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The 1972 Silver Arrow III, Buick Riviera concept, was designed by Bill Mitchell and introduced at the 1972 Detroit Auto Show. Based on a production Riviera equipped with a 455 V8 engine, the car received many new features, including a lower roofline and redesigned quarter windows. Other advanced details included: High-level warning lights doubled as secondary turn signals. Six square halogen headlights upfront for better visibility during nighttime driving. Four-wheel anti-lock brakes. To maximize traction, the Silver Arrow III, like all Rivieras of 1971, was equipped with Max Trac, a forerunner of today's traction control systems. The Silver Arrow was equipped with a plush, silver leather interior highlighted with black piping inside. Driver comfort was aided with an adjustable brake, accelerator pedals, and a tilt and telescopic steering wheel. Equipped with these features, no horizontal adjustment was needed for the driver seat. There were two more versions of the Silver Arrow III. The Silver Arrow I and Silver Arrow II incorporated unspecified but relatively minor changes to Riviera's production. Source: Bill Bowman - wiki.gmnext.com Images: General Motors Corp.; gmheritagecenter.com

As part of a plan to offer customers a wider range of models, Lancia commissioned Zagato to make a Super Sport version of its Fulvia, with the car making its debut at the 1967 Turin motor show. Unfortunately, Lancia was acquired by Fiat before the Super Sport could make production, and it remained a prototype. Source: Carstyling Images: Zagato

The unusual Ogle Aston Martin was first shown at the Montreal Motor Show in January 1972. The idea came from David Ogle in the 1960s, but it wasn't until the project evolved to a finished car after his death. With the cost of the car being met by the tobacco company, W.O.Wills, the car was designed and built in 1971 under the guidance of Tom Karen. The car was known as 'The Sotheby Special' and finished in dark blue with gold pinstripes to promote the cigarette brand that Wills had just introduced. As the brand failed, the car was repainted in the 'Embassy' colors of white with a logo of red triangles. Based on a DBS V8 chassis, the bodywork was constructed from glass fiber, and above the waistline is formed from glass supported on a tubular frame of Reynolds 531 (as also used on the very best bicycle frames at the time). The rear panel was made of a single sheet of brushed stainless steel with 22 holes cut into it for the rear lamps. The headlamps are hidden by panels that drop down when the lamps are used. The harder the driver braked, the more lights were illuminated. Also, the car has a single sideways rear seat, making this the only post-war three-seater Aston Martin. The problem with a car such as the Ogle that so closely follows fashion is that it can start to look outdated quickly – and I'm afraid it does look very' 70's'. But despite its looks, the reduction in weight by having a fiberglass body made the Ogle significantly quicker than the standard DBS V8. The original 'Sotheby Special,' GHU120K, has proved very elusive to me but was seen in public at the Aston Martin Centenary Celebration at Kensington Palace in July 2013. It also is held in a private collection in the UK. A second sister car, GRA679, based on a slightly later AM V8 automatic chassis, was also built due to a request of a private customer in 1973. The car was reputed to have cost £28,750 when the standard car was only £8,749. But the price was very high indeed. In 1965, Ogle Design was also responsible for designing the concept interior for the DB5. Source: astonmartins.com Images: shorey.net; www.uniquecarsandparts.com.au; leroux.andre.free.fr; www.autogen.pl Pictured Above: Aston Martin DBS V8 'Sotheby Special' (Ogle Design), 1972 Pictured Above: Aston Martin V8 'Sotheby Special' (Ogle Design), 1973

The 1972 Alfa Romeo Alfetta Spider by Pininfarina was a proposal for a targa-top convertible based on the transaxle Alfetta platform. When the Alfetta models were introduced in 1975, only a Sprint and Berlina appeared, and enthusiasts wondered where the new Spider was. In 1972 Pininfarina had proposed a replacement for the Duetto and intended it to appear with the Alfetta Berlina and Sprint, but there were simply no funds for its development. It was presented at the 1972 Turin Motor Show. The prototype is now housed in the Museo Storico Alfa-Romeo in Arese. Source: www.alfabb.com Images: museum photographs by Perico001 on Flickr; Pininfarina; Concept Car Central

After Italdesign presented the Esprit Concept in 1972 to universal acclaim, Colin Chapman was determined to get the car on sale as quickly as possible. The Esprit IDGG 01 (Ital Design Giorgetto Giugiaro 01) was the first prototype for the series production Esprit. There are still differences from the S1 Esprit, the louvers in the C-pillar being the most obvious. Source & Images: carsthatnevermadeitetc.tumblr

