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The Lancia Gamma sedan was the most run-of-the-mill car. Its design received mostly critical reviews. The stylistically independent Gamma Coupe is one of the most beautiful cars of the 1970s. This large and elegant coupe was a triumph for Pininfarina (the work of Aldo Brovarone), which created a great car based on an unpromising chassis and a platform shortened by 4.5 inches. The Lancia Gamma Coupe was the pinnacle of Pininfarina design from the Keystone era. A feature was a wide side recess on the sides of the car, in which dark plastic served to focus attention. The coupe shares many similarities with the Fiat 130 Coupe but is less playful. Similarities were also noted with the Ferrari 365 GT4 2 +2 and the Ferrari 412. Interestingly, the sedan looked like a coupe-style fastback, and a three-volume body distinguished the Coupe. Pininfarina has tried to make this very large car look smaller than its real size. The Gamma Coupe can be considered an American dream of an Italian spill. She is imposing and imposing in an American way, and at the same time, beautiful in Italian. All four Lancia Gamma-based concepts by Pininfarina: 1976 Gamma Coupe (Pininfarina) 1978 Gamma Spider (Pininfarina) 1980 Lancia Gamma Scala by Pininfarina 1982 Lancia Gamma Olgiata by Pininfarina Source: carstyling.ru (translated from Russian) Images: Pininfarina; www.lov2xlr8.no; Andre LE ROUX Site

The Lancia Gamma Spider was a concept car built by Pininfarina in 1978. It was one of 4 cars built on the Lancia Gamma chassis and bodied by Pininfarina. The Gamma Spider was similar to the Beta Spider, with a removable roof panel and rear window, leaving a roll-bar over the rear seats. The Spider was first shown at the Geneva Motor Show in 1978 but not put into production. Possibly its greatest claim to fame was the use of the car by Pope John Paul II when he toured North Italy in the early 1980s. At least one Coupe has since been modified to the same configuration, though not by Pininfarina. All four Lancia Gamma-based concepts by Pininfarina: 1976 Gamma Coupe (Pininfarina) 1978 Gamma Spider (Pininfarina) 1980 Lancia Gamma Scala by Pininfarina 1982 Lancia Gamma Olgiata by Pininfarina Source: Lancia Gamma Spider | Classic Cars Wiki | Fandom. https://classiccars.fandom.com/wiki/Lancia_Gamma_Spider Images: Pininfarina; leroux.andre.free.fr

