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The 1980 Lada 2802-02 "Pony" emerges as a noteworthy experiment in the realm of electric vehicle design. Led by designer Yuri Vereshchagin and supervised by Mikhail Markiev, the project aimed to create a delivery van with a versatile 4.5 m3 detachable cargo container, affixed to the frame via four latches. This innovative approach allowed for the customization of the electric vehicle's purpose through interchangeable specialized bodies. The vehicle developed at the Design Center was designated as VAZ 2802-02 Pony, while the one from the electric vehicle design bureau became VAZ 2802-01 Pony. The vehicle's intended role prompted a focus on maneuverability and visibility, resulting in a wagon layout with extensive cab glazing. To achieve the required range of 78 km in urban driving mode, the 2802-02 relied on nickel-zinc batteries weighing 423 kg. One of the most remarkable endorsements for the design came from none other than Giorgetto Giugiaro, the head of renowned Italian design studio Italdesign. His visit to VAZ in 1985 led to high praise for the 2802-02's design, standing out amidst other prototypes. While the project's details are sometimes confused, the primary artistic vision belongs to Vereshchagin, with contributions from designers V. Getman, I. Zakirov, and Sergey Zaitsev. The removable body concept, inspired by the modular car trend of that era, was intended to offer adaptability, although it remained with a single body option. The cabin design proved equally striking, with a timeless appeal that has aged gracefully. Its upright seating and integration of the dashboard and steering column demonstrated inventive solutions to spatial challenges. However, the lack of sliding windows and ventilation posed discomfort in the cabin. Though the 2802-02's design process encountered challenges, the project left a lasting impact. It garnered attention at exhibitions, including VDNKh, where it received 14 gold medals for its design, construction, and innovative concept, solidifying its place in automotive history. Source: rusautomobile.livejournal.com (translated from Russian) Images: AVTOVAZ; rusautomobile.livejournal.com

During the late 1970s and early 1980s, the Design Center at VAZ was developing their own version of the VAZ 2802, while Stanislav Usov's bureau was concurrently engaged in its own project involving a car bearing the index 2802. This situation unfolded during the years 1979-1980. The presence of two distinct constructions carrying the same index in official documents created the potential for confusion and misunderstandings. To address this issue, sub-indices -01 and -02 were introduced to differentiate between them. The vehicle developed at the Design Center was designated as VAZ 2802-02 Pony, while the one from the electric vehicle design bureau became VAZ 2802-01 Pony. However, these designations were less commonly used, with most referring to them as "Usovskaya" and "Demidovskaya" respectively. In their pursuit, the design bureau opted for a direction that had been rejected by the Design Center. Their vision centered around a truck with a single cab and a lightweight body. This involved utilizing aluminum for the frame and body panels to achieve weight reduction. Functionality and technology took precedence over aesthetics in this rational approach. Alexander Degtyarev, who had experience as a designer of "BK" (meaning "without a category") at VAZ, was entrusted with crafting the car's appearance. The appearance of the 2802-01 may have appeared straightforward, but its creators weren't concerned about this aspect. Sergey Dokuchaev, the lead designer, justified the design by explaining that it was intended as a test "mule" to explore various layout solutions. Despite being relatively light at 1140 kg, with a 500 kg payload capacity, the car encountered an issue with weight distribution that caused difficulty during initial acceleration. The fate of the 2802-01 was marked by a fire that rendered it unusable. Consequently, all the primary experiments were conducted on the sole existing unit of the 2802-01. This unit was eventually dismantled, a decision that remains shrouded in mystery. Although the 2802-01 didn't garner design awards or widespread attention, it served as a valuable testing ground for numerous ideas and design innovations. Source: sovcarhistory.ru; rusautomobile.livejournal.com (translated from Russian) Images: AVTOVAZ; rusautomobile.livejournal.com