When launched in 1975, the Chevette was a new departure for Vauxhall. It combined the General Motors T-Car platform proved so successful in Germany as the 1973 Opel Kadett C and the willing 1256cc Viva engine/transmission package. The ‘droopsnoot’ styling was penned in Luton by Wayne Cherry and proved to be a Vauxhall styling signature for a decade after making its debut on the Firenza HP. It was a very competent small car offered in saloon and estate car form. In addition, Vauxhall engineered a new hatchback rear end that was used across the rest of General Motors, most notably as the Opel Kadett City. It also set Vauxhall apart from its German counterpart, even if it meant that the two companies ended up competing in several markets. Easy to drive and a tidy handler, the Chevette proved popular enough to remain in production until 1984 – long after the Astra should have replaced it. It ended up making way for the Spanish-built Vauxhall Nova. Pictured below is supposedly the 1973 Vauxhall Chevette Hatchback prototype. Source: https://www.aronline.co.uk/ Images: oldconceptcars

The one-off Urraco Rally was constructed in 1973 by Lamborghini’s chief test driver and development engineer, Bob Wallace. It was the third and last of Wallace’s factory-sanctioned hot rods after the 1970 Jota and 1972 Jarama RS. The Rally was built from the third Urraco prototype which had its headlights mounted further up the front fenders than subsequent production derivatives. Wallace broadly created this experimental Lamborghini along the lines of a Group 4 GT racer, but it was never used in competition for a couple of reasons. Firstly, Ferruccio Lamborghini was famously opposed to his cars being raced and refused to sanction a motor sport programme of any kind. Although he had sold 51% of Automobili Lamborghini to Georges-Henri Rossetti in 1972, there was no change in official company policy. Nor were their funds to spare as Rossetti made no significant cash injection to the firm. Secondly, the Urraco had proven a commercial flop. Lamborghini had originally hoped to sell over 1000 examples every year. However, only once did the model manage to exceed even a quarter of that figure (in 1973 when 285 were built). Group 4 regulations required a minimum run of 500 production cars in twelve months, and Urraco for racing was out of the question. Nevertheless, this extensively modified hot rod served as a useful development tool for potential future upgrades. The Urraco prototype’s pressed steel monocoque chassis was lightened wherever possible. The rear subframe was beefed up to cope with the extra power. Wallace then added a series of welded steel and aluminum inserts to reinforce. Wallace enhanced the independent MacPherson strut suspension with stiffer springs, uprated Koni dampers, and thicker anti-roll bars. Everything was made fully adjustable. Bigger Girling ventilated brake discs were fitted with enormous new 15-inch diameter Campagnolo cast magnesium wheels. Unlike the production Urraco wheels that used five-bolt fixings, these latest rims were mounted on single center-locking hubs. Both Dunlop and Pirelli tires were variously trialed. Although many characteristics of the Rally’s engine were never publicized, a few key details did leak out. Like the subsequent Urraco P300, the engine was stroked from 53mm to 64.5mm. This gave an additional 534cc and took overall displacement to 2997cc. Wallace had the car running an experimental four-valve cylinder head and installed a dry-sump lubrication system and a front-mounted oil cooler. Compression was almost certainly hiked beyond the original 10.5:1, and bigger Weber carburetors would have been fitted too. An output of 310bhp was often quoted, which was 90bhp more than the standard Urraco P250. The Rally demonstrated that Paolo Stanzani’s original Tipo L240 all-alloy 90° V8 had real tuning potential. If the dual overhead camshafts fitted to the subsequent Urraco P300 had been utilized, over 350bhp would likely have been possible. Another important technical feature was the car’s six instead of five-speed gearbox. However, this addition proved false dawn; it wasn’t until the Murcielago arrived in 2001 that Lamborghini finally moved away from their traditional five-speed units. Several dramatic changes were made to the exterior. The front bumper was removed, and bigger auxiliary lights were installed. An enormous front spoiler was added, which wrapped around the front wheel arches and housed an intake for the oil cooler. The lightweight front lid was given a lip spoiler at its trailing edge to improve airflow. A single windscreen wiper replaced the original twin wiper arrangement, and two body-colored wing mirrors were mounted on the front fenders. Down each flank, the door catches, and wraparound triple-vaned rear window slats were removed to save weight. Each rear wheel arch was cut away and then flared to accommodate the wide new wheels. Plexiglas was used for the side and rear windows. The chrome window frames were replaced with anodized black metal. An enormous adjustable rear aerofoil was mounted on twin pylons over the boot lid at the back. The rear quarter bumpers were junked, and two un-silenced megaphone exhausts sprouted from the underside. Inside, every conceivable piece of superfluous trim was removed. While the original orange fabric passenger seat remained, a black vinyl bucket complete with racing harness was installed for the driver. A long-range fuel tank was positioned where the rear seats originally would have been, and a roll cage was also fitted. Weight was cut to ‘under 1100kg’, which would have given astonishing performance levels combined with the powerful new engine and six-speed gearbox. A top speed in the region of 170mph was likely possible, along with a 0-62mph time of under five seconds. The car reputedly ran head-to-head with Porsche 911 RSRs at several Misano test sessions. Wallace claimed it proved more than a match for the defining normally aspirated GT racing car of the early-to-mid 1970s. When Ferruccio Lamborghini sold the remaining 49% of his company in 1974 (to Georges-Henri Rossetti’s friend, Rene Leimer), further development on the Urraco Rally was suspended. Disillusioned with the management situation, Wallace left Lamborghini that same year and relocated to Arizona, where he opened his own workshop. Source: Supercar Nostalgia Images: Lamborghini - https://www.lamborghini.com