A strong emotional impact and great suggestive power in this concept were realized on prestigious mechanicals. The purest Jaguar sports car tradition has soft and aerodynamic shapes, devoid of edges, for an "organic" design. Designer: Emanuele Nicosia Thirty-seven years after the legendary Jaguar E-type production ceased, we're still waiting for a descendant with worthy credentials. But the XJ Spider – designed by Pininfarina for the 1978 British Motor Show – stimulated Jaguar to seriously explore the idea of an 'F-type' spiritual successor. In hindsight, creating a replacement for what has since become one of the world's most iconic cars was never going to be an easy job for Jaguar. The car unenviably tasked with following in the E-type's footsteps was the XJ-S, which made its debut in 1975. It was criticized for its styling, as was Jaguar's decision to use a big-capacity V12 engine in the midst of a fuel crisis. Add to that the fact that it was already at a disadvantage because of its mere existence – many didn't want the beloved E-type to be replaced at all – and you can see why the XJ-S never achieved the praise of its forerunner enjoyed. And, despite the reputable modern-day offerings of the Jaguar portfolio, the firm is still yet to attempt to resurrect the E-type. Even the C-X16 concept – which was predicted to take that role and will be given the 'XE' production name – has turned out to be a sports coupé in the vein of the Porsche Cayman, as opposed to an elegant, mile-wolfing GT car. But rather than looking forward to finding a proper E-type successor, perhaps we should instead be looking at the past. Rewind the clock to 1978, and you see the three-year-old XJ-S being subjected to persistent criticism, of which legendary coachbuilder Pininfarina was taking note. It seems Jaguar, too, was reacting to the Italian carozzeria's intention of creating its interpretation of an E-type successor by granting it one of the XJ-S development mules. With underpinnings in place, the formidable trio of Leonardo Fioravanti, Sergio Pininfarina, and Renzo Carli went about designing the bodywork. They reverted to the oval-shaped front air-intake of the E-type and dropped the sober lines of the XJ-S in favor of the more bulbous curves of the original – including the swooping arcs, which peaked above the wheels. The three also gave the car a huge boot to maximize great touring potential, but this led to a side profile remarkably reminiscent of the same generation Corvette. Perhaps this was intentional; after all, Jaguar wanted to break into the American market, and what better way to do it? The Pininfarina XJ Spider was shorter, wider, and rode lower than the XJ-S, giving it sportier intentions despite sharing the same chassis. As its new name suggested, it was given a convertible roof (beating Jaguar's targa-roofed XJ-S by some five years), as well as some pop-up headlights and interesting instrumentation inside. Underneath the bodywork resided the 5343cc V12 of the donated mule, which produced 284bhp and was mated to a five-speed gearbox. Making its debut at the British Motor Show in 1978 (incidentally the first held in Birmingham's N.E.C.), the XJ Spider took full advantage of that year's record-breaking attendance of over 900,000. Public reception was good, and this led to Jaguar developing a series of prototypes at Browns Lane, which went by the XJ41 (coupé/targa) and XJ42 (convertible) internal codenames. These experimental cars took many cues from the Pininfarina car, addressed the Corvette-esque rear end, and replaced the square pop-up headlights with oval ones – a feature later used on the XJ220. The intention was for the finished car to bear the F-type model name and slot into the model range between the XJ40 and XJ-S. The F-type project began in 1980, but it still wasn't complete when a review of live projects by new owner Ford took place nearly a decade later. The American giant swiftly condemned the F-type project to the automotive graveyard, but that wasn't to say the drawn-out development process was in vain. Having also acquired Aston Martin in the late eighties, Ford needed some existing technology to save costs and delved into the Browns Lane parts inventory when developing the DB7. Reportedly some of the XJ41/42's engineerings were carried over to the Aston, making the XJ Spider an unexpected link between the E-type and the DB9 predecessor. It may have had styling too American for a Jaguar. Still, the XJ Spider concept very nearly inspired a car that had a chance of becoming a proper E-type successor had Jaguar been more focused on the XJ41/42's development. Thankfully, Jaguar is a much more decisive company nowadays, which means there's still a chance that Ian Callum et al. will produce one in the future. But until then, we still have Pininfarina's offering to promote conjecture. Source: Classic Concepts: 1978 Jaguar XJ Spider by Pininfarina .... https://www.classicdriver.com/en/article/cars/classic-concepts-1978-jaguar-xj-spider-pininfarina Images: Pininfarina; Concept Car Central; www.classicdriver.com

A large aerodynamic saloon concept by Giugiaro with a 0.24 drag coefficient. Source of inspiration for the Medusa, M8 is the first study completely intended to aerodynamics matched with maximum internal compartment. The Megagamma, presented that same year, reflected the maximum comfort exploitation, beginning with a series of mechanics. M8 tries to match this element with drastically reduced air penetration dowry, registering a CX of 0.24. Dimensions: Length: 4910 mm Width: 1860 mm Height: 1260 mm Wheelbase: 3000 mm Source: Project: M8 - 1978 - Italdesign. https://www.italdesign.it/project/m8/ Images: ItalDesign

The Ghia Action is a concept car that was built in 1978. The Action is probably the most striking Ghia show car of all. It was the most severe wedge shape ever seen. Filippo Sapino designed the car. It had a rear-mounted DFV Formula I V-eight engine and completely enclosed rear wheels. It was presented at the 1978 Turin Motor Show. Source: Ghia Action | Classic Cars Wiki | Fandom. https://classiccars.fandom.com/wiki/Ghia_Action Images: Concept Car Central

Ford Ghia Operations in Turin showed this experimental new sports car at the Geneva Show. It uses the running gear of the Ford Fiesta, which will be announced later this year, and is designed to carry four adults in a car 70 cms (28 in.) shorter than the production Mustang II. Source: Ford Press Release Images: Ford