Anyone visiting stand 146 at the 1980 Birmingham Motor Show would have been able to inspect a facelifted version of the TR7, with glassy, 2+2 fastback styling and a T-bar roof with removable panels. The car, dubbed TRX, was built by IAD solely to promote its capabilities in design and development. The project brief was to change the car's appearance while keeping the fundamental structure as original as possible, so the windscreen and surround were retained unaltered, along with much of the car's superstructure. At the same time, all-new external body panels were fashioned in steel and plastics, with General Electric Plastics helping to fund the project. The interior was also given a comprehensive makeover. IAD embarked on the project with the full approval of Rover Triumph and in cooperation with the company's drawing office; indeed, they had been keen to ensure that it would not unwittingly preempt anything that BL might themselves have had under development. BL gave the project their blessing can be interpreted as a clear indication that the ostensibly similar in-house Lynx and Broadside projects were dead in the water by the end of the 1970s. IAD established an international reputation in the field of automotive design, with notable achievements including building the full-scale prototype for the iconic Mazda MX-5 (Miata). In 1994 the company was acquired by Daewoo and became the Korean company's European design and technical center. Chris Milburn, who had formerly worked for Roy Axe's Design Research Associates, became its Chief Designer in July 2000. Source: Keith Adams, www.aronline.co.uk Images: www.aronline.co.uk

The Ford Probe II was a concept car built by Ford in 1980. The Probe II was almost a production model geared more towards safety and less towards the radical design of the Probe I. You can see the makings of the mid-to-late 80s style Fords in this concept and the eventual severing of ties with the more heavily designed Probe I. Between 1979 and 1985, designers in Dearborn and the Ghia studio in Europe generated a series of concepts to explore aerodynamic efficiency and potential fuel economy benefits: Every Ford Probe Concept: 1979 Ford Probe I Concept by Ghia 1980 Ford Probe II Concept by Ghia 1981 Ford Probe III Concept by Ghia 1982 Ford Probe IV Concept by Ghia 1985 Ford Probe V Concept by Ghia Source: Ford Probe II | Classic Cars Wiki | Fandom. https://classiccars.fandom.com/wiki/Ford_Probe_II Images: Concept Car Central

Pockar was short for "pocket car." The car was small and narrow, yet it was tall. The car had a beige-colored exterior. This small car featured luggage compartments built into the exterior door panels. Both side doors were cut horizontally where the lower portion dropped like a tailgate to reveal the storage compartment inside. In addition to the two lockable luggage compartments built into the doors, there was ample luggage space inside and room for four passengers. The rear seat could also be folded down flat for increased cargo capacity turning the little car into a van-type vehicle. The side door luggage compartments protruded into the interiors of the doors and served as armrests. Electronic instruments on the dashboard were clustered in a semi-circular pod visible through the upper half of the steering wheel. Its beige-colored exterior featured two-segment doors cut horizontally. The upper portion of the door opened conventionally, but the bottom portion folded down like a tailgate. Source: Ford Pockar | Classic Cars Wiki | Fandom. https://classiccars.fandom.com/wiki/Ford_Pockar Images: Ford Motor Company; Concept Car Central

One of the concept cars Ford displayed in 1981 at the Chicago Auto Show was the Mustang RSX. The initials stood for Rallye Sport Experimental. Ford's Ghia studio designed this two-seat sport coupe in Turin, Italy. With a wheelbase nearly 6-inches shorter than the production Mustang, the lighter RSX came powered by a 2.3-liter four-cylinder engine teamed with a four-speed manual gearbox. The body was finished in orange metallic, simulated all-glass doors, and a rear airfoil was used to improve directional stability and lessen wind resistance. Source: Ford Mustang RSX Concept by Ghia 1980 | GTPlanet. https://www.gtplanet.net/forum/threads/ford-mustang-rsx-concept-by-ghia-1980.332678/ Images: Ford; World Cars 1980

Built on a Ford Granada chassis extended by two inches in length, three inches in height, and four inches in width, the Altair was a four-door future family car capable of seating five people. The car’s sharp front end and smooth lines aided the low drag coefficient of 0.35. The four headlights and two auxiliary lights were placed behind a transparent bronze-tinted plastic shield. The bronze-tinted plexiglass line running the length of the car provided increased visibility and was used to recess the door handles and air extraction vents for air conditioning. Impact-absorbent bumpers were used front and rear. The mirrors and single windshield wiper were controlled electrically. It was powered by the Ford Granada’s 2.8-liter fuel-injected V6 engine. It also featured independent front and rear suspension, low-profile tires, and a stereo sound system. Source: 1980 Ford Granada Altair (Ghia) - Студии. https://www.carstyling.ru/car/2162/ Images: Ford Motor Company; Concept Car Central