The 1973 Citroën SM Group 5 Prototype was a short wheelbase “bread van” rally version of the SM. The Maserati V6 was tuned to produce 250hp. Source & Images: carsthatnevermadeitetc.tumblr

The 1973 IZh GranTurismo Prototype stands as a unique and intriguing example of an all-terrain crossover/coupe. Developed by Lada Izhevsk, a subsidiary of the automotive manufacturer AvtoVAZ headquartered in Izhevsk, Russia, the prototype showcases an innovative approach to vehicle design. Lada Izhevsk's roots trace back to its days as a subsidiary of Izmash, operating under the IzhAvto brand. During this phase, the company was involved in producing a range of vehicles, including motorcycles and automobiles. The 1973 IZh GranTurismo Prototype likely embodies the creative spirit and experimental mindset of that era, attempting to blend elements of off-road capability with coupe aesthetics. View the Story Cars Archive of Soviet Concept Cars & Prototypes Source & Images: carsthatnevermadeitetc.tumblr

Toyota displayed the F101 concept and promoted it as "the sedan of the future." With only 97 horsepower, the F101 used the same 2-liter engine found in the 1974 Corona. The oriental prototype featured four-wheel disc brakes and a fully independent suspension. Displayed at the 1973 Tokyo Motor Show, the Toyota F101 concept must have looked incredibly futuristic compared to newly launched production vehicles such as the Publica Starlet, the headline car that year. Promoted as the saloon of the future, the Toyota F101 was, in fact, neither a saloon nor hatchback but a coupe with an extremely unusual asymmetric and longitudinally-hinged gull-wing-style boot. Under the bonnet was the 2.0-liter engine from the contemporary Corona. At the same time, Toyota later commented that the F101 inspired some aspects of the forthcoming second-generation Celica – perhaps the silhouette of the three-door Liftback model. Source: www.chicagoautoshow.com; blog.toyota.co.uk Images: Toyota; www.2000gt.net; minkara.carview.co.jp

The Toyota EV2 was a concept car produced in 1973. The car was a small electric vehicle developed as part of the large-scale project led by the (then) International Trade and Industry Ministry's Agency of Industrial Science and Technology. It was only 3.3 meters long. The car was later exhibited at the 1973 Tokyo Motor Show. Source & Images: carsthatnevermadeitetc.tumblr