The Ford Microsport was a concept car built in 1978 by Ghia, geared for fun and fuel efficiency. The car was based on a 1.0-liter Ford Fiesta, being 10 inches shorter than a Fiesta and featuring lightweight aluminum panels and impact-absorbing plastic materials at the front and rear. The car, finished in two-tone white and red, was distinctly wedge-shaped with a severely sloping front grille. Twin air ducts characterized the rear-end treatment. Lightweight glass panels were used for the windscreen, rear screen, and side glass. Inside, black leather and red cloth were used for the seats, and a unique plastic cover was used to segregate the luggage compartment from the passenger compartment. This movable cover could be folded away for more storage capacity. Source: Ford Microsport | Classic Cars Wiki | Fandom. https://classiccars.fandom.com/wiki/Ford_Microsport Images: Ford; www.shorey.net

The Ford Megastar II was a concept car built by Ghia in 1978. The Megastar II was a five-passenger, wedge-shaped concept that rode on a 101-inch wheelbase. A two-liter four-cylinder engine powered it. Its two-door aluminum body had an extended front section and short, squaretail rear, designed to benefit stability and fuel economy. A copper-tinted windshield and door glass blended with the honey-colored velvet-like upholstered material. Ford displayed the first Megastar prototype at the 1978 Chicago Auto Show when fitted with a three-liter V-6. The car was built for the family of the future. The car was based on Ford's European Taunus Sport. The Megastar II was fitted with a four-speed manual transmission, independent front and rear suspension, and aluminum alloy wheels. The front of the car incorporates a louvered airfoil grille with four headlights recessed behind clear plastic covers. Additional halogen driving lamps are located beneath an impact-absorbent front bumper, also shaped for reduced wind resistance. Megastar II's tailgate opens to the top of the rear bumper with the assistance of gas-filled struts. The rear seats fold down individually to provide additional luggage space. Teardrop-shaped door windows are lowered electrically, and front-hinged quarter windows can be opened for the comfort of rear-seat passengers. The interior of Megastar II features black leather upholstery and black carpeting with orange stripes to reflect the car's exterior color scheme. An instrument panel is a modular unit behind the padded four-spoke steering wheel. Instruments and controls always are illuminated behind a heavily tinted screen for reflection-free visibility. Dual exterior mirrors can be adjusted electrically from the driver's seat. Source: Public Relations, Ford Division (1979) via www.carsandracingstuff.com; www.chicagoautoshow.com Images: Ford Public Relations Photo via www.carsandracingstuff.com; Concept Car Central; www.chicagoautoshow.com

The Ford Lucano is a concept car built by Ghia in 1978 for Ford. The Lucano was a two-seat sports car based on the European Ford Escort, which resembles the Triumph TR7 in its wedged lines. The front-mounted engine could range anywhere from 1.1 to 2.0 liters. It was presented at the 1978 Turin Motor Show. Source: Popular Mechanics - May 1980 Images: Ghia