In 1981, Ford rolled out the Bronco Montana Lobo at the Chicago Auto Show, its name as wild as the vehicle it was applied to. The sci-fi-styled machine was a perfect example of the era’s realistic futurism and would’ve looked equally at home in Venusville or Hill Valley, circa 2015. With some irony, it was based on the 4×4 chassis of a 1977 Bronco and powered by a 5.0-liter V8, but what they put on top of it was anything but old-school. Its edgy, mustard-gold bodywork sported a wedge-profile hood, raked-back windshield, roll bar, louvered side rails, a rooftop airfoil over off-road lights, and foam bumpers with an integrated winch. However, its most eye-popping features were the removable, tinted Plexiglas bubble doors and T-top roof. Hemp fabric upholstery covered an open bed fitted with fold-out bench seats along each side that could be accessed from the two-seat cabin via a patio-style sliding glass door. As forward-thinking as it was bizarre, The Montana Lobo also had a retractable loading ramp built into the tailgate and body-side storage compartments that wouldn’t seem out of place on truck concepts today. At the same time, its ventilated seats and digital instruments are now SUV staples. Sadly, the awesome exposed side-pipe exhausts on top of its running boards never made it onto any of Ford’s production trucks that followed. Source: Ford Bronco Montana Lobo – Blue Oval Trucks. https://www.blueovaltrucks.com/ford_articles/ford-bronco-montana-lobo/ Images: Ford Motor Company

With this 4WD version, the versatility of the Panda project finds its completion, thanks to ItalDesign's patent on four-wheel-drive. The Panda 4×4 Offroader is the Panda version destined for absolute fun and outing on uneven land. The four-wheel-drive patent was sold to FIAT immediately after Turin Motor Show in 1980 to allow the production of the Panda 4×4 beginning from 1983. It has Panda bodywork, while interiors propose a sophisticated leather trimming. Panel controls are equipped with an ascent and descent indicator. There is a retractable pocket in the luggage van with rescue tools and belts for baggage. During the first four years, more than 70.000 panda 4×4 are sold. It was presented along with the 1980 Fiat Panda 4x4 Strip by ItalDesign. Source: www.italdesign.it Images: ItalDesign

Versatile, essential, young, Panda is an off-road vehicle for free time, mountain, beach, and work. Created on the Panda 4×4 mechanics, that will be produced in 1983, the Strip brings outside the Panda project versatility. The windscreen is hinged and hooked to the hood, the door pillar becomes a central roll-bar while the back platform is completely removable. Thanks to a cloth roof, it’s possible to have the covered version. Front seats are made of a tubular structure cloth, back ones, identical, are removable and replaceable, in the covered version with two longitudinal benches, able to carry four people. It was designed by Giorgetto Giugiaro and presented at the 1980 Turin Motor Show along with the 1980 Panda 4x4 Offroader by ItalDesign. Source: www.italdesign.it Images: ItalDesign