The ESV was a 2-door, 2-seater concept car built to conform to the Japanese government's Experimental Safety Vehicle specifications and shown during the 1973 Tokyo Motor Show. The ESV was the 100th and final vehicle produced by Toyota under the ESV program. It was mostly similar to the ESV-2, except the ESV had larger plastic bumpers and slight differences in the trim. Safety features included 4-wheel anti-skid brakes, 4-beam headlights, airbags, silicone rubber front bumper mounted on internal shock absorbers, and crumple zones. The front suspension used double wishbones. Toyota developed a 2500-pound two-seater coupe powered by a 1.7-liter four-cylinder engine. The mill was bolted to an automatic transmission that was safer than a manual because it was controlled by a computer and not a human. The prototype was packed full to the brim with electronic gadgets, including a system that automatically adjusted the brightness of the headlights based on the car's speed and radar that scoped the road ahead to detect obstacles. If a collision with an object was unavoidable, the radar sent a signal to a module that deployed gas bags that acted more or less in the same fashion as modern airbags. Toyota's ESV also used a primitive onboard computer that monitored the brake fluid level and the engine oil level, among other vitals. The rise in traffic accidents was also becoming a serious problem outside Japan. Against this backdrop, in February 1970, the U.S. Department of Transportation advocated the development of experimental safety vehicles (ESVs) to conduct research to improve vehicle safety to the absolute maximum and improve safety-related technological standards. At the time, approximately 60 percent of people killed in automotive accidents in the United States were vehicle occupants. Automotive safety, particularly occupant safety, had become a major issue. The proposed ESV development plan aimed to study and improve vehicle safety to protect occupants and help drivers avoid risks. The U.S. government called on the Japanese and West German governments to cooperate in ESV development. In November 1970, the United States and Japan exchanged memorandums on ESV development, and Japan formally agreed to take part in the ESV project. It was agreed that the United States would develop a 4,000-pound (approximately 1,800-kilogram) ESV, while other participant countries, including Japan, would develop a 2,000-pound (approximately 900-kilogram) ESV. Automakers in the United States, Japan, West Germany, and other countries devoted their cutting-edge technology to ESV development. In May 1971, the Japanese government finalized the specifications for Japan's ESV, based on U.S. ESV specifications, and recruited automakers to work on development. The Japanese specifications for the ESV included shock-absorption ability sufficient to protect the life of all occupants in a collision at 80 kilometers per hour, ensuring a "life-saving" space within the cabin and preventing occupants from being thrown from the vehicle. Toyota applied to participate in developing the 2,000-pound (approximately 900-kilogram) ESV in June that year. In joining the project, the company hoped to contribute to accident prevention actively and gain the technical capability to respond to future changes in safety standards. Development of the Toyota ESV began in February 1971. In addition to the body and brakes, the departments responsible for the vehicle outfitting chassis and drive mechanisms worked together closely, and Nippondenso Co., Ltd. (now Denso Corporation) and Aisin Seiki Co., Ltd. also cooperated with development. Following advanced development and the first and second prototype stages, Toyota's ESV was completed in June 1973, in line with specifications. From September through to December, ten vehicles were delivered to the Japanese government. These ESVs underwent performance testing based on Japanese ESV specifications, testing all items completed in March 1974. Toyota's ESV employed an S-shaped frame at its front to absorb the massive energy from a frontal collision at 80 kilometers per hour. In addition, creating the quarter pillar with an almost vertical configuration minimized the pillar's penetration into the vehicle cabin during a crash. To protect occupants during a side-on collision, the side construction also featured a rigid beam on the exterior, and on the interior, the door trim offered protection to occupants. Furthermore, to secure occupants in place during a crash, the vehicle featured a passive lap belt that fitted automatically when occupants were seated, and an airbag device, which inflated on impact after determining a collision was imminent to protect occupants from secondary collisions. Several new systems were developed, with both the front and rear wheels dually fitted with disc brakes and ESC, aiming for optimum braking performance. The Toyota ESV-2, making practical improvements to the first-prototype Toyota ESV-1, was exhibited at the 19th Tokyo Motor Show in November 1972. Toyota's group-wide effort to research and develop vehicle safety technology gained widespread attention. Although the ESV was completed as a test vehicle, cost and productivity were not factored into the development. However, Toyota proactively incorporated the safety technologies gained during ESV development into its mass-produced vehicles wherever possible. The redesigned Corona (RT100) released in August 1973 featured several new safety technologies, fusing the concept and technologies of the Toyota ESV with mass production. Structural features, including a large shock-absorbing bumper, a large single-piece plastic instrument panel, and an energy-absorbing steering column, were developed and employed in the model. The Corona also featured the "OK Monitor," developed as an active safety device. These safety features won acclaim from the market, propelling the Corona to the position of best-selling compact size car for 35 consecutive months from December 1973 to October 1976. Source: Wiki; ranwhenparked.net; www.toyota-global.com Images: Toyota