The Ford FT80 further developed the Ford GT40 as "grand style" for Le Mans in Colani's C-Form. Luigi Colani was unique in the automotive world. He was an engineer in aerodynamics (Sorbonne, Paris) and an artist and sculptor (Berlin). That was an invaluable combination for a car designer today when aerodynamics was such a critically important word. From the mid-1950s, Luigi Colani designed cars, advanced sports, and racing machines. Being a specialist in aerodynamics, Colani always put a very streamlined body to his cars. Using his experience with the aircraft industry, Colani had, with the GT80, finally come up with a design very similar to racing's wing cars. By the mid-1980s, he had become one of the most famous designers in Europe and was a design consultant to BMW and Volkswagen. Before Colin Chapman and other designers did it, Colani conceived prototypes with the whole body designed as a converted wing. The fully enclosed rear-end, as on the Lotus 80 Formula One car and the Chaparral 2K Indy car, was previewed by Colani in 1970. He called it the C-Form (C = Colani), and his principle was patented in Munich by "Deutsches Patentamt" on November 25, 1967. Stern magazine published an article on the C-Form principle the following year. During the decade that was the 70s, Colani built several full-scale models and mock-ups of C-Form wing cars. The Colani GT80 prototype unveiled at the Frankfurt show in 1980 resulted from these many years of aerodynamic study and development. In 1973 the first 1:1 mock-up model of this advanced project was ready at Colani's studio at his Harkotten water-castle near Munster, Germany. Two years later, the final layout of the design was done, and a final mock-up model with a rolling chassis was built. In 1978 a two-seater monocoque aluminum chassis was built (to Formula One standards) for Colani by Tiga Racing Cars in England. In 1979 the show car was just ready for Frankfurt, but the Colani GT80 was prepared for the road the following year. The GT80 was more expensive than a Rolls-Royce, Colani said, because, in every respect, the very best materials were used. Like the famous Ford GT40, the Colani GT80 was a Le Mans type car for the road. The actual Le Mans racing version had already been built at Harkotten Castle. The Colani GT80 prototype shown at Frankfurt was built around the Ford Cosworth V6 engine, which was highly successful in the racing Capris from Cologne. It had also been used in Formula 5000 in England. It was a 24-valved engine of 3400 cm3 with 298 kW at 10,500 rpm. Ford of Europe produced the Frankfurt Show press material on the GT80, but Colani himself paid for the whole project. The show car had Formula One wheels and tires, but the road brakes and suspension were up to Formula One standard, too, and were designed by Howden Ganley. The suspension parts were originally designed for Howden Ganley's private Formula One project. Double wishbones were at the front, lower wishbones, and upper trailing link at the rear with twin radius rods. The brakes were outboard. The second GT80 prototype was fitted with the inboard rocker-type suspension to improve airflow further. The gearbox was a five-speed ZF, and the same firm designed a very special steering rack for the car. ZF went on to help design some electronic components for the GT80, for example, an automatic down-force sensing device to adjust the front wing section. Thus it was possible to reduce air resistance while driving at high speed and to produce more down-force when in corners. Colani claimed that the GT80 had a coefficient of drag less than 0.2, which was remarkably slippery. The car had a complete wing-shaped body with a sharp trailing edge like an aircraft wing, the lack of a rear window was overcome by placing a wide-angled video camera into a roof fairing. A monitor built into the spokeless steering wheel showed the whole rearview by pushing a switch. An airbag was also placed in the steering wheel - a unique feature back in 1980. The noise level of the production car would have been very low thanks to a 20 cm wall of insulation material between the engine and seats - but the car never made the production line. The good aerodynamic shape of the car reduced wind noise to a very low level. The glass was all flat and black with one big wiper on the windscreen and one on each side window. The very dramatically shaped body is aluminum, handmade for Colani by Marsh Developments in England. "It has been a long way," Colani said. "But seeing the result, I really feel that it has all been worthwhile." In this case - you judge for yourself. Ford provided the engines for the cars, which were the same as those used in the De Tomaso Pantera. Only three cars were built, the first having a plastic body and the last two having aluminum bodies. Source: uniquecarsandparts.com.au; www.colani.de Images: Colani Design

The Fiat Ecos by Pininfarina was a study for an environmentally-friendly electric city car, realized in co-operation with the Fiat Research Centre. The ecological sensibility would become only later of broad interest. Electric city car wooden model. It was presented at the Turin Motor Show in 1978. The wheelbase was 2200mm. It was planned to be powered by a 26kW electric motor driving the front wheels. Twelve 6V batteries, each weighing 30kg, were to be installed. Engine & performance: Type: electric Capacity: 35 hp Top speed: 80 km/h Dimensions: Length: 3405 mm Width: 1605 mm Height: 1480 mm Wheelbase: 2200 mm Source: pininfarina spa.; www.carsfromitaly.net Images: pininfarina spa.