The Ferrari Pinin was a one-off concept car created by Italian-design studio Pininfarina to celebrate the design studio's 50th anniversary. Discussed by Enzo Ferrari as being turned into a production model, the proposal was dropped, and the car remains a singular concept model, the first four-door Ferrari ever built. Battista "Pinin" Farina founded his design house in 1930. After World War II, he began working with Enzo Ferrari on designing bodies for his road cars to allow Ferrari to create funds to continue his motor car racing. The rear of the Ferrari Pinin shows the then unique body-colored rear light cluster by Carello. The drive for the project came from Sergio Pininfarina. He had dreamed of designing an Italian competitor for luxury four-door saloons like the Jaguar XJ, the Maserati Quattroporte (designed by rival Giugiaro), and the Mercedes-Benz 450SEL 6.9. The project was also personally approved by Enzo Ferrari and the general manager of Ferrari at the time, Eugenio Alzati. According to Alzati, since Ferrari was a subsidiary of Fiat, Mr. Ferrari was obligated to use a Fiat 131 as his personal chauffeured transport. Mr. Ferrari found the 131 inadequate and positively viewed a possible Ferrari luxury sedan production. Leonardo Fioravanti led the design team, responsible for most Pininfarina Ferrari designs since the 1960s, while detailed work was completed by Diego Ottina. Fioravanti proposed a sporting sedan design, powered by a forward-located Ferrari flat-12 engine. New headlights from Lucas Industries allowed the front to be lowered, creating a thin egg-crate style grill. From the side, the A and B pillars were disguised by using smoked glass and exaggerating the C pillar, creating a coupe-style side view. The design also included body-colored rear lights by Carello, a concept that is now common on production vehicles. The interior used tobacco-colored Connolly leather and a dashboard designed by Borletti, akin to that in the Aston Martin Lagonda. Sergio Pininfarina unveiled the car at the 1980 Turin Auto Show. The prototype was created at Pininfarina's studio on a donor Ferrari 400GT chassis. The car included a mock-up flat 12, mated to the shell of a five-speed manual gearbox. During 1980-81, the car toured multiple motor shows, including the 1980 Los Angeles Auto Show and the Carrozzeria Italiana exhibition in Pasadena, California. Enzo Ferrari was so impressed that he discussed turning the design into a production vehicle. Despite Mr. Ferrari's initial enthusiasm, he ultimately did not approve the project at Ferrari's annual board meeting in 1980. Eugenio Alzati speculated that lack of support from Fiat's then-president Vittorio Ghidella doomed the production of Pinin. Alzati believed that Ghidella saw the Pinin as a distraction from larger-scale projects that would help financially stabilize Fiat. Leonardo Fioravanti speculated that Ferrari's resistance to producing the car was due to the production quality of any resultant vehicle. "Faults" were accepted in sporting cars, but with the Pinin Ferrari would have been competing against the quality of experienced luxury sedan manufacturers, including BMW, Mercedes-Benz, and even Rolls-Royce. In the mid-1980s the Pinin was sold to Jacques Swaters, a Belgian racing driver turned businessman and car collector who formerly ran Ecurie Francorchamps, a prominent privateer Ferrari endurance and sports car racing team as a dealership, Garage Francorchamps. The Pinin was put on static display for many years in Garage Francorchamps' showroom basement. After being displayed at the 2005 Essen Motor Show to celebrate Pininfarina's 75th anniversary, the car was sold in 2008 by RM Auctions on behalf of Swaters for €176,000. The new owner send the Pinin to former Ferrari chief engineer Mauro Forghieri's firm Oral Engineering with the brief to make it a running vehicle. The Oral Engineering team made multiple modifications to the Pinin, installing a Tipo F102 B flat 12 engine from a Ferrari 512 BB and other components either taken from other Ferrari models or custom-made. To fit the engine, the chassis was modified and strengthened. The original engine mounts were moved up and forward. A gearbox and differential from a 400 GT were installed. A bespoke fuel tank and wiring loom were also commissioned. Although the car had front and rear double-wishbone independent suspension from a 400 GT installed initially, suspension modifications were required to make it road-usable, including adjusting ground clearance and replacing non-functional springs. The conversion process took approximately 1.5 years. The car first ran in March 2010, some 30 years after its first appearance. Later that year, it was put up for sale but failed to make a reserve of €1 million. The car was put up for sale again by RM Auctions at their London sale on 26 October 2010, with a guide price of £480,000 – £550,000. The car was on display at the Museo Ferrari in 2012 as part of a show of Pininfarina's ten greatest designs. In July 2015, the Pinin was listed for sale on Hemmings.com with an asking price of $795,000. The car is currently owned by Ferrari collector Prof. Dr. Anthony Nobles in California. The car was displayed at The Quail Motorsports Gathering in August 2018. Nobles originally bid on the Pinin when sold at the Factory auction, where he was outbid. He spent the next several years tracking down the car and acquired it in Maranello in 2017. The car is now in the Nobles Family Automotive Museum and makes the occasional drive down Pacific Coast Highway to Cars and Coffee. Engine & performance: Position: front Type: Ferrari 512BB, 12-cylinder Capacity: 4942 cc Power: 360 hp @ 6800 rpm Torque: 350 Nm @ 4300 rpm Drive: RWD Dimensions: Length: 4830 mm Width: 1820 mm Height: 1310 mm Wheelbase: 2750 mm Source: Ferrari Pinin - Wikipedia. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ferrari_Pinin Images: Pininfarina; www.shorey.net; RM Auctions

