Many vehicles are designed by dreamers who are inspired in numerous ways including cultural trends, movies, or nature. Some car designs are marveled for decades. Other designs have car enthusiasts scratching their heads. Some of our favorites were only concept cars or prototypes. (A concept car is a car made to show new styling or technology. They are often displayed at car shows to assess customer interest. ) The automotive industry has produced many stylish creations, and here are 43 that caught our eye: 1. 1938 Buick Y Job If someone told you to think of a 1930s getaway vehicle, this car might come to mind. The Buick Y-Job was the auto industry’s first concept car. The Buick Y-Job featured hidden headlamps, electric windows, and many other futuristic technologies. 2. 1967 Dodge Deora The Deora was part of the very first Hot Wheels line in 1968. It was never produced, but the original Deora prototype has become a hot commodity, selling for $230,000 in 2009. 3. 2016 Elio P5 Prototype The Elio is an interesting project that is slated for production in 2016. The Elio aims to streamline automobiles by using only three wheels and two-person seating. Elio Motors says the Elio P5 will receive 84 mpg and will sell for $6,800. Can you see yourself driving one? 4. 1977 Chevrolet AeroVette The Chevrolet AeroVette began life as “Experimental Project 882” in 1969 which was quickly canceled due to impracticality and manufacturing costs of the gull wing doors. In 1972, John DeLorean, then a GM executive, ordered one made which spawned the short-lived DeLorean sports car of the ‘80s. 5. 2001 Volkswagen Microbus The 2001 Microbus was a refashioned version of the original Volkswagen Microbus. The New Microbus featured a 7-inch screen in the center console and a second ceiling-mounted 7-inch screen that allowed the driver to see behind the vehicle. 6. 1970-1978 AMC Gremlin The Gremlin resembled a door wedge and was designed to look either “cute or controversial depending on one’s viewpoint.” Richard Teague, design chief at American Motors believed: “Nobody would have paid it any attention if it had looked like one of the ‘Big Three’ Automobiles.” 7. 2005 Ford-Shelby GR-1 The Ford Shelby GR-1, another concept car, was a slick sports car inspired by the original Shelby Daytona. The sleek looking GR-1 offered 605 horsepower, but Phil Martens, group vice president, said: “Our goal this time around was not to create the ultimate top-speed, high-performance sports car. Really, we intended to strike a better balance of design, capability, and usability.” 8. 2008 Toyota A-BAT Truck Toyota created their A-BAT concept truck with recycled materials and reusable energy to highlight their concern for the environment. The 2008 A-BAT featured a portable navigation system, wireless internet, a music hard drive, and solar panels to charge the navigation system and power pack. 9. 2003 Cadillac Sixteen Warning: The Cadillac Sixteen might leave you drooling. It featured a V-16 engine and was featured as “the car of the future” in the movies Click and Real Steel. Unfortunately, the Cadillac Sixteen fell short of production, but rumors still circulate about production. 10. 2003 Dodge Tomahawk The Dodge Tomahawk was a cross between a car and motorcycle. Only 9 Dodge Tomahawks were ever made and were sold by Neiman Marcus for half a million dollars each. Clearly, these “rolling sculptures” were not intended to be ridden. The fact that the Tomahawk wasn’t street-legal backed up that statement. 11. 2001-2005 Pontiac Aztek Crossover The Aztek was launched with the tagline: “quite possibly the most versatile vehicle on the planet” and was aimed at attracting “Generation X” with its futuristic styling and versatility. The styling was not well received and the Aztek fell out of production in 2005 despite having it had one of the highest Customer Satisfaction Index scores in 2001. 12. 1970 Ferrari 512 S Modulo Another concept car that looked like it was plucked from the future, the Ferrari 512 S Modulo featured a canopy style roof for passenger entry. The Modulo had lots of power, featuring a V-12, 550 horsepower engine that could go from 0 to 60 mpg in 3.1 seconds. No production plans ever existed. Creating the Ferrari 512 Modulo was a result of “hey, why not.” 13. 1988 Audi Aztec Back to the future again. The Audi Aztec was a two-seater that separated the driver and passenger with a panel. The two parties communicated electronically. Sound like it was from the future? The Audi Aztec was created in 1988. 14. 1995 Ford GT90 The Ford GT90 was unveiled as “the world’s mightiest supercar” and had muscle to back up that claim. Featuring 720 horsepower and a quad-turbocharged V-12 engine, the Ford GT90 also had a body designed like a spaceship because the exhaust emitted from the engine was so hot, it would have burned a regular car body. 15. 