The Campagnola was a 4x4 originally inspired by the Willys Jeep and made by Fiat principally for the military market since 1951. The Campagnola chassis and mechanicals were clothed in a Range Rover lookalike body, known as the 'Sporting.' It featured a third row that looked out the rear glass. Moretti made an SUV version for the civilian market. Still, the Turin-based coachbuilder went out of business in 1979 before production had begun. This Moretti 4x4 was presented at the 1978 Turin Motor Show. Source: www.carsfromitaly.net Images: www.productioncars.com; www.moretti-cars.net; ruoteclassiche.quattroruote.it

Felber in Switzerland manufactured this International Scout II-based 3-door wagon. It featured part-time 4x4 (rear permanent and front engaged manually in off-road conditions). It was equipped with a 3-speed automatic gearbox. Its V8 would produce 121.5 kW / 163 hp / 165 PS. It had a top speed of 170 km/h (106 mph) and claimed a 0-60 mph time of 12.2 seconds. Engine & performance: Position: front Type: International, V8 Capacity: 5654 cc Power: 165 hp @ 3600 rpm Torque: 396 Nm @ 2000 rpm Drive: 4WD Top speed: 170 km/h Dimensions: Length: 4220 mm Width: 1780 mm Height: 1670 mm Wheelbase: 2540 mm Weight: 1632 kg Source: automobile-catalog.com; allcarindex Images: www.autotitre.com; www.forum-auto.com

The famous Italian avant-garde designer L. Colani designed a prototype of the "2001 freight train of the year". In its development and construction, he collaborated with 19 companies, including FIAT (chassis), Pirelli (tires and wheels), Fichtel und Sachs (hydraulic equipment). Colani sought to get Cx equal to 0.4. To do this, he proposed an entirely new architectural solution for the head of the train, minimized the gap between it and the semi-trailer, installed a side fairing between the tractor's wheels. To dramatically improve safety, Kolani found a fundamentally new solution, thanks to which the module with the driver's compartment moves back and up along the guides during a frontal impact, and special hydraulic devices absorb the impact energy. In terms of safety, a round windshield with a three-blade propeller-type wiper is also of interest. The driver's workplace is equipped with control devices with digital rather than pointer indications. Audible signaling is widely used, which aims to unload the driver's attention from visual control of the instrumentation of the operation of the road train systems. The aerodynamic drag coefficient of the second-generation tractor was reduced to 0.38, which made it possible to increase the average fuel consumption on the highway to 26.7 l/100 km. The car of 2001 by L. Colani based on a FIAT truck tractor is another attempt to create a prototype truck ahead of its time. Features: year of construction - 1977 number of seats - 2 engine: type - diesel number of cylinders - 8 working volume - 17,200 cm3 power - 350 l. s./266 kW wheel formula - 4X2 road train length - about 15,000 mm width - 2500 mm height - 4000 mm gross train weight - 38,000 kg the highest speed is 120 km/h Source: From the collection "Behind the wheel" 1988-11 (Translated from Russian) Images: Colani Design; Marchi Mobile

The Colani New RS was a sportscar proposed by Colani in 1978. The plastic-bodied car served as a preliminary study for the aluminum version, the Ford GT80. The design traces its origin to an idea sketch he did back in 1967, subsequently developed into the wind tunnel. The target drag coefficient was 0.24. One outstanding point this design distinguishes itself from conventional body design is to be seen in the treatment of the front end, where airflow is not stopped but is intentionally led up the body. Source: 1978 Colani New RS - Studios - carstyling.ru. https://www.carstyling.ru/en/car/1978_colani_new_rs/ Images: Colani Design

The Coggiola Janus was a concept car from 1978. Like the god Janus, this Coggiola prototype was "two-faced" with asymmetrically-designed sections starting at the mid-point of the body. Intended for production, the Janus incorporated a highly-refined surface treatment found of many of Coggiola's cars. As a mock-up model, the clay body was sliced in the middle and incorporated mirrors to present two possible design proposals for both different sides. The graphic finish of the car's right side was lacking, while the right side featured a different window theme, with no door handle or fuel tank lid, as shown on the car's opposite side. It was presented at the 1978 Turin Motor Show. Source: Coggiola Janus | Classic Cars Wiki | Fandom. https://classiccars.fandom.com/wiki/Coggiola_Janus Images: www.conceptcars.it; COGGIOLA S.p.A.