The 1980 Felber Pasha was presented at the same time as the 1980 Felber Illustre. This custom Swiss coach build was based on a 4th-generation Buick Skylark. It featured pyramidal chrome accessories on the headlights and a dainty Rolls Royce-type grill. Other notable features included the pop-up sunroof and striking yellow paint. Both were seen at the 1980 Geneva Motor Show. There was also a coupe version that was painted black. In total, thirty-five were made. Source: www.autotitre.com

Felber designed and built this Audi 80 (B2)-based vehicle. It would be presented at the 1980 Geneva Motor Show. Source & Images: www.autotitre.com

Based on the 1978 Ford GT80 concept, Colani created a sports prototype for the 1982 24 Hours of Le Mans, but Jean Rondo (winner in 1980), who was offered this project, seemed too bold. Then Colani turned the GT90 into a BMW M2 and presented it as the successor to the M1 legend. Source: carstyling.ru (trasnlated from Russian) Images: Colani Design

The Citroën Karin was a concept car presented at the Paris Motor Show in 1980. The car was built in collaboration with Carrozeria Coggiola (the atelier responsible for Saab's Sonnet 3 and 9000 and the original Mégane concept). It featured a striking, pyramidal design and was designed by Trevor Fiore. Headlamp treatment was reminiscent of that of the SM. This was Citroën demonstrating their preparation for a techno­lo­gically advanced, future charac­terised by outside the box thinking and low drag coeffi­cients The Karin was inspired by Michel Harmand's design for a GS Coupé. The Karin was a three-seater, with the driver being seated centrally and ahead of the two passengers. This layout pre-empted that of the McLaren F1 of 1992. The fashion in the early eighties was for motor manufacturers to display scale models of concept cars rather than vehicles that could be driven, and Citroën was no exception. Source: Citroën Karin | Classic Cars Wiki | Fandom. https://classiccars.fandom.com/wiki/Citro%C3%ABn_Karin Images: Citroen; Concept Car Central; www.citroenet.org.uk; citcatalog.exblog.jp

Ford Division's Ranger III, a refined version of the Ranger II introduced last year, is an ultra-modern pickup truck with a custom-designed passenger compartment. The vehicle converts in seconds from a conventional two-passenger pickup to a four-passenger pickup/sedan combination. Other Ranger III "better ideas" include a power-operated hood that can be opened from inside the vehicle and hydraulic aircraft-type canopy doors that operate at the turn of a key. Source: FORD DIVISION of Ford Motor Company News Release - 11/13/67 Images: Ford Motor Company

On March 3, 1980, the Audi Quattro was introduced at the Geneva Motor Show. The car was destined to revolutionize the automotive industry. The sporting achievements that followed brought glory. The Quattro was born during snow tests due to the brilliant idea of ​​using hollow shafts in the transmission to transfer torque to the front and rear axles. The system was supplemented by a central center differential, later the Torsen differential. The first quarter went on sale at the end of 1980. The faceted coupe became an instant bestseller. Permanent four-wheel drive and 200 hp five-cylinder turbocharged engine. The circuit racing program was launched following success in sand and gravel racing. Once again, the Quattro concept proved its superiority: Audi drivers took the most prestigious prizes in the US and Europe. From 1982 to 1984, the Quattro won four rally championship titles, and these amazing successes of the already legendary drivers are not forgotten to this day. Today, Quattro is a whole family of all-wheel drive road vehicles and one of the main concepts of the brand. For 25 years (until the end of 2004), 1,815,396 cars were produced. Today's model range includes 74 all-wheel-drive modifications. Thanks to continuous technical improvement, the reputation of the Quattro transmission is higher than ever. "Quattro" is not just movement. These are emotions, safety, and dynamics. Quattro vehicles are the driving force behind the Audi brand and an integral part of the latest technology. Source: www.autonet.ru Images: AUDI AG.