2008 BMW GINA The BMW GINA is a shape-shifting sports car concept that began in 2001 and was unveiled in 2008. GINA stands for Geometry and functions In ‘N’ Adaptions.” The body of the BMW GINA was made out of flexible man-made fabric skin coated in polyurethane spandex, allowing the GINA to change shape according to exterior conditions and speeds. This seems to be a good time to mention that the BMW GINA was planned before the first Transformers movie. 16. 1957 Trabant Limousine The Trabant was an East German creation and became the most common vehicle in East Germany. When it was created, it was one of the very few vehicles that ran with a two-stroke engine and was produced for 30 years with almost no significant changes. This very tiny car was no longer produced after 1989. 17. 1974 Dodge Monaco AKA The Bluesmobile Made famous by the movie The Blues Brothers, the Bluesmobile was a 1974 Dodge Monaco that was capable of jumping over drawbridges, flipping backwards in midair, and “flying” at times, but the cigarette lighter never worked. 18. 1998-2010 Fiat Multipla The Fiat Multipla won Top Gear Car of the Year in 1999 and was voted Top Gear Magazine’s Family Car of the Year four years in a row. While the vehicle was well made and a great family car, its front looked strange with an odd bubble windshield and an extra set of lights high above the hood. 19. 2001 Chrysler PT Cruiser The Chrysler PT Cruiser was meant to be a Plymouth but received a Chrysler nameplate in anticipation of the discontinuation of Plymouth. The design was intended to replicate the old gangster getaway car from the 1930s. One last fact about the Chrysler PT Cruiser: the PT abbreviation stands for “personal transport.” 20. 1956 Buick Centurion Concept Car The Buick Centurion’s original 1950s concept sported a clear dome top and a futuristic front, making this a 1950s dream car. The body was constructed from fiberglass, and the interior was inspired from the cockpit of an airplane. 21. 2005 Lamborghini Gallardo Concept S The Lamborghini Gallardo was sleek, stylish, and Lamborghini’s best seller. The Concept S was an interesting variation of the Gallardo as it separated passenger and driver. The Concept S allowed for more aerodynamic flow through its futuristic design. Only two of these vehicles exist, and it is a mystery as to where one of them is located! 22. 2010 Audi Quattro Concept Car The Audi Quattro concept car was a promotional item for the 30th anniversary of the original Audi Quattro. Audi was considering producing a limited amount of these vehicles, but the project was put on hold. Audi merged navigation with the speedometer in this car so that drivers could view navigation directly in front of them. 23. 2008 Lamborghini Estoque Lamborghini changed their strategy with the Estoque by moving from a two-door body style to four doors. The Estoque was the first front engine vehicle by Lamborghini since the LM002 utility. The Estoque had all the Lamborghini style with an interesting design. 24. 2011 Subaru BRZ Prologue Remember when everyone wanted to make everything transparent? Subaru didn’t give up on that fad with the BRZ Prologue. Subaru claims the Prologue holds the lowest possible center of gravity of any production car. 25. 2011 Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG E-Cell The Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG E-Cell was another gull-wing car, referred to by AMG as “the world’s most powerful naturally aspirated production engine ever.” The SLS was popular with celebrities like Eddie Murphy, Arnold Schwarzenegger, Al Pacino, Tom Hanks, and Jay Leno. It must have been the gull wing doors! 26. 1966-1973 Lamborghini Miura The Lamborghini Miura was one of the first supercars and a hot commodity when it emerged. 474 were built, and many celebrities rushed to buy one. It had the late 60s feel and looked like a vehicle driven by a stylish, crime-busting duo on television. 27. 1953 General Motors Firebird I The Firebird I or Firebird XP-21 was the first vehicle to feature a turbine engine that could run on any type of fuel! If you think that’s cool, the vehicle looked like a rocket ship. You can watch the presentation for the Firebird III concept car here. 28. 1958 Ford Nucleon The Ford Nucleon’s design was interesting and the story behind it even better. The design included a small nuclear reactor in the rear of the vehicle and a steam engine powered by uranium fission similar to how nuclear submarines work. 29. 1957 Studebaker-Packard Astral This is another nuclear powered vehicle that wasn’t produced. Probably a good thing considering the intended safety measures for a crash were a “force field” to prevent nuclear radiation from escaping. The Astral looked like a vehicle that drew heavy inspiration from The Jetsons. 30. 2012 Peugeot Onyx The Peugeot Onyx was a little different than the Peugeot Honey-B. The Onyx was a super sports car that featured an interesting exterior ripe with chrome and matte finish that gave the Onyx a flashy design. 31. 1959 Chevrolet Corvette Sting Ray Concept Car The Corvette Sting Ray resembles “The Mach Five,” the car driven by a Japanese anime character. The Corvette Sting Ray wasn’t the technological marvel The Mach Five was, but featured a sporty ride and duel exhaust coming from the sides of the car, certainly a new concept for the 1950s. 32. 