In 1968, Bertone presented the Panther, a prototype designed at the instigation of Umberto Maglioli and Alfredo Belponer, owner of the Scuderia Brescia Corse, intending to compete in Group 6 in the Prototype-Sports Car category. L'Auto Journal Spécial Salon 1968 presented the Bertone Panther as a coupé which "has a monocoque chassis type light alloy and plastic bodywork. Titanium alloy has been widely used, which explains the relatively low weight of the whole: 650 kg. A fin stabilizer hydraulically increases adherence to high speed, but unlike the Chaparral, its door ahead of the rear wheels." Unfortunately, at the end of 1969, Alfredo Belponer decided to stop the Panther project, which had become too expensive. This decision led to disputes between various parties involved in the project, which led Umberto Maglioli to keep the car as compensation, according to him. In 1972, he sold the Panther to Franco Sbarro. Sbarro wanted to produce the Panther in small series. So in 1973, he presented a series of modifications and improvements, including removing the famous fin from the prototype and the Panther and Bertone logos. The dashboard was modified, and the passenger compartment was fitted with carpeting. The engine originally planned by Bertone was a Formula 1 V12 BRM. Sbarro installed a Mercedes 6.3-litre V8 instead. Finally, the car was renamed, Tiger. For the record, the story could have gone wrong when Nuccio Bertone, warned by Gianbeppe Panicco, was surprised to see "his" car on Sbarro's stand at the 1973 Geneva Motor Show. A discussion between the two men allowed Sbarro to prove his good faith: he is the car owner, which, moreover, no longer looks like it did in 1968. The matter remains at that point. A catalog reproduced here was published at the time on the Tiger. Sbarro mentions the possibility of installing different V8 engines: Ford-Boss 7033 cc, Chrysler-Hemi 6980 cc, Chevrolet 7380 cc, or Mercedes 6332 cc at your choice. The original ZF transmission is a 5-speed manual, but the catalog says an automatic transmission could be installed. As for the performance, the figures seem optimistic, with a top speed of 300 km/h and a 0-100 km/h time of about 4 seconds. But this small-series project never came to fruition, as Sbarro could not obtain the bodywork molds. The Tiger, therefore, remained a unique model. Curiously, the reference book "Franco Sbarro - concept cars" makes no mention of it. The 1973 catalog only shows the Tiger in the form of drawings. Only the pictures of the Sbarro stand at the 1973 Geneva Motor Show the Tiger next to the SV-1. What happened to this car? The current owner started tremendous restoration work, wishing to put the car back in its original 1968 Bertone configuration, with the original 12 cylinder Formula 1 BRM engine originally planned. Franco Sbarro kept it for a long time before he sold it. Features: engine: V12 BRM F1 (originally planned) V8 Mercedes (for Genève Motorshow1973) configuration: rear mid-engine power: 400-450 cv (V12 BRM), 250 cv (V8 Mercedes) brakes: 4 vented discs wheels: front 8"x15, rear 10"x15 dimensions: lenght 4,20 m ; width 1,75 m ; height 1,05 m ; wheelbase 2,40 m ; tracks 1,45 m weight: 1050 kg top speed: 300 km/h production: one-off Source: Philippe Calvet, July 2020 Images: Sbarro

In March 1973, Franco Sbarro exhibited at the Geneva Motor Show for the first time. The stand is small, but it opens a series of uninterrupted participation in the Geneva Motor Show. The Sbarro's will become a must for visitors. This is not as innocuous as it may seem at first glance. In 1973, when the Sbarro set SV1, he focused its activities on the competition: Formule 5000, CanAm, Chevrolet Corvette, Opel GT Greder, road adaptation of Lola T70. Known among competition set, it remains unknown to the public. The Geneva Motor Show will become the showcase, directly affecting the public and its future customers. The media coverage can be significant and justify the investment for an artisan in an international automotive exhibition. The Coupe SV-1, for Safety Vehicle One, is shown at the Geneva Motor Show 1973, along with the Tiger. This is a car to meet safety standards at the time. The chassis is connected to a tube with a double side roll cage submerged in a two-piece polyester filled with polyurethane foam. The interior is strengthened. The SV1 is equipped with two sprinklers triggered by impact or very high heat in the engine compartment and cockpit. Two engines are planned: a rotary engine with dual-piston from the NSU Ro80 150 DIN hp at 5500 rpm or a blend of two birotors NSU developing 300 hp DIN at 5500 rpm. Only one car was built, however, powered with the latter. Note that Sbarro experimented with assembling two engines to form a new one. This solution will be repeated many times after that (Royale, Super twelve ...). The SV-1 is so far the only model Sbarro rotary engine. At the Geneva Motor Show 1973, the car was white. It was painted the following year in orange and set out again on the stand Sbarro in 1974, alongside the Stash. The car, financed by Stanislas Klossowsky, who also worked on the Stash, has not found a buyer at the time. Features: engine: 4-rotor Wankel engine Wankel NSU Ro80 configuration: mid engine displacement: 4 x 497 cc (3980 cm3) alimentation: 4 carburators power: 300 BHP @ 5500 rpm transmission: rear wheel drive gearbox: 5-speed manual weight: 1320 kg brakes: 4 discs dimensions: lenght : 4,50 m ; width : 1,88 m ; height 1,22 m ; wheelbase : 2,53 m body: 2 gullwing doors/ polyester top speed: 230 to 240 km/h production: one-off Source: Philippe Calvet Images: www.zwischengas.com