The Aston Martin Bulldog, styled by William Towns, is a British, one-off concept vehicle produced by Aston Martin in 1979. The code name for the project was DP K901. Initially, a production run of 15–25 cars was planned, but the project was deemed too costly, and only one was built. The Bulldog - named after a Scottish Aviation Bulldog aeroplane flown by Aston Martin's then managing director, Alan Curtis, but nicknamed "K9", after the robotic dog from the Doctor Who TV series - was designed to show off the capabilities of Aston Martin's new engineering facility in Newport Pagnell, as well as to chase after the title of the fastest production car in the world. The car was officially launched on 27 March 1980 at the Bell Hotel at Aston Clinton. Although the car was built in the UK, it is left-hand drive. William Towns designed the Bulldog's sharp wedge shape. The car has five center-mounted, hidden headlamps and gull-wing doors. The interior is upholstered in leather with walnut trim and uses multiple LED buttons like the Lagonda. Aston Martin planned to build 15-25 Bulldogs, but in 1981 Victor Gauntlett became chairman of the company and decided the project would be too costly, so the Bulldog project was shelved.[3] In 1984 Aston Martin sold the Bulldog to a middle eastern collector for £130,000. The owner added both rearview mirrors and cameras. Later, the Bulldog was sold to an American collector and spent some time in the United States; it was later in storage in different places. With gull-wing doors open at Aston Martin's centennial celebration at Kensington Palace in July 2013 It was found in storage in the Far East and offered for sale in Britain. It was now green, compared to the original exterior colors of silver and light grey. The interior was also changed from the original dark brown and black to light tan. In 2020, an American owner purchased the car, and a full restoration project managed by Victor Gauntlett's son Richard was set up. The front end of the Bulldog featured five center-mounted hidden headlamps. The Bulldog is powered by a 5.3L V8 engine with twin Garrett turbochargers that produces 600 bhp (447 kW; 608 PS)—the engine was capable of 700 bhp (522 kW; 710 PS) on the testbed—and 500 lb-ft (678 N⋅m) maximum torque. When it came out, Aston Martin claimed the car was capable of 237 mph (381 km/h), but the fastest speed the car was recorded doing 191 mph (307 km/h) during a test run at the Motor Industry Research Association track in late 1979. The wedge-shaped design gave the Bulldog a drag coefficient of 0.34. Under its new ownership, plans were unveiled in early 2021 to perform a nut and bolt restoration with the aim of reaching 200mph. In November 2021, the cars rebuild had been completed, and the car achieved a speed of 162mph on its initial shakedown. Engine & performance: Position: mid engine Type: Twin Turbo V8, DOHC 2 Valves / Cyl Capacity: 5341 cc Power: 600 hp Drive: RWD Top speed: 320 km/h 0-100 km/h: 5.1 s Dimensions: Length: 4270 mm Width: 1918 mm Height: 1092 mm Wheelbase: 2770 mm Source: Aston Martin Bulldog - Wikipedia. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aston_Martin_Bulldog Images: Aston Martin; shorey.net

The 1981 Peugeot 305 Rallye V6 was created to compete as a Group B car in the World Rally Championship; the Rallye V6 abandoned the standard 305 front-wheel-drive platforms. It used a longitudinally placed 250bhp 2.5-liter PRV V6 driving the rear wheels. However, the car was never used in competition, and Peugeot’s Rally program switched to the 205 T16 instead. Source & Images: carsthatnevermadeitetc.tumblr

The Lamborghini LM001 was a prototype off-road vehicle designed and built by Lamborghini. It was first revealed at the 1981 Geneva Auto Show alongside the new Jalpa. Despite the failure of the Cheetah project, the idea of a Lamborghini off-road vehicle was still very much alive. With new capital from investors, the Cheetah concept was redesigned into the LM001. Unlike the Cheetah's Chrysler engine, the LM001 prototype had a 180 hp (134 kW) 5.9 L (360 ci) AMC-built V8, intending to offer the V12 from the Countach for production models. The LM001 was found to have unfavorable handling characteristics when accelerating. This problem was traced to the placement of the engine in the rear. As a result, the LM001 was discontinued after one prototype was made. Engine & performance: Position: rear Type: AMC V-8 Capacity: 5896 cc Power: 180 hp @ 4000 rpm Torque: 362 Nm @ 2500 rpm Drive: 4WD Top speed: 160 km/h Dimensions: Length: 4790 mm Width: 2000 mm Height: 1790 mm Wheelbase: 2950 mm Weigth: 2100 kg Source: Lamborghini LM001 - Wikipedia. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lamborghini_LM001 Images: oldconceptcars