2007 Mazda Furai The Mazda Furai was one great concept car. Unfortunately, it met an untimely demise by fire. If you were to look up ‘race car’ in the dictionary, a Mazda Furai picture would define it perfectly. One can’t help but drool over the car’s snazzy design. Just wait until you hear it. 33. 1959 Cadillac Miller-Meteo Who you gonna call? Ghostbusters! And they would arrive in The Ecto-1 which was actually a 1959 Cadillac Miller-Meteo. While the Cadillac Miller-Meteo featured a fascinating body and covered wheels, the Ghost Busters added their own personal touch, beefing up the lights and adding sirens and their famous vacuums. It’s safe to say the Ecto-1 would not pass any emissions tests today. 34. 1933 Dymaxion Car You might say the Dymaxion Car was the first “crossover” because it was designed to fly, land and drive! Created during the Great Depression, the aerodynamic body was designed to increase fuel efficiency and top speed. Due to a few accidents, the Dymaxion was never widely produced, but it drew interest from legendary automobile makers Walter Chrysler and Henry Ford. 35. 1938 Phantom Corsair The Phantom Corsair was an aptly named vehicle that looked like something the Phantom of the Opera would drive. The Phantom Corsair featured fully skirted wheels and no door handles, utilizing electronic buttons instead. The Phantom also had the most advanced chassis available in the United States. The Phantom Corsiar now resides in the National Automobile Museum. 36. 1953 Alfa Romeo BAT 5 The Alfa Romeo BAT 5 was designed by famous automobile designer Franco Scaglione. He based the design on a 1953 study of aerodynamics which helped the BAT 5 achieve an impressive drag coefficient of 0.19 which is a great achievement even today. The original Alfa Romeo BAT 5 remained a concept car and other models of the BAT were created throughout the 50s, but it was a 50 year wait until the next BAT was released in 2008. 37. 1955 Lincoln Futura The Lincoln Futura was modified in 1966 to be the Batmobile for the Batman TV series. The Futura remained a concept car as the initial production cost was $250,000, the equivalent of $2,200,000 today. The Futura was marketed as having original styling, a bold statement for a vehicle developed in the 1950s. Lincoln gave the Futura a clear-plastic canopy top, exaggerated hooded headlight pods, and very large tailfins. Holy features Batman! 38. 1954 Ford FX Atmos The 1954 Ford FX Atmos was another dream car inspired by heavy jet aircraft. Atmos drivers didn’t use a steering wheel to pilot this creation. Instead, the Atmos had dual handgrips, and a “Roadarscope.” The Roadarscope was a little before it’s time. It was a radar screen on the dash that would provide highway information. 39. 1994 Mutts Cuts Van The Mutts Cuts van was made famous by movie characters Lloyd Christmas and Harry Dunne during the 1994 smash hit Dumb and Dumber. Many vans have drawn inspiration from the Mutts Cutts van since it debuted on the big screen, but none can match the unique appeal the original brought many movie goers. 40. 1951 Bisiluro Tarf The Tarf was a dream vehicle for racecar driver Pier Taruffi. He wanted to reinvent the race car, so in 1948 the twin-boom car was born. The Bisiluro Tarf was one of the first vehicles to exceed 200 km/h. Its 50 hp 500cc Guzzi V-twin engine was mounted in the right pod. Pier Taruffi raced it many times and had a very successful career with the Bisiluro Tarf. 41. 1958 Ford X2000 While the rocket ship idea was popular in the 1950s, the Ford X2000 was an extreme of the cultural craze. It was so ridiculous, they never used it. According to Stephen Vokins, an automobile historian, “The X2000 was more of a marketing exercise than an attempt at making a concept car.” Ford even made a film called “The Stylist” featuring the X2000 as the dream car. 42. 2001 Toyota Pod The Toyota Pod was almost life-like. Toyota partnered with Sony and installed artificial intelligence systems in the vehicle. The Pod could create shopping lists and judge the attitude and mood of the driver based on their reactions and their driving. It could even offer helpful advice when it felt a driver’s mood deteriorating. The car would also express its moods via LED lights on the outside and the antenna would wag like a dog’s tail. Toyota labeled it “the car of the future” so don’t expect to see the Pod anytime soon. 43. 2002 Nissan Cube Z11 When people think of “interesting” vehicles, the Nissan Cube might be the first thought on many minds. While the Cube body is boxy as the name implies, the vehicle has performed well and is a favorite for many drivers due to the luxurious cabin and solid gas mileage. Speaking of Cars… If you have a car you’re ready to part with, consider donating it to Rawhide Boys Ranch today to give at-risk youth a second chance. We accept all car donations, running or not! Share: