Revolutionary Concepts of the 1950s

1959 Curtiss-Wright Model 2500 Air-Car Following the end of World War II, the United States military invested a great deal of money in developing new hardware offering tactical advantages on future battlefields. One of the concepts the Army Transportation Research Command evaluated was the 1960 Curtiss-Wright Model 2500 Air Car. This 21-foot-long, 8-foot-wide, 5-foot-tall contraption was everything that Luke Skywalker's land speeder would promise 17 years later—stylish driving without the burden of wheels. Curtiss-Wright was and remains an aerospace and defense supplier with experience in aircraft development. Following the war, the military had a keen interest in improving amphibious landing and transport craft. The Air Car was developed with that need in mind. Since the United States hadn't perfected repulsor lift technology yet, Curtiss-Wright had to go in a different direction, creating what was termed a 'Ground Effects Machine' (GEM), which we now know as a hovercraft. Visit: www.story-cars.com #storycars #curtisswright #aircar #landspeeder #starwars #conceptcars #conceptcar #classiccars #classiccar #rarecar #rarecars #carvideo #carvideos ▪️Send an email for credit or removal requests (no copyright intended). All rights and credits are reserved to the respective owner(s).▪️ Text Source: @roadandtrack Video Source: https://youtu.be/gmtBviJf-84

1955 Lincoln Futura Enthusiasts will say that the Lincoln Futura was the most successful and dramatic Lincoln concept vehicle that ever landed on earth. The original Batmobile, the ultimate car that struck awe in countless fans for a decade, was originally a concept dubbed the Lincoln Futura. Designed by the Lincoln division of Ford Motor Company, the Futura was constructed entirely by hand in Turin, Italy, for an extreme $250,000. Ghia is famed for having the best pane beaters in the world, and at the time of the Futura, Ghia craftsmen were famous for their workmanship and preferred to work in metal over fiberglass. Much like many other concepts, the Futura was never actually put into production. The Lincoln Futura made its official debut on the auto show circuit in 1955. Even compared to other eccentric and exotic vehicles in the 1950s, the Futura's design style was considered extreme and impractical. Unlike other concepts of the day, though, the Futura was fully operable and featured a complete powertrain. The concept featured a double, clear-plastic canopy top, huge outward-canted tailfins on both ends of the car, and exaggerated hooded headlight pods. The Futura was powered by a 368 cubic inch Lincoln engine and powertrain with a chassis that came directly from a Lincoln Mark II. Visit: www.story-cars.com #storycars #lincolnfutura #batmobile #conceptcars #conceptcar #classiccars #classiccar #rarecar #rarecars ▪️Send an email for credit or removal requests (no copyright intended). All rights and credits are reserved to the respective owner(s).▪️ Video Source: https://youtu.be/pX--OiCV3GM

1989 Plymouth Voyager III “On a raised platform is the Plymouth Voyager III concept vehicle, created with separating front and back modular units. Three passengers could ride in the smaller car that was powered by a 1.6-liter propane-fuel engine. The 4-wheel rear section was equipped with a 2.2-liter 4-cylinder, and when the front and rear units were connected, there was room for 8-adults passengers.” Presented at the Chicago Auto Show. Visit: www.story-cars.com #storycars #plymouth #voyageriii #1989 #conceptcars #conceptcar #classiccars #classiccar #rarecar #rarecars #carvideo #carvideos ▪️Send an email for credit or removal requests (no copyright intended). All rights and credits are reserved to the respective owner(s).▪️ Text Source: www.chicagoautoshow.com Video Source: https://youtu.be/HUzLJkVsVJs

1987 Nissan MID4 Type II The MID4-II made its debut at the 1987 Tokyo Motor Show and featured many revisions to the previous design. The MID4-II sported the twin-turbo intercooled VG30DETT (3.0 L (2,960 cc) V6 twin-turbo), which put out 330 PS (243 kW). The MID4-II was ultimately never produced due to cost. Visit: https://www.story-cars.com #storycars #nissanmid4ii #nissanmid4type2 #nissanmid4 #nissanmid4concept #conceptcars #conceptcar #classiccars #classiccar #rarecar #rarecars #carvideo #carvideos ▪️Send an email for credit or removal requests (no copyright intended). All rights and credits are reserved to the respective owner(s).▪️ Text Source: Wikipedia Video Source: https://youtu.be/TjqNdhiJkRU