PRX4705 may quite simply well be the largest and most imposing two-door convertible existing in the world today – and most likely one of the largest two-door convertibles ever built. Although it has a four-door sibling that at some point was owned by the famous Blackhawk Collection in California, the car on offer today is a unique one-off in every respect. It was created by the world-famous Maserati designer Pietro Frua in his crisp signature style to a special order received in 1971 from H.E. Consul Simon van Kempen of Switzerland and Monaco. It remains an automobile that will stop passers-by in their tracks wherever it is shown. The chassis was dispatched to Switzerland on 24 November 1971 with a declared value of GBP 6,265 plus GBP 492 for various accessories – a massive amount at the time. It was delivered to the Garage de'l Athenee in Geneva that had the task of assisting Pietro Frua during constructing the one-off body. Frua had worked for the Swiss coachbuilding company Ghia-Aigle, which may explain why he was chosen to design Consul van Kempen's car. His initial rendering was numbered 869, but after some alterations to the wheel arches, the final design was labeled 870 and showed the car built. It took two full years to complete this stunning convertible, the process being endlessly delayed by the Italian-English language barrier between Frua and Rolls-Royce. At the same time, a British chassis measured in inches did not make life easier for the metric Italians. Consul van Kempen decided in the middle of everything that he wanted the classic Rolls-Royce radiator inclined at an angle, thereby fundamentally changing the front end design of the car, did not spur matters along with either. The seats were trimmed with specially selected leather of finest quality, the luggage compartment and floors received light leather-bordered carpets, the steering wheel received hand-stitched leather trim, and the horn button was engraved with the owner's initials. Frua sprinkled the bodywork liberally with R-R logos above the taillights and on the side trim. Tool compartments were not in the trunk but in neat receptacles on both sides of the engine under the bonnet, which is piano hinged and opens separately in a traditional manner. As delays mounted, door locks and other mechanisms were sourced from Mercedes-Benz. In the end, Consul van Kempen threatened to cancel the whole thing. The final Rolls-Royce inspection of the finished car, which was necessary to receive the warranty papers, took place in Italy on 5 September 1973. Although he did not take delivery until that time, Consul van Kempen was delighted with his giant convertible and kept it until 1997, using it extensively. Walter Steinemann, a second long-term owner, subsequently acquired it, who retained PRX4705 until Henrik Frederiksen purchased it. Today, the car remains in wonderful condition with pale green metallic paint, complemented by a luxurious off-white leather interior. It is ready to provide its new owner with glamorous top-down motoring on the open road. Source & Images: Bonhams

The 1973 Peugeot Safari concept by Heuliez was a beach-buggy proposal based on the Peugeot 104. The Peugeot 104 was a supermini designed by Paolo Martin and produced by Peugeot's French car manufacturer between 1972 and 1988. It was the first model produced at the company's Mulhouse plant. It was also the first new Peugeot introduced since 1955 not to be available with a diesel option. The concept by Heuliz extended the rear with a squared-off top. This concept never went into production. Source: wikipedia Images: Andre LE ROUX Site