The Ford Fiesta Tuareg Concept was shown at the Geneva Motor Show in 1979 – and, in many ways, it’s the grandfather of the modern small SUV. The current car market is sagging under the weight of jacked-up hatchbacks, sporting cladding under the pretense of being an SUV. Cars such as the new Kia Stonic and the Renault Captur are aimed at young adventurous individuals who want to be seen as active types – you might think this a new phenomena, but Ford had a crack at it back in 1979. The Fiesta Tuareg was first shown at the Geneva Motor Show in 1979 and was a joint design exercise between Ghia in Turin and the Ford Design Centre in Dearborn. It was conceived as a practical, off-road, desert Fiesta and was built on an entire Ford Fiesta floorpan. In terms of engineering, little was changed over the car it was based upon – so it retained the original car’s 1117cc Kent engine and, despite its rugged styling, front-wheel drive. The suspension was raised and stiffened while the track was widened – the look was completed by the fitment of Goodyear Terra 26in off-road tires mounted on 7J steel rims. This is where Ghia made the difference. The Tuareg’s roofline was extended, which gave the car more of an estate-car vibe. Its wheelbase remained unchanged over the standard Fiesta, but it was 6.7 inches longer, 3.7 inches wider, and 7.3 inches higher. The interior was finished in an appealing-looking tweed fabric – it was liberally used from the seat facings to the door cards. Any other surface was treated to a thick brown cord matting. The Tuareg also had a Range Rover-style split tailgate, increasing loading practicality. The bonnet received louvers and, instead of bumpers, the Tuareg received black tubular steel nudge bars. On top, a heavy-duty roof rack and roof-mounted halogen spotlights gave this a Matra-Simca Rancho feel, while the huge front spoiler and wide arches and skirts were more than a nod to motorsport. So, in a way, a slightly confused-looking car. Sadly, it disappeared without a trace. It’s a cool-looking thing and is surely the grandfather of the generation of small ‘SUVs’ that litter the car market. Source: Ford Fiesta Tuareg concept – the grandfather of the modern .... https://www.aronline.co.uk/concepts/ford-concepts/ghia/ford-fiesta-tuareg/ Images: oldconceptcars

Not so much a camper but a multi-use MPV based on the Peugeot 504 pick-up. Originally posted on August 14, 2014. When Heuliez went out of business, the Loisirs was auctioned along with most other concept cars and prototypes they had accumulated. Source & Images: carsthatnevermadeitetc

If you like the looks of the 1979 Vauxhall Chevette Black Magic, then you’ll appreciate its 2279cc single cam engine coupled to a close-ratio five-speed Gertrag gearbox, similar to that in the Chevette 2300HS. The single-cam engine is a standard production form that delivered 118 BHP and had achieved a string of victories at championship levels in its more powerful rally version. Inside, the level of luxury was promoted as “decadent” with front seats contoured in real leather, the dashboard was styled in real wood, and the carpet was so thick that “your feet disappear.” The stereo/radio was said to put home systems to shame with individually tunable speakers in the doors. It was probably the most luxurious small car on the road. It was presented at the 1979 London Motor Show. Source: Hatch Heaven » 1970s. https://hatchheaven.com/archives/tag/1970s/page/3 Images: John Lloyd

Volvo rejected it, and a very similar design was instead sold to Citroen, where it was produced as Citroen BX. One of the prototypes commissioned by a carmaker at the beginning of the 1980s was the Tundra coupé, built on the mechanics of the Volvo 343. This propensity to form partnerships with foreign manufacturers represented a natural expansion of market frontiers and Bertone’s success with overseas companies. In his design work for the Swedish manufacturer, Bertone created a compact car, which would respond to the design criteria for a medium-sized saloon. The Tundra shows certain elements of Bertone style: light greenhouse supported by slender pillars, a short, smooth bonnet, and wide doors. The wings feature long swage lines, and the generous windows reiterate Bertone’s passion for light. Source: www.bertone.it Images: Bertone; Concept Car Central