The Boirault machine was an early French experimental landship designed in 1914 and built in early 1915. It has been considered as “another interesting ancestor of the tank”, and described as a “rhomboid-shaped skeleton tank without armour, with single overhead track”. Ultimately, the machine was deemed impractical and was nicknamed Diplodocus militaris. It preceded the design and development of the English Little Willie tank by six months. • • Visit www.Story-Cars.com • • #storycars #carpage #conceptcar #conceptcars #rarecar #rarecars #prototype #prototypes #boirault #boiraultmachine #boiraulttank #warhistory #tank #warvideo #warvideos

It was not just the name of the IndiGo that was clever (playing on its association with IndyCar racing). Tins were no mere show car but a concept designed from the outset to lie feasibly manufactured at some point. Even though most people who worked in the trade accepted that tills were too radical to be sold, it was a drivable car. Ford said that the IndiGo "captures the essence of the race-track and transforms it into a realistic design for the street." The styling was strongly racecar inspired, from the spoiler narrow nose to the blacked-out wings, while its construction (carbon fiber, aluminum, and fiberglass) also mimicked competition use. A 441bhp 6.0-liter V12 engine - formed by mating two V-six units together — was estimated to give a top speed of 170mph (273kph) and a 0-60mph (0-96kph) time of under four seconds. The six-speed sequential gearbox was derived from race cars, and changes were made by pressing buttons on the steering wheel. Even the instrument panel on the dashboard was Formula 1 inspired. Visit: story-cars.com #storycars #FordIndigo #v12 #IndyCar #FordConcept #conceptcars #conceptcar #classiccars #classiccar #rarecar #rarecars ▪️Send an email for credit or removal requests (no copyright intended). All rights and credits are reserved to the respective owner(s).▪ Video Source: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G8PWrTHWTes Text Source: AUTO LEMON

The idea of a four-in-one car sounds great: sedan, wagon, cabriolet, and pickup — all interchangeable in about 15 minutes. Cars serve multiple purposes as one buys a sedan or wagon for the family, another person gets a droptop to get the most out of summertime driving, while a pickup truck is used as a workhorse. More than two decades ago, Mercedes wanted to bundle them all in the Vario Research Car, a two-door compact vehicle with a FWD layout and a versatile body made out of CFRP. Each of the four available bodies weighed between 30 to 50 kilograms (66 to 110 pounds) and guaranteed “a high level of stability and crashworthiness.” The VRC was not envisioned only for people with garages big enough to store the bodies when not in use. Mercedes had the idea of a rental station where the owner would pick up the desired body and keep it without any time restrictions. Aside from its customizable body, the concept also featured a traffic sign evaluating system, best described as an early sign of today’s traffic sign detection. It was able to identify the speed limit in a particular area and then visually alert the driver whenever speeding. Moreover, the VCR was actually Mercedes’ first research car to benefit from drive-by-wire technology for the steering and brakes by eliminating the mechanical linkages. It goes without saying such a concept will probably never see the light of day. It wouldn’t be a wise business decision for an automaker to sell just one car when it could have four models at different prices, generating more significant profits. Visit: www.story-cars.com #storycars #mercedesvrc #mercedesconcept #mercedes #conceptcars #conceptcar #classiccars ▪️Send an email for credit or removal requests (no copyright intended). All rights and credits are reserved to the respective owner(s).▪ Text Source: Motor1.com Video Source: https://youtu.be/dPxwoDj36jE

If you’re unfamiliar with Jay Ohrberg’s work, Story Cars highly recommends you check out all his work! #storycars #jayohrberg #doublewidelimo #widelimo #customlimo #conceptcars #conceptcar ▪️Send an email for credit or removal requests (no copyright intended). All rights and credits are reserved to the respective owner(s).▪️ Video Source: https://youtu.be/tLPsa_fuY-U (Uploaded via WheelsTV on 4/23/2015)