Bertone presented the Trapeze at the Paris Motor Show in October 1973. Once they had established the superiority of this solution for the GT vehicle, the Bertone team then faced the challenging task of making this compatible with driving comfort. An important design project, the prototype was mounted with a central NSU RO80 engine with rotating piston. The engine was mounted length-ways to optimize weight distribution and get around the engine bulk problem in the cockpit. The seats were laid out in a trapezium formation. And the fact that the rear passenger seats were out of line with the front seats also enhanced visibility. The two front seats set very close together allowed the passengers in the back to stretch out their legs fully in the space created between the front seats and the door. The work on vehicle comfort was later teamed with a passive passenger safety project: the space between the front passenger and the door represented an element of safety in the case of a side impact. This was Bertone’s contribution to the safety debate in a market where the manufacturers, restricted by the strict American DOT legislation, often opted for original solutions at the cost of flexibility and aesthetic quality. In design terms, the Trapeze recalls the Stratos, with its compact proportions, enormous wrap-around windscreen, and small side windows. The prominent bumper running around the entire vehicle was a successful solution on some vehicles destined for mass production. Source: bertone.it Images: Bertone; Mario Buonocunto Concept Cars Page

The first Nissan EV truck in this series was the 1973 Nissan EV Truck Concept. The second truck, the EV4-H, was built upon the lessons learned from the EV4-P and employed a hybrid drivetrain. In this case, hybrid meant simply two types of batteries high-output lead-acid batteries and high-energy-density zinc-air batteries, and a control system that optimized the balance between the two in various driving conditions. The EV4-H clocked an impressive range of 496 kilometers (308 miles) on a single charge with the hybrid system. It could accelerate 0-40 km/h in 4.9 seconds. Source & Images: Nissan

Continuing the Japanese government’s pushing the EV trend, the EV4-P was built in conjunction with the Industrial Science and Technology Agency of the Ministry of International Trade and Industry starting in 1971. This so that by 1973, the EV4-P was road-ready and the most impressive EV to date. It also carried the greatest mileage on a single charge of an EV for the time, 302 kilometers (188 miles) at a constant speed of 40 km/h (24.5 mph). All while averaging a stout 0-40 km/h in 6.9 seconds. The second truck, the 1973 Nissan EV-H Truck Concept would have even more impressive times. Source: Nissan Images: www.conceptnissan.com

In the early ’70s, the Lincoln division at Ford Motor Company was facing the same dilemma as its cross-town rival in the Motor City, Cadillac: answering the growing threat of smaller European cars, mainly Mercedes, then invading the U.S. luxury car market. Cadillac’s response, of course, was the close-coupled 1976 Seville. Ford, meanwhile, experimented with multiple approaches, including this one: The Lincoln Mark I Ghia. In 1970, Ford acquired full control of Carrozzeria Ghia of Turin. Hence, the famed Italian coach house founded by Giacinto Ghia was the natural choice to create a Euro-flavored luxury sedan America. Ghia’s proposal was based on the Granada Mark I produced by Ford of Europe in Cologne, Germany, and Dagenham, England. Based on a different platform powered by a range of V4, L4, and V6 engines, the European Granada shared only its name with the Ford Granada produced in the USA. As we can see, the Mark I Ghia closely followed the same styling formula employed by Lee Iacocca and crew to create the highly successful Lincoln Continental Mark III, with an elegant, neo-classical grille pasted onto the front end. (We wouldn’t know if Iacocca was directly involved in the Ghia concept, but we wouldn’t be at all surprised—see our feature on the Mark III here.) In other aspects, the Mark I was not so different from its European Granada forebear, sharing the doors, greenhouse, and other elements. We note here that the Mark I, at least at this point, was not badged as a Continental but strictly as a Lincoln. The Mark I Granada (1972-77) was never officially imported to the USA, so relatively few Americans have ever seen one. The photos above and below provide some small ideas, we hope. Built on a 107-inch wheelbase ranging from 2600 to 3200 lbs, the Granada was offered a four-door sedan, a four-door station wagon, or a two-door fastback coupe. The cabin (below) was roomy and well-appointed, but this being the 1970s and all, we presume the Ford product people would have added a few yards of crushed velour and more fake woodgrain for the American market. (See our feature, “Life in a Trombone Case: The Motor City’s Velour Era.”) Of course, we know how this came out all these years later. Ford opted not to base its small Lincoln on the European Ford Granada but the U.S. Granada—again, a different car. The Lincoln Versailles (below) was introduced in 1977 and produced through 1980, and it was less than a rousing success for FoMoCo. While the Versailles was the smallest Lincoln in the lineup and not much more than a dolled-up Mercury Monarch, it curiously carried the steepest base price at $11,500. Barely more than 50,000 cars were sold in the four years of production. Source: macsmotorcitygarage Images: Ford Motor Company