and exciting – and this Zanda shows the purity of form. Source: Keith Adams - www.aronline.co.uk Images: British Leyland Motors; Zwischengas-Archiv; Revs Institute Archives

Designed by in-house stylists Bob Nixon and Fred Hudson, the non-working AMX/2 show car featured a "twin" theme, including dual movable spoilers, and was intended to have a mid-mounted engine. Unveiled at the Chicago Auto Show in early 1969. Source: www.amxfiles.com Images: Vintage Web; aldenjewell's photostream

The 1969 Alfa Romeo Tipo 33/2 Coupe Speciale is a Pininfarina concept car designed by Leonardo Fioravanti. The Ferrari P5 concept shown a year earlier at Geneva influenced its design. The car looks like a futuristic masterpiece now, so imagine what it must have looked like in 1969. The Prototype Coupe Speciale was a rotund coupe with a concave hood, ovoid rear wings, gullwing doors (hydraulically working butterfly doors), pop-up headlights, and the transparent roof going right to the back of the car. Put it all together, and get an incredibly sleek and sexy vehicle ahead of its time. Use the vehicle chassis No. 750.33.115. It bore a striking yellow paint. The car was powered by a mid-mounted 2-liter V8 engine producing 245 PS (180 kW; 242 hp) at 8800 rpm and is based on the road going 33 Stradale. The car's top speed is around 250 km/h (160 mph). Overview Manufacturer: Pininfarina Designer: Leonardo Fioravanti under Pininfarina Production year: 1969 Production: 1 unit Body and chassis Class: Concept car Body: Style coupe Platform: RMR layout Powertrain Engine: 1995 cc V8 Transmission: 6-speed manual Dimensions Wheelbase: 2,350 mm (93 in) Length: 4,000 mm (160 in) Width: 1,800 mm (71 in) Curb weight: 720 kg (1,590 lb) Performance Top Speed: 250 km/h (160 mph) Source: Alfa Romeo P33 Coupe (Pininfarina) by Fioravanti 1969 .... https://www.gtplanet.net/forum/threads/alfa-romeo-p33-coupe-pininfarina-by-fioravanti-1969.325467/ Images: Mario Buonocunto Concept Cars Page

An appealing Italian ‘bitza’ that somehow transcends the sum of its parts. Created by Zagato using the chassis from the Spider and the five-speed gearbox from the Giulietta, the Junior Zagato was an arresting-looking coupé that added real variety to the Alfa Romeo lineup. The sloping front and kamm tail were undoubtedly a world apart from the well-crafted classicism of the rest of the Giulia-derived cars, but no less appealing for it. It was lighter and more aerodynamic than the standard cars. It was usefully quicker. Aimed at a younger audience, the Alfa Junior Z compact two-seater sports coupe was presented at the Turin Motor Show in 1969. Designed by the Zagato studio, the Junior Z had several unusual stylistic solutions - a transparent plastic "lantern" in the entire width of the front, hiding the head optics, concise " aerodynamic detailing, a reversed rear side glazing stroke, and a pronounced wedge-shaped body silhouette, which became the stylistic basis for the large GTV coupe. Alfa Junior Z was perfect for the role of a youth "lighter": it weighed only 937 kg, had a low center of gravity, a short base, and had an ideal weight distribution. Because the car was planned to be produced in a small series, it was considered more appropriate to deliver the bodies from Arese to Terrazzano di Rho, where final assembly and painting took place at Zagato facilities. A total of 1108 Alfa Junior Zs were produced with the 1300 engine and 402 cars with the 1600 engine. Source: www.classicandperformancecar.com; www.alfaromeo.ua Images: Zagato-cars.com, Zagato; Alfa Romeo Historic Motoring, Documentation Center (Arese, Milan) Pictured Above: Alfa Romeo Giulia Coupe GT Junior 1300 (Zagato), 1969-1972 Pictured Above: Alfa Romeo Giulia Coupe GT Junior 1600 (Zagato), 1972-1975

The Abarth 2000 was designed by Pininfarina in 1969. Unlike other stylists, Pininfarina didn’t choose the name; however, the car could have been called "Testudo" in honor of the tortoise-like form of its rear end and roofline, with air intakes to the mid-mounted 2000cc engine. Source: Lotusespritturbo.com Images: Pininfarina; Mario Buonocunto Concept Cars Page

It is Abarth's last proposal before his addiction to FIAT. It was realized on the model of 1600, it had to be a coupé 2+2 intended to little series, but it will always remain a prototype. Very contemporary and maybe not too much "futurist" 1600 Coupé is one of few Italdesign prototypes not painted in grey metal, a color that, in Giugiaro's opinion, better underlines the formal characteristics of car line. Except for the Maserati in 1974 and the New York Taxi, all the prototypes, until 2000, will be painted in metal grey. Source: www.italdesign.it Images: ItalDesign; leroux.andre.free.fr

Little is known about the 1970 Plymouth Duster 340 Show Car. The stark differences between the show car and stock options are very apparent. The bullet-style side mirrors, abbreviated horizontal grille, dual round headlights, groovy paint job, and a wicked front spelling "Duster" briding the hood to the grill. Additionally, the chrome bumpers on the front and rear were modified to accommodate the dual exhaust tips seamlessly. Are the cutouts in the front acting as "air intakes"? Also, would this have two chrome gas caps on either side? Comment below if you know anything else about this car. Images: oldconceptcars; Hemmings Pictured Above: 1970 Plymouth Duster 340 Show Car Pictured Above: 1970 Plymouth Valiant Duster 340

The Tatra T613 Prototype, 1970, by Vignale was the last car designed at Vignale while it was still an independent carrozzeria. The Tatra was a rear-engined Czech luxury car powered by an air-cooled 3.5 liter V8 for the Eastern European market during the Soviet era. It went into production in 1974 and remained on sale after the end of communism, finally bowing out in 1996. Source: carsthatnevermadeitetc.tumblr Images: oldconceptcars